On the web:

• PayPal Hits The Mall: eBay's Baby Takes On Google, AmEx And Apple At Cash Registers - Forbes (Clare O'Connor) - "The aim is for shoppers to be able to use PayPal at the cash register in two million stores by the end of 2013."
• Banks Urged to Put Limits on Payday-Style Loans - NY Times Dealbook - "Federal regulators on Thursday admonished some of the nation’s largest banks for offering payday-style loans, short-term costly credit tied to customers’ checking accounts."
• Google Think Insights: The Customer Journey to Online Purchase - "This tool helps you explore and understand the customer journey to improve your marketing programs."
• CGAP: Exploring Alternative API Product Concepts - "CGAP’s work in Applied Product Innovation (API) aims to understand how customer-centric design methodologies … could be tailored to branchless banking in order to achieve better financial service offerings for the poor."
• Medagate's health card combines incentives with functionality - Drug Store News - "...enables employers and health plans to combine a member/employee healthcare funding purse with a restricted-spend purse for targeted items and incentives…"
• Bank Customers Want A Seamless Experience (My Foot) - Snarketing 2.0 - "Consumers want things to work. Period."
• Banks use mobile phone history to determine credit rating - Springwise - "Cignifi’s new platform offers what it claims is the first to deliver credit and marketing scores for consumers without credit histories using mobile phone behavior data."
• Online Shopping, With Sales Tax Added - NY Times Bucks Blog - "Shoppers will now have to figure in sales tax when they are deciding whether it is better to buy a particular item online or in a brick-and-mortar store."
• The Mysterious World of Bitcoin: Does It Have Staying Power? - Knowledge @ Wharton - "Bitcoin has all the hallmarks of a classic speculative bubble..."
• Are QR codes losing their magnetism? - Mobile Marketer Daily - "Brands don't want to place a generic black and white box all over their creative…"
• Infographic: Mobile Devices Overtake Daily Life - "On average, people check their phones 150 times a day or every 6.5 minutes…"

On the wires:

• GateCrafters Now Offers Bill Me Later Payment Option - "We hope this option will give customers more peace of mind when purchasing big ticket items."
• Co-Op to Offer Enhanced Member Control of Cards Via New Mobile Card and Alert Product - "…the product to be offered by CO-OP will provide a range of services, including allowing members to set controls and alerts based on their preferences, such as transaction type, merchant, location and thresholds."
• Blackhawk Announces First Quarter 2013 Financial Results Consistent With Estimates Provided in Prospectus - "Demand for our prepaid products was strong during the first quarter as load value reached $1.6 billion, up 23% year-over-year..."
• Merchant Warehouse and LevelUp Announce $1 Million Development Fund - "LevelUp and Merchant Warehouse want to give more merchants the opportunity to extend the reach of their brand and tap into a wealth of customer data to help them grow their businesses."
• Accenture Survey Identifies Actions to Increase Consumer Adoption of Mobile Payments - "For mobile payments to achieve widespread adoption, consumers must be educated about the fact that mobile payments are secure and more convenient than other payment options."
• TSYS Merchant Solutions to launch TSYS Multi-Currency Solutions - "Pay in Your Currency, gives eligible international customers the choice of paying in their home currency at the point of sale, offering significant benefits to TSYS merchants and their customers."
• WorldPay, VeriFone Expand Efforts to Bring NFC/EMV-Ready Payment to Merchants - "VeriFone and WorldPay collaborate in crucial areas to deliver the right payment solutions to merchants…"

Blackhawk Network Holdings, a majority owned subsidiary of Safeway, completed its initial public offering and began trading earlier Friday on NASDAQ under the symbol HAWK.

Shares were priced at $23 with 10 million shares being offered by the company. In today's trading, the shares advanced 13% to close at $26.01 at the market close. At that price, the market valuation for the company would be about $1.4 billion.

Blackhawk distributes prepaid cards, including gift cards, and connects brands to consumers via partnerships with various retail distributors, such as grocery store chains.

On the web:

• Blackhawk Network Plans IPO of Shares Valued at $200 Million - Bloomberg
• Balanced Raises $800K On Little-Known Fundraising Platform Called Facebook - Pando Daily
• Lenovo To Include Contactless Payments On Notebooks, Tablets - MobilePaymentsToday.com
• US Treasury Issues Guidance On 'Convertible' Virtual Currencies - The Next Web
• PayPal Stops Foreign Charity Donations From Singapore Accounts - TechCrunch

On the wires:

• NCR Silver Makes Everyday Easier for Small Businesses with Gift Card Update
• Merchants Can Leverage Transactional Data for Big Benefits, Says Tranzlogic
• GlobalCollect Expands Asia Pacific Presence In Support Of Booming E-Commerce Market
• Bluefin Payment Systems Integrates Payment Gateway with CUSI Software Platform

On the web:

• Highlights from a Conference on Technology and Payments - Portals and Rails
• The Need For Mobile Money Spawns A Startup Ecosystem Across Africa - TechCrunch
• EU Takes Belgium to Court Over Electronic Money Providers - WSJ.com

On the wires:

• Chase Customers Can Get Debit Cards Instantly in Branches
• Amazon Makes It Simple for Unity Developers to Add In-App Purchasing to Their Games
• Fuel Rewards Network Launch Helps Dallas-Fort Worth Consumers Save at the Pump
• Payza Payment Gateway Licensed for Inbound Foreign Remittances in Bangladesh
• Transact24 Moves Its Prepaid Card Portfolio to CashFlows to Provide Global Issuing Services
• Blackhawk Network to Offer Univision MasterCard Prepaid Card at Select Retailers

Blackhawk Network announced that it has contracted with mFoundry, enabling Blackhawk to offer digital and physical gift cards from hundreds of brand name merchants to smartphone users through Fin.X, mFoundry's next generation mobile banking platform.

“This new partnership between Blackhawk Network and mFoundry is an exciting milestone for us,” said Talbott Roche, President, Blackhawk Network. “Our ability to offer both digital and physical gift cards from the nation’s leading retailers combined with mFoundry’s mobile banking and payment solutions expertise allows us to bring financial institutions a wonderful opportunity to drive new revenue streams from digital channels while deepening relationships with consumers and retailers.”

Safeway has announced that it plans to file a registration statement in the United States for a potential IPO of a minority ownership stake in Blackhawk Network.

Blackhawk Network Holdings, Inc., a subsidiary of Safeway Inc., operates Blackhawk Network, Inc., a leading prepaid payments network for consumers and businesses. The company offers the industry's most popular prepaid gift cards and payment services from leading brands through a network of leading grocery stores, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty stores and Internet retailers including GiftCardMall.com. Blackhawk operates a proprietary network that connects to over 500 content providers and over 70,000 active retail distribution locations globally.

On the web:

• NYC No. 1 In E-Commerce Fraud - Dark Reading
• Mobile Payments Won't Replace Cash or Credit for Another Decade - AllThingsD

On the wires:

• Blackhawk Network Announces New Relationships With Hess Express
• Pivotal Payments Partners With NetSecure to Develop Branded Mobile Payment Application
• 3Delta Systems Rolls Out Private Labeling for Payment WorkSuite
• OpenCuro Releases Payment Module for Zen Cart
• VeriFone Jumpstarts Merchant EMV Migration

On the web:

• Google Wallet Security Questioned - Bank Technology News
• Credit Card "Skimming" on the Rise - San Jose Mercury News
• Half of Online Consumers Would Trade Privacy for Deals - Internet Retailer
• SCVNGR’s New Mobile Payment Solution 'LevelUp' Goes Device Agnostic QR Codes - TechCrunch
• Retail Payments Risk Forum Conference Explores the Role of Government - Portals and Rails
• Mobile Phone Payments Company 'Bango' Signs Deal With Amazon - TechCrunch
• Isis selects Gemalto as TSM for NFC wallet - GigaOM

On the wires:

• TNS Enters Multi-Year Payment Services Agreement with Open Solutions
• peerTransfer and Nelnet Business Solutions Partner to Enhance International Payment Options on Campus
• Mobile Source Capture from Fiserv Gains Momentum among Banks and Credit Unions
• InComm Launches Prepaid Digital Content and Gaming Destination at Best Buy Mexico
• Blackhawk Network Launches Gift Card Mall(TM) in QuikTrip Locations Nationwide

Blackhawk Network announced the acquisition of Cardpool, a gift card exchange for buying, selling and trading gift cards.

"Blackhawk Network has always provided consumers with the utmost convenience for making their gift card purchases," said Bill Tauscher, Chairman and CEO, Blackhawk Network. "We now look forward to extending that convenience to gift card recipients by allowing them to easily get the gift card they want through this exchange."

On the web:

• Ericsson Enables In-App Android Payments Via Carrier Bills - mocoNews
• High-impact events in a warming world: Business continuity planning for retail payments - Portals and Rails

On the wires:

• UseMyServices Partners with SafetyPay for Mutual Network Expansion
• Green Dot Partners with Blackhawk Network to Expand Product Availability
• U.S. Bank First in Industry to Launch Mobile-Enabled Credit Card Application at Select Retail Locations

On the web:

• The Rise Of The Online To Offline Commerce Network - Business Insider
• PayPal Now Processing $315 Million In Payments Per Day - TechCrunch
• NACHA Survey: Convenience Drives Direct Deposit - Credit Union Times
• Google Wallet and PayPal in 'electro-purse' War - The Register
• Starbucks Perks Up Mobile Payments Program (Interview) - eMarketer
• Orange has EU-wide Ambitions for NFC - Rethink Wireless
• I Can’t Use My Prepaid Card For That Now? - Portals and Rails
• Google Wallet Rollout Going 'Kind of Slow' - Computerworld
• Extended Remittance Information: Will The Tail Wag the Dog? (Registration Required) - GTNews

On the wires:

• VALITOR and PAY.ON Cooperate to Market Cross-Border Acquiring Solutions
• Starwood Joins the MasterCard Worldwide Enhanced Folio Data Program
• Blackhawk Network Announces Partnership With Smart & Final
• USDT Introduces Next Generation Credit/Debit Card Chargeback Management System
• Apex Payroll Selects the ReadyFUND$ MasterCard Payroll Card

Blackhawk Network has announced five new companies that have joined Blackhawk's REloadit Network –– AccountNow, Galileo, NetSpend, Precash and Ready Credit.

"This impressive line-up of new partners expands Blackhawk Network's services to more prepaid debit cardholders than ever before," says Talbott Roche, President, Blackhawk Network. "We look forward to continuing to enhance our REloadit Network through valuable partnerships and giving consumers the choice and flexibility they deserve in managing their finances."

Blackhawk Network has announced that its Gift Card Mall is now available in hundreds of Office Depot and Comercial Mexicana stores throughout Mexico.

"By bringing Gift Card Mall to Mexico, we are meeting the consumer's demand for prepaid products," said Dan Dmochowski, President of International, Blackhawk Network. "We've brought the most popular brands to one location, so consumers now have the convenience of a one stop shop for all their gifting and prepaid needs."

Blackhawk Network has announced the launch of its first GiftCardMall.com iPhone application.

GiftCardMall.com now enables iPhone users to purchase and send personalized eGift cards directly from their iPhone to a recipient’s email or Facebook account. eGift Cards can be personalized by adding your favorite photo of your Valentine to a gift card or by adding a special note or love poem.

Blackhawk Network has announced a new "gift card mall" Facebook application that helps consumers give gift cards in a social context.

Through the Group Gifting feature of the new Gift Card Mall Facebook application, Facebook friends are now able to contribute as a group for a single gift card, thereby increasing the value of the gift card for the recipient. A personalized message can also be added to a card. Additionally, the social networking gifting aspect enables Facebook users to remind others about friends' upcoming holidays and celebrations, further transforming the way people network and shop together.

Headline News is compiled by Glenbrook Partners:

• Global Online Community Badoo Chooses Single-Click Online Payments System from Adyen
• Tesco Bank Partners with Blackhawk Network to Deliver Gift Cards to Tesco Customers
• Cartera Commerce Responds to Proposed Federal Reserve Rules in Interchange Fees With New Solutions for Debit Card Issuers
• NRF Says Federal Reserve Action on Debit Cards Could Lead to Discounts for Consumers
• Oberthur Technologies Announces the Development of MasterCard M/Chip Advance for its new Dual Interface Platform

• Visa Blog: Senator Dodd: Debit Interchange Proposals “Maybe one where the Fed is overreaching”
• Springwise: Donation Gift Cards let Recipients Choose the Charity
• ReadWriteCloud: Google Apps Marketplace Gets a Billing API

Blackhawk Network announced that it has joined forces with eBay to offer prepaid cards on "the world's largest online marketplace."

Attracting over 90 million users globally, eBay is the perfect complement to Blackhawk's extensive network of leading supermarkets, big box, convenience, pharmacy, specialty and Internet retailers worldwide.

Blackhawk Network today announced a new Reloadit Pack that gives prepaid card consumers "a safe and easy alternative to using cash to reload and transfer funds onto Blackhawk Network and third party partners' prepaid debit cards." From the www.reloadit.com website or companion IVR consumers simply provide the prepaid card account number and Reloadit Pack scratch off number to transfer the purchased load amount to the prepaid card.

Blackhawk Network today announced a new brand of prepaid products called PayPower.

PayPower is a suite of prepaid products and services designed to help consumers stay in control of spending with simple and safe solutions that provide value, transparency and budgeting. The suite of products is targeted to consumers looking for alternatives to traditional financial credit, whether for everyday use, travel, online purchases or simply to pay a bill. Consumers can turn their cash into a debit card at thousands of retailers nationwide and easily reload through Blackhawk's vast reload network.

Blackhawk Network has announced its fourth annual Hawk Award winners. The awards honor leaders in the prepaid card industry and are awarded in five key areas: Overall Gift Card Program, Card Design, Marketing and Promotion, Industry Achievement, and Product Innovation. READ MORE »

Yesterday, Safeway held its Q1 2010 Earnings Call (see call transcript provided by Seeking Alpha).

On the call, Safeway CEO Steven Burd commented about Blackhawk: "The face value of cards sold ... increased 28% over last year's first quarter. Now this increase is larger than any quarter in 2009, and represents a significant acceleration from what we experienced in the fourth quarter of 2009. Again, I would attribute a good piece of that to the fact that I think we're seeing a bit of a recovery in the U.S. economy. And I believe it's slow, but I think that is indicative of some of the numbers we see coming from BlackHawk, and some of the numbers we see in some other aspects of our food retail operation."

Just in time for the holidays, Blackhawk Network, the largest provider of third-party gift cards in the United States and Canada, has launched a new virtual gift card program, E-Gift Cards - now available on its redesigned online store, GiftCardMall.com. Consumers can now benefit from being able to purchase gift cards online anywhere, anytime and having them delivered via email. Recipients can redeem their gifts online directly at the retailer’s web site or by printing them out for in-store redemption. READ MORE »

Blackhawk Network has announced that it now provides Facebook users with a new way to purchase and send iTunes Online Gifts. iTunes Online Gifts can be used to purchase and download content from the iTunes Store. The new service is now available in the U.S. exclusively on the iTunes Fan Page on Facebook. (The iTunes Fan Page on Facebook has over 2 million fans!) READ MORE »

Blackhawk Network has announced that its Rewards Visa Gift Card will now be offered to businesses through Blackhawk Network’s Incentives and Rewards business-to-business program. The Visa Gift Cards can be customized with a variety of personalization options, such as company logo and branding, custom card and carrier messaging, variable expiration dates, and variable value loads. The card can be redeemed anywhere Visa debit cards are accepted. READ MORE »

Seeking Alpha just posted the transcript from Safeway's quarterly earnings call held on July 23. On the call, Safeway CEO Steven A. Burd commented on Blackhawk Networks, a wholly owned subsidiary of Safeway:

To give you a brief update on Blackhawk, the value of total card sales—this is what we offer in terms of face value of the card—increased 24% for quarter two and that leaves us at 25% for the first half of this year.

The sales of closed loop partner cards are an interesting one to follow because essentially those cards represent the gift cards of a lot of retailers who are going through the same kind of economic events that we are. The sales of the closed loop partner cards increased 22.4% in the quarter and are growing at a rate that is much faster than our partners' own card sales.

Year-to-date we are on plan for Blackhawk, both in terms of face value card sales and earnings."

Blackhawk Network has announced an "exclusive relationship with Staples, Inc., the world's largest office products company. Staples’ U.S. stores will now carry Blackhawk’s signature Gift Card Mall™ currently found in grocery stores such as Safeway. Blackhawk’s Gift Card Mall™ features over 300 of the best branded gift cards across a number of different categories including fashion, tickets, electronics, home and sports." READ MORE »

Blackhawk Network has announced the winners of its Hawk Awards, honoring four companies’ and one industry leader’s excellence in the gift card industry. Winners were chosen in several areas; Card Design, Product Innovation, Industry Achievement and Industry Pioneer. READ MORE »

San Jose Mercury News columnist Mike Cassidy writes about his own (and others) recent experience with a gift card purchase where the card was not recognized as valid when his wife attempted to redeem it.

David Kesmodel reports for the Wall St. Journal on Safeway's Blackhawk Network subsidiary and its CEO Don Kingsborough. According to Kesmodel, "Safeway barely spoke about Blackhawk, founded in 2002, until last winter, when it divulged some financial projections to investors. The company nurtured the business quietly, in part to limit competition."

Blackhawk Network has announced it has "signed an exclusive agreement with The Kroger Co. to bring Blackhawk Network's award winning Gift Card Mall program to the nation's largest grocery chain in time for the holiday season."