Fifty percent of surveyed small business owners stated that “economic uncertainty” is one of the biggest challenges faced in the growth and survival of their business, according to the National Small Business Association’s 2008 Survey of Small and Mid-Size Businesses. Chase Card Services has published a set of five tips for small business owners to help manage their credit relationships.   » Continue Reading

In an economic environment where many workers are feeling the pinch of the rising cost of living, Nursefinders Inc., one of the nation’s largest healthcare staffing providers, has announced that it is offering daily salary payments to temporary employees who have registered at no cost for a Chase Payroll Card. Upon completion of a daily work shift, an employee’s payroll card account is credited with salary payment as quickly as two hours after an approved time card is submitted.   » Continue Reading

The Colorado Department of Labor and Employment has partnered with Chase to change the way benefit payments are issued by the state’s Unemployment Insurance Program. Recipients will be issued a Visa debit card called a Colorado Automated Payment (CAP) Card and benefits will automatically be deposited into their CAP Card account. The CAP Card can be used for purchases anywhere Visa is accepted. An FAQ on the CAP Card is available on the Colorado Department of Labor and Employment's web site.   » Continue Reading

The U.S. Department of the Commerce (DOC) has selected JPMorgan as its provider for charge card services. The order is part of the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) SmartPay 2 program, the largest government charge card program in the world.   » Continue Reading

The New York Times Dealbook takes a look at yesterday's announcement that JP Morgan Chase is acquiring a 47 percent interest in Target's credit card portfolio.

TechCrunch's Erick Schonfeld takes a look at Foster City, CA-based Rearden Commerce - a company that reportedly has just closed a $100 MM financing round from investors including American Express, JPMorgan Chase, Oak Investment Partners, and Foundation Capital. While Rearden's largest customer currently is American Express, Schonfeld notes that "in addition to being an investor, Chase has also signed on as Rearden’s second giant customer. It plans on offering Rearden’s personal Web concierge service to its 90 million bank card holders. Anyone with a Chase bank account, whether business or personal, will be able to use the service."

Vauhini Vara and Mylene Mangalindan also report on Rearden for the Wall St. Journal.

Update: Here's Rearden Commerce's funding announcement press release as well as its press release announcing Rearden's new strategic relationship with Chase Card Services.

JPMorgan Chase has announced that it will purchase an undivided interest in Target’s credit card receivables for approximately $3.6 billion in cash representing approximately 47 percent of the principal amount of Target’s outstanding receivables.   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services and the Canadian Cancer Society have announced the launch of the PayPass-enabled Canadian Cancer Society MasterCard from Chase. By using the card for daily purchases, one per cent of customers’ eligible net purchases will be donated directly to the Canadian Cancer Society.   » Continue Reading

JPMorgan Chase reported first quarter 2008 financial results this morning - its Card Services unit reported net income of $609 million, a decline of $156 million, or 20%, from the prior year.   » Continue Reading

On February 27, JPMorganChase held an Investor Day with presentations by senior executives from across its business. A webcast archive of each presentation along with the accompanying presentations are available online. Included are a Chase Card Services presentation by Gordon Smith and a Retail Financial Services presentation by Charlie Scharf. JPMorganChase is in the news today following its announcement late yesterday that it is acquiring Bear Stearns.

JPMorgan and its customer Kelly Services received the Best Payroll Card Program Award last week at the second annual Prepaid Card Expo in Las Vegas. Kelly Services has been offering the Chase Payroll Card program to its temporary employees since 2004. Kelly deployed the payroll card as a means to provide its temporary employees with a safe, convenient, and dependable alternative to payroll checks, as well as reduce the costs and time associated with issuing paper payroll checks.   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Unicorn Financial Services and is launching an expanded set of patient financing products as ChaseHealthAdvance financing options.   » Continue Reading

JPMorgan has announced a new Corporate Platinum and Gold Card offering - calling them "the world’s most widely accepted travel and entertainment cards designed to enable business executives to maximize their productivity when traveling. Among the premium benefits and services available through the card programs are superior VIP airport lounge access, VIP Luggage Delivery, concierge services, travel accident and lost luggage insurance coverage, and emergency medical and dental coverage."   » Continue Reading

JPMorgan Chase has announced that the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) has selected JPMorgan Chase as its provider for travel charge card services. According to Chase, "the contract award is part of the U.S. General Services Administration’s (GSA) SmartPay2 program, the largest government charge card program in the world."   » Continue Reading

JP Morgan Chase has reported financial results for the fourth quarter of 2007. In its Card Services business, net income declined 15% to $609 million primarily as a result of an increase in its provision for credit losses to $1.8 billion, up 40% over the same quarter in 2006. Noninterest expenses declined during the quarter. Its merchant processing (Chase Paymentech) reported processing card volume of $194.4 billion, up 9%, on 5.4 billion transactions.

Chase Card Services and Office Depot have announced the new Office Depot Worklife Rewards Visa Signature Card for both business owners and consumers.   » Continue Reading

In a press release this morning, Chase discusses its new marketing campaign - scheduled to debut this Sunday. According to the bank, the campaign "will shine a laser-like focus on What Matters to customers, alerting them to the ways Chase can help them manage their money and their lives."   » Continue Reading

Jane J. Kim writes for the Wall St. Journal about new credit cards from Capital One, Chase Card Services and Discover that offer more "flexibility and convenience" in their rewards programs - intended to make their cards "top of wallet" in terms of consumer preference.

Chase Card Services has announced "the expansion of Chase Clear & Simple, an ongoing program designed to help Chase customers better understand and manage their accounts, with the adoption of new, clearer pricing practices. Chase is eliminating a practice, commonly used in the industry, of increasing interest rates for individual cardholders when their credit-bureau scores decline. This change is effective on March 1, 2008."   » Continue Reading

MasterCard has announced the launch of World MasterCard for Business - calling it "a premium payment card that provides high-spending small businesses with more spending power, superior customer service and enhanced rewards." Chase Card Services is the first credit card issuer to introduce MasterCard World for Business cards.   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services has announced what it is calling "the first-ever MasterCard World for Business credit cards" with the introduction of the new Continental Airlines World MasterCard for Business and the GM Business Card World MasterCard. The new GM card will include blink, Chase's contactless payment feature.   » Continue Reading

JP Morgan Chase has announced its financial results for 3Q07 . For its card services unit, it reported average outstandings up 5%, charge volume growth of 3%, revenue up 6% and net income up 11%. Chase reported a net charge-off rate of 3.64% and also said that it expected credit card losses to return to normalized levels in the 4.00% - 4.50% range by the end of 2008.

In an article titled 'For-Credit Course", Rob Walker writes for this Sunday's New York Times Magazine about Chase Card Services "+1" credit card - offered primarily by way of a sponsored group setup on Facebook called Chase +1. Chase limits access to the group so that only Facebook members who are part of college networks can join. Chase also has a Chase Credit Education group on Facebook that is open membership.

Chase Card Services has announced what it's calling "the next generation of Chase Freedom, the only rewards credit card offering triple rewards that are automatically adjusted based on consumers’ actual, month-to-month, everyday spending patterns."   » Continue Reading

JPMorgan Chase has announced a new report titled “Controlling and Cutting Travel & Entertainment Costs” that examines how "some of the nation’s leading companies share cost- and time-saving steps that they have taken to maximize their travel program and help minimize the impact of rising business travel costs."   » Continue Reading

The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) district has announced the BART Rider Rewards MasterCard from Chase - saying it's "the first major urban public transportation agency in the country to provide customers with a program like this."   » Continue Reading

The U.S. General Services Administration has named JPMorgan Chase winner of a GSA SmartPay2 charge card service contract, certifying that the company can offer its charge card services to any U.S. federal entity.   » Continue Reading

Chase has introduced Rapid Cash - calling it "an easy new way to send money to Mexico for free."   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services has announced "the expansion of Chase Clear & Simple, an ongoing program designed to help Chase customers better understand and manage their accounts, with 10 consumer-friendly initiatives. In addition, Chase is launching an online site, www.chaseclearandsimple.com that will feature tools and information to empower customers."   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services and Mall Networks have announced the launch of Chase Rewards Plus, calling it "a dynamic shopping program that provides cardmembers with a rewarding online shopping experience. With Chase Rewards Plus, millions of Chase rewards cardmembers will now be able to earn unlimited bonus rewards and take advantage of special offers and discounts while shopping at hundreds of leading online retailers through www.chase.com/rewardsplus."   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services has announced a card deal with Wakefern Food Corporation, operator of ShopRite and PriceRite stores, to launch of the new ShopRite Rite-Rewards MasterCard, ShopRite Private Label Credit Card and PriceRite Private Label Credit Card.   » Continue Reading

In a post titled "Explaining J.P. Morgan’s DNP on First Data", the Wall St. Journal's Dennis Berman blogs about why he thinks JP Morgan Chase wasn't playing a role in the private buyout of First Data by KKR announced earlier this week. He believes the reason is that the bank has been trying to negotiate the purchase of the 49% interest in Chase Paymentech held by First Data. Last week we reported that First Data filed an amended 10-K for 2006 which included the detailed financials for Chase Paymentech - a very nice business indeed!

United and Chase Card Services have announced a program offering United Mileage Plus Visa cardmembers double miles for every eligible dollar spent when they use their card to pay their personal (or quarterly estimated) federal income tax, or when they pay their state or property tax between March 1 and May 25, 2007.   » Continue Reading

JP Morgan Chase is holding its 2007 Investor Day today in New York City. Copies of the presentations are available online including one on Chase's credit card business (PDF) given by Rich Srednicki and its retail banking business (PDF) given by Charlie Scharf.

Chase Card Services has announced what it's calling its "Clear and Simple Initiative" that the card issuer says "will make it even easier for Chase cardmembers to better understand and manage their accounts. These customer-centric programs tools, information and services are intended to help Chase's millions of cardmembers continue to enjoy a positive relationship with Chase Card Services while maximizing the benefits of their credit card."   » Continue Reading

Leslie Pappas reports for the Wilmington News Journal that Chase Card Services last year pulled ahead of Bank of America to become the largest US issuer of Visa and Mastercard cards (based upon receivables outstanding) - but Bank of America still remains the largest credit card issuer when the bank's new American Express card portfolio is added in.

Chase Card Services has announced changes to its its policies and practices that it says are designed to help customers more easily manage their accounts and personal finances and avoid fees.   » Continue Reading

JPMorgan Chase has announced it has acquired all of the assets of FisaCure, a provider of electronic remittance services for Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) compliant transaction sets. The acquired FisaCure technology will become part of the Healthcare Solutions business of JPMorgan Chase's Treasury Services unit.   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services, Marriott International and Visa have announced the launch of the Marriott Rewards Platinum Visa Card in Canada.   » Continue Reading

MasterCard Canada has announced that Chase Paymentech Solutions has become the first acquirer in Canada to receive approval from MasterCard to process chip transactions. According to MasterCard, "Chase Paymentech's approval sets the stage for the introduction of MasterCard chip cards in 2007."   » Continue Reading

With the latest round of quarterly financial results, several banks have reported their merchant acquiring business volumes for the third quarter. Of particular interest is the 18% growth experienced by Chase Paymentech - handling $168.7 billion in payment volume during the quarter. Bank of America's Merchant Services unit grew by 6.2% to $97 billion in payment volume while US Bank's Nova handled $56.4 billion, up over 26% although US volume vs. international isn't broken out in Nova's numbers.

Chase and LSU have announced they have teamed up to bring credit card acceptance to Tiger Stadium for payment at designated concession and merchant stands throughout the stadium. Tiger Stadium also becomes the first college stadium to accept contactless credit card payments with blink technology.   » Continue Reading

Chase Card Services has announced the launch of a multimillion-dollar Hispanic advertising campaign using the tagline "Confia en Ti. Confia en Chase." "Have Confidence/Believe in yourself, Have Confidence/Believe in Chase."   » Continue Reading

Visa USA has announced the introduction of Visa Signature Business, a new premium business payment card Visa says is "designed to address the business and lifestyle needs of small business owners by delivering valued and relevant benefits, greater purchasing power, and flexible features."   » Continue Reading

Chase Bank USA has announced the Chase Freedom card, calling it "the first and only credit card that gives consumers ultimate control over their rewards options, setting the standard for next-generation rewards programs." Chase Freedom is offered as a MasterCard or Visa and comes 'blink-enabled' for contactless payments.   » Continue Reading

Robin Sidel writes for the Wall St. Journal about how credit card issuers are tweaking their rewards programs -- including news that tomorrow JP Morgan Chase's Chase Card Services will announce a new Chase Freedom card with some new rewards options. Sidel reports that "today, more than 60% of all credit cards issued in the U.S. are tied to a rewards program."

Chase is emphasizing the security features of its Check Cards in advertising in today's New York Times -- saying that "if your card is lost or stolen, we'll replace your money in one business day, guaranteed." More details on the Chase Check Card Security page on the bank's web site.

Chase Card Services says that it is "notifying 2.6 million current and former Circuit City credit card account holders that computer tapes containing their personal information were mistakenly identified as trash and thrown out."   » Continue Reading

Atlanta Spirit, Chase, Cingular, Nokia, NXP, Visa USA and ViVOtech have announced the completion of the first North American Near Field Communication (NFC) trial for mobile phones, including contactless payments and content downloads at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, Georgia.   » Continue Reading

The Washington Post's Caroline Mayer writes about a colleague's frustration with his Chase-issued Amazon.com Visa card and its paper-based reward certificates. He says "It's no surprise I guess. While they want to make it easy for me to spend my money, they'd like to make it hard for me to spend their money."

The Wall St. Journal reports this morning that Chase has entered into a one-year marketing agreement to be the exclusive credit card sponsor on Facebook.

According to the "All About Rewards" survey of moms nationwide, conducted by Harris Interactive and commissioned by the Disney Rewards Visa Card from Chase, 41 percent of moms use a rewards card but many are not redeeming the rewards they have earned.   » Continue Reading

Ted Griffith writes for the Wilmington News Journal about how Bank of America and Chase are using new technology - including contactless cards - to help grow a mature business. "When you're looking at payment devices, and you're looking at payments in general, you just want to find that thing that you never leave home without," says Bank of America's Turner, borrowing from the most famous credit card slogan. "I always have my keys, I always have my cell phone, and I always have my thumb. Those will be the things that will indicate where payment technology will go." I also always have my wallet!

Nick Godt reports for MarketWatch.com on "the last battle line in the war waged on cash by banks and credit-card companies: contactless payments. "There was roughly $8.57 trillion of personal consumption purchases in the U.S. in 2005, about $3.6 trillion of which was in cash, check and money orders," Denis Moroney, director of bank card research for the consultancy TowerGroup, said. "That cash market has become a real target for those banks and credit-card companies."

Chase and United Airlines have announced a new United Travel Card, a private-label credit card program that provides eligible cardmembers with promotional financing for qualified travel purchased through United. According to Chase, when cardmembers use the United Travel Card to purchase qualified flights, vacations, upgrades, Red Carpet Club membership, and other United travel totaling $199 or more, they receive 90-day same-as-cash financing. During that promotional 90-day period, cardmembers are not required to make any payments and do not pay interest.   » Continue Reading

One year after launching its first contactless credit cards, Chase has announced that it has so far issued nearly seven million cards with blink to cardmembers in Connecticut, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Texas - and that the cards are now accepted at more than 25,000 merchant locations nationwide, ranging from convenience stores to sports stadiums. Among the statistics reported regarding blink transactions are a 40 percent increase in average ticket size and increasing frequency of purchases by 35 percent.   » Continue Reading

Plaintiff law firms Berger & Montague and Lerach Coughlin have announced that a nationwide settlement agreement has been reached in a consolidated federal class action lawsuit about use of certain payment cards for foreign transactions. Defendants in the case include Visa, MasterCard, Bank of America, Bank One/First USA, Chase, Citibank, Diners Club, HSBC/Household, MBNA and Washington Mutual/Providian. MasterCard this morning has filed an 8-K with the SEC stating it "has agreed to pay $72.48 million, which constitutes its share of defendants' $336 million settlement." As an aside, MasterCard also reported that it had agreed to settle the "Schwartz Matter for $13.44 million, which is expected to be paid in 2007."   » Continue Reading

Chase has announced it is turning its 1,789 New York City metro-area ATMs into instant-win machines that will dispense receipts good for free tickets to the US Open. "Starting this week, Chase's instant-win ATM promotion will spearhead a broad marketing campaign that leverages parent company JPMorgan Chase's sponsorship of the US Open Tennis Tournament. The promotion, which is expected to give away more than 5,000 tickets, marks the first time an ATM has been used as an instant-win machine."   » Continue Reading

Chase, the consumer banking brand of JPMorgan Chase, has announced the rollout of 1.8 million Visa debit cards with blink technology in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut - saying it is the first Visa issuer to offer contactless payment capability on its debit cards.   » Continue Reading

Ted Griffith reports for the Wilmington News-Journal on the presence that JP Morgan Chase's credit card unit has in Delaware. Griffith reports that Chase is the fourth-largest private employer in Delaware, with 5,700 workers, most of whom are employed in the credit card business, along with about 500 independent contractors, with most of them being technology specialists.   » Continue Reading

Ed Perkins reports for the Chicago Tribune on new bank buys "Choices" credit card program included as part of the United Airlines/Chase Bank "Mileage Plus Visa Card" and says it's "stingier than several of its more prominent rivals."

Five of the nation’s leading retail banks, Bank of America, BB&T Corporation, JPMorgan Chase, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo together with First Data have announced they have agreed to form Early Warning Services, LLC, to bring together the fraud prevention expertise of the owners with the intellectual property and assets of Primary Payment Systems (PPS) and IDLogix. PPS and IDLogix are subsidiaries of First Data specializing in fraud prevention technologies.   » Continue Reading

New Edge Networks has announced it is tightening privacy and security on bankcard transactions through new network interconnections to Chase Paymentech Solutions LLC. The new connections provide end-to-end compliance with Payment Card Industry (PCI) security standards.   » Continue Reading

Ron Lieber reports for the Wall St. Journal on the "third wave" of credit cards tied to free air travel rewards - highlighting the new Chase United Mileage Plus Visa "Choices" and American Express Delta SkyPoints programs.

As mentioned earlier this morning, United and Chase have announced United's Mileage Plus Choices, a new travel loyalty program.   » Continue Reading

Susan Carey reports for the Wall St. Journal on United Airlines working with JP Morgan Chase to enhance the rewards available to United Mileage Plus Visa cardholders.

M.P. Dunleavey writes for the New York Times about receiving a solicitation for a J. P. Morgan Chase EquityCard, a credit card that allows you to spend the equity in your home.   » Continue Reading

JP Morgan Chase reported first quarter financial results this morning. The dynamics reported in its card business this quarter include revenue essentially flat but net income up substantially - 73 percent - over the prior year due primarily to lower bankruptcy-related credit losses. As with some other issuers this quarter, Chase reported a 5.6 percent decline in its outstanding loans over the prior quarter as consumers paid off balances at an accelerated rate - at least partially due to changes in the minimum payment amount due on outstanding balances.

In a cover story in the latest issue, Fortune senior writer Shawn Tully looks behind the scenes at JP Morgan Chase's new CEO, Jamie Dimon.   » Continue Reading

AP Business Writer Joe Bel Bruno writes about recent SEC filings from Citigroup and JP Morgan Chase that credit card delinquencies and charge-offs could spike up in the second half of this year.   » Continue Reading

David Lazarus reports for the San Francisco Chronicle on some of the marketing techniques being used by credit card issuers to sell "credit card payment protector plans" - otherwise known as credit card payment insurance or debt suspension agreements - to consumers.

JPMorgan Chase has announced the rollout of pre-paid debit cards to speed payment of tax refunds to low-income tax filers without bank accounts.   » Continue Reading

Kohl's Corporation has announced that it has entered into a strategic alliance with JPMorgan Chase to enhance the credit operations of the company.   » Continue Reading

Yesterday, JP Morgan Chase executives held a major investor day event. An audio recording of the event and copies of the presentations are available in the Investor Relations section of the JPMorganChase web site.   » Continue Reading

Earlier this month, Chase Card Services CEO RIch Srednicki spoke at the 2006 Credit Suisse Financial Services Conference. A copy of his presentation (PDF) is available online on the JPMorganChase web site.

Keynote Systems has announced new consumer research showing that Discover, American Express and Chase provide the best online experience for prospective card customers. A PDF summary of Keynote's findings is available online.   » Continue Reading

Visa USA has announced there are now over 20,000 Visa Contactless acceptance locations in the United States, including McDonald's, AMC Theatres, CVS/pharmacy and Meijer, and over 4 million Visa-branded contactless cards have been issued.   » Continue Reading

Richard Burnett of the Orlando Sentinel reports on a debate between some consumer groups and Chase over whether the new contactless technology being used in Chase's new 'blink' cards makes credit card fraud any easier.   » Continue Reading

James Bickers, editor of Kiosk Marketplace, reports on contactless payments and what will be required for marketplace success.

Chase has announced the rollout of its new Chase contactless credit cards with "blink" in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. Chase has begun to deliver approximately 800,000 new credit cards with blink to its Texas cardmembers.   » Continue Reading

Richard Burnett writes for the Orlando Sentinel about Chase's rollout of 'blink' credit cards in the Orlando area.   » Continue Reading