Dogster, Inc., creator of the web destinations Dogster and Catster, has announced it is now offering affinity debit cards that members can personalize with a photo of their pet that are enabled by Tempo’s Web-based debit card platform. READ MORE

Tempo has introduced a new Web-based platform that it says "enables organizations to quickly and easily offer affinity and co-branded debit cards to customers, contributors and members. These organizations can now provide open loop debit cards and offer rewards ranging from cash-back to charitable contributions. The debit cards enabled by Tempo are issued by First Bank & Trust, of Brookings, SD, part of Fishback Financial Corporation. Tempo’s platform enables these cards to be linked to cardholders’ pre-existing checking accounts." READ MORE

HSBC Finance Corporation’s card and retail services business and Pathmark Stores have announced "an agreement to offer a multi-purpose rewards and payment card for supermarket customers. The new Pathmark Advantage Payment Card enhances the current Pathmark Advantage Club card by providing an easy and superior one-swipe payment process that also generates loyalty rewards." The card is linked to the consumer's checking account and functions as a PIN-debit card for purchases. The cards will also be accepted "at more than 200,000 merchant locations in the U.S. that participate in the Tempo Payment Network."

Tempo announced a new decoupled debit strategy called Tempo Debit about two months ago. We recently asked Tempo Payments CEO Mike Grossman for an update on his company's activities since that announcement. Our Q&A exchange with him follows.

Tempo Payments made two announcements this morning. The first, a "Decoupled Debit Option for Financial Institutions" that "enables financial institutions and other issuers to rapidly deploy comprehensive ACH-based debit card programs." The second, the "availability of the Tempo Payment Platform, the first hosted solution that enables financial institutions and other issuers to rapidly deploy innovative card payment solutions."

HSBC Finance Corporation’s card and retail services business and CVS/pharmacy have announced they have entered into an agreement to offer a new CVS-branded Tempo Payment Network loyalty rewards payment card. Planned for a mid-2007 pilot launch at the retailer’s 141 Indianapolis-area stores, the CVS ExtraCare Plus card will provide CVS/pharmacy customers with a convenient and secure multipurpose rewards and payment solution that links the cardholder’s existing checking account to their existing ExtraCare account.

Tempo Payments has announced that "Murphy USA has joined the Tempo Payment Network and is initiating a system-wide implementation of Murphy-branded PIN debit cards at more than 1,000 gas stations, with an initial roll-out to 111 stores in Atlanta, Dallas/Ft. Worth, and Houston." Tempo said that Murphy USA will reward consumers using the card with a one cent per gallon discount at the pump.

Tempo Payments, has that "QuikTrip Corporation, a convenience/gasoline retail chain, will counter the high cost of credit card acceptance by offering a company-branded debit card that will provide customers with lower-priced gas at the pump."

Debitman Card is announcing Tuesday that it's got a new company name - Tempo Payments, Inc. - and will also be announcing a new agreement with Fiserv EFT to provide access to the Tempo Payment Network in Q1 2007. A new Tempo web site carries these announcements tonight.

Mark Schwanhausser writes for the San Jose Mercury News about mobile payments - saying that "eventually Americans will be able to choose among high-tech alternatives that will transform how they shop, pay for goods, borrow money, dole out allowances, transfer cash around the globe and manage their finances." Schwanhausser reports that San Francisco "Bay Area companies are playing influential roles mapping the way, from old-school titans such as Wells Fargo and Visa USA to New Economy ventures such as PayPal, Obopay and Yodlee." In a sidebar, Schwanhausser takes a look at some of the experiments underway.

Debitman Card issued a press release today providing more details about convenience store chain Wawa joining the Debitman payment network and issuing the private-label Wawa Check Card. According to the press release, the new Wawa Check Card will "reward customer loyalty with an initial $5.00 gift card after the first use, followed by cash rebates on every purchase" that will be deposited monthly directly into the customer's bank account that is linked to the Wawa Check Card.

Convenience Store Decisions reports that Debitman has announced that Wawa, the privately-owned Pennsylvania-based convenience store chain, has joined the payment network and will issue the private-label Wawa Check Card. The card will reward customer loyalty with an initial $5 gift card after the first use, followed by cash rebates on every purchase.

Dave Alexander writes for the Muskegon Chronicle about the launch of new Debitman-based debit cards by Muskegon, Michigan-based Wesco that he says "will provide the regional chain of gas stations and convenience stores relief from high bank card transaction fees and provide discounts to customers." Wesco and Debitman announced the new card program last week.

Debitman Card has announced that WESCO Stores has joined the The Retailer's Network and is now issuing its own branded debit cards to customers at its 51 Michigan locations. WESCO is combining the debit card with a consumer loyalty program that automatically discounts gas prices at the pump for card users and in the future will incorporate merchandising promotions.

The latest Nilson Report has arrived featuring an in-depth look at general purpose cards in Asia/Pacific (subscription only). Among other feature articles, this issue also has an article discussing credit card fraud in the US, merchant debit cards such as Debitman, web authentication from 41st Parameter, and a continuation from the last issue re: credit card debt sales.

Debitman has announced the closing of an $8.7 Million Series B Financing from investors including HSBC Retail Services, a U.S. business unit of HSBC -North America, Cardinal Venture Capital and Selby Venture Partners. The company also announced it has received a notice of allowance from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approving the company's patent for a system that enables the use of interoperable merchant-branded consumer debit cards.

HSBC - North America's retail services business has announced a strategic alliance with electronic payment network operator Debitman Card, Inc. to accelerate growth in Debitman's debit card platform, known as "The Retailer's Network."

HAC Inc., operator of 67 supermarkets in Oklahoma and Kansas including 49 Homeland Stores, has announced it is launching its own branded debit card, the One Card Plus, on the Debitman network at five pilot locations. Binghamton Giant Markets in Binghamton, NY has also announced its own Giant EXTRA Plus debit card program running on the Debitman network.

Debitman has announced that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is now accepting Debitman cards at checkout in all Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club locations across the United States.

“We are thrilled to be working with Wal-Mart,” said R. Scott Hatfield, President and COO of Debitman. “There can be no better validation of our business model and company mission.”

Debitman has announced the closing of a $3.6 million equity financing led by Cardinal Venture Capital with participation by Selby Venture Partners. Eric Dunn, General Partner of Cardinal and Jim Marshall, General Partner of Selby have joined the company's board of directors. Dunn will also be chairman of the board.

Celent analyst Gwenn Bezard writes in Bank Systems & Technology Online about the evolution of merchant-controlled debit networks. READ MORE