Finance & Metrics News
Walmart Winning Over Customers With Financial Services
The discount retailer offers check cashing, bill paying, money wiring and prepaid debit card re-loads.
Posted Nov 9, 2011
Visa Boosts Prepaid Interchange Rates
The new interchange schedule takes effect October 1, and the biggest increase in the Visa-branded prepaid categories is for automated fuel dispenser transactions.
Posted Sep 12, 2011
Consumer Spending Increased in July
Surpassing economists’ forecasts, U.S. consumer spending rose 0.8 percent last month, the largest gain since February.
Posted Aug 30, 2011
Banks Testing Monthly Fees for Debit Cards
Wells Fargo announced this week that it will begin testing a monthly fee for consumers to use their debit cards, a move some banks say is necessary because of new rules contained in the Durbin Amendment.
Posted Aug 19, 2011
Walmart Expands Check, Card Cashing Services
Now the retailer will cash payroll and eligible government benefit cards.
Posted Aug 10, 2011
Visa Announces New Participation Fee
Post-Durbin Amendment, Visa plans to offer a fixed network participation fee and reduce its variable processing fee for its cards.
Posted Aug 1, 2011
Heartland Readies “Durbin Dollars” for Merchants
Later this year the payment processor will pass along savings in debit card swipe fees.
Posted Aug 1, 2011
Mobile Credit Card Reader: There’s an App for That
Apple begins selling Square card readers at its stores, formally endorsing the square chip that plugs into an iPhone headphone jack and allows users to process credit card payments.
Posted Apr 21, 2011
More Costly Food and Gas Threatens to Slow Economy
Some economists have begun lowering their growth forecasts for the quarter, because of skyrocketing fuel and food prices.
Posted Apr 19, 2011
American Express Announces New Digital Payment Platform
Serve offers person-to-person, online, mobile and traditional card capabilities in a single account.
Posted Apr 1, 2011
PNC Bank Keeps Free Checking
The financial services company will not add fees to its basic checking accounts.
Posted Mar 2, 2011
SBA Lending Declines for Big, Small Firms
Commercial real estate loans were down 4.1 percent, with loans exceeding $100,000 posting a gain of two percent.
Posted Feb 22, 2011
Chargebacks Hurt Small Businesses
The practice of reversing credit card transactions when a customer disputes the charge creates headaches for retailers.
Posted Feb 14, 2011
Retailers Court Unbanked Customers With Financial Offerings
With millions of Americans eschewing bank accounts, more merchants are providing banking services to customers.
Posted Feb 2, 2011
Congressional Committees Take Aim at SBA Programs
The SBA “could look considerably leaner in the coming months” if legislators have their way, who are searching to remove costly, ineffective programs.
Posted Feb 1, 2011
Apple Gets Into Mobile Wallet Game
The tech company has its own version of a microchip that would allow payments to be processed via its iPhone.
Posted Jan 31, 2011
Beer Money
Sam Adams founder offering loans to small businesses.
Posted Jan 27, 2011
Will Credit Cards Become Obsolete?
Some are predicting that paying with plastic might go the way of vinyl records soon.
Posted Jan 26, 2011
FDIC Addresses Lending to Small Businesses
The FDIC recommends that banks look less at collateral value and instead focus on business cash flow when assessing whether to approve a loan.
Posted Jan 18, 2011
Big News for Small Business: Loan Access Eases
Two programs aim at increasing lending to underserved communities in rural areas and to women- and minority-owned businesses.
Posted Dec 21, 2010
First Data Releases November SpendTrend
Retailers performed well in November with dollar volume growth of 8.5%, compared to 5.2% in October.
Posted Dec 10, 2010
Alberta Likely to Rescind Ban on High-Alcohol Beer
That was quick: Just one week after its announcement to ban high alcohol beer, Alberta appears to backtrack while hinting the potent brews will be reinstated — albeit at a higher cost.
Posted Dec 9, 2010
Minnesota Alleges Discover Mislead Customers
The attorney general filed a lawsuit accusing the credit-card company charged customers for financial-protection services without their explicit consent.
Posted Dec 7, 2010
The Google Credit Card
Google to take on credit cards with new Android OS.
Posted Nov 23, 2010
Fewer Americans Owning Homes
Heavy job losses continue to erode home ownership, with nearly three million fewer Americans owning homes today than in 2005.
Posted Nov 4, 2010
Weak Economy Saps Dollar Stores' Strength
As the economic recovery appears dim, margins are expected to thin, leading to a loss of profits for the ubiquitous dollar store retailers.
Posted Sep 30, 2010
Financial Institutions Eager for Smartphones Payments
The banks and credit card companies are ready to transform plastic payments into mobile ones.
Posted Sep 27, 2010
Gatorade To Be Distributed Via Direct Delivery
The change represents the company's first large-scale move toward optimizing PepsiCo's delivery systems resulting from its bottling acquisitions earlier this year.
Posted Sep 2, 2010
Fed Committed to Prevent Second Recession
Federal Reserve chief Ben Bernanke says the central bank "will do all that it can do to ensure continuation of the economic recovery."
Posted Aug 31, 2010
Visa Stands to Lose on Swipe Fees
The SF Chronicle looks at SF-based Visa and what it stands to lose from the recent federal financial reform bill.
Posted Aug 25, 2010
Fed Report Delivers Positive Lending News
For the first time since late 2006, banks of all sizes have begun easing standards on small business loans. However, applying for a loan can still be a nightmare.
Posted Aug 25, 2010
How Secure Are ATMs?
Security experts posit that lower-volume machines might be less secure.
Posted Aug 18, 2010
Declining Cigarette Sales Could Trigger Tobacco Bond Defaults
With several states having bonds backed by tobacco-company payments, defaults could start happening as soon as 2030.
Posted Aug 9, 2010
P&G Predicts Uneven U.S. Recovery
CPG leader said it expects the economy to continue to struggle in the coming year, with a divide between the shopping behaviors of the employed and unemployed widening.
Posted Aug 5, 2010
Speedway SuperAmerica Announces Speedy Rewards Pay Card
The company has partnered with the National Payment Card Association on a Speedway-branded debit card tied into loyalty cards.
Posted Aug 3, 2010
J.P. Morgan Offers Small Businesses Rate Cuts If They Hire
Bank will lower the interest rate it charges on a small business line of credit by half a percentage point for every new hire the business makes, up to three hires.
Posted Jul 1, 2010
Woolworths Goes Up Against Visa
Australia’s biggest retailer is battling Visa over swipe fees.
Posted Jun 9, 2010
Do ATMs Confuse Older Congressional Members?
Sen. Tom Harkin has been angling to limit ATM fees but his colleagues refused to sign on to his amendment last week.
Posted May 24, 2010
Canadian Government Issues Revised Credit, Debit Card Industry Code of Conduct
The Canadian Convenience Stores Association still has concerns about the way the credit card companies operate.
Posted May 3, 2010
California Looks at Raising Gift Card Cash Outs
The Senate has a bill that would double the amount of gift card cash outs from $10 to less than $20.
Posted Apr 21, 2010
Kansas City Federal Reserve Seeks Input for Payment Card Fraud Survey
The Merchants Payments Coalition is asking retailers to participate in the study.
Posted Mar 24, 2010
Computer Scams Take in More Than $120 Million
The FDIC reports that hackers got away with millions in a three-month period.
Posted Mar 10, 2010
Visa, MasterCard Profits Soar
Fees add up to big profits for the credit card companies.
Posted Feb 5, 2010
S Corp. Possible Source for Health Care Funding
Democrats are considering a proposal to tax income from S corporations.
Posted Feb 1, 2010
Haiti Relief Donations Qualify for Immediate Tax Relief
Americans giving to charities that provide earthquake relief in Haiti can claim those deduction on their 2009 tax returns.
Posted Jan 27, 2010
U.S. Convenience Store Count Holds Firm Despite Weak Economy
Store count drops 0.2 percent according to NACS/Nielsen TDLinx 2010 Convenience Industry Store Count.
Posted Jan 20, 2010
Banking Online Could Make Small Businesses Vulnerable to Theft
A growing number of cyber-robberies are striking small companies and organizations that conduct financial transactions via the Internet.
Posted Jan 4, 2010
Number of Prepaid Card Users Soar
All major credit card companies are investing millions in prepaid cards.
Posted Dec 23, 2009
OU Transfers Cost of Doing Business Onto Students
Students at the University of Oklahoma will begin paying a ‘convenience fee’ January 4 for paying their bill with a credit card.
Posted Dec 11, 2009
Congress to Consider Changing Check Law
The Business Checking Fairness Act would allow small businesses to have interest-bearing checking accounts.
Posted Dec 2, 2009
President Requests $100 Million More for Small-business Loan Program
The popular program, which was created to increase lending, is running short of funds.
Posted Nov 25, 2009
Visa Offers New Card, Fees, to the Unbanked
New debit card targets Hispanic customers and carries hefty fees.
Posted Nov 16, 2009
Fifth Third To Issue RevolutionCard
With no interchange fees, RevolutionCard creates substantial cost savings for merchants – savings they today are passing back to consumers in the form of loyalty programs and incentives.
Posted Oct 21, 2009
U.S. Households Post Quarterly Gain
After a two year decline, Americans are beginning to recover some wealth.
Posted Sep 21, 2009
Marketplace Money Reports on Credit Card Fees
The American Public Media radio program showcases 7-Eleven’s petition against interchange fees.
Posted Jul 28, 2009
Funding Alternatives
What credit options are available to small businesses?
Posted Jul 24, 2009
Possible Relief Bubbling for U.S. Beverage Companies
Coke and Pepsi to announce quarterly earnings next week, details that will be closely watched by the industry.
Posted Apr 17, 2009
More Depression
It may get worse before it gets better, Walter Zimmermann tells State of the Industry Summit attendees.
Posted Apr 8, 2009
Convenience Store Sales, Profits Showed Gains in 2008
Strong fourth quarter motor fuels margins balance out otherwise tough year.
Posted Apr 7, 2009
State of the Industry Opportunities Await
Don’t miss out on the industry’s annual review of sales data.
Posted Mar 19, 2009
Small Businesses Find a New Source for Funding
Businesses are turning to credit unions for funding as banks continue tightening their strings.
Posted Mar 6, 2009
Participate in the NACS State of the Industry Survey
In these tough times, how can you afford not to know the latest benchmarks to help improve your company’s performance?
Posted Jan 22, 2009