Emerging payment systems: Prepaid, debit, gift cards

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Emerging payment systems: Prepaid, debit, gift cards

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• Currency cards can ease money hassles abroad -- Currency cards hold much appeal for international travellers, letting you lock down an exchange rate. Yet there are some small-print clauses to know about ... (See Currency cards)
• Costumers have need for speed when it comes to payments -- Customers are becoming increasingly self-sufficient and anti-establishment when it comes to paying, according to research from the British Retail Consortium ... (See Shopping)
• Editor’s pick: Five user-friendly prepaid cards -- Prepaid cards let you use plastic without the risk of debt and interest charges. Here are five prepaid cards with user-friendly terms and manageable fees ... (See Prepaid)
• Britons have an appetite for debit -- Brits are putting a lot of money on their debit cards, new research from Visa Europe has found. They are also doing a lot more shopping online ... (See Debit cards)
• 6 prepaid credit card fees to watch out for -- If you're thinking about signing up for a prepaid card, watch out for excessive fees. Here are six of the most common fees to look out for when comparing prepaid cards ... (See Prepaid card fees)
• 5 offbeat ways to wrap a gift card -- Giving away a gift card doesn't have to be boring. Here are five creative and quirky ways to wrap a gift card and put a smile on your friend or family member's face ... (See Gift card ideas)
• UK gets first contactless payments wristwatch -- Make payments with your wristwatch? It sounds like an innovation straight out of a science fiction film. But it's real in the UK: Brits can now make payments from their wrists thanks to an innovative new product ... (See Contactless payments)
• 6 questions to ask when comparing prepaid gift cards -- Some shopped-out consumers are opting for prepaid gift cards instead of traditional gifts. But make sure you compare cards before buying -- many prepaid cards come loaded with fees ... (See Prepaid gift cards)
• Accept credit card payments with your smartphone -- As of Dec. 1, businesses will be able to process debit and credit card payments on the move, as long as they have a smartphone or tablet computer ... (See Mobile payments)
• Experts: Contactless payments won't take off without retailers -- Contactless won't take off without the retailers, say experts. More merchants need to support the new technology in order for it to become commonplace in the UK ... (See Contactless payments)
• UK consumers 'fearful of mobile payments' -- Phone hacking fears have put consumers off mobile payment systems, suggests new research. A recent study found that nearly half of all UK adults are concerned about mobile security ... (See Mobile payments security)
• Olympics vending machines may go contactless -- Drinks giant Coca-Cola is reportedly in talks with Visa over bringing contactless payment vending machines to the 2012 Olympics ... (See Contactless card payments)
• Brits say they would pay £3 to top up mobile wallets -- The vast majority of Britons with smartphones would consider using their devices to make mobile payments, a new survey has found, and many say they would even pay to top up their mobile wallets ... (See Mobile wallets)
• Will prepaid cards replace cash and cheques? -- Prepaid credit cards are rising in popularity across the UK. But are they destined to replace cash and cheques as a favourite alternative to credit? Maybe, says our correspondent ... (See Prepaid cards)
• PayPal unveils future payment technologies -- The e-commerce company is getting ready to introduce new, faster ways to pay for goods and services -- which the company promises will revolutionise checkout ... (See Payment innovations)
• Brits show appetite for contactless card payments -- The majority of UK consumers who have used contactless payments are impressed with contactless technology and want it to be more available, a new survey has found ... (See Contactless payments)
• Editor's Choice: The best prepaid cards for travel -- Planning a holiday soon? You may want to pack a prepaid travel card, which experts say can be a cheaper and safer option abroad. Here are our picks for the top five on the market ... (See Travel)
• Smartphones to get secure fingerprint technology -- Consumers' fears about mobile payment security may be answered. Smartphones could soon employ fingerprint technology to confirm a user's identity during mobile payments ... (See Mobile)
• Why travel with a prepaid card? -- Free prepaid travel cards are rapidly gaining in popularity with UK consumers. Here's why some UK travellers prefer using prepaid travel cards while on holiday ... (See Prepaid travel cards)
• Britons anticipate cash-free future -- Many Brits believe cash will soon be obsolete. According to a new study, a growing number are instead turning to credit cards and embracing new ways to pay, such as contactless ... (See Cash-free)
• Consumers using smartphones to shop -- More UK shoppers are going online to shop around -- and many are logging in with their smartphones and tablets rather than computers, according to a recent study ... (See Mobile shopping)
• The battle of prepaid credit cards: MasterCard vs Visa -- Does it matter which brand of prepaid credit card you choose? Yes, say experts. Here's what separates Visa from MasterCard in the battle over prepaid credit cards ... (See Prepaid card)
• Study: Overseas ATM withdrawals costly -- UK travellers are paying high fees in exchange for withdrawing cash abroad, new research shows. But experts say that frequent travellers can minimize these costs with the right card ... (See Fees)
• 5 questions to ask when comparing prepaid debit cards -- There are lots of prepaid debit cards on the market. To help you find the right card, here are five questions you should ask when comparing prepaid cards ... (See Prepaid)
• Concerns raised over Oyster card payments -- A travel watchdog group is concerned that many London passengers are unknowingly paying more than they should for Oyster Pay As You Go journeys around the capital ... (See Pay as you go)
• Mobile operators team up for payments venture -- Everything Everywhere, Telefonica UK and Vodafone UK have formed a joint payments venture that should facilitate the adoption of mobile payments, say experts ... (See Mobile payments)
• Wristbands enable contactless payments at festival -- An innovative prepaid contactless wristband was trialled at the recent Isle of Wight festival and proved popular with festival-goers ... (See Contactless )
• 7 facts about the prepaid debit card -- Prepaid debit cards are a popular option with Brits who are weary of using credit. If you, too, are thinking about a prepaid card, here are seven facts worth considering ... (See Prepaid debit card)
• Starbucks to support contactless card payments -- UK consumers will soon have one more place to pay for goods with their mobile phones. Starbucks has announced that it plans to introduce contactless credit card payments in some of its stores next spring ... (See Contactless)
• Online shopping: More secure with prepaid cards? -- With online credit card fraud continuing to be a problem, some experts have urged consumers to consider prepaid credit cards as a more secure option for internet use ... (See Prepaid)
• McDonald's adopts contactless card technology -- Contactless technology will soon make fast food even more accessible. McDonald's has confirmed that customers will be able to make contactless card payments in all of its UK restaurants by the end of May 2011 ... (See Contactless )
• Travellers to US may be unable to use credit cards -- The EPC wants magnetic stripes removed from European credit cards. But if the US is too slow in adopting chip-and-PIN, then travellers from the UK may be left unable to use their credit cards ... (See US travel )
• How to avoid overdraft fees -- A recent study found that 18 million Brits paid overdraft fees last year. But there's a cheaper alternative, say experts: Prepaid cards. Here's why you may want to consider switching over ... (See Prepaid )
• Transport for London introduces contactless card payments for Tube, tram and DLR -- Londoners will soon be the first passengers in the world to access their entire city's public transport network with a single swipe of a contactless credit or debit card ... (See Contactless card)
• The right credit card may cut overall holiday costs -- Holidaymakers should compare credit cards before heading overseas. Start saving now by picking the most suitable credit card for your holiday. ... (See Travel)
• Credit cards: Who wears the trousers in your household? -- Experts say that more couples than ever are arguing about finances as women take control of the family pocketbook. Prevent a row in your own household by avoiding these mistakes ... (See Family budget)
• Charitable giving through ATMs idea presented -- The Cabinet Office published some ideas to increase charitable giving and one of those is to allow donations at ATM machines ... (See Charitable giving )
• Consumers turning to debit over credit cards -- Debit card usage is on the rise in the UK as consumers move away from cash and attempt to curb accumulating debt on credit cards ... (See Debit card usage)
• Credit card purchases fall 3m from 2009 to 2010 -- New figures suggest that Britons are paying for purchases more with cash, debt than credit cards. ... (See Card card debt)
• Google smart phone to support contactless payments -- Google's chief executive has provided a sneak preview of a new smartphone which will allow users to make contactless payments, potentially removing the need to carry around debit or credit cards. ... (See Google)
• Prepaid cards replace credit for Internet porn -- A Labour MP has expressed his concerns about individuals using anonymous prepaid cards to view images of child pornography online. ... (See Prepaid cards)
• Chip-and-pin credit card flaw exposed -- Cambridge University scientists have uncovered flaws in chip and pin technology, but the UK Cards Association has dismissed the claim. ... (See Fraud)
• Booking flights on credit cards 'is crucial' -- One holiday magazine highlights the value of booking flights with credit cards as a Scottish airline collapses. ... (See Flights)
• Sainsbury's predicts record credit card ATM use -- Britons will use their credit cards at cash machines in huge volumes during December, according to Sainsbury's Finance. ... (See ATM)
• Prepaid cards can offset travel costs -- Prepaid cards could be a useful and practical Christmas present that keeps on giving. ... (See Prepaid)
• Britons reining in credit card spending this Christmas -- Only 1 in 6 Britons are planning to fund some or all of their Christmas costs via credit cards. ... (See Christmas)
• 'Mr Twitter' behind iPhone credit card system -- The founder of social networking site Twitter is thought to be behind an innovative iPhone credit card system currently on trial in the US. ... (See iPhone)
• Charity credit cards can make a difference -- Charities face steep cutbacks in donations during economic crisis; charity cards can help ... (See Give)
• Contactless technology trialled by Barclaycard -- A new contactless payment system, which allows people to make charitable donations, was trialled by Barclaycard in London ... (See Charity)
• Brit tourists pay big for cash withdrawals -- Holidaymakers from Britain were charged a total of £106m on credit card cash withdrawals in Europe last month. ... (See Fees)
• Brits spending extra on overseas ATM fees -- UK credit card customers spend £284m extra a year on overseas cash machine charges ... (See ATMs)
• Prepaid credit card halts overseas ATM fees -- Caxton FX is to no longer charge extra fees for overseas ATM use on its Euro and Dollar prepaid credit cards ... (See Fees)
• Gap year travellers pay more with credit cards -- Students on their gap years using credit cards abroad must take care with their spending, FairFX has said. ... (See Students)
• Prepaid credit cards help with budgeting -- Prepaid credit cards are being used by consumers for budgeting and to keep from falling into more debt ... (See Prepaid)
• New contactless device debuts at Contactless Intelligence show -- The PoS Paddle Tap-It -- a new contactless device for payments -- launched at the Contactless Intelligence Conference and Exhibition ... (more)
• Brits charging less on credit cards, using debit more -- Brits have been using credit cards more responsibly. ... (more)
• UK debit and credit cards - Why chip and pin? -- Chip and PIN is part of an international initiative to combat credit card fraud; the UK was one of the first countries to roll it out. ... (more)