MERCATOR ADVISORY GROUP - PRWeb Press Release Account Feed http://www.rsspad.com/rss2a/71265.xml MERCATOR ADVISORY GROUP - Press Releases en xml@emediawire.com xml@emediawire.com 30 2007 Online Payments Market in China: Market Overview and Major Players http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb888134.htm More and more China's consumers are realizing the benefits of online shopping and online payments. One in every five Chinese Internet users has bought something online and many have paid online as well. Leading online payment service providers have been cultivating the market and attracting users by offering free services. the Improvements in the convenience, reliability and security also lessen consumers' concerns with paying online. The e-commerce market in China has been growing by over 110% per year on average since 2002. China's online payment market, which is expected to record over CNYH195 Billion (USD 27.85 Billion) transaction volumes in 2008 alone. (PRWeb Apr 25, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb888134.htm Forget Older Baby Boomers: Younger Boomers Should Be the Focus of Aggressive Bank Marketing http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb837244.htm This second report from Mercator Advisory Group's recently launched Retail Banking Practice delivers concrete strategies importable by financial services firms targeting the underappreciated and under-marketed to Younger Baby Boomers (born 1955 - 1964). (PRWeb Apr 16, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb837244.htm Online Collections Solutions: Morphing to Intelligent Interactive Cardholder Servicing http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb837264.htm This report examines the fast-emerging solutions segment for online collections in the credit card industry. These applications are internet-based solutions offering a differentiated environment for delinquent cardholders to self-cure their delinquency based on full payment, partial payment and a promise to pay over a mutually agreed time period, or through a negotiated settlement. A variety of solution approaches are available that meet these criteria, as well as providing interfaces to live collectors and the established collections workflow. (PRWeb Apr 15, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb837264.htm Testing Merchant Acceptance of Prepaid Online: Have Gift Card, Will Lift http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb837294.htm In this report, Mercator looks at the viability of the online channel for prepaid gift card acceptance and the assorted challenges associated with enabling acceptance of anonymous payment instruments in a card-not-resent environment. We present the results of primary research studying the prepaid card acceptance practices of the top 25 online merchants for both closed-loop, store-only gift cards and network-branded gift cards. We also examine the context in which the issue of acceptance of prepaid online exists, and the potential impact if a revolution in e-merchant prepaid acceptance were to take place in the near term. We present estimates of the annual dollar volume generated by prepaid e-commerce and include projections forward to 2010 for two scenarios; one, in which the current infrastructure is not modified to increase prepaid acceptance online, and a second, in which the opportunity currently being disregarded by e-retailers and service providers is illuminated. (PRWeb Apr 14, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/04/prweb837294.htm Retail-ization of Corporate Banking in New Report By Mercator Advisory Group http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb784534.htm This first report from Mercator Advisory Group's Corporate Banking Practice looks at banks using retail strategies to deliver business banking products to corporate customers. The report examines the touch points within corporate banking being used to extend bank markets. (PRWeb Mar 26, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb784534.htm US Wireless POS: Gets Up from the Table and Runs Out the Door http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb783574.htm Mercator Advisory Group is pleased to announce the release of its latest report, "US Wireless POS: Gets Up from the Table and Runs Out the Door. For C-level and operational leadership at merchants, ISO's, payment processors and others considering rolling out wireless point of sale solutions, this new report finds that US deployment of pay-at-table solutions continues to lag expectations. The pay-at-table proposition is stuck between compelling business benefits and a set of barriers that affect not only the merchant buying the gear but the distribution channel selling it. (PRWeb Mar 24, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb783574.htm The Evolving Landscape for Prepaid Cards in Latin America and Europe http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb783444.htm The most recent report from Mercator's International Advisory Service provides an overview of select prepaid markets in Latin America and Europe. Prepaid programs and products have become more diverse and more widely available than ever before, and have garnered awareness and acceptance from consumers across the globe, including in Latin American and Europe. An increasing number of users in these regions are adopting prepaid for their payment needs. Governments in countries with highly developed payment card markets as well as those with emerging markets are issuing social benefits to their citizens via prepaid cards. Many employers have also begun to issue payroll, per diem payments, and card-based vouchers to their employees instead of paper checks. Other growing segments in Latin American and European prepaid markets include gifting, transit-ticketing, remittance and money transfers, and general prepaid cards, which are often used for travel, online shopping, payment cards for the unbanked, and other purposes. (PRWeb Mar 21, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb783444.htm Restricted Authorization Networks: Winner Takes All http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb783284.htm Merchants today perceive open networks as the enemy responsible for driving up the cost of accepting payments. There are new solutions however that enable merchants to sponsor cards, participate in interchange, broaden the corporate brand and even extend category leadership. Using these solutions merchants will offer their customers new financial services that address the growing consumer demand for payment alternatives that put the consumer in control of their budget. (PRWeb Mar 20, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/03/prweb783284.htm Loyalty and Rewards: Welcome to the New Normal http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb700993.htm The first report from Mercator Advisory Group's new launched Retail Banking Practice explores the hazardous route retail banks are taking disintermediating the loyalty of customers through overdraft fee maximization and onerous, templatized, rewards programs. (PRWeb Feb 19, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb700993.htm Remote Deposit Capture for the Consumer http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684423.htm Mercator Advisory Group is pleased to announce the release of its latest report, "Remote Deposit Capture for the Consumer". This new report looks at the RDC in the consumer market, specifically RDC at the ATM and a few of the fairly unknown at home applications currently out in the marketplace. Wells Fargo and Bank of America have stepped up deploying these ATMs with some positive results. There are many different flavors of RDC at the ATM depending upon the ATM manufacturer's hardware and software configurations and the functions the ATM Driver/Network/Processor can support, but cost and effort aside, consumers are responding favorably. (PRWeb Feb 16, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684423.htm SEPA for Cards: Uncertainty Remains after the Deadline http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb700323.htm Single Euro Payment Area, or SEPA, has finally entered into the migration phase on January 28, 2008. As the first step of the migration, the European banking industry has started to offer SEPA-compliant credit transfer services across the SEPA region, which includes 27 European Union countries as well as Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. The new SEPA-compliant services will co-exist with existing non-SEPA compliant ones until the latter are finally replaced by the end of 2010, according to the SEPA timeline. Direct debit services will follow later next year. However, in the area of payment cards which is directly related to consumers and merchants among the three payments services covered by SEPA, progress has been slow and a lot of uncertainties remain. (PRWeb Feb 16, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb700323.htm International B2B Payments: State and Future of the Marketplace http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb701023.htm Mercator Advisory Group announced today the availability of its latest report, International B2B Payments: State and Future of the Marketplace. This report delivers a B2B payments growth forecast, an overview of Business-to-Business (B2B) payments, how businesses communicate their payments and information, major payments networks basics, and the leading bank processors. (PRWeb Feb 16, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb701023.htm New Research Report By Mercator Advisory Group: Unlocking Customer Loyalty in Asia's Card Markets http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684464.htm General purpose payment card usage is on the rise in many markets in Asia. As such, competition between card issuers to gain and retain customers has significantly intensified. Similarly to the U.S. card market, many issuers in Asia are offering a vast array of reward programs, including frequent flyer air mileage, cash back, points-based programs, and others. As reward programs become more popular and accepted, Asian consumers appear to welcome such programs and are making wide use of them. However, the track-record of these programs in increasing customer loyalty and boosting card usage is mixed. Consumers are not only constantly seeking the card that offers them the most benefits but those that best suit their lifestyles and payment needs as well. The variety of reward programs currently offered across Asia is richer than ever, and it has become increasingly challenging for issuers to offer programs that distinguish their product from that of their competitors'. The key for issuers is to know their customers and offer products and services that are relevant and tailored to their customers' preferences and payment needs. (PRWeb Feb 15, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684464.htm Commercial Cards and the Multinational Space: One Small Slice of the Global Commercial Payments Pie http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684503.htm Just a few months ago, Mercator Advisory Group proclaimed the purchasing card market specifically to be a "credit channel re-envisioned as software-as-service" and that the way to maximize the efficiency of electronic payments for commercial entities was for banks and other commercial payment service providers to offer broad, integrated technology-based sourcing and payment solutions that would, in essence, capture as much commercial spend of all types, and all payment methods, as possible. While we still contend that global business-to-business payments are best managed by commercial financial service providers with a diverse array of products and offerings, some of which may compete directly and indirectly with cards, the market for commercial cards of all types remains very attractive. The rates of growth for volume charged on purchasing cards, corporate travel and entertainment cards, fleet cards, and especially small business cards have been remarkably strong since their birth over two decades ago and their adoption by businesses and governments worldwide. The commercial card category remains the fastest growing one in the plastic "pay-later" world. (PRWeb Feb 14, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684503.htm Online Security Review 2007: Better Defenses, Still Exposed http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684553.htm Mercator Advisory Group is pleased to announce the release of its latest report, "Online Security Review 2007: Better Defenses, Still Exposed". (PRWeb Feb 13, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684553.htm Australian Interchange Regulation: Credit Card Issuer Effects http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684514.htm This report examines the history of interchange regulation in Australia, and highlights outcomes for credit card issuers. The course of interchange regulation is well-documented in Australia, but the controversial nature of interchange and the competing viewpoints of stakeholders often obscure the bottom-line outcomes for credit card issuers. It is rare to have the opportunity to examine a before/after, real-world test in credit card markets. And, as the report highlights, the experiment is not yet over, with the stakeholders still seeking a new equilibrium. (PRWeb Feb 9, 2008)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/02/prweb684514.htm Mercator Advisory Group Payments Industry M&A Report - Q3 2007 http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb586471.htm In the third quarter, M&A activity in the payments industry went through a sudden, if not unexpected, deceleration. With strains on capital availability increasing from the still growing sub-prime meltdown and signs of slowing global economic activity, the friction of sharply more expensive money and an increasing unwillingness to provide credit appears to have put many deals on hold or scotched them outright. (PRWeb Dec 21, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb586471.htm Prepaid Distribution Opportunities http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb587332.htm This report from Mercator Advisory Group, "Measuring Prepaid Mall Penetration and Analyzing the Adoption of Four Prepaid Distribution Models" indicates that 45% of all prepaid cards are sold through the Direct to Consumer business model and that Prepaid Mall Distributors represent an ever increasing percent of this volume - representing a business entity that has grown very rapidly in both dollar volume and in its importance to the prepaid industry. (PRWeb Dec 21, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb587332.htm International Transit and Payment: Finding the Contactless Breakout Strategy http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb576594.htm The top 20 global transit markets account for $37 billion in annual revenues. As mass transit systems continue to grow, that volume does as well. Long a cash-oriented process, global transit authorities are typically choosing contactless, closed loop payment systems to speed riders through their turnstiles and revenues into transit authority coffers. The challenge for card networks and issuers is how to participate in that transaction processing flow. (PRWeb Dec 15, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb576594.htm Super Premium Cards: Enhanced Products Try to Lock in Relationships http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb575670.htm This report examines the recent emerging segment of super-premium credit cards in the U.S. These cards are defined by Mercator Advisory Group as having the following characteristics: Annual account spending of $50,000 or moreA significant accountholder relationship with the issuer or co-brand partner in terms of spending or assetsAn exceptional level of rewards and service benefits to the cardholderPrestige positioning of the product/accountHigh likelihood of a significant annual fee (PRWeb Dec 12, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb575670.htm Roadmap to Profits in China's Credit Card Issuing Market http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb574815.htm China's credit card market continues to grow rapidly during the first half of 2007. By the end of this year, the number of credit cards in circulation in China is anticipated to reach 100 million. However, profitability has become a major concern for card issuers, processors, vendors, investors, as well as other stake-holders. Consumer behavior, regulations, competition, interest rates, interchange fee rates, among other factors, make profitability challenging for many issuers in China, at least in the near future. As the prime market becomes saturated in certain segments, issuers may begin to find it difficult to sustain recent high-speed growth. Issuers should revise their strategies in order to maintain a balance between sustainable growth and healthy profits. Innovation, increased efficiency and product differentiation among other factors are important for long-term growth and profitability in China's credit card market. (PRWeb Dec 8, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/12/prweb574815.htm Mobile Financial Services Security: A New Ecosystem at Risk http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb571106.htm Mercator Advisory Group is pleased to announce the release of its latest report, Mobile Financial Services Security: A New Ecosystem at Risk. For C-level and operational leadership at financial institutions, payment processors and others considering rolling out mobile financial services, this new report reviews the current threat, the threats to come and what financial institutions, mobile operators and consumers need to do about them. In particular, the report reviews the vulnerabilities of mobile devices and the elements that connect them to financial institutions. (PRWeb Nov 22, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb571106.htm Small Business Credit Card 2007 Update: Competition for Segments Intensifies http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb565777.htm This report examines recent developments in the highly competitive small business credit card marketplace. Small business credit, charge, and debit purchase volume is approaching an estimated $300 billion annually in the U.S., and the market offers the potential for above-average growth for issuers targeting the segment. (PRWeb Nov 2, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb565777.htm Decoupled Debit - Let's Take a Closer Look; New Research Report by Mercator Advisory Group http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb565780.htm This report evaluates the recent emergence of this new and possibly disruptive technology in the financial services industry, decoupled debit. Decoupled debit is an alternative based ACH debit card solution that utilizes two existing systems that are well defined in the financial services industry but were not designed to work in combination with each other, the ACH network and the branded payment networks such as MasterCard, Visa, NYCE, etc.. (PRWeb Nov 2, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb565780.htm Prepaid Market Forecasts 2006 to 2010 Made Available in New Mercator Advisory Group Report http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb565792.htm The latest report, the final of three reports that thoroughly benchmark the entire Prepaid Industry, provides a forecast of growth for all 33 Prepaid Market Segments which includes the load volumes and cards issued. (PRWeb Nov 2, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/11/prweb565792.htm New Report by Mercator Advisory Group -- Emerging Card Markets in East Asia-Pacific: Beyond the Horizon http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/10/prweb564294.htm The East Asia-Pacific region (EAP) has some of the most developed economies in the world, and represents tremendous opportunities for global payment card industry. Developments of payment card markets have varied from country to country within this region. While the card market in some markets, like South Korea and Australia, are developed, other markets are growing rapidly, such as China and Malaysia. Some payment card markets are in a nascent stage, like Vietnam; nonetheless they possess great potential and should certainly not be overlooked. Despite their geographic proximity to one another, each individual market offers unique opportunities for foreign investors who wish to reap the benefits in EAP. (PRWeb Oct 27, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/10/prweb564294.htm Account-Level Processing: Taking a Swipe at Payment and Loyalty Convergence http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/10/prweb562353.htm This report focuses on Account-Level Processing (ALP), alternately known as Account-Level Management (ALM), which has the potential to revolutionize the payments landscape by optimizing the value that inherently exists within the data created by card-based electronic payments, thereby fundamentally changing the way consumers and merchants transact, as well as the way the general card payment services industry functions. What Account-Level Processing encompasses is, at its core, network-level instructions on how to treat individual bankcard accounts and transactions at each step of the payment process. What all of this means is that consumers will get to keep their card number no matter what type of credit account they hold at the card issuer, but also that issuers and acquirers are no longer constrained by handling card numbers at the aggregated level. (PRWeb Oct 20, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/10/prweb562353.htm Mercator Advisory Group Payments Industry M&A Report -- Q2 2007 http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/10/prweb560186.htm First quarter 2007 M&A activity fell slightly from the Q1 pace to 32 transactions. Venture Capital financing deals rose slightly from 4 to 6 for activity in the payment industry during the same period. This was a quarter of blockbuster-scale M&A deals. While absolute number of deals declined 14% from the prior quarter and was 11% lower than the prior year, the size of the major deals was astounding. The quarter's deals represented an announced value of $43.7 Billion. Leading the way was KKR's private equity bid to take processing giant First Data private. Affecting its payment volumes, Bank of America moved to increase its account holder base through its proposed acquisition of LaSalle Bank. At $7.8 Billion, Alliance Data's acquisition by private equity specialist the Blackstone Group further affirmed the market's perception that payments in general and processing in particular is a good business ripe for value extraction. (PRWeb Oct 12, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/10/prweb560186.htm 4th Annual Network Branded Prepaid Market Assessment Measuring the Phenomenal Growth of the Open Prepaid Industry http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/09/prweb556647.htm This report is the first of three reports that provides a thorough analysis of the growth and development of the Prepaid Industry. It benchmarks the spending, growth, and market dynamics for all Network Branded Prepaid Solutions in 12 Categories and 33 Market Segments. This report is unique because it clearly defines what is being counted (the 33 market segments) and because these measurements have been conducted since 2003 - delivering to Mercator Advisory Group members the only consistent data set that measures the growth and dynamics of the prepaid industry for four years. (PRWeb Sep 28, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/09/prweb556647.htm Opportunities for the Public and Private Sectors in the Canadian Prepaid Market http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/09/prweb555031.htm Prepaid payment markets around the world are expanding and becoming more developed. Canada's payment card market is also exhibiting growth in its prepaid segment and offering a wider variety of products. Canadian consumers are highly familiar with prepaid gift cards, which were initially offered by only a limited number of retailers during the holiday season. However, as merchants and consumers realized their benefits, gifts cards are now offered year round by almost all retailers. Similarly, the advantages of prepaid products and programs are becoming more evident to other segments of the Canadian payment market, in both the public and private sector. The issuance of paychecks on prepaid cards can be beneficial for employers as well as employees in Canada. Likewise, issuing government benefits payments on prepaid cards can reduce costs for the government of Canada as well as provide more convenience for benefits recipients. There are certainly many potential opportunities for growth in Canada's prepaid market and numerous benefits to be reaped. (PRWeb Sep 21, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/09/prweb555031.htm Non-Prime Issuing Opportunities: Setting Multiple Bars for Diverse Segments http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/09/prweb552122.htm A new research report by Mercator Advisory Group examines the opportunities and tools available to credit card issuers and a few alternative lenders in the very broad non-prime consumer market. What emerges is a picture of an expanding frontier, with subprime prospects well-covered by established decisioning and data tools; thin credit bureau file prospects becoming increasingly well covered by established alternative data sources and scoring tools; and "no file" prospects remaining on the frontier of specialized, sometimes narrow data sources, specialized analytics, and alternative card products. (PRWeb Sep 9, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/09/prweb552122.htm Alternative Payment Services: Moving into Traditional Payment Territory http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb550235.htm The rise of alternative payment services - from PayPal to Google Checkout, Bill Me Later and many others - is a response to both consumer demand for an improved online payment experience and merchant need to lower shopping cart abandonment rates, payment processing fees, and raise the appeal of online shopping to specific consumer demographics. Mercator Advisory Group's latest report, Alternative Payment Services: Moving into Traditional Payment Territory, examines the role and adoption of these competitors to traditional online card-based payments and online merchant acquiring. (PRWeb Aug 31, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb550235.htm The ATM Turns 40 -- Time For a Change http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb544719.htm This report evaluates the current ATM environment and the value chain of participants as it exists today and the future of this ubiquitous self-service device. As the ATM turns 40 this year, Mercator Advisory Group looks at this historic event through the eyes of the Financial Institution (FI) and the Independent Sales Organization (ISO) and the strategic position the ATM holds within each organization. How each organization defines the role of the ATM will determine this strategic position. (PRWeb Aug 7, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb544719.htm Business Models and Revenue Streams in Merchant Acquiring: Beyond the Monthly Residual Check http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb544690.htm This report focuses on the current state of the acquiring market and discusses the market strategy of the industry's most successful players. The merchant side of the payment chain until recently has had the reputation in the greater payments space of being its most overlooked facet, whether by the public, by the business community, by the financial market, by regulators or even by the powers that be within Payments, the card brands themselves. However, as the bankcard associations make the transition to the public ownership from member bank ownership, and as large-scale security breaches targeting payment information continue to attract public attention, the spotlight has turned on previously obscure territory. (PRWeb Aug 5, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/08/prweb544690.htm New Report Sizes Canada's Growing Card Market http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb542749.htm Bordering the world's largest general purpose card market, the Canadian card industry is increasingly vibrant and diverse. Since their introduction, credit and debit cards have become the preferred methods of payment for many Canadian consumers. Canadians are amongst the most frequent general purpose card users in the world. There were more than 101 million cards in circulation across the country in 2006. Canada's card market continues to grow, with consumers and merchants seeking new payment products that offer more efficient and secure ways to make transactions, encompassing new technologies and service features. (PRWeb Jul 28, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb542749.htm Global EMV Migration Update: Europe, Asia Pacific and Latin America http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb540917.htm There are more than 2.53 billion electronic payment credit and debit cards in use around the world, states a new report from Mercator's International Payments Advisory Service. Technologies supporting electronic purchases and transfers of funds range from magnetic stripe to microprocessor-based to radio frequency (RF). As with all facets of commerce, criminals and fraudsters abound, seeking illicit gain wherever weaknesses in payment systems can be found, and because the electronic payments is immensely complex and widespread, opportunities for abuse are easily discovered. (PRWeb Jul 20, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb540917.htm Payments Industry M&A Report - Q1 2007 http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb538102.htm First quarter 2007 M&A activity increased slightly from the Q4 pace to 37 M&A transactions. Venture Capital financing deals dropped from 12 to 4 in the payments industry during the same period. "Activity in the vendor community slowed yet again during the first quarter of the year", comments George Peabody, Director, Mercator Advisory Group. "But that activity was offset somewhat by increased activity among processors looking to merge operations, acquire wider footprints or expand their service offerings in prepaid and beyond. Venture Capital activity dropped sharply, however this is likely a temporary condition." (PRWeb Jul 8, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/07/prweb538102.htm HSA Growth Accelerates in Uncharted Waters http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb536352.htm A look at the marketplace and the applications of prepaid debit cards to HSA. Significant investments are being made today to implement Prepaid HSA cards that will provide significant benefits to cardholders and Third Party Administrators (TPAs). The most important of these is the inventory information approval system (IIAS) that will deliver auto-adjudication, significantly reducing administration costs for TPAs while eliminating the need to submit and file records by the cardholder. (PRWeb Jun 29, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb536352.htm Purchasing Cards, Integrated Procurement Solutions, and the Commercial Card Market Report Released http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb535835.htm This report examines new levels of sophistication in the domestic commercial credit space with respect to purchasing card programs, and supporting solutions such as Electronic Invoice Presentation and Payment (EIPP). (PRWeb Jun 27, 2007)

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]]> http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb535835.htm Online and Mobile Digital Content Markets http://www.prweb.com/releases/2007/06/prweb535305.htm Mercator Advisory Group is pleased to announce the release of its latest report, Online and Mobile Digital Content Markets. For payments professionals at financial institutions, payment processors and others needing to understand the digital content supply chain, this new report frames the challenges and opportunities posed by digital content across multiple distribution channels and as advertising or paid content. (PRWeb Jun 24, 2007)

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