Smith Barney Consolidates Debit Product

Smith Barney, a unit of the Travelers Group, is now offering Gold MasterCard debit cards to financial management account customers.

Previously, the customers were issued an automated teller machine card - called the Cash Card - to access their accounts in tandem with a Visa Gold credit card or an American Express card linked to their account. That debit card, called Cash Card, has been discontinued.

Customers who still have Visa or American Express credit cards linked to their financial management accounts can continue to use those cards without interruption, according to Lyndon Keys, first vice president and product manager. Overall, Smith Barney has some 200,000 cardholders.

Mr. Keys said the change to one card was made based on research with clients who said they preferred to use one card linked to their accounts for cash and purchases.

Cardholders can make purchases where MasterCard is accepted. Unlike other debit card programs, which process transactions within a few days, Smith Barney debits the account monthly. FMA customers can also have 24- hour cash access, whereby money is deducted immediately from an account.

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