Kate Fitzgerald

The Barclays PLC unit also is trying to prove it can compete with larger issuers without a national branch network, which has become an increasingly important resource for big banks that can cross-sell their cards to existing customers.

Visa Inc. is getting heat from one of the United Kingdom's largest consumer-advocacy groups, which claims the card network's exclusive ticket-sales deal for the 2012 Olympic Games in London discriminates against non-Visa cardholders.

New debit card interchange rules that are likely to take effect next year could take a bite out of independent service organizations' profit margins, according to industry watchers.

Small-business owners' overall confidence in the economy fell slightly in June as concerns about temporary cash flow increased, according to Discover Financial Services.

With Congress expected to approve the regulatory reform bill this week, including the much debated interchange amendment, banks are bracing for a significant hit to their debit card revenue.

With Congress expected to approve the regulatory reform bill next week, including the much-debated interchange amendment, banks are bracing for a significant hit to their debit card revenue.

The consumer credit card charge-off rate declined for the second consecutive month in May, increasing the likelihood that they soon will dip below their year-ago levels, Moody's Investors Service Inc. said Tuesday.

Card industry representatives are criticizing a Washington hearing into federal payment of interchange fees that they say gave their side little opportunity to advance its position.

The Federal Reserve Board approved a final rule on Tuesday that will cap late fees on credit card payments and ban "inactivity" fees.

U.S. consumers' average credit card debt in May fell to its lowest level so far this year, while credit scores held steady, according to Credit Karma.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., on June 9 made a brief appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Antitrust, Competition Policy and Consumer Rights, warning lawmakers of the need to investigate possible collusion between Visa Inc. and MasterCard Worldwide in the setting credit and debit card interchange rates.

Credit card direct-mail solicitations from major issuers increased sharply in the first quarter, driven largely by a resurgence in rewards card and balance-transfer offers, according to new data Mintel Comperemedia released June 2.

Target Corp. has revamped its rewards program in an effort to steer more transactions to its private-label store cards.

Small-business owners' confidence in the economy rose in May, reaching its highest level in seven months, according to Discover Financial Services.

Total System Services Inc.'s TSYS Healthcare unit has reached an agreement with Lighthouse1 LLC that it says will let people consolidate multiple health-care payments onto a single card.

But looking for details on a specific card from one issuer calls up long lists of card agreements, filled with dense legal language that may seem to have little direct connection to specific card products.

First Data Corp.'s new chief executive, Joe Forehand, is wasting no time in shaking things up within the debt-laden processor. The company announced Tuesday the departure of three top executives, including its recently hired chief financial officer.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it is eager to deploy chip-and-PIN card technology as a stronger barrier against point of sale card fraud but that card issuers are balking.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. said it is eager to deploy chip-and-PIN card technology as a stronger barrier against point of sale card fraud but that card issuers are balking.

Payments-industry players are vowing to begin lobbying members of Congress in hopes of blocking further progress of an interchange-regulation amendment to the financial-reform bill the Senate passed on May 13 that they believe would have devastating consequences.