NEW YORK - (12/07/05) -- More than 20 million Americanspurchased items valued at less than $2 online last year, and theirpenchant for using credit and debit cards for small 'micropayments'payments is on the rise, according to a new survey. The survey,released during the third annual Micro and Small PaymentsConference hosted by SourceMedia, publisher of The Credit UnionJournal, found that an estimated 45 million Americans are willingto use credit or debit cards for purchases of $5 or less, up 23%from September 2004. The 20 million who bought something online forless than two bucks was up 29% over September 2004 and 350% overOctober 2003. Only 7% of respondents who would not use credit ordebit cards for small payments indicated they find it easier orprefer to use cash rather than a credit card. Responses were basedon a survey of 1,115 Americans 12 and older by Ipsos Insight andPeppercoin.
-
Synovus Financial demonstrated at an industry conference how it is using Microsoft's Copilot to help its staff address customers' concerns.
March 28 -
The U.S. arm of Spanish banking giant Santander has hired Swati Bhatia to oversee retail banking and its digital transformation efforts. Bhatia joins at "an inflection point" for the company, which aims to be "a digital bank with branches," CEO Tim Wennes said.
March 28 -
Mariya Rosberg is named Americas head of banking and financial services at Marsh McLennan's Oliver Wyman unit; startup ZayZoon raised $15 million in a new funding round; and more in the weekly banking news roundup.
March 28 -
Last year, the Raleigh, N.C.-based Integrated called off a deal to sell itself to MVB Financial after bank stocks took a hit in the aftermath of the regional bank failures. Capital hopes to expand its government-guaranteed lending with the transaction.
March 28 -
Once a prominent figure spurring financial institutions to engage in cryptocurrency, Bankman-Fried's downslide began with the collapse of the digital asset exchange FTX in late 2022 and hit rock bottom with his sentencing to 25 years in prison.
March 28 -
But the 30-year fixed rate mortgage is still near 7%, and that remains the overhang on the housing market, Freddie Mac said.
March 28