Cards

Credit and debit cards often overshadow prepaid gift cards, but the tables get turned during holidays, particularly as people get gift cards for themselves.

Not only did cardholders buy more in the days surrounding Black Friday, but more consumers completed digital transactions.

Marriott International Inc. said it’s investigating a hack of the guest reservation database at its Starwood unit that may be one of the biggest such breaches in corporate history. Marriott shares slumped 5.6 percent in pre-market trading.

The upgrades will be complex, but necessary due to growing malware and cyberattack threats, writes MVP Financial Equipment’s Mark D. Smith.

A period of churn in Canadian airline loyalty is nearing an end as Air Canada moves ahead with a deal to take over its old loyalty program, Aeroplan, and keep its partner banks on board.

As payment stakeholders show an interest in using fingerprint technology to improve identity protection, NEXT Biometrics and MK Group plan to collaborate on biometric smart cards for banking and other applications.

Many credit unions are pushing credit card offers in advance of Black Friday while also encouraging responsible spending.

Two German companies, Wirecard and the startup givve, are expanding their partnership to develop more programs for companies to deliver employee benefits via prepaid cards.

From Gen Z to baby boomers, a new study reveals credit union members are more likely pull out their plastic at the point of sale than any other payment method.

China has been promising openness to outside payment companies for more than a decade. So far it hasn’t delivered, according to Eric Grover, a principal at Intrepid Ventures.