Cards

Credit unions that efficiently manage reloadable prepaid debit cards have the potential to make it a profitable service that also can attract more members, contends a report from PSCU Financial Services.

Banks are still debating the use of two-factor authentication for account access, even though hackers are getting more cunning and the tech bellwether Google Inc. just endorsed the extra layer of security.

Cardtronics Inc. executives during a conference call with analysts Feb. 10 cast their company as a potential beneficiary of financial reform that, as proposed, would require issuers to attach more than one unaffiliated payment network to their debit cards.

Green Dot Corp. and banks probably could use each other’s help more than ever.

Until a few years ago, payment card processors and merchant acquirers found it relatively easy to incorporate biannual April and October updates of interchange-rate tables and other mandates from the payment networks into their systems.

The U.S. is closer to EMV readiness than many realize, and it may not cost as much as previously feared, suggests a newly crafted “roadmap” to U.S. adoption of EMV chip-and-PIN technology.

The Roads and Transport Authority of Dubai has expanded the use of its closed-loop Nol Card, which commuters have been using to pay for Metro fares, road tolls and parking in Dubai, a spokesperson confirms to Payments Source.

Visa Inc. this weekend will host a session in Phoenix around its FIFA World Cup-branded Financial Soccer educational video game to help improve financial literacy among teens, Jason Alderman, Visa senior director of financial education, tells PaymentsSource.

Global Payments Inc. has promoted James R. Hicks to president of its Global Payments Asia Pacific Ltd. unit, where he will oversee the merchant processor’s payment operations in 11 Asian countries, the Atlanta-based company announced Feb. 11.

As the prevalence of high-deductible health care insurance plans rises, driving up consumers’ initial out-of-pocket medical expenses, doctors and medical clinics are seeking new ways to collect payments through credit and debit cards.

Cineplex Entertainment, which supports 132 theaters in Canada serving more than 70 million visitors each year, is giving consumers the option to pay for tickets from their PayPal account, the Toronto-based company announced Feb. 11.

This story has been updated.

MasterCard Worldwide launched a beta version of its developer’s portal early last month, but the card brand has invited only about 1,000 programmers to participate, a MasterCard spokesperson said Feb. 10.

Several credit unions have agreed to offer Bluepoint Solutions’ mobile check-depositing technology to their customers, the vendor announced Feb. 10.

Green Dot Corp.’s fourth-quarter revenue surged 31.9% from a year earlier to $91.8 million from $69.6 million as consumers activated more of the prepaid card company’s cards. Net income was $7.94 million, up 15.7% from $6.86 million.

Cardtronics Inc. generated a 371% increase in profits, to $8 million for the fourth quarter from $1.7 million during the same period a year earlier, driven by growing revenue and higher margins, the company announced Feb. 10.

PayPal Inc. is pushing to expand use of mobile-wallet services as it stakes out its turf in the mobile-payments market, executives said Feb. 10 during a presentation at parent eBay Inc.’s analyst and investors day.

Vendors often tout their products in press releases and through other efforts seeking publicity. But sometimes they choose to keep things relatively low key.

Positive fourth-quarter results bode well for Wright Express Corp., whose chief executive tells PaymentsSource the fleet card provider and issuer intends to carry the momentum into the new year.

More community colleges are beginning to adopt campus cards tied to prepaid accounts, as demonstrated by CardSmith LLC’s Feb. 7 announced deal in which it will support Southwestern Oregon Community College’s new card program.