Credit

FNBO Direct, a division of First National Bank of Omaha in Nebraska, and Cardlytics this week announced the launch of a digital rewards program that enables consumers to access merchant discount offers directly from their online bank accounts.

BancVue, an Austin, Texas-based product-development and marketing company focused on community banks and credit unions, on Sept. 2 announced the purchase of the Silverton Bank credit card portfolio from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. Terms were not disclosed.

Spending on foreign-issued Visa-branded payment cards jumped by nearly 40% during the Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games from a year ago, suggesting large, sponsored events can help drive considerable increases in card spending, data from Visa Inc. reveal.

Experts say Android is the hottest smartphone for mobile banking, but when it comes to payments, the Seattle coffee retailer hopes there is still a big opportunity in the increasingly neglected BlackBerry.

Hyatt Hotels Corp. waited longer than any other major hotel chain to launch a cobranded credit card, but the Hyatt Visa Card, introduced Sept. 1 with JPMorgan Chase & Co., underscores a few significant trends emerging in the rewards cards arena, analysts say.

Cielo S.A., a Brazil-based merchant acquirer with approximately 1.2 million active merchant accounts, is buying 30,000 Optimum T4205 point-of-sale terminals from Hypercom Corp., the terminal maker announced Sept. 2.

Inner Fence, which makes the Credit Card Terminal application for Apple Inc.’s iPhone, on Sept. 1 announced it is shipping the Credit Card Reader, which attaches to an iPhone’s dock connector.

Consumers who use Exxon Mobil Corp.’s proprietary Personal Card to purchase Exxon and Mobil-branded gasoline can receive gift certificates for Restaurant.com under the petroleum retailer’s latest promotion announced on Sept. 1.

In its latest marketing promotion, MasterCard Worldwide is offering cardholders who live in or who visit New York City rich and “priceless” experiences, such as sporting, concert, shopping and culinary events. The card company’s goal is to demonstrate to cardholders the added value in using a MasterCard product for payment.

With several smart card-based transit projects developing around the globe, shipments of smart cards supporting transit applications will grow at an 11% compound annual rate through 2015, new research suggests.

Visa Inc. hopes to prove to banks that a contactless payment chip in a mobile phone is a much more compelling product to consumers than the same chip in a plastic card.

VeriFone Systems Inc. plans to use its acquisition of Way Systems Inc. to attract more merchant interest in its mobile-payment systems. But the deal also eliminates a competitor, analysts say.

The average charge-off rate on U.S. consumer credit cards in July fell to a 16-month low, while delinquency rates also were better as credit card-portfolio health continued to improve, Fitch Ratings reported Sept. 1.

India’s Kotak Mahindra Bank Ltd. announced on Aug. 30 the launch of a credit card designed for the Non-Resident Indian segment, which includes Indian citizens who have migrated to another country, are of Indian origin but born outside India, or are of Indian origin but reside permanently outside India.

POSBank has launched a payment card that incorporates both debit and credit card functions, according to the Singapore-based bank.

Barclaycard US on Sept. 1 announced the launch of the NFL Extra Points Visa cobranded credit card bearing the logo of any of the National Football League’s 32 teams.

More than 70 vending locations operated by Washington Vending are using Apriva’s cashless-vending services in the Washington, D.C., area, Apriva says.

TransFirst, a Hauppauge, N.Y.-based independent sales organization, has expanded a referral agreement with New York Community Bancorp Inc. to include the bank’s recent acquisitions of Cleveland-based AmTrust Bank and Phoenix-based Desert Hills Bank, and to offer more services, TransFirst says.

The average credit card borrower debt during the second quarter ended June 30 dropped for the fifth consecutive quarter, to $4,951, down 4.1% from $5,165 the previous quarter, according to a TransUnion analysis of credit card trends. Each quarter TransUnion looks more than 200 variables in consumes credit report; many involve credit card stats like 60,90, 120 days past due, percentage of active credit cards, new trade lines that are new credit card accounts and average balance of new credit cards.

To boost its mobile-payment strategy, VeriFone Systems Inc. announced Wednesday it has acquired the assets of Way Systems Inc., a point-of-sale terminal and gateway services provider for mobile merchants. The purchase price included a $6 million upfront payment and an earn-out payable in one year of up to an additional $3 million if certain performance targets are met.