The Prepaid Press - September 15, 2008 - (Page 23)

PAYMENTS September 15 · 2008 - 23 U.S. Treasury Introducing Direct Express Debit Card Check Alternative for Social Security Recipients in Western States locations nationwide. Treasury has engaged a financial agent -- Dallas-based Comerica Bank -- to issue this nationally available card exclusively for payment of federal benefits. Senior citizens, people with disabilities and other Social Security and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) recipients may sign up for the optional card by calling toll-free 1-877212-9991 or visiting http:// www.USDirectExpress.com. Visa Launches New Mobile Payment Services Platform Enables New Development SAN FRANCISCO, CA (September 3, 2008) Visa (NySE:V) has launched four new programs to deliver payments and services via mobile devices. This includes two commercial mobile payments programs in Brazil and Korea, along with two mobile offers and transaction notification pilots in the United States. These are in addition to more than a dozen pilot and commercial programs around the world. Visa’s investment in its mobile platform comes as more consumers in both developed and emerging markets adopt mobile devices. According to the GSM Association, there are nearly 3.5 billion such devices in the world with the greatest growth coming from developing countries. Visa said that as these numbers have increased and the devices grow smarter there is greater opportunity to deliver new services around payment. “Today we again see how far Visa and our partners have come in the development of mobile financial services,” said Elizabeth Buse, Global Head of Product at Visa Inc. “As the payments ecosystem has expanded, so has Visa’s opportunity to deliver innovative products and services to a diverse set of stakeholders.” The Visa mobile platform was created to help financial institutions, telecommunications providers and handset manufacturers to use technology to deliver mobile payments and related services to enhance the consumer payments. The latest programs include: • Brazil: Visa announced the availability of remote mobile payments in Brazil by Banco do Brasil. It is the first program of its kind in Latin America, allowing Banco do Brasil’s Visa cardholders to pay with their mobile device and confirm the transaction via text message. • Korea: In partnership with T-Money provider KSCC (Korea Smart Card Company), card issuer Shinhan Bank and Korea Telecom Freetel (KTF), Visa has made it possible for commuters to use their Visa account to top up their T-Money balances automatically on the phone’s SIM card when it falls below a certain level. By conducting the entire transaction automatically over the mobile network, commuters are freed from the inconvenience of waiting in line at transit kiosks or other agents to top up their transit account. • US: Visa recently announced a partnership with Chase Bank for a pilot program to deliver personalized mobile offers to select consumers in Phoenix, AZ. With more than 50 participating merchants, the program has capacity for 5,000 participants who will receive offers, including discounts or special deals, directly to their mobile devices via text message. • North America: Visa is working with multiple leading issuers, such as PNC Bank, SunTrust Bank, U.S. Bank, Wachovia, and Wells Fargo in the United States, and RBC, TD Bank Financial Group, and Vancity in Canada, to trial a transactions notification program that is able to send near real-time information to cardholders. Participating cardholders will receive e-mail or SMS text messages on their mobile devices whenever one or more transaction “triggers” occur, sometimes before they leave the store. These mobile notifications will be created simultaneously with the transaction, providing cardholders with an effective way to monitor and manage their accounts. These mobile payment initiatives join a series of existing pilots in several countries and territories, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Korea, Malaysia, Spain, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom. In June 2007, in the United States, Wells Fargo Bank and Visa announced the launch of a three-phase mobile pilot that tests mobile payment and offers on phones equipped with NFC. The initiative also includes mobile coupons and account management services. Source: Visa Inc. (www.visa.com) WASHINGTON, DC (September 4, 2008) Nearly two million Social Security recipients in a dozen Western states -- mostly senior citizens and people with disabilities -- will receive information about a new prepaid debit card option for federal benefits with their monthly checks in September. The Direct Express Debit MasterCard card -- designed as a safe, convenient alternative to paper checks -- will be introduced by the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Management Service (FMS) to Social Security recipients in Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The Direct Express card is a new option for federal beneficiaries who do not have a bank account, but are looking for a no-cost or lowcost alternative to using check cashing facilities and carrying large amounts of cash. There is no sign-up fee and no bank account or credit check is required to enroll. Cardholders can make purchases, pay bills and get cash at thousands of ATM and retail KEY Numbers: • Nearly two million Social Security and Supplemental Security (SSI) recipients in a dozen Western states, mostly senior citizens and people with disabilities, will receive information about the new Direct Express card with their monthly checks in September. • About 4 million Social Security and SSI recipients nationally (approximately 600,000 in the Western states) do not have bank accounts and, until now, have had to rely on paper check payments. • About 10.3 million senior citizens, people with disabilities and others still rely on paper checks for their Social Security and SSI payments. • Last year, 700,000 Social Security and SSI paper checks were reported lost or stolen and the payments had to be reissued. Source: U.S. Department of the Treasury (www.USDirectExpress.com) http://www.USDirectExpress.com http://www.USDirectExpress.com http://www.USDirectExpress.com http://www.visa.com

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The Prepaid Press - September 15, 2008 ISOs Hold Key to Growth in Prepaid Industry Contents From the Publisher: The Show Goes On Regulatory Rundown: Early Fall Regulatory Beat 5 Minutes With Brian Rudolph, Co-owner, Krush Communications TPPEXPO’08 Spotlight Dateline Expo: Prepaid Wireless Update 2008 Wireless in Brief MetroPCS Available at Best Buy Western Capital Resources Inc. to Acquire PQH, Inc. TracFone Launches SafeLink Wireless Prepaid Wireless Roundup CIT Secures Financing for Prepaid Wireless Company MetroPCS Premiers Loopt Social-Mapping Services Virgin Mobile USA Reports Financial Results Dateline Expo: Prepaid Calling Card Update 2008 Inc. 5000 Recognizes Viscom International USAC’s “Carrier’s Carrier” Rule Comes Under Attack NetIQ Extends VoIP Management to Microsoft Office Transverse Launches OSS/BSS Open Source Platform Calling Cards in Brief Dateline Expo: Prepaid and Alternative Payments Update 2008 NETELLER and TransSend to Offer Cards Payments in Brief U.S. Treasury Introducing Direct Express Debit Card Visa Launches New Mobile Payment Services SCX Global Acquired by Rev Worldwide Metavante Selected by Corporate Network eCom ACE and NetSpend Launch March of Dimes Card AccuPOS Announces AccuCount Software Springbok Offers Private Label Prepaid Cards Prepaid 101: ATMs and Prepaid NACS Releases State of the Industry Report PaySpot to Distribute Futura Cards Hypercom Lands Element Payment Services Retail Focus in Brief Our Advertisers Contact Us

The Prepaid Press - September 15, 2008

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