The Prepaid Press - March 2009 - (Page 22)

GIFT CARDS & PROMOTIONS March 15 · 2009 - 22 Gift Cards & Promotions in Brief America First Credit Union has renewed its prepaid gift card partnership with Des Moinesbased TMG (The Members Group). Since becoming a TMG client in 2006, America First Credit Union has been able to offer its membership customizable picture cards within its gift card program. America First says it sold nearly 26,000 gift cards in 2008. America First Credit Union www.americafirst.com) TMG - www.themembersgroup.com Contact us that does not allow a caller to leave a message. The Web site states that the company is in the process of filing for Chapter 7 bankruptcy. Commissary officials advise customers holding CertifiCheck certificates who wish to submit their certificates for “potential reimbursement” to send them to: CertifiChecks, Inc., Attn: Redemption Dept., P.O. Box 13603, Dayton, OH 45413. Source: ArmyNews - www.armynews.com The Prepaid Press 20533 Biscayne Blvd., Suite 1142 Aventura, FL 33180 toll free: 866.203.2334 ph: 305.421.7209 • fax: 305.675.6432 info@prepaid-press.com www.prepaid-press.com Advertising Linda Simon, national accounts manager ext. 512 · lsimon@prepaid-press.com Brad Simon, major accounts director ext. 513 · bsimon@prepaid-press.com Art department José Scaglione, creative director ext: 504 • art@prepaid-press.com Story ideas, PR & letters to the editor email: editor@prepaid-press.com Custom reprints José Scaglione, creative director ext: 504 • art@prepaid-press.com Permission to reproduce articles email: editor@prepaid-press.com tppEXPO’09 Lisa Brown, event director ext. 505 • lbrown@prepaidpressexpo.com Subscriptions Subscribe online at www.prepaid-press.com/subscribe.php ©Copyright 2009 The Prepaid Press. All rights reserved. The Prepaid Press is published 12x annually. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted, in any form, by any means, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without permission from the publisher. Domestic subscriptions are free; $65 foreign. Rather than ™ or ® in each occurrence, please be advised we are using names for editorial purposes only. Old gift cards have new meaning this year in the Two Virginias. The Salvation Army and Little General Stores are teaming up to collect gift cards that may have a few leftover cents or dollars on them. The Salvation Army can redeem that leftover money, receive a check for the total amount collected and use it to help those in need. The national average suggests that most people leave roughly $1.83 on gift cards that never gets used. Source: WVVA TV – www.wvva.com successful three-month mobile gift trial. ShortStop expects to launch their mobile loyalty program in the second quarter of this year in conjunction with Mocapay and Smart Transaction Systems. ShortStop mobile gift account holders are able to transact at the point-of-sale, access their account balance and transaction history, find the nearest location, and reload their gift/ convenience account, all from their mobile phone. Relative to their existing plastic gift card program, ShortStop reported mid-single-digit consumer adoption rates of mobile gift, high single-digit mobile transaction volumes, and low double-digit mobile gift load amounts. Mocopay – www.mocopay.com Smart Transaction Systems – www.smart-transactions.com Mocapay, a provider of mobile gift, loyalty, and marketing, announced that ShortStop, a Conoco-Phillips branded convenience store, would expand their current mobile gift program to include Mocapay’s mobile loyalty solution after a According to a report on ArmyTimes.com, the contractor that ran the gift certificate program for the Defense Commissary Agency has shut its doors, leaving an unknown number of customers holding commissary gift certificates they can’t use. CertifiChecks, Inc., abruptly announced that effective Feb. 26 they will no longer administer gift certificate programs. The company’s commercial phone number in Dayton, Ohio has been disconnected. A toll-free number provided on the Web site is a recording Citi, a provider of credit cards, has launched Citi Forward, a credit card designed to lower the purchase interest rate by a quarter percent when cardmembers use credit wisely and rewards them with ThankYou Points each billing period for paying on time and staying under the credit line. Citi is also teaming up with MySpace to offer Citi Forward by MySpace, a card that rewards cardmembers for both financial and social responsibility. Citi Forward by MySpace cardmembers will receive the same benefits and incentives for using credit wisely as well as the opportunity to earn additional ThankYou Points for completing socially responsible acts, such as donating to a local food drive, going paperless, switching to energy efficient light bulbs, volunteering and more. Citi - www.citi.com Our Advertisers 24 Auris Technology 12 BRIC 14 CTST 18 Digital Vision Resources Group 15 Direct Connect 2 ePayNGo 19 InComm 20 iNet Group 4 iPayStation 22 Jose Scaglione Design 8 Lunex Group 11 Mobile-net 9 NetworkIP 7 Olatel 5 Pactolus 4 Quadrant Distribution 15 The Prepaid Press 17 The Prepaid Press Expo 23 WCGS PUT YOUR BUSINESS IN MOTION If an image is worth a thousand words, a movie is worth a thousand images. We’ll help you take your company’s communication to a whole new level. COMPUTER GENERATED ANIMATION FOR WEB DISTRIBUTION, 2D AND 3D ANIMATION, ANIMATED INTERNET BANNERS, TV SPOTS, VIDEO POST�PRODUCTION AND MUCH MORE. W W W. 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The Prepaid Press - March 2009 Contents The Retske Report: A Disconnect in Connecticut Regulatory Rundown 5 Minutes With Brooks Smith, CEO of InComm TracFone Launches SafeLink Wireless in NY iPayStation Enables International Top-Up Comverse Launches Next-Generation IMS Solution Prepaid Companies Agree to Pay $2.25 Million Prepaid Telecom in Brief Boost Mobile Reintroduces Itself Virgin Mobile Announces New Branding Campaign The State of Prepaid Technology: Becoming a Virtual Operator Prepaid Wireless Roundup New Prepaid Calling Plans from Verizon Wireless The Legal Line Jobless Benefit Debit Card Usage Debated InsurCard Provides Catastrophic Relief Solution Metavante, Monitise Americas Launch Text Banking TransCard Provides Personal Financial Management Walmart to Help Americans Manage Finances Payments and Processing in Brief Prepaid Consumer and Employee/Partner Incentives CashStar Launches Interactive Gift Card Platform VIPGift Continues Sales Expansion Pentagon Installs Unique Card Personalization Line Digital Promotions Grow in Popularity The Ultimate Gift Card Network Retail Sales Show Unexpected Rebound Smart Transaction Systems Selects Hypercom GiftCards.com Acquires Swapagift.com InComm Gaming Opportunities on the Rise VCT Adds Equipment to New Jersey Facility Gift Cards and Promotions in Brief Our Advertisers Contact Us

The Prepaid Press - March 2009

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