The Green Sheet Online Edition
February 2, 2010 • 10:02:01
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Prepaid in brief
#h3 NEWS
FiSCA launches Haitian relief fundraiser
Financial Service Centers of America launched a nationwide program to raise disaster relief funds for survivors of the Jan. 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti. The funds raised by member store locations across the nation will be matched by the Western Union Foundation and subsequently delivered via money transfer by Western Union Co.
The FiSCA Haiti Relief Fund program provides a vehicle for participating stores' customers, employees and their families to donate. The FiSCA also encourages member store location owners to contribute.
#h3 ANNOUNCEMENTS
Get Home Card brings it home
Advanced Marketing Team Inc.'s Get Home Card won the "Gives You The Business" radio promotion conducted by KTLK, a Minneapolis-St.Paul, Minn.-based radio station. The prepaid emergency transportation card, launched in March 2009, was designed for students and others who find themselves unexpectedly stranded and in need of transportation.
GlobalCollect opens Latin American office
GlobalCollect opened a new office in Buenos Aires, Argentina, to serve the Latin American region. "We are very proud to spread our service portfolio and commercial footprint to accommodate an increased focus by merchants to develop their e-commerce business in this fast-growing region," said Jan Manten, Chief Executive Officer of GlobalCollect.
RegaloCard expands to Guatemala
Mobile payment company RegaloCard has signed agreements to bring the RegaloCard money transfer service to Guatemala. RegaloCard Chairman and CEO Gregory Keough said the service is free, available instantly and can be used for amounts as low as $10 per transfer.
RushCard members rewarded at tax time
UniRush LLC's RushCard launched its second annual "Lunch with Russell" tax season sweepstakes, in which one cardholder will win a trip for two to New York City for an exclusive lunch with Russell Simmons, philanthropist, entrepreneur and creator of the RushCard.
Solantic adds online ordering
Patients of Solantic's walk-in urgent care facilities, or anyone who wishes to help said patients with medical costs, can now purchase the Solantic Card online. The prepaid card can be used at any of Solantic's 30 urgent care centers. Solantic has care centers throughout Florida.
TransCard gets personal
TransCard rolled out a new application that allows cardholders to customize cards with their own photos. TransCard CEO Craig Fuller said the solution will increase cardholder adoption and brand visibility.
Trustcash to develop reseller program
Trustcash Holdings Inc. is developing an affiliate program to make its suite of technology solutions available to merchant account solution providers. The company is inviting merchant acquirers to take a survey (available at www.trustcash.com/signup_consumer1.php) to inform Trustcash where and how they would like to employ Trustcash's payment processing platform.
Trycera rolls out card program
Trycera Financial Inc. rolled out a new, network-branded prepaid card program with "innovative, nontraditional" payment reporting capabilities, the company said. Trycera also initiated marketing for its suite of financial services to assist consumers in improving their credit scores through increased reporting to credit agencies.
Tune Money revamps cards
Tune Money Sdn Bhd, Tune Group's Malaysia-based financial services company, renamed two of its cards and enhanced the cards' features. The Tune Money Visa Prepaid Card is now called the Tune-In Card and the Red Card, for 15- to 17-year-old cardholders, is now the Pulse Card.
WebMoney serves 10 million
Russia-based online payment provider WebMoney recently surpassed 10 million registered users. This is an increase of 3 million in the past year. In addition to using its mobile applications for Microsoft Corp. Windows Mobile devices and Apple Inc. iPhones, consumers can make WebMoney transactions via any Web browser on any operating system, the company said.
#h3 PARTNERSHIPS
Consorteum, NxSystems ally
Consorteum Holdings Inc., through its wholly owned operating subsidiary Consorteum Inc., partnered with payment solution network NxSystems Inc. to add NxSystems' NxPay multiple currency payment and settlement platform to its stored-value projects.
Global Cash Card, Turbo Tax team
In forging an alliance with Intuit Inc.'s TurboTax, Global Cash Card will offer TurboTax Federal Free Edition tax preparations software and a 15 percent discount on TurboTax online products from its portal at www.globalcashcard.com. Global Cash Card users can elect to have their taxes directly deposited onto their prepaid cards.
Intercash, bank to offer new services
Intercash Europe partnered with European Banque Invik to develop new card programs with increased functionality. The cards are being unveiled at the International Gaming Expo and the London Affiliate Conference. Intercash said merchants will be able to send payments in multiple currencies to Intercash cardholders worldwide; additionally, cardholders will have the ability to receive funds on their cards from any Intercash participating Web site or network.
MoneyGram goes Hungary
MoneyGram International, through a partnership with Corner Cash Keszpenz Zrt, is expanding its money transfer network to Hungary. Corner Cash will offer MoneyGram's service at 11 locations throughout the country, with plans to expand to more Hungarian locations.
Triple Canopy gets Travelex umbrella
Travelex partnered with Triple Canopy Inc., a security and risk management company that provides services in "high-risk" areas worldwide. The new agreement allows Triple Canopy to pay its overseas work force using Travelex's MasterCard Worldwide-branded Corporate Cash Passport prepaid cards.
Ukash moves into France
U.K.-based Ukash, in partnership with the France-based issuing network known as la SAF, now provides prepaid vouchers at POS locations in 15,000 outlets throughout France. Consumers can still purchase the vouchers online and with the prepaid Toneo card.
#h3 APPOINTMENTS
MoneyGram names Everett EVP
MoneyGram chose Timothy C. Everett to be its Executive Vice President and General Counsel. Everett will report to Pamela H. Patsley, Chairman and CEO of MoneyGram. Patsley declared that Everett "will be invaluable to MoneyGram as we continue to accelerate our growth and gain market share."
CPI Card Group welcomes George
CPI Card Group welcomed Kathy George as Market Manager of Prepaid Solutions. George will take charge of market development of CPI's prepaid business in North America. "This market segment is an important growth area for CPI, and Kathy will play a key role in working with our sales and operations teams to increase our penetration of this market," said Steve Montross, President and CEO of CPI.
AccountNow taps Jones
San Ramon, Calif.-based AccountNow Inc., a Web-based prepaid card issuer, selected 35-year financial services industry veteran James G. Jones as its CEO. Former CEO Tim Coltrell will remain on the Board of Directors.
FSV taps two
FSV Payment Systems Inc., a provider of network-branded prepaid debit cards and processing services, appointed Stephen W. Reesing as its Chief Financial Officer and Matthew P. Frye as Chief Commercial Services Executive. Reesing comes to FSV from Netspend Corp.; Frye joins FSV from PreCash.
Coinstar appoints Valerio CFO
Coinstar Inc. named J. Scott Di Valerio as its CFO. Valerio comes to Coinstar with over 25 years of finance, operations and management experience. He assumes his new post in March 2010.
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