Payment Card Competitor Tracker: January 2010

Introduction

The Payment Card Competitor Tracker provides expert analysis and opinion on the strategic moves of leading competitors in the payment card market. Produced on a monthly basis, the Tracker is a global product and covers 60 players, including American Express, Barclaycard, Capital One, Citigroup, Discover, GE Money, First Data, HSBC, JCB, MasterCard, Standard Chartered and Visa.

Reasons to Purchase

*Gain invaluable information on your key competitors in one concise document, and track long-term trends using the interactive news database.

*Sharpen your strategy by implementing the best market, product, competitor and strategic developments of leading global players.

*Learn the Datamonitor Cards & Payments Team's view on the most important competitor developments in the month.

Overview
    Summary
    Methodology
    Table of Contents
    Introduction
    The Payment Card Competitor Tracker provides both one month and 12 month views of developments
    Each month, Datamonitor tracks the most relevant announcements from 64 competitors
    Datamonitor's Cards and Payments Team provides analysis of the key developments at both the one month and 12 month level
    A fully searchable database of developments from January 2007 onwards is also delivered alongside the report
    Key Developments in January
    In January, the key story was Barclaycard and Orange launching a contactless co-branded credit card in the UK
    Barclaycard and Orange launched a contactless co-branded credit card in the UK
    Barclaycard announced the forthcoming launch of its Freedom reward program
    There were 50 developments in January, slightly below the 12-month average
    There were 50 developments in the January competitor tracker, compared to the 12-month average of 56
    Products, services and innovation stories were below the 12-month trend, while M&A activity was slightly above
    North America was by far the busiest region for competitor activity, while Asia Pacific lagged behind
    Issuers accounted for the majority of the drop in activity in January
    Loyalty and rewards was the key area for developments in products, services and innovation in January
    Partnerships accounted for the bulk of activity in M&A, partnerships and organic growth
    Products, Services and Innovation
    American Express
    US: American Express introduces LoyaltyEdge, a new line of business
    US: American Express introduces new partners and features in its Membership Rewards program
    US: American Express and Lowe's launch credit card for small business owners
    Bank of America
    US: MBNA launches new rate for credit card
    Bank of Montreal
    Canada: Bank of Montreal launches its first affinity card
    Barclaycard
    UK: Barclaycard announces March launch of Barclaycard Freedom
    UK: Barclaycard and Orange launch contactless credit card
    China UnionPay
    China: China UnionPay launches Guangshen Railway CUP dual currency card
    China: CUP and Bank of East Asia jointly issue CUP standard dual currency platinum credit cards
    China: Bank of Communications launches Pacific Smart Chip debit card with CUP
    Citibank
    Czech Republic: Citibank launches cash back credit card
    Thailand: Citibank launches Citi Mobile
    The Philippines: Citibank introduces Instant Citi Rewards program
    US: Citibank introduces new downloadable Citi Mobile application for iPhone.
    Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
    China: ICBC launches Asian Games card
    Discover
    US: Discover announces national sweepstakes
    Elavon
    US: Elavon launches Fusebox payment gateway
    First Data
    Kuwait: Bank of Kuwait converts credit card portfolio to First Data's FirstVision solution
    MasterCard
    US: Barclaycard to offer the option of MasterCard inControl functionality
    US: SunTrust to convert its debit card program to MasterCard
    US: Ohana companies to leverage MasterCard prepaid cards to enhance product rebate fulfillment and redemption
    Royal Bank of Canada
    Canada: RBC issues Visa prepaid card to be used at the at the Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games
    US Bancorp
    US: US Bank increases allowance to FlexPerks Travel Rewards Visa Signature card customers
    US: US Bank cardholders stand a chance to win up to $10,000 using US Bank Visa credit or check card
    Visa
    Canada: Visa Canada introduces Olympic Games-themed Visa prepaid cards
    Canada: Coca-Cola Canada and Visa payWave bringing innovation to the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Paralympic Winter games
    US: Visa cardholders stand a chance to win a trip to the Olympic Winter Games for the rest of their lives
    Wells Fargo
    US: Wells Fargo extends its ExpressSend remittance services
    M&A, Partnerships and Organic Growth
    American Express
    US: American Express acquires Revolution Money
    Barclaycard
    UK: Barclaycard Payment Acceptance reveals hike in card spending during the Christmas season
    China UnionPay
    Mauritius: China UnionPay announces CUP card acceptance business through The Mauritius Commercial Bank
    Mongolia: China UnionPay announces opening of CUP card acceptance business through ATM machines of Golomt Bank
    Deutsche Bank
    Europe: Deutsche Bank makes strategic investment in Eurogiro
    Discover
    US: Discover Financial Services announces an agreement with BC Card
    First Data
    India: ICICI Bank and First Data entered into an alliance named ICICI Merchant Services
    Germany: First Data and ConCardis announce the extension of their long-standing processing agreement
    Qatar: First Data signs processing agreement with International Bank of Qatar
    FIS
    US: Cardinal Bank to sign up for HORIZON, FIS' core account processing solution
    Grupo Santander
    UK: Santander launches its rebranding campaign in the UK
    Industrial and Commercial Bank of China
    China: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China expands in the western region of China
    MasterCard
    US: MasterCard Worldwide waives interchange fees on donations for Haitian relief funds
    US: MasterCard Worldwide introduces MasterCard Advisors Merchant Solutions
    Royal Bank of Scotland
    Pakistan: Royal Bank of Scotland announces lapse of share purchase agreement with MCB Bank
    Swedbank
    Estonia: Swedbank welcomes small enterprises for settlement and credit products
    TSYS
    Germany: TSYS signs payment services agreement with Degussa Bank
    US: TSYS agreement with Caterpillar Financial Services Corporation
    US Bancorp
    US: Elavon acquires the merchant processing portfolio of Citizens National Bank
    Visa
    US: Heartland payment systems to provide up to £60m settlement to Visa issuers for data security breach claims
    US: Visa waives interchange fees on donations made to select group of charities for Haitian relief efforts
    US: Visa renews its partnership with the International Paralympic Committee through 2012
Appendix
    Methodology
    Further reading
    Ask the analyst
    Datamonitor consulting
    Disclaimer
List of Tables
    Table 1: The 64 companies and subsidiaries covered by Datamonitor's Payment Card Competitor Tracker
    Table 2: Current relevant publications
    Table 3: Future relevant publications
List of Figures
    Figure 1: In January, there were 50 developments in total, slightly below the 12-month average of 56
    Figure 2: In January, there was more activity relating to M&A than there had been in the 12-month average or December
    Figure 3: North America accounted for most stories in January, in line with the 12-month trend, but Asia Pacific saw a drop in activity
    Figure 4: Schemes accounted for the majority of competitor activity in January, with 22 stories, ahead of issuers, which recorded 20 stories in total
    Figure 5: Loyalty/rewards was the key area for developments in products, services and innovation in January
    Figure 6: Partnerships accounted for the majority of activity in January, in line with the 12-month average