Payment Card Competitor Tracker: December 2010

Report Summary

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.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.There are 55 competitor developments analyzed in the December edition of the Payment Card Competitor Tracker. This is slightly higher than the level in July (53) and nearly double August (30) but remains slightly below April (57).December saw interesting developments in mobile payments. The Sitges trial in Spain showed that mobile payment users spent more per transaction and spent more frequently than with cards. Although Visa and Telefonica were key players in the trial, the former has developed a microSD card which eliminates mobile operators from the business model.Prepaid cards have seen two key developments. MasterCard has shown its ambition to be a major player by acquiring Travelex's prepaid operations - the largest international prepaid cards issuer. Also in prepaid, FIS launched an e-financial account, similar to a simplified checking account that can be offered by non-financial institutions.What have been the key new product developments in the industry this month, particularly in contactless, mobile, online and prepaid?Which players are leading the way with these new developments, and where are they occurring?How have trends in competitor activity changed over time, and which regions are becoming more active?

Table Of Content

OVERVIEW
Catalyst
Summary
Methodology

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 one month and 12 month intervals
A fully searchable database of developments from January 2007 onwards is also delivered alongside the report

KEY DEVELOPMENTS IN DECEMBER
Developments in contactless, mobile, online, and prepaid in December
Mobile/contactless: the NFC pilot in Sitges has shown the potential of the tri-party business model
Mobile/contactless: Visa and Visa Europe commercially launched a mobile contactless microSD card
Mobile/contactless: Visa Europe's commitment to mobile payments is seen by its new mobile contactless payment programs
Contactless: Discover Card is preparing for contactless by issuing contactless cards and stickers
Online: social media has evolved to become a major tool for sending gifts and using reward points
Prepaid: FIS's new electronic financial bank account aims to provide simplified financial services to the unbanked and underbanked
Prepaid: MasterCard's prepaid card acquisition shows its belief in the potential of the product
There were 55 developments in December, above both the 12 month average and the trend for H2 2010
The level of competitor activity in December was the highest since April, and the second highest over the last 12 months
Products, services, and innovation-related developments were in line with the annual average in December
Developments in loyalty and rewards and co-brand cards were at the forefront of activity in December
Partnerships accounted for the majority of developments in the M&A, organic growth, and partnership category

PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND INNOVATION
AEON Credit Service
Hong Kong: AEON cardholders entitled to coupons when making cash advance through

AEON ATM
American Express
US: American Express expands its Business Travel Service Options
US: American Express enters into a relationship with Zynga to enable the purchase of virtual goods and game cards
US: American Express introduces travel benefits for Platinum cardholders
US: American Express to eliminate foreign currency transaction fees
US: American Express launches the Rabbit Gift Card
Bank of America
UK: MBNA launches balance transfer credit card
Bank of Montreal
Canada: Bank of Montreal launches "Thank You" campaign by awarding 17 million air miles to its customers
Barclaycard
UK: Barclaycard Platinum cuts cost of borrowing with £20 off balance transfer fee
UK: Barclaycard Freedom launches its eStore
UK: Barclaycard Commercial announces the launch of Total Spend Management
Citibank
Bahrain: Citibank introduces "0% easy installments plan" at Dadabhai Travel
Honduras: Citi Honduras launches first-annual "Solutions Fair"
US: Citi ThankYou Rewards expands its collection by introducing products from Zynga
Vietnam: Citibank Vietnam launches Citibank PremierMiles Credit Card
Discover
US: Discover Card issues Discover Zip Contactless credit cards and stickers
Fidelity Information Services
US: Fidelity Information Services announces a new mobile banking application
US: FIS announces a prepaid electronic financial account solution
La Caixa
Spain: "la Caixa,” Telefónica, and Visa successfully complete the first mobile payments experience
MasterCard
India: MasterCard Worldwide develops a payment solution for "Aadhaar"
US: PerkStreet Financial and MasterCard Worldwide team up to offer innovative financial products to MasterCard cardholders
US: SmartyPig launches the SmartyPig Cash Rewards Prepaid MasterCard
Standard Chartered
UAE: Standard Chartered launches credit card global promotion
UniCredit Group
Austria: Bank Austria introduces Visa Infinite
Visa
Europe: Visa Europe announces the availability of a new pan-European service to support the rollout of Visa issuers’ mobile contactless payment programs
Europe: Visa Europe and Emue Technologies announce commercial availability of its Visa CodeSure-integrated card
Hong Kong: Visa offers new privileges for its premium cardholders
Hong Kong: AutoTAXI service introduced with contactless Visa payWave
UK: Mayor and Transport for London offer support to Visa's launch of a new type of card terminal connected to taxi meters
US: Wells Fargo to roll out its Visa microSD mobile payment pilot
US: Visa mobile contactless payments solution certified for commercial use
US: Visa mobile application available on iPhone
Wells Fargo
US: Wells Fargo introduces ATM Cash Tracker

M&A, PARTNERSHIPS, AND ORGANIC GROWTH
American Express
US: American Express Business Insights releases spending patterns for Q3 2010
US: American Express acquires Loyalty Partner
BBVA
India: BBVA and Bank of Baroda form a joint venture to offer credit cards
China UnionPay
China: China UnionPay launches its global portal
Hungary: CUP signs an agreement of card acceptance business with OPT Bank in Budapest
The Philippines: UnionPay collaborates with BDO Bank
Worldwide: CUP card is accepted across 98 countries
Deutsche Bank
Germany: Deutsche Bank to consolidate Deutsche Postbank following the conclusion of its takeover offer
Discover
Worldwide: customers will be able to use DinaCard across 185 countries
Elavon
Brazil: Credicard and Elavon announce partnership to establish a merchant payment solution company
US: Phreesia enters into a five-year alliance with Elavon
First Data
US: First Data reaches its 100,000 merchants milestone using TransArmor
US: additional 10 merchants use First Data's eGifting programs
Fidelity Information Services
Brazil: FIS completes a 10 year agreement with Banco Bradesco and Fidelity Processadora e Servicos
US: FIS completes the acquisition of Capco
US: US Bank to use FIS’s mobile platform to launch mobile financial services for AccelaPay
ING Bank
The Netherlands: ING sells its stake in Fubon Financial Holding
MasterCard
UK: MasterCard acquires Travelex’s prepaid card program management assets
Maybank
Indonesia: Maybank launches syariah bank
PayPal
US: PayPal announces increase in online and mobile sales
UniCredit Group
Italy: UniCredit and Poste Italiane sign agreement for the disposal of 100% of UniCredit MedioCredito Centrale to Poste
Visa
Asia Pacific: Visa payments volume increases by 12%, reaching a value of $800bn
Australia: counterfeit card fraud drops 45% following move to chip and PIN
Europe: settlement on Visa debit interchange fees

APPENDIX
Methodology
Further reading
Ask the analyst
Datamonitor consulting
Disclaimer