| Shoppers become stingy with gift cards, the latest sign of consumer ...
NEW YORK (AP) — Here's a sign of how shaky the economy has become: Wal-Mart says its shoppers are redeeming their holiday gift cards for basic items — pasta sauce, diapers, laundry detergent — instead of iPods or DVDs. Merchants had hoped shoppers armed with gift cards would provide a lift after a dismal holiday shopping season — partly because shoppers tend to spend even more than the value of the card. But that didn't seem to happen last month, and retailers are feeling the pain. Yesterday, the nation's retailers turned in their worst January in almost four decades as high gas and food prices, a slumping housing market, tighter credit and a tougher job market pushed consumers to the edge. Sales at 43 retailers surveyed by the UBS-International Council of Shopping Centers rose just 0.5 percent in January, well below the original 1.5 percent forecast.
Mervyns to brighten mall
Mall managers announced to merchants this week that Mervyns will open a department store in the building Macy's used to occupy. The 94,000-square-foot site will be San Bernardino's second Mervyns and bring 100 retail jobs to the mall. The other store in town has a Highland postal address. "It'll bring in shoppers during the off-season," said Lindsey Basbas, who's worked at the Vans skateboard-apparel store for two years. "That's usually February to May." Her boss is just as optimistic - and with good reason. "We had really good foot traffic up until January," said Jessica Delaney, assistant manager of the skate shop. "A lot of people are just browsing right now. They don't want to buy anything." But when customers do open their wallets, several of them are using pre-paid H&R Block tax refund debit cards, not cash or credit, Basbas said.
Ampco to Deploy Unified Threat Management Technology
CHICAGO, Nov. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- Ampco System Parking, a wholly owned subsidiary of ABM Industries Incorporated (NYSE: ABM) will begin to deploy Trustwave's Unified Threat Management (UTM) information security appliance at Ampco parking locations throughout the United States. Trustwave is a leading provider of information security and compliance management solutions to businesses and organizations throughout the world. The deployment is part of Ampco's initiative to protect the security of consumer credit card information that is processed and/or transmitted from its managed locations. The Trustwave UTM appliances will help ensure Ampco's on-going compliance with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), which is a requirement for all credit card accepting merchants as mandated by Visa Inc., MasterCard Worldwide, American Express and Discover.
Shift4 Offers Merchants Options to Achieve PCI Compliance
LAS VEGAS, Aug. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- Merchants facing deadlines to comply with Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) and protect against credit card data theft have a secure and cost-effective alternative to investing in new point-of-sale and data storage systems. Shift4 Corporation (http://www.shift4.com/) offers a payment processing system that integrates with existing systems and is certified to be in compliance with all Card Association regulations and recognized by Visa USA as compliant with PCI DSS. $$$ ON THE NET(R) (Dollars on the Net) provides authorizations and settlements for credit, debit, check, private-label and gift card transactions. This system is based on Tokenization technology -- developed and publicly released by Shift4 in 2005 -- that provides a greater level of security by removing all usable personal card data from the entire transaction process, including point-of-sale devices.
MasterCard spent $1.8M lobbying
MasterCard International Inc. spent $1.8 million in 2007 to lobby on Internet-related issues and on fees merchants pay when customers use credit cards. The Purchase, N.Y.-based company spent $880,000 in the second half of 2007 to lobby Congress, according to a disclosure form posted online Feb. 13 by the Senate's public records office. It lobbied on gambling regulations and the use of credit cards to purchase illegal material on the Internet. The company spent $880,000 lobbying in the first half of the year on financial literacy, data security, microchip technology and fees banks pay to credit card networks. Congress is weighing tighter regulations on the credit card industry. The industry came under fire in December, when a Senate subcommitee issued a report denouncing practices that include raising interest rates for customers whose credit ratings decline, even if they make their card payments on time.
Chase Paymentech Debuts Website for Small and Medium Businesses
DALLAS, Feb. 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Chase Paymentech Solutions, LLC, has launched a new website designed to help small and medium sized businesses affordably accept credit card payments. The new site, http://merchantaccount.chasepaymentech.com, provides business owners with a simple, easy to use guide to access the latest Chase Paymentech payment processing tools. The site allows businesses to research payment products that fit their needs and offers quick access to experts who can customize a program to each business' requirements. These programs feature reliable terminals, low interchange rates to process credit card transactions and even custom gift card programs. Solutions can be designed for merchants who need secure payment solutions over the Internet, point-of- sale, telephone, or mail order.
Merchants Respond to Questions About Impact of Interchange Fees
WASHINGTON, Oct. 1 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Merchants Payments Coalition today delivered to members of the House Judiciary Committee's Antitrust Task Force a detailed report responding to questions about Visa and MasterCard's hidden credit card interchange fees raised by Representative Ric Keller, R-Fla., at a recent hearing. "This report separates facts from fiction on credit card interchange practices," said MPC Chairman Mallory Duncan, senior vice president and general counsel at the National Retail Federation. "The credit card industry has made numerous questionable statements. We have attempted to set the record straight." Duncan testified on behalf of the MPC during a July 19 hearing on credit card interchange held by the Antitrust Task Force, arguing that Visa and MasterCard practices in setting interchange rates constitute a violation of federal antitrust laws that costs merchants and consumers more than $40 billion a year.
about this blog
The use of knotty pine in just about any vertical application, say, or the evolution of speckles in vinyl tile flooring - 1965 through 1967. Otherwise, the 1,300-sq.-ft. structure that I call home is just another shingled Cape. It would fit comfortably in many aging suburban developments throughout the Northeast, but, instead, it's been plopped down in the middle of the country's longest continuous registered historic district. It's simply new-old in a land of old-old. After just a couple months of living in it, though, I find I'm falling in love with this undistinguished - and indistinguishable – house, despite its lack of pedigree. Life within its un-historic confines is proving to be surprisingly freeing. My neighbors have windows made from 200-year-old hand-blown glass and chimneys wide as redwoods, but I feel no sense of envy toward these historically significant Joneses.
Delegate Counting in Texas and Ohio
I agree with many of the posts here pointing out that Clinton's claim to "experience" is based primarily her husband's record instead of her own. I think that Democrats should be deeply concerned about this. In fact, I believe that this is the strongest argument AGAINST her candidacy -- because she is so closely allied with the politics of her husband, I fear that another Clinton running for president will only galvanize conservatives in November -- ensuring greater GOP voter turnouts and risking the potential that many independents will sway towards McCain. If we want to avoid another four years of a GOP White House, I think that Obama is the only sane choice. .
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