Dabble.addView({"_class": "View", "id": "01ceddcf-4715-4b91-9161-835f4367986e", "name": "CardLine Briefs with Texts", "fields": [6254, 7086, 6258, 6259, 6260], "entries": [
{"_name": "MALAYSIAN BANK CUTS INTEREST-FREE PERIOD FOR SOME CARDS", "_id": 1028384, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1028384",  "values": ["MALAYSIAN BANK CUTS INTEREST-FREE PERIOD FOR SOME CARDS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "July 2, 2008", "start": 1214928000, "end": 1215014399 }, "MALAYSIAN BANK CUTS INTEREST-FREE PERIOD FOR SOME CARDS: Bank Negara Malaysia, the country's central bank, has cancelled the 20-day interest-fee period for credit card holders who fail to replay their outstanding balances from the previous month, the bank tells CardLine Global. The rule took effect this week. Credit card holders who make partial or minimum payment for their outstanding balances will be charged interest for all new retail transactions in the following month. Credit card balances in Malaysia stood at 21.1 billion ringgits (US$6.4 billion or 4.1 billion euros) in May, up 1.9% from 20.7 billion ringgits in April, the bank says. Overdue balances stood at 52.8 million ringgits in May, up 4.8% from 50.4 million ringgits in April.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CARD FRAUD CLAIMS MORE THAN 380,000 VICTIMS IN AUSTRALIA:", "_id": 1028948, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1028948",  "values": ["CARD FRAUD CLAIMS MORE THAN 380,000 VICTIMS IN AUSTRALIA:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "July 2, 2008", "start": 1214928000, "end": 1215014399 }, "CARD FRAUD CLAIMS MORE THAN 380,000 VICTIMS IN AUSTRALIA: Bankcard fraud claimed 383,3000 victims in Australia in 2007, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, a national agency. This was the first year the agency compiled card fraud statistics. According to an agency survey of 14,320 consumers, about 20% of card fraud in Australia was conducted through e-mail or Web sites. About 25% of fraud victims did not report the crimes to issuers or police, the survey found. Losses from credit card fraud in Australia stood at AU$90 million (US$86.4 million or 55 million euros) last year, according to the Australian Payments Clearing Association.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "Pay your bills while on the bus", "_id": 1028959, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1028959",  "values": ["Pay your bills while on the bus", "Unassigned", {"name": "July 2, 2008", "start": 1214928000, "end": 1215014399 }, "GEORGE TOWN: RapidPenang has introduced a new service which enables commuters to pay their bills or top up their handphones.\r\nFor a start, the RapidPay service -- touted as the first of its kind in the region -- will be available on 25 buses.\r\n\r\nThe service is available to those with automated teller machine cards from Affin Bank, Alliance Bank, AmBank, Bank Islam, CIMB Bank, EON Bank, Bank Rakyat, Hong Leong Bank, Public Bank, Maybank and RHB Bank.\r\n\r\nCommuters can use the service to pay their bills from Celcom, Maxis, DiGi, TMnet, Jaring, TD Tone, TimeContact, Redtone, Postpay and Chatz (IDD/STD calling cards).", "Revised"]},
{"_name": "NEW ZEALAND TRANSIT AGENCY PLANS SMART CARD SCHEME", "_id": 1029012, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1029012",  "values": ["NEW ZEALAND TRANSIT AGENCY PLANS SMART CARD SCHEME", "Miranda Li", {"name": "July 2, 2008", "start": 1214928000, "end": 1215014399 }, "NEW ZEALAND TRANSIT AGENCY PLANS SMART CARD SCHEME: The Auckland Regional Transport Authority in New Zealand plans to introduce a smart card ticketing system within the next year, according to the agency's most recent transit plan. Details of the system were unclear, with the agency saying the scheme still is undergoing design. The move comes as the agency also plans to increase train capacity and bus services to meet growing demand. \"Public transport growth in Auckland is now firmly on the move,\" Peter Clark, the agency's general manager, says in a statement. \"The increasing rise of petrol [costs] coupled with improved passenger transport services should only see this trend continuing.\" The agency says it provides 52 million trips each year, a figure it hopes to increase to 100 million by 2016.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "Standard Chartered Aims For 10,000 New Visa Infinite Cardholders In One Year", "_id": 1024118, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1024118",  "values": ["Standard Chartered Aims For 10,000 New Visa Infinite Cardholders In One Year", "Unassigned", {"name": "July 1, 2008", "start": 1214841600, "end": 1214927999 }, "KUALA LUMPUR, July 1 (Bernama) -- Standard Chartered Bank Malaysia Bhd is targeting 10,000 cardholders for its newly launched Visa Infinite Card in the next 12 months, Country Consumer Banking head Ho Toon Bah said Tuesday.\r\n\r\nHe said the bank has estimated 120,000 customers in Malaysia are eligible to apply for the card.\r\n\r\nThe card, designed for Malaysia's growing high networth market, is only available for customers who fulfilled income requirements of RM150,000 a year.\r\n\r\nHo said the population of high networth individuals in Asia was rising in tandem with the economic growth of emerging markets including Malaysia, Hong Kong, China and Taiwan.", "Revised"]},
{"_name": "BANK OF BEIJING HOPES TO ISSUE 150,000 UNIONPAY CARDS:", "_id": 1024140, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1024140",  "values": ["BANK OF BEIJING HOPES TO ISSUE 150,000 UNIONPAY CARDS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "July 1, 2008", "start": 1214841600, "end": 1214927999 }, "BANK OF BEIJING HOPES TO ISSUE 150,000 UNIONPAY CARDS: Bank of Beijing says it has begun to issue a UnionPay-branded credit card in Beijing. \"The bank expects to issue 150,000 new cards [by] the end of this year and will focus on customers in Beijing areas initially,\" Xiaoyan Yan, the bank's president, says in a statement. Bank of Beijing began issuing its first credit cards in February. The bank says it is working with Beijing merchants to enable some consumers with the new cards to receive 50% discounts on purchases.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CONSUMERS CONCERNED ABOUT MOBILE-PAYMENT SECURITY", "_id": 1024162, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1024162",  "values": ["CONSUMERS CONCERNED ABOUT MOBILE-PAYMENT SECURITY", "Miranda Li", {"name": "July 1, 2008", "start": 1214841600, "end": 1214927999 }, "CONSUMERS CONCERNED ABOUT MOBILE-PAYMENT SECURITY: Security of mobile payments remains a top concern for consumers in such countries as Malaysia and New Zealand, suggest survey results from United States-based Unisys Corp., a security-systems vendor. The survey of 13,296 consumers in 14 countries conducted earlier this year found that 45% of respondents in New Zealand and 49% of respondents in Malaysia expressed worries about the security of mobile payments. The survey also found that 86% of respondents in France, 78% in Australia and 71% in the United States are reluctant to use mobile phones to bank or shop online. \"There is a great deal of money to be made in mobile payments but [that will occur] only when consumers believe that the security of the transaction meets or exceeds the freedom of using mobile devices,\" Tim Kelleher, Unisys vice president of enterprise security, says in a statement. \"The fact that consumers trust banks more than others to secure mobile transactions bodes well for the financial-services industry.\"", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CAMBODIAN BANK ISSUES FIRST CREDIT CARD", "_id": 1020168, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1020168",  "values": ["CAMBODIAN BANK ISSUES FIRST CREDIT CARD", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 30, 2008", "start": 1214755200, "end": 1214841599 }, "CAMBODIAN BANK ISSUES FIRST CREDIT CARD : Cambodia-based ANZ Royal Bank says it has started to issue its first credit card in the country. The Visa-branded card comes in \"diamond\" and \"classic\" varieties. The diamond card is designed for consumers with higher incomes, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The bank faces challenges in persuading consumers to apply for the cards. \"Locals currently prefer debit cards more than credit cards to make payment[s] in the country,\" the spokesperson says. \"However, educated groups such as university students and company staff have already realized that credit cards are more convenient, so we do expect the credit card market in the country to grow quickly over the next few years.\" Australia-based ANZ Group and Cambodia-based Royal Group Co. formed ANZ Royal Bank in 2005 as a joint venture.\r\n\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CITIGROUP WINS APPROVAL FOR YUAN DEBIT CARDS, REPORT SAYS:", "_id": 1020190, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1020190",  "values": ["CITIGROUP WINS APPROVAL FOR YUAN DEBIT CARDS, REPORT SAYS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 30, 2008", "start": 1214755200, "end": 1214841599 }, "CITIGROUP WINS APPROVAL FOR YUAN DEBIT CARDS, REPORT SAYS: Citigroup reportedly will receive approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission to issue yuan-dominated debit cards in mainland China. Citigroup, based in the United States, declines to comment on the report, which appeared in the South China Morning Post. \"We will give you more information when [the approval] is officially announced,\" a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Citigroup applied for permission to issue the cards about a year ago. In May, Hong Kong-based Bank of East Asia launched its yuan-based debit card with China UnionPay. Hong Kong-based Hang Seng Bank also has won approval to issue yuan-dominated debit cards with China UnionPay. The bank plans to begin issuing cards in the fourth quarter. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "NEW ZEALAND REMOVES CARD FEE FOR LOAN, SUPPORT PAYMENTS:", "_id": 1020224, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1020224",  "values": ["NEW ZEALAND REMOVES CARD FEE FOR LOAN, SUPPORT PAYMENTS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 30, 2008", "start": 1214755200, "end": 1214841599 }, "NEW ZEALAND REMOVES CARD FEE FOR LOAN, SUPPORT PAYMENTS: New Zealanders making student-loan and child-support payments with payment cards will not have to pay bank \"convenience fees,\" the country's taxing authorities announced. The directive from the country's Inland Revenue Department says the agency will pay the fees, which can equate to as much as 2.49% of the transaction amount. The directive applies to MasterCard and Visa credit and debit cards, the agency says in a statement. \"This change reflects the government's decision to make it easier and cheaper for ... student-loan borrowers and child support-paying parents to make online payments using debit or credit cards,\" Peter Dunne, the country's minister of revenue, says in a statement. Neither ministry officials nor card issuers in New Zealand were able to offer immediate comment to CardLine Global. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDIAN BANK DEPLOYS BIOMETRIC ATM IN MUMBAI", "_id": 1018781, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1018781",  "values": ["INDIAN BANK DEPLOYS BIOMETRIC ATM IN MUMBAI", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 29, 2008", "start": 1214668800, "end": 1214755199 }, "INDIAN BANK DEPLOYS BIOMETRIC ATM IN MUMBAI: Bangalore-based Canara Bank Monday deployed its first biometric ATM in one of its Mumbai branches, according to a local report. The branch is in Dharavi, considered Asia's largest slum neighborhood, according to the report. A large number of poor bank customers will use the biometric ATM, the report says. \"Biometric ATMs are designed mainly for the rural population who are characterized as illiterate and have little access to financial services,\" says Prathima Rajan, an India-based analyst with Celent LLC. Rajan says banks use biometric ATMs to secure the business of farmers and artisans in India. \"Biometric ATMs are gaining popularity lately as they include this large untapped population in the banking-user community,\" Rajan says. She adds many large banks that market to rural consumers expect to deploy biometric ATMs. Canara Bank did not respond to CardLine Global requests for comment. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "UNIONPAY U.S. CARD ACCEPTANCE REACHES 200,000 ATMS", "_id": 1018792, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1018792",  "values": ["UNIONPAY U.S. CARD ACCEPTANCE REACHES 200,000 ATMS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 29, 2008", "start": 1214668800, "end": 1214755199 }, "UNIONPAY U.S. CARD ACCEPTANCE REACHES 200,000 ATMS : Agreements with United States-based ATM and debit network Pulse and Citigroup Inc. have enabled 200,000 ATMs in the United States to accept China UnionPay debit and credit cards, a UnionPay spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Since 2005, China UnionPay has worked to expand its payment network in the U.S., the spokesperson says. He adds cardholders can make purchases with their debit cards from some merchants without additional charges. Cardholders also receive cash-back offers from some merchants, the spokesperson says. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AMEX, CATHAY PACIFIC ISSUING CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS", "_id": 1015798, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1015798",  "values": ["AMEX, CATHAY PACIFIC ISSUING CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 26, 2008", "start": 1214409600, "end": 1214495999 }, "AMEX, CATHAY PACIFIC ISSUING CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS: American Express Co. announced last week it is issuing two co-branded credit cards with Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific Airways for the Asian market-the American Express Cathay Pacific Elite Credit Card and the American Express Cathay Pacific Credit Card. The companies market both cards to travelers and members of the airline's rewards programs-the Asia Miles and the Marco Polo Club, according to the companies. \"The co-brand partnership with Cathay Pacific complements our existing portfolio of premium cards for discerning affluent and frequent travelers,\" Yat-chung Koh, AmEx senior vice president and general manager for Greater China and Southeast Asia, said in the statement. Cardholders can earn Asia Miles on their card spending and have access to more than 500 VIP airport lounges worldwide. The cards also give travel accident insurance coverage up to HK$3.5million (US$448,612). AmEx initially will issue the cards in Hong Kong and Taiwan and later will add other Asian markets, the statement said.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "COMMONWEALTH BANK SUPPORTS MORE CREDIT DATA SHARING", "_id": 1015809, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1015809",  "values": ["COMMONWEALTH BANK SUPPORTS MORE CREDIT DATA SHARING", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 26, 2008", "start": 1214409600, "end": 1214495999 }, "COMMONWEALTH BANK SUPPORTS MORE CREDIT DATA SHARING: Commonwealth Bank chief executive Ralph Norris urges lenders to share more-detailed credit records, according to a 26 June wire-service report. Norris advocates adding information concerning customers' outstanding loans to the credit-reporting system to reduce unaffordable debt among Australians, the report states. \"The information is essential if we're to avoid the industry offering more credit to people who are already over-committed,\" Norris said. The Australia-based Commonwealth Bank could not be reached for further comment. In April, Australia's credit card debt was AU$43.6 billion (US$41.9 billion), up 18.2% from 36.9 billion a year earlier, according to the Reserve Bank of Australia. Credit card debt for April of this year increased 1.4% from AU$43 billion in March.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SHELL JAPAN TO ACCEPT JCB PAYMENT SYSTEM:", "_id": 1015820, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1015820",  "values": ["SHELL JAPAN TO ACCEPT JCB PAYMENT SYSTEM:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 26, 2008", "start": 1214409600, "end": 1214495999 }, "SHELL JAPAN TO ACCEPT JCB PAYMENT SYSTEM: Showa Shell Sekiyu K.K. plans to introduce JCB's QuicPay payment system at 500 of its gas stations beginning 1 July. The card reader \"can only accept FeliCa, which takes an imprint of the credit card without contact,\" a spokesperson for the Tokyo-based oil products business operator tells CardLine Global. The QuicPay system has \"a very high level of security and a very low possibility of skimming,\" the spokesperson adds. FeliCa is a contactless smart card system by Sony. The technology is used in a variety of payment cards in Japan. \"It is a postpaid system, so there is no need for recharges,\" the spokesperson says. The company did not disclose the costs involved to adopt the payment system.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "BANK LAUNCHES CREDIT CARD WITH CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES:", "_id": 1011702, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1011702",  "values": ["BANK LAUNCHES CREDIT CARD WITH CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 25, 2008", "start": 1214323200, "end": 1214409599 }, "BANK LAUNCHES CREDIT CARD WITH CHINA SOUTHERN AIRLINES: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Wednesday launched an EMV-standard credit card with China Southern Airline, the Beijing-based bank announced in a statement. The bank will issue both a consumer and business version of the card, the statement says. Consumers can choose a card that has the American Express, China UnionPay, MasterCard or Visa brand, the statement says. The business card only is available from American Express. Cardholders will receive bonus miles when they use the card, the statement says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE RURAL LABORERS EMBRACING UNIONPAY DEBIT CARDS:", "_id": 1011714, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1011714",  "values": ["CHINESE RURAL LABORERS EMBRACING UNIONPAY DEBIT CARDS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 25, 2008", "start": 1214323200, "end": 1214409599 }, "CHINESE RURAL LABORERS EMBRACING UNIONPAY DEBIT CARDS: Chinese rural laborers made more than 3.28 billion yuan (US$479.4 million) worth of transactions between 1 Jan. and 31 May with their UnionPay debit cards, up 57.7% from 2.08 billion yuan in the same period last year, according to a report from China UnionPay. The company defines rural laborers as individuals who work and live in cities and send funds back to family in their rural hometowns. \"We work with commercial banks and credit cooperatives to provide debit card services for rural laborers, which enables them to deposit funds onto their cards and withdraw [the funds] at credit cooperatives in their hometowns,\" a China UnionPay spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Approximately 60,000 credit co-operatives in 19 Chinese provinces feature UnionPay card cash-withdrawal services for rural laborers, the company says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "MALAYSIAN PETROL STATIONS HALT CREDIT CARD BOYCOTT:", "_id": 1011811, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1011811",  "values": ["MALAYSIAN PETROL STATIONS HALT CREDIT CARD BOYCOTT:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 25, 2008", "start": 1214323200, "end": 1214409599 }, "MALAYSIAN PETROL STATIONS HALT CREDIT CARD BOYCOTT: Malaysian petrol-station operators reportedly are again accepting credit cards after the government Tuesday increased their sales commissions to 12.19 sen (US40 cents) per liter of gasoline sold from 9.5 sen and to 7 sen per liter of diesel sold from 4.5 sen. The Petroleum Dealers Association of Malaysia previously had asked its approximately 3,500 members not to accept credit cards because of high interchange costs. The increase in sales commissions for operators will enable them to bear the interchange costs when accepting credit card transactions, Sunil Devmurari, a business development account manager with United Kingdom-based research company Euromonitor International, tells CardLine Global. \"Petrol-station operators have to bear interchange costs of about 1% (of the sale amount), which has cut into already-declining profits,\" he says. \"Petrol-station operators have been hit by the removal of fuel subsidies by the government, leading to lower business volumes as inflation hits disposable incomes of consumers in Malaysia.\" High fuel prices also have caused problems in the Philippines, where Sen. Francis Escudero has asked the three oil companies in the country (Petron Corp., Pilipinas Shell and Chevron Philippines) to issue prepaid cards to consumers using petrol stations in the country, according to a local report. \"The benefit to consumers is that fuel prices will be locked during the validity period of these prepaid cards,\" Devmurari says. \"Given the numerous hikes in retail fuel prices in the Philippines, within the context of price inflation this initiative would help support demand for fuel by consumers.\" However, the move may be risky for fuel companies, given the volatile outlook for oil prices into the medium term, Devmurari adds. The oil companies did not respond to CardLine Global requests for comment. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SRI LANKAN CARD COMPANY ISSUES 10,000 TRI-LINGUAL CARDS:", "_id": 1009163, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1009163",  "values": ["SRI LANKAN CARD COMPANY ISSUES 10,000 TRI-LINGUAL CARDS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 24, 2008", "start": 1214236800, "end": 1214323199 }, "SRI LANKAN CARD COMPANY ISSUES 10,000 TRI-LINGUAL CARDS: Sri Lanka's ABC Group says it has issued more than 10,000 tri-lingual credit cards in the country since November 2006, the company says in a statement. \"The tri-lingual card enables customers to apply for the card in three languages, including Sinhalese, Tamil and English, which are all major languages on the island,\" an ABC spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"This enables customers in the rural areas of the island to apply for the card in their local language.\" ABC says rural consumers are beginning to overcome their fear of using plastic payment cards. ABC says cardholders conduct total transactions worth an average of 10 million rupees (US$92,894) per month. Inflation has forced many cardholders to use credit more often, the spokesperson says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE BANKS HAVE ISSUED NEARLY 1.6 BILLION PAYMENT CARDS", "_id": 1009174, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1009174",  "values": ["CHINESE BANKS HAVE ISSUED NEARLY 1.6 BILLION PAYMENT CARDS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 24, 2008", "start": 1214236800, "end": 1214323199 }, "CHINESE BANKS HAVE ISSUED NEARLY 1.6 BILLION PAYMENT CARDS: Chinese banks had issued 1.58 billion credit and debit cards as of 31 March, up 30% from 1.22 billion cards at the end of March 2007, according to a report from the People's Bank of China. Credit card issuance rose 93%, to 104.7 million cards from 54.2 million cards. Chinese banks had issued 1.5 billion debit cards, up 25% from 1.2 billion as of March 2007. Chinese credit and debit cardholders spent 824.6 trillion yuan (US$120.1 trillion or 77 trillion euros) as of the end of March, up 58% from 521.9 trillion yuan during the same period last year. The report says the China UnionPay network had 203 credit and debit card issuers as of the end of March.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE BANK LAUNCHES CREDIT CARD FOR TOLL PAYMENTS:", "_id": 1009198, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1009198",  "values": ["CHINESE BANK LAUNCHES CREDIT CARD FOR TOLL PAYMENTS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 24, 2008", "start": 1214236800, "end": 1214323199 }, "CHINESE BANK LAUNCHES CREDIT CARD FOR TOLL PAYMENTS: Guangdong-based Unitoll Card Co. Inc., an issuer of transit cards used to pay highway tolls, and China Construction Bank have launched a China UnionPay toll-payment credit card, Unitoll announced Wednesday. \"The card integrates the normal credit card function with a toll-payment feature for speedways in the Guangdong province,\" an Unitoll spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Users swipe the card at a machine to pay the toll, the spokesperson says. Existing Unitoll customers use a prepaid card to pay tolls, the spokesperson says. The company has issued 300,000 prepaid cards in the province, according to the spokesperson. Unitoll will wave the monthly HK$15 (US$1.92 or 1.23 euros) fee for the first six months, the company says in a statement. \"Cardholders will not get any discounts on toll fees, but they can redeem their reward points for fuel and will get discounts on car insurance,\" the spokesperson says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "REPORT: CHINA TO REACH 145 MILLION CREDIT CARDS BY YEAR'S END:", "_id": 1005839, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1005839",  "values": ["REPORT: CHINA TO REACH 145 MILLION CREDIT CARDS BY YEAR'S END:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 23, 2008", "start": 1214150400, "end": 1214236799 }, "REPORT: CHINA TO REACH 145 MILLION CREDIT CARDS BY YEAR'S END: The Chinese credit card market continues to grow, as Analysys International expects 145.53 million cards to be in circulation by the end of 2008, according to a report by the Beijing-based research company. The report says 45 million Chinese citizens will have at least one credit card by the end of the year. Most Chinese citizens have two or more credit cards, the report says. At the end of 2007, issuers had put 99.8 million credit cards in circulation, up 70% from 58.8 million in 2006, the report says. The number of credit cardholders in 2007 was 31.8 million, up 54% from 20.6 million in 2006, the report says. Olympic-themed credit cards are popular this year, the report says. Almost half (48.6%) of Chinese credit cardholders plan to apply for an Olympic-themed card. The Beijing 2008 Summer Olympics begin 8 Aug. \"The credit card market in China will grow quickly this year, and card issuers will continue to fight for numbers,\" an Analysys spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"Currently, a low rate of active cards and a large number of [inactive] cards are major problems in the market.\" ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SHENZHEN AIRLINES LAUNCHES TELEPHONE CREDIT CARD SERVICE:", "_id": 1005880, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1005880",  "values": ["SHENZHEN AIRLINES LAUNCHES TELEPHONE CREDIT CARD SERVICE:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 23, 2008", "start": 1214150400, "end": 1214236799 }, "SHENZHEN AIRLINES LAUNCHES TELEPHONE CREDIT CARD SERVICE: Shenzhen Airlines and YeePay, a Beijing-based e-payment services provider, Tuesday announced telephone credit card-ticketing services, the companies say in a statement. The service enables customers to call the airline's service center to order tickets with a credit card, a YeePay spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Passengers receive their boarding passes at the airport, the spokesperson says. \"We are aiming to provide easier payment services with the launch of this service,\" the spokesperson says, noting YeePay also handles Shenzhen's online ticketing service.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINA UNIONPAY ATM BUSINESS EXPANDS TO 45 COUNTRIES", "_id": 1005891, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1005891",  "values": ["CHINA UNIONPAY ATM BUSINESS EXPANDS TO 45 COUNTRIES", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 23, 2008", "start": 1214150400, "end": 1214236799 }, "CHINA UNIONPAY ATM BUSINESS EXPANDS TO 45 COUNTRIES: China UnionPay's ATM business has expanded to 45 countries and regions, company president Xu Luode said in a statement. UnionPay needed to expand the ATM network to accommodate its cardholders traveling overseas, Luode adds. UnionPay's business has increased significantly in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Switzerland and the United States, he says. Also, UnionPay cardholders can make direct purchases with their cards in 27 countries, according to Luode. Approximately 40 financial institutions have issued more than 270,000 UnionPay cards to date. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "HONG KONG BANK TO ISSUE YUAN-BASED DEBIT CARD IN CHINA", "_id": 1006540, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1006540",  "values": ["HONG KONG BANK TO ISSUE YUAN-BASED DEBIT CARD IN CHINA", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 23, 2008", "start": 1214150400, "end": 1214236799 }, "HONG KONG BANK TO ISSUE YUAN-BASED DEBIT CARD IN CHINA: Hang Seng Bank tells CardLine Global it plans to issue a yuan-based debit card with China UnionPay. It will launch the card in the fourth quarter, a bank spokesperson says. Hong Kong-based Hang Seng received approval for the card from the China Banking Regulatory Commission at the end of last year, the spokesperson says. \"We are preparing for issuance, and are in the process of moving our data center to Shanghai,\" he says. Consumers would be able to use the card at all China UnionPay ATMs, according to the spokesperson. The company will release further details at the launch, he says. The bank plans to expand its branch network in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Guangzhou in the near future, the spokesperson says. Hang Seng deploys 50 ATMs in China", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "PAKISTAN AGENCY TO LAUNCH BILL-PAYMENT KIOSKS:", "_id": 1004594, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1004594",  "values": ["PAKISTAN AGENCY TO LAUNCH BILL-PAYMENT KIOSKS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 22, 2008", "start": 1214064000, "end": 1214150399 }, "PAKISTAN AGENCY TO LAUNCH BILL-PAYMENT KIOSKS: Pakistan's National Database and Registration Authority says it will deploy kiosks where consumers can pay utility bills, according to a local report. CardLine Global was unable to reach agency officials to obtain more details about the initiative. The agency reportedly also plans to launch a fee-free computerized national identity card for citizens who have not yet registered for the card, the report says. Citizens use the cards for voter identification and census purposes, the report says. More than 50% of Pakistani citizens do not have the identity card, according to the report.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN SEEKS ATM BAN NEAR POKER MACHINES", "_id": 1004605, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1004605",  "values": ["AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN SEEKS ATM BAN NEAR POKER MACHINES", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 22, 2008", "start": 1214064000, "end": 1214150399 }, "AUSTRALIAN POLITICIAN SEEKS ATM BAN NEAR POKER MACHINES: South Australian Senator-elect Nick Xenophon wants to remove ATMs from clubs and pubs with poker machines to help curb gambling addiction, a local report says. Gambling venues in Australia have some 3,000 ATMs in or near their locations, the report says. \"We know from the Productivity Commission that for every problem gambler there are seven people affected by that, so close to one in 10 Australians [is] in some way worse off because of the gambling, and that's something that we need to tackle,\" Xenophon says in the report. Xenophon enters office 1 July and will make the matter a top priority, the report says. The Australian government has been planning to remove ATMs close to gambling sites since September, the report says. In March, The Premier of Victoria announced plans to ban ATMs close to poker machines by 2012 [CardLine Global, 17 March].", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINA UNIONPAY ISSUES MORE THAN 500,000 CORPORATE CARDS", "_id": 1004616, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1004616",  "values": ["CHINA UNIONPAY ISSUES MORE THAN 500,000 CORPORATE CARDS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 22, 2008", "start": 1214064000, "end": 1214150399 }, "CHINA UNIONPAY ISSUES MORE THAN 500,000 CORPORATE CARDS: China UnionPay had issued 500,000 corporate credit cards as of the end of May, the company announced Monday. Seventeen Chinese banks have issued corporate cards, which companies use for expenditures, according to a China UnionPay statement. Hua Zhang, a banking analyst for United States-based Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global he estimates banks will issue more than 1 million corporate cards by the end of 2008. Zhang estimates banks in the Hubei province will issue 80,000 corporate cards, while those in the Tianjin province will issue another 50,000, based on the number of companies in those areas. The growth rate for corporate card issuance over the next few months will be 25% or more, according to Zhang. He adds that the Chinese government was able to reduce expenses during a corporate test in which it used the cards. An Internet survey revealed 50% of Chinese citizens support the government's use of corporate cards, Zhang says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CARD BALANCES IN AUSTRALIA GROWING AT SLOWER PLACE:", "_id": 1001986, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1001986",  "values": ["CARD BALANCES IN AUSTRALIA GROWING AT SLOWER PLACE:", "Ankush Chibber", {"name": "June 19, 2008", "start": 1213804800, "end": 1213891199 }, "CARD BALANCES IN AUSTRALIA GROWING AT SLOWER PLACE: Australian households are attempting to keep their credit card balances down in the face of higher interest rates, suggest data from the Reserve Bank of Australia and an analyst who spoke with CardLine Global. The average balance on an Australian credit card in April stood at AU$3,085 (US$2,945 or 1,885 euros), up 4.5% from AU$2,953 in April 2007. That is the slowest growth rate in 13 years. The nation's total credit card balance stood at AU$43.6 billion in April, up 10.1 % from AU$39.6 billion a year earlier, the bank says. The total value of credit card transactions stood at AU$17.6 billion in April, up 15% from AU$ 15.3 billion. The value of cash advances stood at AU$1.05 billion, up 5% from AU$1 billion. \"The slow growth rate of credit card debt can be attributed to several factors, many of which stem from the global credit crunch,\" Frank Lopez, an analyst with Cannex, an Australia-based research firm, tells CardLine Global. \"These factors include the increasing difficulty in obtaining credit as lenders stiffen their lending criteria and credit requirements.\" According to Lopez, debts also have fallen because some credit card providers have withdrawn from the market. Virgin Money, for example, withdrew from the Australian credit card market in April.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "EBAY REPORTEDLY SIGNS DEAL WITH VIETNAMESE SHOPPING SITE:", "_id": 1002051, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1002051",  "values": ["EBAY REPORTEDLY SIGNS DEAL WITH VIETNAMESE SHOPPING SITE:", "Ankush Chibber", {"name": "June 19, 2008", "start": 1213804800, "end": 1213891199 }, "EBAY REPORTEDLY SIGNS DEAL WITH VIETNAMESE SHOPPING SITE: Vietnam-based online shopping site ChoDienTu.vn has signed a deal with United States-based online-auction firm eBay to establish an electronic-commerce site, according to press reports and an announcement on the Vietnamese firm's Web site. Officials from both companies were unavailable for immediate comment. ChoDienTu.vn reportedly has 120,000 registered users who can use the site to shop for almost 64,000 products. But the venture could face problems because relatively few consumers in Vietnam shop online or have payments cards, press reports say, quoting government officials.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "ANZ TO ISSUE 1 MILLION CREDIT CARDS IN VIETNAM, REPORT SAYS:", "_id": 1002062, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=1002062",  "values": ["ANZ TO ISSUE 1 MILLION CREDIT CARDS IN VIETNAM, REPORT SAYS:", "Ankush Chibber", {"name": "June 19, 2008", "start": 1213804800, "end": 1213891199 }, "ANZ TO ISSUE 1 MILLION CREDIT CARDS IN VIETNAM, REPORT SAYS: Australia-based ANZ Bank reportedly hopes to attract 1 million credit card customers in Vietnam by 2012, up from 21,000 customers now. Bank officials declined to offer immediate comment about the report, which appeared in The Sheet, an Australian news service. The bank issues Visa-branded \"gold\" and \"classic\" credit cards in Vietnam. The bank reportedly hopes to open 50 branches in Vietnam by 2012, up from two branches now. ANZ began providing banking services in Vietnam more than a decade ago and operates 55 ATMs there.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "Citibank says it has launched two Visa-branded credit cards in Bahrain that the issuer hopes will attract affluent consumers. ...", "_id": 998753, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=998753",  "values": ["Citibank says it has launched two Visa-branded credit cards in Bahrain that the issuer hopes will attract affluent consumers. ...", "Ankush Chibber", {"name": "June 18, 2008", "start": 1213718400, "end": 1213804799 }, "Citibank says it has launched two Visa-branded credit cards in Bahrain that the issuer hopes will attract affluent consumers. ...(brief)", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AUSTRALIANS WANT ONLINE CARD APPLICATIONS, SURVEY SUGGESTS", "_id": 998764, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=998764",  "values": ["AUSTRALIANS WANT ONLINE CARD APPLICATIONS, SURVEY SUGGESTS", "Ankush Chibber", {"name": "June 18, 2008", "start": 1213718400, "end": 1213804799 }, "AUSTRALIANS WANT ONLINE CARD APPLICATIONS, SURVEY SUGGESTS: Some Australians would like to apply online for credit cards more often, suggest survey data from United Kingdom-based financial-research company Datamonitor. The firm surveyed 2,000 adult consumers in December for the findings. Datamonitor offered no immediate comment to CardLine Global. The firm says that, while 26% of consumers between the ages of 35 and 44 had applied for credit cards online, 41% expressed interest in doing so in the future. For consumers between the ages of 45 and 54, 20% had applied for credit cards online, but 32% said they were willing to do so in the future. The firm also found solid support for credit unions as issuers. Fifty percent of survey respondents who said they received their main credit card through a credit union said they were very satisfied with the issuer. The report also found that about one-third of respondents had more than one credit card and that Australian men were more likely than Australian women to have two or more cards. More than 40% of respondents said they had credit limits of less than AU$5,000 (US$4,750 or 3,100 euros), though 80% of respondents said they believed their limits were set at the right levels.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "MALAYSIAN BANK ISSUES CARD FOR COMMERCE GROUP", "_id": 995668, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=995668",  "values": ["MALAYSIAN BANK ISSUES CARD FOR COMMERCE GROUP", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 17, 2008", "start": 1213632000, "end": 1213718399 }, "MALAYSIAN BANK ISSUES CARD FOR COMMERCE GROUP: Malaysia-based Hong Leong Bank has started to issue a Visa-branded credit card designed to appeal to members of The Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysia. The bank says it hopes to issue 20,000 cards within a year. The bank says it has issued at least 700,000 credit cards in Malaysia. \"The card is targeted at [the group's] extensive network of over 100,000 direct and indirect members nationwide,\" Moey Tan, the bank's chief operating officer, personal financial services, tells CardLine Global. Cardholders can direct their reward points to the group to fund programs, the bank says. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "PORTUGUESE ATMS TO ACCEPT CHINA UNIONPAY CARDS", "_id": 995700, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=995700",  "values": ["PORTUGUESE ATMS TO ACCEPT CHINA UNIONPAY CARDS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 17, 2008", "start": 1213632000, "end": 1213718399 }, "PORTUGUESE ATMS TO ACCEPT CHINA UNIONPAY CARDS: China UnionPay says it has signed a deal with Portuguese bank Caixa Geral de Depósitos that will enable UnionPay cardholders to withdraw cash in euros from ATMs in Portugal. The deal provides for withdrawals from about 130,000 ATMs in Portugal, UnionPay says in a statement. UnionPay cardholders can withdraw up to 300 euros (US$465) per transaction and 486 euros daily. UnionPay says its cards are accepted in 28 countries outside China.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "PAYMATE EXTENDS VOUCHER DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA", "_id": 996063, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=996063",  "values": ["PAYMATE EXTENDS VOUCHER DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 17, 2008", "start": 1213632000, "end": 1213718399 }, "PAYMATE EXTENDS VOUCHER DISTRIBUTION IN INDIA: Mobile-commerce firm PayMate India says it will work with India-based Internet service provider Sify to make PayMate's gift vouchers available to consumers at Sify Internet-browsing centers. Customers can use the vouchers to make purchases with more than 3,000 online merchants. \"This is to allow the uncarded and unbanked to shop online and at PayMate-affiliated retail outlets,\" Ajay Adiseshann, PayMate India managing director, tells CardLine Global. Earlier this year, PayMate said it would offer Indians living in the United States the chance to use the company's GiftMate mobile gift voucher (CardLine Global, 10 April).", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "OCBC BANK LAUNCHES ONLINE SHOPPING SERVICE:", "_id": 992829, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=992829",  "values": ["OCBC BANK LAUNCHES ONLINE SHOPPING SERVICE:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 16, 2008", "start": 1213545600, "end": 1213631999 }, "OCBC BANK LAUNCHES ONLINE SHOPPING SERVICE: Singapore-based OCBC Bank says it has introduced an online shopping service that enables its credit and debit cardholders to make purchases from more than 300,000 online merchants based in the United States. The bank launched the \"ShopOnline\" service with online services firm comGateway, which specializes in enabling Asian consumers to buy goods from U.S. online retailers. The bank will offer customers shipping discounts of up to 23%, OCBC says in a statement.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SINGAPORE MOBILE OPERATOR TO TEST MOBILE WALLET", "_id": 992873, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=992873",  "values": ["SINGAPORE MOBILE OPERATOR TO TEST MOBILE WALLET", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 16, 2008", "start": 1213545600, "end": 1213631999 }, "SINGAPORE MOBILE OPERATOR TO TEST MOBILE WALLET: StarHub Ltd., a Singapore-based telecommunications firm, says it will test a mobile-wallet service in Singapore with NTT DoCoMo, Japan's largest mobile-network operator. The service enables customers to make contactless payments with their mobile phones. \"We are looking at a wide variety of services, [including] transit, e-purse, credit cards [and] loyalty cards, that can be loaded onto the phone with ease,\" a StarHub spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"We are working out the details with our partners, and [we will announce] more details later.\" StarHub has tested Near Field Communication technology with EZ-Link, a Singapore-based contactless transit card scheme. \"We are working closely with EZ-Link to explore the integration of the transit application[into] the mobile wallet pilot,\" the spokesperson says. \"We will also continue to work toward offering mobile-wallet services on NFC-enabled handsets when such handsets become available for commercial use.\"", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDIAN BANK OFFERS INSURANCE FOR LOST OR STOLEN CARDS:", "_id": 992884, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=992884",  "values": ["INDIAN BANK OFFERS INSURANCE FOR LOST OR STOLEN CARDS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 16, 2008", "start": 1213545600, "end": 1213631999 }, "INDIAN BANK OFFERS INSURANCE FOR LOST OR STOLEN CARDS: Standard Chartered Bank India has signed a deal with India-based Tata-AIG General Insurance to provide coverage for cardholders whose cards are lost or stolen, the bank says. The deal offers cardholders protection worth up to 50,000 rupees (US$1,170 or 755 euros). Cardholders in India can face liability for fraudulent transactions if they cannot prove their cards were lost or stolen. The protection applies to fraudulent transactions for up to 12 hours before a card is reported lost or stolen. Cardholders must choose to sign up for the policy, R.L. Prasad, the bank's head of credit cards and personal loans, tells CardLine Global, without giving details of the policy's costs. The protection applies to charge, credit and debit cards, he says. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CITIBANK EXPANDS PHILIPPINE CARD BUSINESS", "_id": 991280, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=991280",  "values": ["CITIBANK EXPANDS PHILIPPINE CARD BUSINESS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 15, 2008", "start": 1213459200, "end": 1213545599 }, "CITIBANK EXPANDS PHILIPPINE CARD BUSINESS: Citibank Philippines Thursday launched a MasterCard Premier Airlines Miles credit card to replace its existing miles card that was exclusive to Hong Kong-based Cathay Pacific, according to a local report. Citibank says the card is designed to increase its miles-reward membership to 80,000 cardholders by the end of the year, up from 40,000 as of the end of May. \"It's more than just a replacement card. It's a significant step forward,\" Mark Jones, Citibank Philippines business manager, says in the report. Besides Cathay, the new rewards card includes Singapore Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Thai Airway and Northwest Airlines, the reports says. The card also supports two travel alliances, One World and Star Alliance, which enables cardholders to earn and redeem their miles on more than 70 airlines worldwide. Miles earned with the new card do not expire, Citibank says.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE BANK OFFERS WORLD OF WARCRAFT CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS", "_id": 991291, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=991291",  "values": ["CHINESE BANK OFFERS WORLD OF WARCRAFT CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 15, 2008", "start": 1213459200, "end": 1213545599 }, "CHINESE BANK OFFERS WORLD OF WARCRAFT CO-BRANDED CREDIT CARDS: China Merchants Bank Friday has launched two co-branded credit cards with Shanghai-based online-game operator The9 Ltd. and United States-based software developer Blizzard Entertainment for the online game World of Warcraft. The game, commonly known as WoW, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. \"The card is available in two variants: a China UnionPay-branded card and a Visa-branded dual-currency card,\" a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"However, one customer can apply only for one type of card.\" The dual-currency card uses U.S. dollars and yuan. Chinese World of Warcraft players can link their game accounts to the cards. The bank and companies also will share their customer bases, China Merchants says. In 2007, China had more than 40 million online-game players, according to the China Game Industry Survey Report. As of the end of May, World of Warcraft had more than 10 million subscribers worldwide.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDIAN BANK ISSUES JUST 8,000 VIDEO-GAME CARDS:", "_id": 991313, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=991313",  "values": ["INDIAN BANK ISSUES JUST 8,000 VIDEO-GAME CARDS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 15, 2008", "start": 1213459200, "end": 1213545599 }, "INDIAN BANK ISSUES JUST 8,000 VIDEO-GAME CARDS: India-based ICICI Bank says it has issued only about 8,000 Visa-branded \"Xbox 360\" credit cards since March 2007 in association with United States-based Microsoft. The card offers discounts and differing payment options to buy the Xbox video games. \"The card is a new concept and will take some more time to grow,\" a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The bank has about 5 million credit cardholders in India. .", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AUSTRALIAN BANK LAUNCHES ATM PENSION PROGRAM:", "_id": 985777, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=985777",  "values": ["AUSTRALIAN BANK LAUNCHES ATM PENSION PROGRAM:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 12, 2008", "start": 1213200000, "end": 1213286399 }, "AUSTRALIAN BANK LAUNCHES ATM PENSION PROGRAM: Australians can retrieve pension funds from ATMs under a service launched by Australia-based ANZ Bank and the Australian branch of Russell Investments Group, according to a statement from the bank. The service is scheduled to start on 1 July. Customers can use the service at more than 2,300 ATMs in Australia, the statement says. The service is an extension of Russell's \"private active pension\" program, introduced last year, the statement says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "STATE BANK OF INDIA SETS ATM-NETWORK EXPANSION GOALS", "_id": 985788, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=985788",  "values": ["STATE BANK OF INDIA SETS ATM-NETWORK EXPANSION GOALS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 12, 2008", "start": 1213200000, "end": 1213286399 }, "STATE BANK OF INDIA SETS ATM-NETWORK EXPANSION GOALS : State Bank of India reportedly plans to expand its ATM network to 15,000 machines by March 2009 and to 25,000 by March 2010. Bank officials declined to comment to CardLine Global about the report, which appeared in the Financial Express newspaper. However, Prathima Rajan, an India-based analyst with Celent LLC, estimates the bank operates some 8,000 ATMs. \"Another 17,000 ATMs [in 2010] is possible,\" Rajan tells CardLine Global. The bank reportedly plans to enable customers to make utility and insurance payments at the new ATMs. \"As India is in the midst of [an information-technology] revolution, more banks will follow the bandwagon by introducing innovative technology and expanding outreach with more focus on the untapped Indian rural market,\" Rajan says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE WORRY ABOUT WHERE TO PAY CARD BILLS, SURVEY SUGGESTS", "_id": 985810, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=985810",  "values": ["CHINESE WORRY ABOUT WHERE TO PAY CARD BILLS, SURVEY SUGGESTS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 12, 2008", "start": 1213200000, "end": 1213286399 }, "CHINESE WORRY ABOUT WHERE TO PAY CARD BILLS, SURVEY SUGGESTS: Chinese consumers worry more about where they can pay bankcard bills than other factors when choosing credit cards, suggest survey data from Analysys International, a Beijing-based research company. The findings, based on 3,974 questionnaires sent in March to adult Internet users in China, show that 63% of respondents were concerned about convenient ways to pay card bills-whether at ATMs, bank branches or convenience stores. Fifty-five percent of respondents said they worried about card safety. About half of respondents said they considered the card brand when choosing a credit card, while nearly the same percentage considered annual fees. Almost 30% said they were concerned with reward points, while about 12.6% cared about gifts that come with cards", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "HIGH FUEL PRICES COULD BOOST MALAYSIAN BANK'S ONLINE BUSINESS", "_id": 981427, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=981427",  "values": ["HIGH FUEL PRICES COULD BOOST MALAYSIAN BANK'S ONLINE BUSINESS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 11, 2008", "start": 1213113600, "end": 1213199999 }, "HIGH FUEL PRICES COULD BOOST MALAYSIAN BANK'S ONLINE BUSINESS: Malaysia-based CIMB Bank says it expects to see more customers using online banking as increasing fuel costs discourage consumers from driving to bank branches. The bank's customers made about 1 million online transactions last year, the bank says in a statement. The bank did not say how many new online customers it hopes to attract. The bank recently introduced a service with Malaysian-based mobile operator Maxis Communications that enables the bank's online customers to add value to their prepaid phones by transferring funds from bank accounts. CIMB is a subsidiary of CIMB Group, which has 366 branches, 1,252 ATMs and more than 4.5 million customers in the country, the statement says. \r\n\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "UOB MALAYSIA WANTS TO DOUBLE CARD NUMBERS IN FIVE YEARS:", "_id": 981594, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=981594",  "values": ["UOB MALAYSIA WANTS TO DOUBLE CARD NUMBERS IN FIVE YEARS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 11, 2008", "start": 1213113600, "end": 1213199999 }, "UOB MALAYSIA WANTS TO DOUBLE CARD NUMBERS IN FIVE YEARS: United Overseas Bank Malaysia would double its debit and credit card base to 1.2 million under a projection bank officials released this week. The bank, a subsidiary of Singapore-based United Overseas Bank, plans to offer new card products and expand its payment networks in Malaysia to achieve that goal, according to a statement from the bank. The bank this week began issuing MasterCard- and Visa-branded platinum cards. The Singapore-based bank has issued more than 2.5 million credit cards in Asian countries.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "STRONG DEMAND FOR CHINESE BANK'S CARD-PAYMENT SERVICE:", "_id": 983808, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=983808",  "values": ["STRONG DEMAND FOR CHINESE BANK'S CARD-PAYMENT SERVICE:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 11, 2008", "start": 1213113600, "end": 1213199999 }, "STRONG DEMAND FOR CHINESE BANK'S CARD-PAYMENT SERVICE: China's Shenzhen Ping An Bank says its credit cardholders have paid more than 400 million yuan (US$57.9 million or 37.6 million euros) worth of credit card bills at convenience stores in Shanghai since the bank's service began in November. In the past month, credit cardholders paid back 160 million yuan at participating convenience stores. Cardholders can pay bills at some 2,000 convenience stores in Shanghai, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"We are a middle-sized bank and have only four branches in Shanghai, [so] the service ... at convenience stores makes up for the insufficient number of outlets in the city,\" the spokesperson says. The bank has issued at least 700,000 credit cards. \"Multiple-channel card repayments is a new trend in the credit card market,\" Fei Cao, an analyst with Beijing-based research company Analysys International, tells CardLine Global. \"Banks want to attract more credit card customers, and the facilitation of repayments is one of the factors that can help them.\" China Merchants Bank, Shanghai Pudong Development Bank and Shangzhen Development bank also provide the same service at convenience stores in Shanghai and Beijing, in association with payment network China UnionPay. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SOUTH KOREA MAY PERMIT USING CARDS TO PAY TAXES AND UTILITIES :", "_id": 977719, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=977719",  "values": ["SOUTH KOREA MAY PERMIT USING CARDS TO PAY TAXES AND UTILITIES :", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 10, 2008", "start": 1213027200, "end": 1213113599 }, "SOUTH KOREA MAY PERMIT USING CARDS TO PAY TAXES AND UTILITIES : The Financial Service Commission, a South Korean regulatory agency, reportedly plans to set rules that permit the use of debit, charge and credit cards for the payment of utility bills, taxes and insurance. Press reports suggest the rules will take effect in 2009. Agency officials did not offer immediate comment to CardLine Global. Current financial regulations give no clear guidance on the use of card payments for utility, tax and insurance bills, forcing many customers to use funds transfers from bank accounts for such payments, according to reports. Earlier this year, Korea's Ministry of Finance and Economy said it would allow individual taxpayers to use credit cards to pay taxes starting on 1 Oct (CardLine Global, 21 Feb.).", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "VIETNAMESE BANK ISSUES CONTACTLESS CREDIT CARD", "_id": 977868, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=977868",  "values": ["VIETNAMESE BANK ISSUES CONTACTLESS CREDIT CARD", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 10, 2008", "start": 1213027200, "end": 1213113599 }, "VIETNAMESE BANK ISSUES CONTACTLESS CREDIT CARD: Vietnam International Bank has launched a MasterCard-branded contactless credit card, a spokesperson from MasterCard Worldwide tells CardLine Global. The bank last year became the first financial institution in Vietnam to issue MasterCard-branded debit and credit cards with chips capable of contact transactions, MasterCard says. Those cards support the global EMV application designed to reduce fraud. Bank officials did not offer immediate comment to CardLine Global, and it remained unclear whether the contactless cards also support EMV. The cards likely will be accepted only \"at select modern retail, food and beverage or hospitality outlets,\" Sunil Devmurari, a business development account manager with United Kingdom-based research company Euromonitor International, tells CardLine Global. \"The main challenge for chip card utilization has not been consumers but rather merchants who had been required to change existing point-of-sale terminals to new ones that are EMV-compliant. Merchants have been generally reluctant to bear the additional costs.\"", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SHANGHAI RURAL COMMERCIAL BANK ENTERS CREDIT CARD MARKET", "_id": 975016, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=975016",  "values": ["SHANGHAI RURAL COMMERCIAL BANK ENTERS CREDIT CARD MARKET", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 9, 2008", "start": 1212940800, "end": 1213027199 }, "SHANGHAI RURAL COMMERCIAL BANK ENTERS CREDIT CARD MARKET : Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank plans to issue its first credit card in China later this year, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"Our first credit card will be issued in Shanghai, and initial customers will be from our existing debit cardholders,\" the spokesperson says. The bank, founded in 2005, has issued more than 3 million debit cards. Australia-based ANZ Bank bought a 19.9% stake in the bank in 2006, and that investment should help the Chinese bank in its credit card efforts, an analyst says. \"One of the major strategic cooperation areas between Shanghai Rural Commercial Bank and ANZ is retail banking, of which the credit card is an important part,\" Wenli Yuan, a senior analyst at the China office of United States-based Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global. \"The [Chinese] bank will, however, face a challenge in attracting people who already have credit cards from other banks.\" ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SOUTH KOREA'S WOORI BANK MAY SLOW CREDIT CARD EXPANSION", "_id": 975049, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=975049",  "values": ["SOUTH KOREA'S WOORI BANK MAY SLOW CREDIT CARD EXPANSION", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 9, 2008", "start": 1212940800, "end": 1213027199 }, "SOUTH KOREA'S WOORI BANK MAY SLOW CREDIT CARD EXPANSION: Woori Bank may slow the expansion of its credit card business to maintain profitability, a spokesperson for the Seoul, South Korea-based bank tells CardLine Global. The spokesperson declined further comment, but published reports indicate the bank's incoming CEO, Lee Chonghwi, is worried that rapid growth has eroded profit margins. The bank previously announced plans to issue debit cards in China and establish more than 50 branches in that country (CardLine Global, 4 Feb.). \"Woori Bank has chosen long-term growth instead of short-term revenue,\" Yumiko Manchu, a Tokyo-based analyst with Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global. \"Card companies need to be keen on market demands and should be flexible enough to adjust their strategy according to them.\" \r\n\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SOUTH KOREAN CARD DEBT INCREASES", "_id": 975071, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=975071",  "values": ["SOUTH KOREAN CARD DEBT INCREASES", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 9, 2008", "start": 1212940800, "end": 1213027199 }, "SOUTH KOREAN CARD DEBT INCREASES : South Korea's household debt, which includes credit card bills and loans, reached 640.5 trillion won (US$623.1 billion or 402.8 billion euros) by the end of the first quarter ended 31 March, up 9.2% from 586.5 trillion won in the same period a year earlier, according to the Bank of Korea, the country's central bank. Payments for goods made with credit cards increased to 35.5 trillion won during the quarter, up 13.8% from 31.2 trillion won in the same period last year. Bank officials were unable to offer immediate comment to CardLine Global. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "STANDARD CHARTERED SEEKS AFFLUENT CUSTOMERS WITH INDIA CARD LAUNCH", "_id": 974807, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=974807",  "values": ["STANDARD CHARTERED SEEKS AFFLUENT CUSTOMERS WITH INDIA CARD LAUNCH", "Ankush Chibber", {"name": "June 8, 2008", "start": 1212854400, "end": 1212940799 }, "STANDARD CHARTERED SEEKS AFFLUENT CUSTOMERS WITH INDIA CARD LAUNCH: Standard Chartered India has begun issuing a platinum version of its \"Manhattan\" credit card, a bank official tells CardLine Global. The bank hopes to gain more customers between the ages of 30 and 35 who earn at least 500,000 rupees (US$11,700 or 7,500 euros) annually, says R.L. Prasad, the bank's general manger for credit cards and personal loans. The bank has issued some 250,000 regular Manhattan cards and hopes to issue 100,000 platinum cards by 2009, Prasad says. The platinum cards offer 5% cash-back rewards for purchases made at supermarkets and department stores. Cardholders pay an annual fee of 2,000 rupees. Standard Chartered has issued 1.6 million cards in India, Prasad says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "E-CASH AND CASH LINK MOVE CLOSER TO BANGLADESH ATM DEAL:", "_id": 974829, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=974829",  "values": ["E-CASH AND CASH LINK MOVE CLOSER TO BANGLADESH ATM DEAL:", "Ankush Chibber", {"name": "June 8, 2008", "start": 1212854400, "end": 1212940799 }, "E-CASH AND CASH LINK MOVE CLOSER TO BANGLADESH ATM DEAL: E-Cash, an ATM network operator in Bangladesh, reportedly has started final negotiations on a partnership with ATM network Cash Link Bangladesh. Officials from both E-Cash and Cash Link offered no immediate comment on the status of negotiations, which were reported in the Daily Star, a newspaper based on Bangladesh. The paper quotes an E-Cash official as saying negotiations have been ongoing for more than a year but that the deal has been delayed as Cash Link's owners work on the structure of the company. Five banks established Cash Link Bangladesh, with Dhaka-based AB Bank, which holds a 30% stake in the venture, serving as the leading partner. In March, Cash Link said it had signed a deal with United States-based Euronet Worldwide to deploy more than 500 ATMs by 2010 in Bangladesh. Nine banks backed the establishment of E-Cash in 2001.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "COMMERCIAL BANK OF CEYLON EXPANDS CARD PROMOTION:", "_id": 968643, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=968643",  "values": ["COMMERCIAL BANK OF CEYLON EXPANDS CARD PROMOTION:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 5, 2008", "start": 1212595200, "end": 1212681599 }, "COMMERCIAL BANK OF CEYLON EXPANDS CARD PROMOTION: The Commercial Bank of Ceylon says its debit cardholders now can receive discounts at more than 50 merchants under a new promotion, according to press reports. The bank offered no immediate comment to CardLine Global, but the financial institution previously had offered the promotion to credit cardholders, according to reports. The bank issues Visa-branded cards. Bank officials say consumer use of debit cards has been growing since financial authorities imposed a 1% \"stamp duty\" on credit card purchases, and the bank hopes the promotion sparks even more use, according to reports. The bank has 200,000 debit cardholders. The promotion will run until the end of the year.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDIA BRINGS ISSUERS UNDER MONEY LAUNDERING LAW", "_id": 968799, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=968799",  "values": ["INDIA BRINGS ISSUERS UNDER MONEY LAUNDERING LAW", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 5, 2008", "start": 1212595200, "end": 1212681599 }, "INDIA BRINGS ISSUERS UNDER MONEY LAUNDERING LAW: Financial authorities in India reportedly will require payment card companies such as MasterCard Worldwide and Visa Inc. to provide regular financial reports of suspicious international transactions. The Indian government wants to reduce money laundering, according to press reports. Government and payments officials were unavailable for immediate comment. India's government recently amended the existing Prevention of Money Laundering Act, adding casinos, card issuers and funds-transfer companies to the law, which is designed to help prevent illegal foreign currency from circulating in the country. The original law, enacted about three years ago, previously applied only to banks.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN CHINA USING TEMPORARY TERMINALS", "_id": 968942, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=968942",  "values": ["EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN CHINA USING TEMPORARY TERMINALS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 5, 2008", "start": 1212595200, "end": 1212681599 }, "EARTHQUAKE VICTIMS IN CHINA USING TEMPORARY TERMINALS: Temporary payment terminals installed by China UnionPay in the city of Dujiangyan after the 12 May earthquake have enabled victims and soldiers to withdraw more than 100,000 yuan (US$14,400 or 9,200 euros), the payment network has announced. UnionPay late last month announced it would deploy temporary ATMs and point-of-sale terminals at stores established to serve residents in the earthquake-ravaged region of Sichuan (CardLine Global, 28 May). Cardholders in Dujiangyan have made more than 341 transactions with the temporary terminals. Most of the transactions involved consumers adding value to prepaid mobile phones. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE CENTRAL BANK TO EXPAND CREDIT DATABASE:", "_id": 963795, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=963795",  "values": ["CHINESE CENTRAL BANK TO EXPAND CREDIT DATABASE:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 4, 2008", "start": 1212508800, "end": 1212595199 }, "CHINESE CENTRAL BANK TO EXPAND CREDIT DATABASE: The People's Bank of China is expanding the country's credit database by adding details about consumers' utility-bill payments, the central bank has announced. The database already includes information about consumers' loans and credit cards, the bank says. \"The credit-record system in China is still lacking in many aspects,\" Fei Cao, payment analyst with Beijing-based research company Analysys International, tells CardLine Global. \"Setting up a more complete credit database is something [that could] provide better card and financial services.\" ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "VIETNAMESE BANKS TO CHARGE ATM TRANSACTION FEES", "_id": 963861, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=963861",  "values": ["VIETNAMESE BANKS TO CHARGE ATM TRANSACTION FEES", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 4, 2008", "start": 1212508800, "end": 1212595199 }, "VIETNAMESE BANKS TO CHARGE ATM TRANSACTION FEES : Banks in Vietnam plan to start charging customers for ATM transactions, according to press reports and an interview with a bank official. ATM users will pay at least 1,000 dong (6 U.S. cents or 4 euro cents) per transaction, a spokesperson for Vietnam-based financial institution Techcombank tells CardLine Global. \"The transaction fee is being charged to cover ATM-setup investments, and it will be re-invested in setting up more ATMs in the future,\" the spokesperson says, adding the institutions are adopting the fee as part of an agreement with the Vietnam Bank Card Association. Financial officials had planned to start charging the fees by 1 July but have delayed that start date because of inflation pressures, the spokesperson says. No new start date was announced. Vietnam has more than 4,500 ATMs.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "FILIPINO PENSIONERS TO COLLECT BENEFITS WITH ATM CARD", "_id": 963872, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=963872",  "values": ["FILIPINO PENSIONERS TO COLLECT BENEFITS WITH ATM CARD", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 4, 2008", "start": 1212508800, "end": 1212595199 }, "FILIPINO PENSIONERS TO COLLECT BENEFITS WITH ATM CARD: Philippines-based UnionBank reportedly will offer pensioners a way to receive benefits through ATMs. The service would apply to some 81,000 pensioners who receive benefits from the Government Service Insurance System, according to the Philippine Star newspaper. Neither government nor bank officials could be reached for comment by CardLine Global. The scheme would start 1 July. Pensioners would need a UnionBank Visa-branded ATM card and a savings account to participate in the scheme, which would enable pensioners to withdraw their benefit funds from ATMs.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "RBA Brief", "_id": 966197, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=966197",  "values": ["RBA Brief", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 4, 2008", "start": 1212508800, "end": 1212595199 }, "The Reserve Bank of Australia is warning issuers they could face more regulation if they raise credit card fees too much. The regulation would come in the form of reduced interchange rates that set the fees merchant acquirers pay card issuers.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "ANZ EXPANDS AVAILABILITY OF PREPAID TRAVEL CARD", "_id": 966259, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=966259",  "values": ["ANZ EXPANDS AVAILABILITY OF PREPAID TRAVEL CARD", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 4, 2008", "start": 1212508800, "end": 1212595199 }, "ANZ EXPANDS AVAILABILITY OF PREPAID TRAVEL CARD: ANZ Banking Group says its customers now can purchase its Visa-branded prepaid travel card at more than 820 ANZ branches in Australia. The bank began offering the card in February 2007, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Previously, consumers could get the cards only at 14 \"foreign exchange centers\" operated by the bank. \"The card is available in multiple currencies, including U.S. dollars, euros, [UK] pounds and New Zealand dollars, enabling customers to access to their own money wherever Visa is accepted,\" the spokesperson says. Consumers can purchase the card for AU$11 (US$10.50 or 6.50 euros) and add value to it at bank branches and ATMs. The spokesperson declines to say how many cards the bank has issued.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINA UNIONPAY HOPES FOR EXPANSION IN TAIWAN, REPORT SAYS", "_id": 960240, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=960240",  "values": ["CHINA UNIONPAY HOPES FOR EXPANSION IN TAIWAN, REPORT SAYS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 2, 2008", "start": 1212336000, "end": 1212422399 }, "CHINA UNIONPAY HOPES FOR EXPANSION IN TAIWAN, REPORT SAYS: China UnionPay reportedly has started discussions about expanding its payment network into Taiwan. Expansion could start as early as July with stores and hotels accepting UnionPay-branded cards, according to the China Knowledge newspaper. The expansion also would enable UnionPay cardholders to withdraw money from ATMs in Taiwan. UnionPay would not comment. \"I am unable to confirm the deal, as we don't have an official stand on this issue yet,\" a UnionPay spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Taiwan represents a huge market for UnionPay, Hua Zhang, a banking analyst with the China office of United States-based Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global. \"Taiwan is the sixth-largest trade partner of Mainland China, and around 1.1 million visitors from the country will visit Taiwan this year,\" Zhang says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "MALAYSIAN BANK TO ISSUE ISLAMIC CONTACTLESS DEBIT CARD:", "_id": 960825, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=960825",  "values": ["MALAYSIAN BANK TO ISSUE ISLAMIC CONTACTLESS DEBIT CARD:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 2, 2008", "start": 1212336000, "end": 1212422399 }, "MALAYSIAN BANK TO ISSUE ISLAMIC CONTACTLESS DEBIT CARD: Malaysia-based Eoncap Islamic Bank this week plans to begin issuing MasterCard-branded contactless debit cards in Malaysia, a MasterCard Worldwide spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The cards carry the card company's contactless PayPass application. They also adhere to Islamic standards, meaning customers cannot use the cards for such activities as gambling or buying alcohol. The official launch of the card is scheduled for Thursday, the spokesperson says, declining to give further details. The Islamic bank is a wholly owned subsidiary of EON Bank.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE REGULATOR WANTS STRICTER CONTROLS ON CASH ADVANCES", "_id": 960844, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=960844",  "values": ["CHINESE REGULATOR WANTS STRICTER CONTROLS ON CASH ADVANCES", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 2, 2008", "start": 1212336000, "end": 1212422399 }, "CHINESE REGULATOR WANTS STRICTER CONTROLS ON CASH ADVANCES: The China Banking Regulatory Commission has asked the country's banks to increase monitoring that could prevent illegal cash advances made with credit cards, according to a notice from the commission. Regulators want banks to set limits on cash advances credit cardholders make and keep better watch against illegal cash advances, the notice says. Regulators hope to prevent consumers from swiping their cards at payment terminals without buying goods, receiving instead cash from merchants who take a small cut. \"The notice aims to reduce the risk of illegal cash advances and ensuring normal credit card transactions in the market,\" Fei Cao, a payment analyst with Beijing-based research company Analysys International, tells CardLine Global. \"This notice will, however, not affect normal purchase transactions.\" ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AUSTRALIAN WEB SITE OFFERS CARD-DEBT SERVICE", "_id": 958476, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=958476",  "values": ["AUSTRALIAN WEB SITE OFFERS CARD-DEBT SERVICE", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 1, 2008", "start": 1212249600, "end": 1212335999 }, "AUSTRALIAN WEB SITE OFFERS CARD-DEBT SERVICE: CreditCardCompare, an Australia-based Web site that enables consumers to review card offers, says it has introduced a debt-calculator service for cardholders. The service enables consumers to enter the debt amount and repayment schedule to estimate how long it will take them to pay off card debt. \"Credit card debt is a growing issue,\" Steven Anderson, head of Research with Sydney-based financial-research company InfoChoice Ltd., tells CardLine Global. \"We do not believe that it is out of control, but banking statistics are showing that [card] debt that is not paid off at the end of the month is growing, albeit growing at a slower rate than was previously the case.\"\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TO CHARGE CREDIT CARD FRAUDSTER:", "_id": 958498, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=958498",  "values": ["VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TO CHARGE CREDIT CARD FRAUDSTER:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "June 1, 2008", "start": 1212249600, "end": 1212335999 }, "VIETNAMESE AUTHORITIES TO CHARGE CREDIT CARD FRAUDSTER: Vietnamese police reportedly plan to charge Nguyen Hoang Yen, a Ho Chi Minh-based employee of a travel-services firm, with credit card fraud. Yen allegedly stole customer credit card details to buy tickets from Pacific Airlines. Yen then resold the tickets. Fraud losses reportedly stand at about US$16,000 (10,300 euros). Police in Vietnam offered no comment to CardLine Global, but authorities reportedly are searching for three Nigerians alleged to have helped Yen commit fraud. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "E-tickets issuing launches in Russia", "_id": 962266, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=962266",  "values": ["E-tickets issuing launches in Russia", "Julia Poly", {"name": "June 1, 2008", "start": 1212249600, "end": 1212335999 }, "The major Russian air carriers are starting to sell electronic tickets. All you need is Internet and credit card. According to specialists, savings from innovation will be about $ 3 billion a year. Login to the airline`s site, choose flight time, fill a special form, pay through the Internet. That's all the following item is the airport.\r\nWhen launching the e-tickets, Russian airlines are integrated into the global system-the-art passenger service.\r\n", "Revised"]},
{"_name": "ICICI BANK SRI LANKA TO ISSUE PREPAID REMITTANCE CARDS", "_id": 952779, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=952779",  "values": ["ICICI BANK SRI LANKA TO ISSUE PREPAID REMITTANCE CARDS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 29, 2008", "start": 1211990400, "end": 1212076799 }, "ICICI BANK SRI LANKA TO ISSUE PREPAID REMITTANCE CARDS: ICICI Bank Sri Lanka reportedly plans to launch a Visa-branded prepaid remittance card in the third quarter. The card would enable recipients to make retail purchases and to access funds transferred from abroad through ATM withdrawals. Bank officials offered no comment to CardLine Global. The reloadable card would access funds in Sri Lanka rupees. Consumers will be able to use the cards at more than 1,000 ATMs in Sri Lanka. ICICI is based in India. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDIAN INSURANCE FIRM OFFERS CARD-BASED PREMIUM PAYMENTS:", "_id": 952800, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=952800",  "values": ["INDIAN INSURANCE FIRM OFFERS CARD-BASED PREMIUM PAYMENTS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 29, 2008", "start": 1211990400, "end": 1212076799 }, "INDIAN INSURANCE FIRM OFFERS CARD-BASED PREMIUM PAYMENTS: American Express Co. reportedly will work with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Co. to offer its policyholders an online-payment service. The arrangement would enable policyholders to use AmEx cards to pay premiums through the India-based insurance company's Web site. Neither ICICI nor AmEx would discuss the initiative with CardLine Global. Consumers also can continue to pay premiums with cash at insurance offices. ICICI Bank and United Kingdom-based financial services group Prudential Plc created ICICI Prudential Life in 2000 as a joint venture.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "THAILAND SEES RISE IN CREDIT CARD SPENDING AND DEBT:", "_id": 952850, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=952850",  "values": ["THAILAND SEES RISE IN CREDIT CARD SPENDING AND DEBT:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 29, 2008", "start": 1211990400, "end": 1212076799 }, "THAILAND SEES RISE IN CREDIT CARD SPENDING AND DEBT: Consumers in Thailand spent approximately 197.3 billion baht (US$6 billion or 3.9 billion euros) with their credit cards in the first quarter ended 31 March, up 14.4% from the 172.5 billion baht spent in the same period last year, according to Bangkok-based Kasikorn Research Center, a subsidiary of Kasikornbank Group. Outstanding balances at the end of March stood at about 174.7 billion baht, up 5% from 166.4 billion baht at the same time last year. Card debts at least three months overdue totaled about 6 billion baht at the end of March, up 22.4% from about 4.9 billion baht a year earlier. \"The credit card-spending rise could be attributed partly to rising prices of goods over the previous year,\" a Kasikorn spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"Intense competition\" among issuers in Thailand also has led to aggressive marketing campaigns designed to increase card spending, the spokesperson says. Thailand had more than 11.9 million credit cards in circulation as of February.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "Overseas Card Use Hits Record High", "_id": 949727, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=949727",  "values": ["Overseas Card Use Hits Record High", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 28, 2008", "start": 1211904000, "end": 1211990399 }, "Q1 KOREAN OVERSEAS CARD SPENDING INCREASES BY 28.5%: Korean debit and credit cardholders spent US$1.8 billion (903.6 billion euros) traveling abroad in the first quarter ended March 31, up 28.5% from $1.4 billion spent in the same period last year, according to statistics from the Bank of Korea. Per card spending averaged $766, up 7.6% from $712 during the same time period last year. Approximately 12.38 million Koreans used their credit cards abroad in the first quarter, up 9.6% from 11.3 million.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "MITSUBISHI GROUP SIGNS SHARE-EXCHANGE PACT WITH CREDIT CARD SUBSIDIARY", "_id": 949738, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=949738",  "values": ["MITSUBISHI GROUP SIGNS SHARE-EXCHANGE PACT WITH CREDIT CARD SUBSIDIARY", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 28, 2008", "start": 1211904000, "end": 1211990399 }, "MITSUBISHI GROUP SIGNS SHARE-EXCHANGE PACT WITH CREDIT CARD SUBSIDIARY: Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group and Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos Wednesday signed a share-exchange agreement to make the credit card unit a wholly owned subsidiary, the Tokyo-based financial group announced. \"Mitsubishi Financial Group is aiming to increase the financial stability of Mitsubishi UFJ Nicos by making it a 100% subsidiary and boosting synergy between their other group companies,\" Yumiko Manchu, a Tokyo-based analyst with Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global. \"By gaining financial stability while the market is still tight, Nicos will be better off to make drastic approaches to the market later, where other competitors may hesitate.\" Under Tokyo Stock Exchange rules, Nicos will have to delist when the share exchange takes effect on 1 Aug.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "BANK OF EAST ASIA LAUNCHES YUAN-BASED DEBIT CARD IN CHINA:", "_id": 949760, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=949760",  "values": ["BANK OF EAST ASIA LAUNCHES YUAN-BASED DEBIT CARD IN CHINA:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 28, 2008", "start": 1211904000, "end": 1211990399 }, "BANK OF EAST ASIA LAUNCHES YUAN-BASED DEBIT CARD IN CHINA: The Bank of East Asia Tuesday officially launched its yuan-based China UnionPay debit card in China, a bank spokesperson confirms to CardLine Global. The bank delayed the launch because of the deadly May 12 China earthquake and national mourning the following week. \"We plan to issue 1 million debit cards in mainland China by the end of this year,\" the spokesperson says. The bank will issue three cards based on minimum account balances of 5,000 yuan (US$721 or 465 euros), 500,000 yuan and 2 million yuan, the spokesperson says. The Bank of East Asia is the first foreign bank to issue a yuan-based debit card in China. \"Bank of East Asia is focusing on richer international customers with their card,\" Hua Zhang, an analyst with Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global. \"Other foreign banks in China are on their way to launching a yuan-denominated card in China.\" The China Banking Regulatory Commission approved HSBC China's application for issuing yuan-based debit cards in September 2007, a bank spokesperson confirms to CardLine Global. \"We expect to complete system preparations as required by the People's Bank of China within this year, after which we will issue debit cards,\" the spokesperson says. Zhang says U.S.-based Citibank also is preparing to provide yuan-based card services in China by the end of the year, and United Kingdom-based Standard Chartered Bank opened an office in Shanghai for the same purpose.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "BANK OF COMMUNICATION ISSUES 6 MILLION CREDIT CARDS:", "_id": 949771, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=949771",  "values": ["BANK OF COMMUNICATION ISSUES 6 MILLION CREDIT CARDS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 28, 2008", "start": 1211904000, "end": 1211990399 }, "BANK OF COMMUNICATION ISSUES 6 MILLION CREDIT CARDS: Shanghai-based Bank of Communication had issued 6 million co-branded HSBC credit cards as of the end of March, up 99.3% from 3.01 million issued at the end of March 2007, according to the bank. The bank began issuing credit cards with HSBC in 2004. Credit card fee income for the first quarter ended March 31 was 2.1 billion yuan (US$302.8 million or 194.9 million euros), up 75% from 1.2 billion in the same period last year. The bank held total assets worth 2.3 trillion yuan as the end of the first quarter.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "ICICI BANK CHARGING CARD CUSTOMERS FOR PAYMENTS AT BRANCHES:", "_id": 947441, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=947441",  "values": ["ICICI BANK CHARGING CARD CUSTOMERS FOR PAYMENTS AT BRANCHES:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 27, 2008", "start": 1211817600, "end": 1211903999 }, "ICICI BANK CHARGING CARD CUSTOMERS FOR PAYMENTS AT BRANCHES: India's ICICI Bank says it will charge customers 100 rupees (US$2.30 or 1.50 euros) to pay credit card bills at bank branches. The bank will begin levying the charges on 1 June. \"This is a charge levied by most banks on card customers paying at branches,\" Sachin Khandelwal, head of the bank's cards group, tells CardLine Global. \"Customers can avoid this by adopting all other options\" such as electronic payments, deposit boxes and debit transfers. Other banks in India already have established such charges. Standard Chartered, for instance, in 2006 began charging 99 rupees for cardholders paying bills at branches. \"This is a new trend [that] has emerged in the Indian banking sector over the last couple of years,\" Prathima Rajan, an India-based analyst with Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global. \"Banks consider this as an additional facility that they are providing to their customers and are hence charging a service fee. On the other hand, banks also want to move customers away from depositing cash and alternatively use checks and [electronic payments] to pay back their cards.\" ICICI has about 5 million credit card customers.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDONESIAN CENTRAL BANK RAISES ATM TRANSFER LIMIT", "_id": 947463, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=947463",  "values": ["INDONESIAN CENTRAL BANK RAISES ATM TRANSFER LIMIT", "Alex Dai", {"name": "May 27, 2008", "start": 1211817600, "end": 1211903999 }, "INDONESIAN CENTRAL BANK RAISES ATM TRANSFER LIMIT: Bank Indonesia, the country's central bank, has raised the maximum daily limit for inter-bank funds transfers via ATMs from 10 million rupiahs (US$1,070 or 681 euros) to 25 million rupiahs. \"Customer demand for national and international funds transfers has increased in the country, especially during holidays,\" a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"The new regulation will meet their needs.\" The maximum daily limit for ATM cash withdrawals will remain at 10 million rupiahs for each bank account, the bank says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "HDFC bank renews contract with NCR to manage 2,000 ATMsn.", "_id": 947474, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=947474",  "values": ["HDFC bank renews contract with NCR to manage 2,000 ATMsn.", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 27, 2008", "start": 1211817600, "end": 1211903999 }, "NCR RENEWS AGREEMENT TO MANAGE INDIAN ATM NETWORK: NCR Corp. announced this week the renewal of an agreement to manage India-based HDFC's bank ATM network. United States-based NCR also said HDFC Bank, one of India' first privately held banks, also has agreed to purchase 300 ATMs from NCR for an undisclosed price. \"Customer behavior conclusively demonstrates a significant shift in transactions to the ATM, arguably positioning the ATM as the channel of highest customer usage,\" Rahul Bhagat, HDFC's business head for direct banking channels, said in a statement. According to the new management agreement, NCR will manage HDFC's network of 2,000 ATMs for 42 months. NCR's previous deal with the bank was for 36 months. The contract calls for NCR to perform ATM incident management, which includes remote monitoring of ATM error codes sent to NCR's help desk. The codes allow NCR personnel to determine the level of service needed to repair the machine. NCR also will provide first- and second-line maintenance. First-line maintenance means NCR will monitor the ATMs to detect problems. NCR's ATMs now can reboot themselves, fixing the problem. With second-line maintenance, NCR will send a technician out to the machines to perform repairs. NCR also will manage the ATMs' cash. HDFC, established in 1994 under the Reserve Bank of India's liberalization of the Indian banking industry, has 754 branches in 327 cities. The Reserve Bank is India's central bank.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "EON BANK HOPES NEW CARDS WILL ATTRACT 100,000 CUSTOMERS", "_id": 943230, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=943230",  "values": ["EON BANK HOPES NEW CARDS WILL ATTRACT 100,000 CUSTOMERS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 26, 2008", "start": 1211731200, "end": 1211817599 }, "EON BANK HOPES NEW CARDS WILL ATTRACT 100,000 CUSTOMERS: Malaysia's EON Bank hopes two new co-branded cards will attract 100,000 customers, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The bank launched the cards late last week. One comes from a retail chain called The Store, which has more than 50 outlets. The other comes from Pacific Gold, a wholly owned subsidiary of The Store that operates five hypermarkets. Both cards come in gold and platinum varieties. \"We are targeting customers who want to get more rewards and discounts on their spending,\" the spokesperson says. \"We will introduce a series of card-promotion programs in the near future, such as gift vouchers and double-reward points.\" EON Bank has issued more than 540,000 credit cards.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINESE BANKS TOLD TO WRITE OFF CARD DEBTS HELD BY QUAKE VICTIMS:", "_id": 943241, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=943241",  "values": ["CHINESE BANKS TOLD TO WRITE OFF CARD DEBTS HELD BY QUAKE VICTIMS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 26, 2008", "start": 1211731200, "end": 1211817599 }, "CHINESE BANKS TOLD TO WRITE OFF CARD DEBTS HELD BY QUAKE VICTIMS: The China Banking Regulatory Commission has asked financial institutions in China to write off bad loans for credit cardholders from the earthquake-affected Sichuan province. Authorities have directed banks to write off credit card loans for consumers who are dead, missing or have no other assets to repay the loans, the commission says in a statement. \"The government agency aims to reduce the debt burden for survivors of the disaster and help reconstruct the quake-ravaged regions,\" the statement says. A commission spokesperson tells CardLine Global that authorities have yet to estimate how many loans banks might write off. \r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "BANK IN SRI LANKA TO OFFER ONLINE BILL PAYMENTS FOR CARDHOLDERS:", "_id": 943263, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=943263",  "values": ["BANK IN SRI LANKA TO OFFER ONLINE BILL PAYMENTS FOR CARDHOLDERS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 26, 2008", "start": 1211731200, "end": 1211817599 }, "BANK IN SRI LANKA TO OFFER ONLINE BILL PAYMENTS FOR CARDHOLDERS: Sampath Bank Ltd., a financial institution based in Sri Lanka, plans to offer a service that enables consumers to use their MasterCard- and Visa-branded credit cards for online utility payments, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The bank will begin offering the service through its online site in June, the spokesperson says. \"The service is available for around 800,000 credit cardholders from all banks in the country,\" the spokesperson says. \"The bank will disclose the transaction fee as soon as the service is officially introduced.\" Consumers can use the service to pay phone bills, insurance charges and school fees, the bank says. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "VIETNAMESE BANKS EXPAND ATM NETWORKS:", "_id": 943274, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=943274",  "values": ["VIETNAMESE BANKS EXPAND ATM NETWORKS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 26, 2008", "start": 1211731200, "end": 1211817599 }, "VIETNAMESE BANKS EXPAND ATM NETWORKS: Banknetvn and Smartlink, two payment networks, have signed a deal to set up an  ATM network in Vietnam by the end of September, according to a statement from Vietnam-based Techcombank, one of the banks that plans to join the scheme. More than 30 other banks also will take part in the network, the statement says. Those financial institutions include Vietcombank, Agribank, Bank for Investment and Development of Vietnam and Vietinbank. Together, those banks operate more than 3,500 ATMs, the statement says. Additionally, Techcombank and HSBC have signed an ATM collaboration deal under which cardholders from both banks can access Techcombank's 260 ATMs and HSBC's 57 ATMs in the Vietnam. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AUSTRALIAN AGENCY SAYS IT WILL DECIDE EBAY CASE IN JUNE:", "_id": 943295, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=943295",  "values": ["AUSTRALIAN AGENCY SAYS IT WILL DECIDE EBAY CASE IN JUNE:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 26, 2008", "start": 1211731200, "end": 1211817599 }, "AUSTRALIAN AGENCY SAYS IT WILL DECIDE EBAY CASE IN JUNE: The Australia Competition and Consumer Commission will reach a decision by mid-June on eBay Australia's proposal to make PayPal one of two payment methods on its Web site, a commission spokesperson tells CardLine Global. EBay also would accept cash-on-delivery. The commission is reviewing comments about the proposal. \"We have received 566 opinions in our investigation,\" the spokesperson says. \"All of the submissions are against the proposal to ban bank deposits, checks and money orders on eBay.\" Comments have come from consumers, online merchants, financial authorities and others, the spokesperson says. \"The [commission] will need to weigh ... the public benefit of using PayPal and the security that is claimed to be offered by the system versus the restrictions,\" Steven Anderson, head of Research with Sydney-based financial research company InfoChoice Ltd., tells CardLine Global. EBay has said that buyers and sellers are less likely to dispute transactions routed through PayPal than transactions through bank accounts. EBay declined to comment to CardLine Global. \"There is concern that [using only PayPal] reduces competition, and in addition, there is limited evidence to suggest that online fraud with eBay is a major issue, making one wonder why eBay is following this path,\" Anderson says. EBay has said previously the PayPal restriction would start on 17 June. Anderson says he doubts the restriction would have any great effect on online payments in Australian. \"But I also feel that eBay may have misunderstood the strength of feelings on this issue,\" he says. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINA UNIONPAY DEPLOYS ATMS AND TERMINALS TO QUAKE AREA", "_id": 945403, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=945403",  "values": ["CHINA UNIONPAY DEPLOYS ATMS AND TERMINALS TO QUAKE AREA", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 26, 2008", "start": 1211731200, "end": 1211817599 }, "CHINA UNIONPAY DEPLOYS ATMS AND TERMINALS TO QUAKE AREA: China UnionPay will deploy temporary ATMs and POS terminals at stores set up to serve residents in the earthquake-ravaged region of Sichuan, a spokesperson for the card network tells CardLine Global. \"We aim to ensure that cardholders from the earthquake-affected [area] can access banking services and are able to make purchases,\" a spokesperson says. \"The POS terminals have been placed at temporary commodity stores and eateries,\" the spokesperson says. \"We plan to install 50 ATMs in the area initially, along with as many POS terminals.\" UnionPay also will work with banks in China to supply bank cards to citizens who have lost their cards or bankbooks in the earthquake.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SOUTH KOREAN CREDIT CARD SPENDING SEES 14% INCREASE:", "_id": 945787, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=945787",  "values": ["SOUTH KOREAN CREDIT CARD SPENDING SEES 14% INCREASE:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 26, 2008", "start": 1211731200, "end": 1211817599 }, "SOUTH KOREAN CREDIT CARD SPENDING SEES 14% INCREASE: Credit cardholders in South Korea made transactions worth approximately 1.21 trillion won (US$1.16 billion or 738.3 million euros) in the first quarter of 2008, up 14.2% from about 1.06 trillion won in the first quarter of 2007, according to the Bank of Korea, the country's central bank. Most of the gains came from retail purchases. Cardholders spent 973 billion won on retail purchases during the first quarter, up 18.1% from 824 billion in the same period last year, the bank says. Cardholders took 240 billion won in cash advances, up 3% from 233 billion won last year. The growth in card spending comes as no surprise, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. \"The growth has been steady, in line with our economic growth, which has meant that people are more likely to use cards than before,\" the spokesperson says.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "BAD DEBT HITS MALAYSIAN CREDIT CARDHOLDERS", "_id": 929999, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=929999",  "values": ["BAD DEBT HITS MALAYSIAN CREDIT CARDHOLDERS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 22, 2008", "start": 1211385600, "end": 1211471999 }, "BAD DEBT HITS MALAYSIAN CREDIT CARDHOLDERS: Outstanding credit card balances in Malaysia reached 20.5 billion ringgits (US$6.38 billion or 4.04 billion euros) in March, up 17.1% from 17.5 billion ringgits in March 2007, according to Bank Negara Malaysia, the country's central bank. As credit cards become more popular in the country, government officials have taken a closer look at card debt. More than 6,000 credit cardholders in Malaysian have gone bankrupt over the past four years, Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop, the country's second finance minister, told reporters this week. \"Bank Negara has issued guidelines to credit card issuers to implement tiered pricing so that cardholders who are good paymasters are rewarded with lower interest rates,\" he said. Malaysia has more than 10.1 million credit cards in circulation, the central bank says. Financial institutions in Malaysia need to do a better job of screening potential cardholders, an analyst tells CardLine Global. \"Credit card companies have been giving out credit to [consumers who] do not have the capability to use the provided debt limit,\" says Yumiko Manchu, a Tokyo-based analyst with Celent LLC. \"As stores in Malaysia are increasingly accepting credit cards, people are going to prefer a credit card to other payments. But credit card companies need to have a strict credit analysis process as well as risk-control measurements implemented to avoid users going bankrupt.\" \r\n\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "BANGLADESH BANKS SLOW TO JOIN ATM AND TERMINAL NETWORK", "_id": 932988, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=932988",  "values": ["BANGLADESH BANKS SLOW TO JOIN ATM AND TERMINAL NETWORK", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 22, 2008", "start": 1211385600, "end": 1211471999 }, "BANGLADESH BANKS SLOW TO JOIN ATM AND TERMINAL NETWORK: Seven financial institutions in Bangladesh reportedly have balked at joining an ATM and terminal network backed by Bangladesh-based Brac Bank. The banks that hesitate to join worry that Brac will exercise too much control over the network, according to a report in Bangladesh-based The Daily Star newspaper. Bank officials declined comment to CardLine Global, as did representatives of Q-Cash, the information technology firm that helped establish the network. The other banks also seem reluctant to pay a fee of 1 million taka (US$14,600 or 9,200 euros) to join the network, plus the monthly service charge of 100,000 taka, the report says. Brac established the network last November. The network includes 150 ATMs and 1,200 point-of-sale terminals. \r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "NEW ZEALAND SEES SLIGHT DECLINE IN APRIL CARD SPENDING:", "_id": 932999, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=932999",  "values": ["NEW ZEALAND SEES SLIGHT DECLINE IN APRIL CARD SPENDING:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 22, 2008", "start": 1211385600, "end": 1211471999 }, "NEW ZEALAND SEES SLIGHT DECLINE IN APRIL CARD SPENDING: New Zealand consumers spent NZ$4.5 billion (US$3.5 billion or 2.2 billion euros) with their charge, credit and debit cards in April, down 0.3% from NZ$4.64 billion spent in March, according to Statistics New Zealand. Credit card spending in April reached NZ$2.4 billion, down 4% from NZ$2.5 billion in March, but up 9% from NZ$2.2 billion in April 2007, the government agency says. Domestic spending with credit cards increased by less than 1% from March to April, but overseas spending with credit cards decreased 30.9%, to NZ$367 million in March to NZ$255 million in April. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SOUTH KOREA CONSIDERS TIGHTER CARD REGULATIONS:", "_id": 928304, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=928304",  "values": ["SOUTH KOREA CONSIDERS TIGHTER CARD REGULATIONS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 21, 2008", "start": 1211299200, "end": 1211385599 }, "SOUTH KOREA CONSIDERS TIGHTER CARD REGULATIONS: South Korea's Financial Supervisory Service, a regulatory agency, reportedly wants to keep credit card issuers from signing up large numbers of new cardholders who might have trouble paying their bills, and take other steps that could benefit consumers and merchants. Kim Jong Chang, the agency's governor, outlined those goals at a meeting this week with executives of financial institutions, according to the Korea Times newspaper. Agency officials declined to discuss the comments with CardLine Global. The agency also has asked card issuers to reduce interchange rates merchants pay when accepting cards and improve customer service, the report says. The comments from the agency's governor appear inspired, at least in part, by memories of the credit-card crisis earlier this decade, Sunil Devmurari, a business development account manager with United Kingdom-based research company Euromonitor International, tells CardLine Global. \"Issuers were saddled with massive debts when a large proportion of credit card holders defaulted on payments and many major issuers had to receive help from the government. Given this history, it makes sense for the government to restrict issuers from gaining [a] large volume [of] new accounts,\" he says. The pressure on interchange rates follows similar pressures in other parts of the world, including in the United States, Europe and Australia, he notes. \"Regulators are seeking to demystify the structure for the interchange rate levied by international operators such as Visa and MasterCard on merchants,\" he says. South Korea may be taking its cue from Australia, where the regulator has taken progressive steps in favor of merchants, says Devmurari. \"This will be good for issuers as more merchants will be willing to transact using credit cards,\" he says.\r\n\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "UNIONPAY ACCEPTANCE TOPS 20,000 MERCHANTS IN AUSTRALIA:", "_id": 928345, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=928345",  "values": ["UNIONPAY ACCEPTANCE TOPS 20,000 MERCHANTS IN AUSTRALIA:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 21, 2008", "start": 1211299200, "end": 1211385599 }, "UNIONPAY ACCEPTANCE TOPS 20,000 MERCHANTS IN AUSTRALIA: More than 20,000 merchants in Australia accept China UnionPay cards, a spokesperson for the card network tells CardLine Global. The country's merchants began accepting the cards in 2006. Australia has more than 7,400 ATMs that accept UnionPay cards, including machines deployed by the National Bank of Australia, HSBC Australia and Cashcard ATM network. \"The UnionPay card is now accepted at merchants and ATMs at convenience stores, hotels and airports,\" the spokesperson says. \"The major regions covered by the network are Sydney, Melbourne and the Gold Coast-hot spots for Chinese tourists.\" More than 800,000 merchants in China accept UnionPay cards.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AUSTRALIAN CITY TO INSTALL CREDIT CARD PARKING MACHINES:", "_id": 925625, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=925625",  "values": ["AUSTRALIAN CITY TO INSTALL CREDIT CARD PARKING MACHINES:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 20, 2008", "start": 1211212800, "end": 1211299199 }, "AUSTRALIAN CITY TO INSTALL CREDIT CARD PARKING MACHINES: The Australian city of Greater Geelong in the next two years will install 70 parking meters that accept credit cards, a spokesperson from the Geelong city council tells CardLine Global. The existing parking machines accept only coins, the spokesperson says. \"The new machines will accept both coins and credit cards and will issue a paper ticket which then can be placed on the dash of the car,\" he says. Each machine costs AU$7,600 (US$7,289 or 4,624 euros), the spokesperson says. \"People have indicated in surveys that they like the new machines better,\" he adds. The city already has deployed 10 machines as part of a test, including one outside a university, the spokesperson says. The council expects other Australian cities to deploy the machine.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDIAN BANK PLANS TO ISSUE BIOMETRIC CARDS IN VIDISHA DISTRICT:", "_id": 925636, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=925636",  "values": ["INDIAN BANK PLANS TO ISSUE BIOMETRIC CARDS IN VIDISHA DISTRICT:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 20, 2008", "start": 1211212800, "end": 1211299199 }, "INDIAN BANK PLANS TO ISSUE BIOMETRIC CARDS IN VIDISHA DISTRICT: The State Bank of Indore, a subsidiary of the State Bank of India, in July plans to issue 35,000 biometric-enabled smart cards in Vidisha, a district in the Central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh, according to a published report. The card is designed to help illiterate citizens use banking services, the bank says in the report. Cardholders may make contactless payments with fingerprint authentication at the bank's ATMs and point-of-sale terminals in the district, the bank says in the report. The bank did not return CardLine Global requests for comment. \"The biometric card market has been gathering momentum in India for a couple of years now,\" Prathima Rajan, an India-based analyst with Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global. \"Biometric ATMs, biometric-enabled smart cards and POS terminals are considered one of the best tools to reach rural clientele by financial institutions.\" ICICI Bank, Punjab National Bank and Canara Bank are among the Indian financial institutions that have adopted the technology, Rajan says.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "QUAKE DELAYS BANK OF EAST ASIA DEBIT CARD LAUNCH", "_id": 925706, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=925706",  "values": ["QUAKE DELAYS BANK OF EAST ASIA DEBIT CARD LAUNCH", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 20, 2008", "start": 1211212800, "end": 1211299199 }, "QUAKE DELAYS BANK OF EAST ASIA DEBIT CARD LAUNCH: Hong Kong-based Bank of East Asia has postponed indefinitely the launch of its yuan-based debit card in China because of the country's three days of national mourning 19-21 May following the deadly 12 May earthquake, a spokesperson from the bank confirms to CardLine Global. \"We have approval from the China Banking Regulatory Commission, and we did plan to issue our debit card in mainland China on 20 May,\" he says. The debit card is a China UnionPay standard card, and the bank will launch the product at its 52 China branches simultaneously, the spokesperson says. The bank says it also operates 100 ATMs in 14 Chinese cities.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "REPORT: POPULI CARD MAY ATTRACT 45,000 GEORGIANS THIS YEAR", "_id": 922287, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=922287",  "values": ["REPORT: POPULI CARD MAY ATTRACT 45,000 GEORGIANS THIS YEAR", "Julia Poly", {"name": "May 19, 2008", "start": 1211126400, "end": 1211212799 }, "REPORT: POPULI CARD MAY ATTRACT 45,000 GEORGIANS THIS YEAR : Georgia-based retailer Populi and the Bank of Georgia reportedly hope to attract 45,000 customers this year for their \"Populi Cards.\" Customers held some 15,000 cards in 2007, according to a report this week in The Financial, a Georgia-based newspaper. Neither the bank nor the retailer would comment to CardLine Global. The Visa-branded credit cards offer customers interest-free purchases for a month on goods bought at Populi stores. Purchases from other stores incur interest charges of up to 29.9%, the report says. Georgians who make at least US$69 (44 euros) per month are eligible for the cards, the report says. The cards have credit limits of up to about US$690. \r\n\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CHINA INDUSTRIAL BANK BOOSTS ITS CREDIT CARD BUSINESS", "_id": 922413, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=922413",  "values": ["CHINA INDUSTRIAL BANK BOOSTS ITS CREDIT CARD BUSINESS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 19, 2008", "start": 1211126400, "end": 1211212799 }, "CHINA INDUSTRIAL BANK BOOSTS ITS CREDIT CARD BUSINESS: China Industrial Bank had issued 3.5 million credit cards by 31 March, up 169% from the 1.3 million issued by the end of the first quarter of 2007, a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The bank took in 682.8 million yuan (US$97.9 million or 62.5 million euros) in fee income in the first quarter, up 169% from 253.6 million yuan for the first quarter last year. The bank provided no details about credit card spending or transactions. The spokesperson says the bank recently began issuing a credit card carrying a \"patriotic\" theme to help the country's recent earthquake victims. The bank plans to donate money to relief efforts based on the number of card applications and transactions.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "TAIWAN Q1 CREDIT CARD REVENUES DECLINE:", "_id": 922434, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=922434",  "values": ["TAIWAN Q1 CREDIT CARD REVENUES DECLINE:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 19, 2008", "start": 1211126400, "end": 1211212799 }, "TAIWAN Q1 CREDIT CARD REVENUES DECLINE: The credit card divisions of Taiwan's domestic and foreign financial institutions reported combined gross revenue of NT$14.69 billion (US$476.98 million or 302.42 million euros) in the first quarter ended 31 March, down 2.7% I GET 2.8% from NT$15.11 billion in the same period a year ago. A report from the Taiwan Financial Supervisory Commission says the divisions wrote off NT$10.6 billion during the first quarter, resulting in a net revenue of NT$4.1billion. The previous year's numbers were unavailable. Revolving interest from credit card services stood at NT$3.2billion at the end of the first quarter. Commission income from retail sales with credit cards stood at NT$1.4 billion. Commission from cash advances stood at NT$159 million, the report notes. Taiwanese financial institutions had issued 35.9 million credit cards as of the end of the first quarter.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "TATA GROUP REPORTEDLY PLANS TO ENTER ATM MARKET", "_id": 922476, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=922476",  "values": ["TATA GROUP REPORTEDLY PLANS TO ENTER ATM MARKET", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 19, 2008", "start": 1211126400, "end": 1211212799 }, "TATA GROUP REPORTEDLY PLANS TO ENTER ATM MARKET: India's Tata Group, which includes nearly 100 companies in various sectors, including communications, engineering and energy, reportedly plans to operate and manage ATMs in India, according to the Hindustan Times newspaper. Tata officials did not respond to CardLine Global requests for comment. Tata says it has started talks with banks about managing their ATMs, the report says. In 2002, Tata signed a contract with United States-based ATM operator Diebold Inc. to manufacture ATMs for India and South-East Asia. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "THAILAND Q1 CREDIT CARD USE ROSE 14%", "_id": 918831, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=918831",  "values": ["THAILAND Q1 CREDIT CARD USE ROSE 14%", "Caroline Middlecote", {"name": "May 18, 2008", "start": 1211040000, "end": 1211126399 }, "THAILAND Q1 CREDIT CARD USE ROSE 14% : Consumers in Thailand spent Bt197.34 billion (US$6.1 billion or 3.9 billion euros) on credit cards in the first quarter ended March 31, a 14.4% increase from Bt172.50 billion in the same period in 2007. Bangkok-based Kasikorn Research Center suggests rising inflation is causing Thailand consumers to increase their credit card use. Outstanding credit card balances were Bt174.76 billion at the end of the first quarter, a 5% increase from a year earlier. Compared with the last quarter in 2007, outstanding credit card balances decreased 2.5% in this year's first quarter. The research center says credit card issuers and entertainment venues may use joint marketing to encourage consumer spending during June's European football championships. Research officials were unavailable for comment when contacted by CardLine Global. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "MASTERCARD AND TOSHIBA TO LAUNCH ENHANCED PAYPASS CARD IN JAPAN", "_id": 918856, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=918856",  "values": ["MASTERCARD AND TOSHIBA TO LAUNCH ENHANCED PAYPASS CARD IN JAPAN", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 18, 2008", "start": 1211040000, "end": 1211126399 }, "MASTERCARD AND TOSHIBA TO LAUNCH ENHANCED PAYPASS CARD IN JAPAN: Toshiba Corp. and MasterCard Worldwide last week announced the launch of a MasterCard PayPass-enabled chip that will enable card issuers to combine their existing chip-and-PIN cards with a contactless chip. Toshiba expects the chip to increase sales for its smart card division, a company spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The company declined to disclose prices. \"Although contactless-payment applications are common in Japan, they are specific to each vendor and, therefore, are inconvenient for consumers since they are not compatible with systems used overseas,\" Kazuhiro Kubota, senior manager of Toshiba's smart card systems sales and marketing department, said in a statement.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "Japan's Major Credit Card Firms Show Mixed Results", "_id": 918909, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=918909",  "values": ["Japan's Major Credit Card Firms Show Mixed Results", "Alex Dai", {"name": "May 18, 2008", "start": 1211040000, "end": 1211126399 }, "Tokyo, May 17, 2008 (Jiji Press) - Major Japanese credit card firms showed mixed results in the year ended last March as some reported net losses while others turned a profit.\r\n\r\nMitsubishi UFJ Nicos Co. <8583>, Jaccs Co. <8584> and Central Finance Co. <8588> reported net losses.\r\n\r\nThe three companies, already hit by lower lending rates resulting from tighter industry regulation, booked special losses from restructuring measures including early retirement programs.\r\n\r\nOrient Corp. <8585> and Aplus Co. <8589> returned to profitability as their restructuring steps paid off. Credit Saison Co. <8253> posted an 80.5 pct profit jump on good performances from its financing and real estate-linked operations.\r\n\r\nFor the year ending next March, all six companies expect better earnings as the reimbursement of overcharged interest will be completed.", "Revised"]},
{"_name": ". . . AS THE COMPANY EXPANDS INTO INDIA:", "_id": 917051, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=917051",  "values": [". . . AS THE COMPANY EXPANDS INTO INDIA:", "Caroline Middlecote", {"name": "May 16, 2008", "start": 1210867200, "end": 1210953599 }, ". . . AS THE COMPANY EXPANDS INTO INDIA: United States-based First Data Corp. Thursday announced a five-year agreement with India's Kotak Mahindra Bank to provide card-processing services. \"We are supporting the launch of their new credit card [offerings] and loan,\" a First Data spokesperson tells CardLine Global. In April, the bank launched additional Visa credit card options, including two gold cards, a platinum card and a signature card. The bank is India's second-largest card issuer, servicing approximately 3.6 million customer accounts, a statement says. Kotak CEO Vikram Sud said in a statement the partnership will help the bank enhance the card division by offering, \"enhanced payment products\". The bank declined CardLine Global's request for comment. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "GROWTH IN AUSTRALIAN CREDIT CARD DEBT SLOWS:", "_id": 912868, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=912868",  "values": ["GROWTH IN AUSTRALIAN CREDIT CARD DEBT SLOWS:", "Alex Dai", {"name": "May 15, 2008", "start": 1210780800, "end": 1210867199 }, "GROWTH IN AUSTRALIAN CREDIT CARD DEBT SLOWS: The average Australian credit card debt increased 3.7% for the 12-month period ended 31 March, the slowest annual rate increase since such figures were first recorded in 1994. The Reserve Bank of Australia says the average debt increased to AU$3,056 (US$2,910 or 1,867 euros) from AU$2,946. Total credit and charge accounts increased to 14.08 million in March from 14.02 the previous month, the bank says. The total balance on those accounts decreased to AU$42.04 billion from AU$43.25 billion, the bank says. \"Australians must work toward reducing their personal debt level and their propensity to spend on credit,\" Lisa Montgomery, head of a Sydney-based consumer advocacy group, told The Sydney Morning Herald. The number of credit card purchases in March increased 3.2%, to 112.87 million from 109.37 million the previous month, the bank says. The corresponding transaction value of those purchases decreased to AU$16.06 billion from AU$16.46 billion. Total credit card repayments in March increased 5.4%, to AU$17.67 billion from AU$16.77 billion in the previous month.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "STATE BANK OF INDIA AND GE MONEY SPLIT JOINT VENTURE:", "_id": 912879, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=912879",  "values": ["STATE BANK OF INDIA AND GE MONEY SPLIT JOINT VENTURE:", "Caroline Middlecote", {"name": "May 15, 2008", "start": 1210780800, "end": 1210867199 }, "STATE BANK OF INDIA AND GE MONEY SPLIT JOINT VENTURE: State of India and GE Money Friday announced they will split their joint venture, SBI Cards, into two separate ventures under different CEOs. \"The split is a strategic move to streamline and enhance operations,\" a GE Money spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The original joint venture included State Bank Card and Payments Services, which handles the distribution and marketing of payment cards. GE Capital Business Management handles back-office operations for the card business. The two entities will continue to operate in this way, but the card division will extend its services to include personal loans and credit insurance. GE also will provide processing services to other banks, a statement says. Prathima Raja, an India-based analyst for Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global the split will give State Bank more control of its card business. Raja says a State Bank senior-level executive will handle the card division. The change in senior management will help State Bank be more accurate with is own strategic decisions, unlike earlier when GE personnel headed the card division, Raja says. State Bank's \"card business should pick up momentum in the short-to-medium term,\" she says. State Bank share prices have increased by 0.84% since the announcement, Raja says", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INSURANCE COMPANY LAUNCHES MOBILE-PAYMENT SERVICE", "_id": 910767, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=910767",  "values": ["INSURANCE COMPANY LAUNCHES MOBILE-PAYMENT SERVICE", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 14, 2008", "start": 1210694400, "end": 1210780799 }, "INSURANCE COMPANY LAUNCHES MOBILE-PAYMENT SERVICE: New Delhi-based Max New York Life Insurance Co. Ltd. Tuesday announced that insurance-policy holders can use a mobile-payment service to pay premiums. The company launched the system in association with Citibank India and Indian payment-system provider mChek. \"The service will incorporate the policyholders' preferred bank account or credit card with their mobile numbers,\" an mChek spokesperson tells CardLine Global. Policyholders make payments using Short Messaging Service text messages and by entering their mChek personal identification numbers to approve transactions, the spokesperson added.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "SINGAPORE ATM NETWORK UNAVAILABLE TO SBI CUSTOMERS", "_id": 910808, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=910808",  "values": ["SINGAPORE ATM NETWORK UNAVAILABLE TO SBI CUSTOMERS", "Julia Poly", {"name": "May 14, 2008", "start": 1210694400, "end": 1210780799 }, "SINGAPORE ATM NETWORK UNAVAILABLE TO SBI CUSTOMERS: Laws enforced by the Monetary Authority of Singapore have prevented the State Bank of India from joining the local ATM network, according to The Financial Express. Three Singapore banks manage the country's largest ATM network, which connects with more than 1,500 locations, according to the report. State Bank's exclusion from the network came to light after the Indian bank announced it will help set up five stores in Singapore. The bank's cardholders can access a smaller ATM network of 140 locations managed by five banks, including HSBC. State Bank executives declined CardLine Global requests for comment. Citibank is the lone foreign bank with access to the larger ATM network, according to the report. State Bank of India has operated in Singapore since 1977. \r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "AMERICAN EXPRESS OFFERS ELECTRIC-BILL DISCOUNT TO SRI LANKA CARDHOLDERS:", "_id": 910845, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=910845",  "values": ["AMERICAN EXPRESS OFFERS ELECTRIC-BILL DISCOUNT TO SRI LANKA CARDHOLDERS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 14, 2008", "start": 1210694400, "end": 1210780799 }, "AMERICAN EXPRESS OFFERS ELECTRIC-BILL DISCOUNT TO SRI LANKA CARDHOLDERS: Sri Lanka American Express credit card holders will receive a 5% discount if they pay their monthly electric bills with their cards, the company announced last week. The promotion started 1 May and ends 30 June, the company said in a statement. Cardholders will have to use their cards to pay at least three electric-bill payments to receive the discount. American Express deducts the bill payments automatically from card accounts every month, the company said in statement. The maximum discount per card account is 1,000 rupees (US$23.60 or 15.24 euros).", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "INDONESIAN BANK OFFERS ISLAMIC ONLINE PAYMENT SERVICE", "_id": 908579, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=908579",  "values": ["INDONESIAN BANK OFFERS ISLAMIC ONLINE PAYMENT SERVICE", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 13, 2008", "start": 1210608000, "end": 1210694399 }, "INDONESIAN BANK OFFERS ISLAMIC ONLINE PAYMENT SERVICE: Kuala Lumpar-based Maybank Tuesday launched an online-payment service that will enable Muslims to pay their zakat, the Islamic concept of tithing and alms, the bank says in a statement. Muslims are obligated to donate 2.5% of their annual income when it exceeds a certain amount. The money goes to an authorized zakat collector appointed by the Islamic Affairs Council. \"We expect that about 120 corporations will be using our new online zakat payment facility over the next 12 months,\" a bank spokesperson tells CardLine Global. The service enables Muslim employees to make online donations at Maybank's Web site. Users can link a bank account to the system. Companies also can offer zakat payments via online salary deductions, the statement says. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CITI HELPS SINGAPORE CUSTOMERS SHOP AT U.S.-BASED E-MERCHANTS:", "_id": 908590, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=908590",  "values": ["CITI HELPS SINGAPORE CUSTOMERS SHOP AT U.S.-BASED E-MERCHANTS:", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 13, 2008", "start": 1210608000, "end": 1210694399 }, "CITI HELPS SINGAPORE CUSTOMERS SHOP AT U.S.-BASED E-MERCHANTS: Citibank Singapore last month launched an online service that enables its customers to make purchases on United States-based online-shopping Web sites. More than 2,500 bank customers have registered for the service, the bank announced Monday. Most U.S. e-commerce Web sites do not ship goods overseas or accept foreign credit cards, but the bank says its service will enable Singapore customers to bypass those restrictions. The service provides a free concierge service that buys goods on behalf of customers on Web sites that do not accept foreign credit cards, a Citibank statement says. Users receive a U.S. shipping address upon registration. Merchants ship purchased goods to the U.S. address, and the concierge service then delivers them to Singapore using Germany-based shipping firm DHL International GmbH. Citi says the most-popular goods purchased are books, clothing, cosmetics and gadgets.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "EXPERIAN AND JAPANESE BUREAU TEAM UP FOR BETTER DECISIONS", "_id": 908601, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=908601",  "values": ["EXPERIAN AND JAPANESE BUREAU TEAM UP FOR BETTER DECISIONS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 13, 2008", "start": 1210608000, "end": 1210694399 }, "EXPERIAN AND JAPANESE BUREAU TEAM UP FOR BETTER DECISIONS: Ireland-based Experian plc Tuesday announced a joint venture with Japanese consumer credit bureau Central Communications Bureau to form CBEX Solutions, Experian says in a statement. The new company will develop and operate a credit card bureau platform that complies with Japan's regulatory requirements, the statement says. Yumiko Manchu, a Tokyo-based analyst with Celent LLC, tells CardLine Global the new company will give the bureau more resources to form a consumer's credit history. Manchu says the company also will help Japanese credit card companies provide foreigners with credit cards to increase revenue. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "THAI BANKING ASSOCIATION TO ISSUE CREDIT CARD STANDARD", "_id": 905742, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=905742",  "values": ["THAI BANKING ASSOCIATION TO ISSUE CREDIT CARD STANDARD", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 12, 2008", "start": 1210521600, "end": 1210607999 }, "THAI BANKING ASSOCIATION TO ISSUE CREDIT CARD STANDARD: Bangkok-based Credit Card Club, which operates under the Thai Banking Association, plans to introduce a new standard for minimum credit lines on platinum cards over the next several months, according to the Bangkok Post. Thailand has no single standard for credit lines and platinum cardholder qualifications, the report states. The association declined to disclose whether it would increase or decrease the credit lines, and it did not respond to CardLine Global requests for comment. The report says some Thai card issuers approve platinum cards for customers with monthly incomes of 20,000 baht (US$619 or 399 euros). The Bank of Thailand requires a minimum monthly income of 15,000 baht for a platinum card, according to the report.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "EBAY AUSTRALIA INVESTIGATED FOR RESTRICTING PAYMENT METHODS", "_id": 905781, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=905781",  "values": ["EBAY AUSTRALIA INVESTIGATED FOR RESTRICTING PAYMENT METHODS", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 12, 2008", "start": 1210521600, "end": 1210607999 }, "EBAY AUSTRALIA INVESTIGATED FOR RESTRICTING PAYMENT METHODS: The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission is investigating eBay Australia's June proposal to make PayPal one of two payment methods on its Web site, a commission spokesperson confirmed to CardLine Global. EBay also would accept cash-on-delivery, the spokesperson says. A higher PayPal seller's fee is the commission's main concern, the spokesperson says. EBay sellers pay a PayPal fee that is between 1.1% and 2.4% of the sale amount compared with 20 cents for a AU$50 (US$47 or 30 euros) eBay transaction, the spokesperson says. The commission also believes PayPal acceptance would will restrict consumer choice. The commission has not determined when it would end its investigation, the spokesperson says.\r\n", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "JAPANESE BANK APOLOGIZES FOR ATM SYSTEM FAILURE", "_id": 905940, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=905940",  "values": ["JAPANESE BANK APOLOGIZES FOR ATM SYSTEM FAILURE", "Miranda Li", {"name": "May 12, 2008", "start": 1210521600, "end": 1210607999 }, "JAPANESE BANK APOLOGIZES FOR ATM SYSTEM FAILURE : The Bank of Tokyo-Mitsubishi Tuesday issued an apology for the ATM system failure that happened Monday morning. The glitch prevented the bank's cardholders from making ATM withdrawals and account funds transfers on partner Seven Bank's ATMs, the banks said in a statement. The failure occurred when Seven Bank's ATMs would not accept a code in the recently upgraded ATM system. The glitch was fixed immediately, a statement says. Officials from the two banks were unavailable for comment to CardLine Global. Tokyo-Mitsubishi launched the system at 250 branches and expects to add another 420 branches between July and December, the bank says in a statement.", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "CITIBANK LAUNCHES MOBILE-BANKING SERVICE IN INDONESIA", "_id": 902590, "_link": "http://tromblyltd.dabbledb.com/dabble/reports?view=489846&entry=902590",  "values": ["CITIBANK LAUNCHES MOBILE-BANKING SERVICE IN INDONESIA", "Alex Dai", {"name": "May 11, 2008", "start": 1210435200, "end": 1210521599 }, "CITIBANK LAUNCHES MOBILE-BANKING SERVICE IN INDONESIA : Citibank and Indonesia-based telecommuications provider PT Indostat tdk last week launched a mobile-banking service in that country. The service will enable Citibank customers who also Indostat mobile-phone subscribers to access account information on their phones, Citibank said in a statement. The services include account-balance inquiries, credit card transaction information, fund transfers between accounts, mobile-phone bill payment, and a locator of Citi ATM and branch locations. Consumers conduct all the services using Short Messaging Service on all SMS-enabled phones, the bank said. ", "Filed"]},
{"_name": "RBI governor a