Incoming chairman promotes advocacy as he prepares to battle swipe fees, fuel standards and tobacco regulations in the year ahead. By John Lofstock, Editor. Renowned author and business strategist Tom Peter once said, “Leaders don’t create followers, they create more leaders.” When it comes to the challenges facing the convenience store and petroleum industry over…
European Consumers See Contactless as Step to Mobile Payments
2012 set to be the tipping point for mainstream contactless adoption in Europe. Visa Europe has launched its second quarterly Contactless Barometer study results. The Barometer canvassed perceptions of contactless technologies across the UK, Poland and Turkey, based on surveys of 1,700 banked individuals and in-depth panel sessions with around 500 contactless card owners per…
ConocoPhillips Expands Partnership With Heartland Payment Systems
The fuel marketer renews and increases its card processing agreement to include Visa and Mastercard transactions. ConocoPhillips has signed a five-year contract with Heartland Payment Systems, one of the nation’s largest payments processors. Under the expanded contract, Heartland Network Services group will continue to authorize debit and credit card transactions and will now also begin…
Preparing for Future Payment Systems
First it was PCI, now retailers have to prepare for the widespread launch of Near Field Communications, which is expected to become a widely used system for making payments by smartphone in the U.S. By Howard Riell, Associate Editor. The convenience store industry is increasingly turnings its gaze outdoors to the forecourt, not only for…
Durbin Hits, Fight Escalates
Retailers may have won the right to debit fee caps for now, but banks are raising fees and pointing the finger at merchants, while some lawmakers look to repeal the interchange caps. By Erin Rigik, Associate Editor. The long awaited Durbin Amendment went into effect on Oct. 1, capping interchange fees well above the 7-12…
Debit Card Fees Spur Request For Anti-Trust Investigation
“Statements made by individual banks and their trade associations raise questions about whether some price increases that have occurred this year have actually been coordinated,” says Chief Deputy Whip Peter Welch. Amid widespread outrage over new debit card fees charged by Bank of America and other big banks, Chief Deputy Whip Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and…