“We are expanding our current offering of alternative financial services because we see an increased demand for this type of product in our stores,” says 7-Eleven spokesperson. As part of its retail expansion plans, NetSpend Holdings Inc., a provider of general-purpose reloadable (GPR) prepaid debit cards and related financial services, announced that the PayPal Prepaid…
epay Launches Ria Branded PINless Calling
With Ria PINless the prepaid account is automatically detected when calling from a registered telephone number, enabling customers to make international calls without the need to enter a PIN. epay, a division of Euronet Worldwide Inc. and a prepaid and payments processor in the U.S., in conjunction with its sister company Ria Financial Services (Ria),…
A Gift for All Seasons
The prepaid market is booming as retailers begin to capitalize on seasonal opportunities and serving the underbanked. By John Lofstock, Editor. The gift card market is rosy and analysts are poised for another strong year in 2012. In 2011, 80% of consumers planned on buying gift cards for the holiday season, up from 2010, and…
Hess Express, Blackhawk Network Partner
Hess launches Gift Card Mall and Prepaid Center. Hess convenience store locations throughout the East Coast are introducing Blackhawk Network’s Gift Card Mall and Prepaid Center. Blackhawk Network’s Gift Card Mall offers consumers a wide variety of prepaid cards from some of the best brands, including popular entertainment, fashion, dining, home improvement and digital content…
Meeting the Needs of Today’s C-Store Customers
CSD‘s 2012 Category Management Outlook offers trends and analysis from more than 25 key in-store categories. By John Lofstock and Erin Rigik. Tough economic times and stiff competition across the supply chain are making it critical for convenience store operators to have a solid understanding of their customers, particularly their high-frequency, high-value shoppers. Armed with…
Prepaid Provides Incremental Sales Opportunities
Mercator Advisory Group’s Prepaid Market Forecast 2011-2014 expects prepaid market growth to slow over the next four years as regulatory and economic issues, as well as saturation in segments including unemployment, impact the market. Open-loop loads are expected to total $281.7 billion in 2013, down $139.4 billion from last year’s forecast of $421.1 billion. “I…
SVM LP Launches FuelCircle
FuelCircle to initially leverage SVM’s relationships with BP, Chevron, ExxonMobil and Sunoco to create the first branded, nationwide network for the redemption of stored value fuel rewards. SVM LP, a global provider of gift cards and prepaid cards for businesses, announced today the formation of a new business unit that will utilize its core competencies…
QuikTrip Adds Blackhawk Gift Card Mall
“Our partnership with Blackhawk Network will provide consumers with a quick and easy solution for all their gifting and telecom needs,” says QuikTrip spokesperson. QuikTrip Corp. has partnered with Blackhawk Network, a provider of prepaid and financial payments products for consumers and businesses, offering its award-winning Gift Card Mall in over 500 QuikTrip locations nationwide.…
Stacking the Cards In Your Favor
General purpose prepaid debit cards are rapidly gaining favor with consumers as an alternative to closed-loop gift cards. By John Lofstock, Editor. Sales of open-loop prepaid cards, issued by banks and credit card companies and able to be used at multiple establishments, are only going to go up as more consumers come to appreciate their…
epay Partners With Sprint
“When Sprint decided it needed a single solution for its prepaid independent distribution strategy, we committed the resources to building the tools and processes that would ensure Sprint’s success,” says epay spokesperson. epay, a division of Euronet Worldwide Inc.—a global electronic payments provider and distributor, has signed an exclusive agreement to process prepaid mobile airtime…