Strategy & Trends

Visa positions prepaid in Middle East

Mon, Mar, 15 2010

An estimated 65 percent of the Middle East region’s population is under the age of 30 and real GDP per capita increased by about 4 percent per year from 2004 to 2006. In markets such as Qatar and Bahrain, real GDP growth per year is in the double-digit range, far outstripping GDP growth in developed card markets. Huge resources of natural energy and capital inflows in markets like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have helped to underpin rapid economic growth which has trickled down into increasing consumer wealth, helping to drive the growth of the service and financial industry sectors.

Turkey leads innovation in the east

Sun, Feb, 28 2010

The economic crisis has placed a strain on many industry sectors, not least of all the banking and finance industry. Despite these challenging times, the global cards market has been witnessing continuous growth, especially in the area of smart card innovation.

Debt levels cause alarm bells to ring

Sun, Feb, 28 2010

Forewarned is forearmed, as the saying goes and nowhere is this more relevant than in the credit card industry, where eye-watering levels of bad debts and record losses on credit card portfolios have forced issuers to overhaul their risk management and lending activities.

Is the EU payments market converging?

Sun, Feb, 28 2010

With several countries, each with their own cultural and economic factors driving different payment habits and methods, is there such a thing as a European payments market? Are sub-regional groups emerging in different places or are there purely national markets? And regardless of the differences, is there a trend of convergence emerging?

Providing a rich proposition

Sun, Feb, 28 2010

A recent report issued by European financial researcher Finalta and the European Financial Management and Marketing Association (EFMA), entitled Affluent Segment in Europe – February 2010, highlights many of the issues currently facing the premium banking market, including the erosion of consumer confidence and a significant shift in consumer strategy.

Providing a rich proposition

Sun, Feb, 28 2010

A recent report issued by European financial researcher Finalta and the European Financial Management and Marketing Association (EFMA), entitled Affluent Segment in Europe – February 2010, highlights many of the issues currently facing the premium banking market, including the erosion of consumer confidence and a significant shift in consumer strategy.

Cash continues to grow in Europe

Wed, Feb, 10 2010

A new study from UK information and research provider RBR has found that, despite the best efforts of banks, payment networks and governments to wean consumers off cash, it remains the predominant retail payment method in Europe.

The never-ending fight against fraud

Wed, Feb, 10 2010

Fraud is a booming business. Perhaps no other group understands this better than retailers, for whom the true cost of fraud exceeds $191 billion a year in the US alone.

Europe on track for EMV deadline

Wed, Feb, 10 2010

Good progress is being made in the realisation of a Single Euro Payment Area (SEPA) for cards, according to new data from the European Commission and the European Payments Council.

Latin America embraces EMV

Wed, Feb, 10 2010

Across the Latin America region, payment card usage is growing at reassuringly healthy rates despite recent economic upheaval. Now that banks and their customers are getting up to speed in terms of card issuance and usage, the emphasis is switching to the roll-out of EMV-enabled cards.