| Chase Card Services Announces ChaseHealthAdvance financing options and ...
WILMINGTON, Del. - Chase Card Services, a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co. [NYSE: JPM], announced today that it has finalized the acquisition of Unicorn Financial Services, a leading patient financing company. The combined company officially launches its expanded set of patient financing products today as ChaseHealthAdvance financing options. Rising medical and dental costs have created a need for new and adaptive healthcare financing options. In addition, the demand for elective procedures ranging from dental, vision correction and cosmetic procedures to veterinary care for pets, is increasing at a rapid rate. The knowledge base that Chase has built in providing consumer credit to millions of credit card holders prompted Chase to develop ChaseHealthAdvance. "As a premier and trusted financial institution, Chase is able to offer affordable, flexible options for those looking to finance healthcare procedures, as well as provide competitive service fees for providers" said Hugh Bleemer, general manager, ChaseHealthAdvance.
Bank of America, Countrywide to Name Sambol to New Role
CHARLOTTE, N.C., Jan. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Bank of America Corporation and Countrywide Financial Corporation today announced that David Sambol, Countrywide's president and chief operating officer, will lead the combined consumer mortgage business once Bank of America's planned purchase of Countrywide is complete. Sambol will continue in his current role, reporting to Countrywide Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Angelo R. Mozilo until completion of the transaction, which is targeted for the third quarter. In a related announcement, Bank of America Global Consumer and Small Business Banking President Liam McGee announced that Card Services Executive Bruce Hammonds will assume the newly created role of Global Consumer Credit Executive when the purchase closes. Hammonds, who will continue to report to McGee, will be in charge of all consumer credit products, including the consumer mortgage organization, Bank of America Card Services and unsecured lending.
Unsecured Internet purchases could prove disastrous
Students who regularly make online purchases from campus computers or from the university's wireless network might want to take some precautionary steps before punching in their credit card numbers. “If [students] are using the encrypted wireless [network], I think that's fine," said James Shook of Technology Support Services. “[But] I don't think I'd be doing that on the visitor's [network], which anyone can get on."Students can obtain a password for the secured wireless network at www.nss.appstate.edu. Appalachian State also offers free anti-virus software with built-in firewall and anti-spyware protection at www.antivirus.appstate.edu. Students transferring data should do so from secure Web sites, which are signified by “https" in the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) or a secure lock graphic, said Director of Technology Support Tom M.
Heartland Payment Systems buys majority stake in Collective Point of ...
PRINCETON, N.J. - Heartland Payment Systems Inc., which offers payroll and debit and credit card processing services, said Tuesday it bought a majority stake in Canada's Collective Point of Sale Solutions Ltd. Terms of the deal for the payment processing and secure point-of-sale services company were not disclosed. Heartland said it does not expect the purchase of a controlling stake in Collective, which has about 5,000 Canadian customers, to have "a material impact" on the New Jersey's company 2008 revenues or net income. Shares of Heartland fell 6 cents to $21.95 in afternoon trading. .
BBL introduces contactless credit cards
The card can be used at Burger King, McDonald's, Sizzler, The Pizza Company, 94 Coffee, Au Bon Pain, Starbucks and Umm! ... Milk. Customers can also use the card at supermarkets, including Gourmet Market in both The Emporium and Siam Paragon and Home Fresh Mart. Shoke na Ranong, manager of BBL's Credit Card Division, said for entertainment, the card could be used at EGV Cinemas, The Esplanade Cineplex, Major Bowl Hit, Major Complex, Paragon Cineplex and Nai In Bookshops. BBL is the first bank in Thailand to launch the contactless Blue Wave credit card. To make a purchase, the cardholder just waves the card over a reader and waits for acceptance. The card is bundled with the same features as normal credit cards that require a cardholder's signature when paying for goods and services.
Vesdia Launches Innovative Rewards Credit Cards
ATLANTA, Jan. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Vesdia Corporation, a leading provider of loyalty marketing services, announced today the launch of four new Visa(R) credit cards to support its leading reward programs BabyMint(TM), NestEggz(R), Stockback(R) and FundraiserRewards(R). The card launch in partnership with MXT Card Services provides consumers with additional earning opportunities in the rewards currencies that matter most to them. Consumers can apply for the Platinum Visa cards on the program websites through an easy to use web application, and earn rebates of 1% on any purchase made using the card. The new rewards credit cards offer competitive benefits and no annual fee. Cardholders can earn additional rebates of up to 26% of their purchases at hundreds of retailers in Vesdia's merchant network, including top brands like Eddie Bauer, Illuminations, Best Buy, Gap.com, Lands' End(R) and Banana Republic - representing over 100,000 store locations and service providers, hundreds of catalogs and gift cards, and more than 600 leading online retailers.
Eleanor Trickett
Two pieces of research came out last week that attempted to quantify some of the impact the credit crunch has had on the direct marketing world. Synovate's Mail Monitor subsidiary cited a 14% year-on-year decrease in credit card direct mail volume in Q4 2007. And Mintel Comperemedia brings in a more nuanced point that the annual decrease in credit card solicitations to non-customers from 2006 to 2007 is 11%, but loyalty-based offers sent to current customers actually increased by 16%. .
Ashland Police & Fire Reports
Wednesday, Sometime between 9:40 a.m. and 11:10 a.m. someone stole a girls unattended and unsecured cell phone from the girls locker room at Ashland High School. Wednesday, 5 p.m. — A man as prohibited from camping after he was found sleeping in the grass area behind Ashland Police department. Thursday, 11:18 a.m. — A man was arrested on an outstanding warrant charging theft II and negotiating a bad check. He was lodged at the Jackson County Jail. Thursday, 2:10 p.m. — Ashland police and Ashland fire and rescue responded to a report of a possibly deceased male at the 200 block of Walker Avenue. The adult male was determined to be deceased of apparent natural causes. Thursday, 10:07 p.m. — A man was cited and released for minor in possession of alcohol after he was found intoxicated in the 700 block of North Main Street.
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