Payments

For quite a while now, MasterCard has been issuing a Diamond MasterCard. Yes, it is a MasterCard and yes, it has real diamonds in it.   This one came out in the Spring in Dubai, and yes, that is real gold too. What benefits does the card deliver?  According to the Diamond and Gemstone Gallery, "all…

For quite a while now, MasterCard has been issuing a Diamond MasterCard. Yes, it is a MasterCard and yes, it has real diamonds in it.   This one came out in the Spring in Dubai, and yes, that is real gold too. What benefits does the card deliver?  According to the Diamond and Gemstone Gallery, "all…

For quite a while now, MasterCard has been issuing a Diamond MasterCard. Yes, it is a MasterCard and yes, it has real diamonds in it.   This one came out in the Spring in Dubai, and yes, that is real gold too. What benefits does the card deliver?  According to the Diamond and Gemstone Gallery, "all…

I don’t normally rave about bank adverts but there have been some good ones lately, particularly those from the card firms for contactless cards.  The last one that stood out was the Visa ad, and now Barclaycard have produced a great one: Wouldn’t we all like to leave the office like that?

Posted an article on Mobile Banking on SWIFTCommunity today that talks about the four levels of banking I see out there today on mobiles. There’s basic text messaging, such as GCash in the Philippines: Then there’s a fuller mobile wallet that can make payments easier across credit cards and deposit accounts: Then there’s Bank of…

Posted an article on Mobile Banking on SWIFTCommunity today that talks about the four levels of banking I see out there today on mobiles. There’s basic text messaging, such as GCash in the Philippines: Then there’s a fuller mobile wallet that can make payments easier across credit cards and deposit accounts: Then there’s Bank of…

I was proud to host Charlie McCreevy at the Financial Services Club last night.  Here’s the full text of his speech: The Financial Services ClubLondon, 2nd October 2008 Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for inviting me to address you this evening on MiFID, the Single Euro Payments Area and the Payments Services Directive. These are…

I was proud to host Charlie McCreevy at the Financial Services Club last night.  Here’s the full text of his speech: The Financial Services ClubLondon, 2nd October 2008 Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for inviting me to address you this evening on MiFID, the Single Euro Payments Area and the Payments Services Directive. These are…

Further to my earlier blog about cover payments, I had a fascinating conversation with a banker who is heavily involved with the changes to cover payments regulations. He asserted several times that the focus upon cover payments will cost some banks $500 million each.  $500 million.  Half a billion. I asked how that could be,…

With SEPA, the PSD and MiFID all paling into relative insignificance as the major banking markets explode globally, there are questions about whether the European plan will succeed or is even needed now. Therefore, I’ll be really interested to hear what Commissioner Charlie McCreevy has to say when he launches the 2008-09 season of the…