COVER STORY
44 Mixing It Up
Some processors are moving into unfamiliar territories to harvest the volume potential of new payment markets. Should the companies buy, partner or build from scratch to achieve their goals?
6 Editor's Note
A Toast to The Big Easy
8 Industry News
Hurricane Downs Payment, ATM Activity
Hurricane Katrina leaves hundreds of ATMs and thousands point-of-sale terminals inactive or inoperable as merchants and residents of several Gulf states are forced to evacuate.
12 More Contactless Payments Are on Tap
Citibank and HSBC join the growing list of U.S. issuers offering contactless functionality to their payment cards.
14 IPO Could Set MasterCard Free
MasterCard International announces plans to conduct an initial public offering of its stock. Will Visa follow suit?
18 Collections & Recovery
Technology Brings a Kinder, Gentler Process to Collections
Predictive analysis, customer scoring and online programs are designed to reach debtors at better times for better results. And consumers seem to be responding.
22 Debit Card Report
Interlink Strategy is Now Bearing Fruit
Visa USA's Interlink replaced First Data's Star as the top point-of-sale debit network by going after the largest debit card issuers. But can it keep the momentum going?
26 Debit Zeros in on Credit
Among U.S. Visa cardholders, debit cards are used more often than are credit cards. Soon, debit card volume in general may exceed the total of all U.S. credit card transactions.
28 Merchant Acquiring
QSRs Make Quick Use of Cards
Quick-service restaurants are serving up card acceptance at a lightning pace. With the infrastructure in place, will customers be able to buy more than just a hamburger and fries?
56 Competition
Big Issuers Get Big Financial Benefits
Large debit card issuers have seen their market share grow. Can smaller issuers survive?
60 E-Payments
Merchants Tap into Small-Ticket Sales
Apple's iPod and iTunes have sent the under-$5 payments arena into overdrive, though profits may be hard to come by. What are the options for small-ticket merchants?
64 Payment Trends
Open Highways
Electronic toll-collection systems are being unified regionally. But in-lane readers do not always recognize transponders from other parts of the country. Toll agencies, vendors and the U.S. government are looking for improved communication.
72 Afterthoughts
Debt-Protection Can Pay Off
Executive Inquiry
50 A World of Opportunity
TSYS CEO Philip Tomlinson discusses the company's gains and plans for future growth with Cards&Payments Managing Editor Burney Simpson.
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