Bankers, poker players oppose Feds' online gaming rules

Federal regulators have taken a first pass at creating rules to stamp out illegal online gambling via credit cards. Judging from the reaction, the Feds came up snake eyes. The rules are an attempt to block online gambling by requiring banks and credit card companies to prevent "illegal" transactions. A public comment period on the rules ended in mid-December, and the reviews were harsh. The payment industry is up in arms, claiming the act is vague and unenforceable, while gamblers feel it is an attack on their personal freedom.

Renting a car with cash or debit card? Expect to try harder

Thought you couldn't get a rental car if you didn't have a credit card? That's probably what you've heard for years from rental car agents at airports, but it may be getting easier for some travelers to rent a car without a credit card. A CreditCards.com survey of the top rental car companies indicates that nearly all of the companies allow you to rent their vehicles without credit cards. However, it may take some work on your part -- and patience -- to get the vehicles.

12 tips for renting a car with a debit card

Don't have a credit card or don't want to use one to rent a car? A CreditCards.com survey of the major rental car companies found it's difficult but not impossible to rent a car without plastic. Keep these 12 tips in mind the next time you approach the rental car counter with no plastic in hand. It just might help you avoid a frustrating rental experience.

Renting a car with cash or debit card? Expect to try harder

Thought you couldn't get a rental car if you didn't have a credit card? That's probably what you've heard for years from rental car agents at airports, but it may be getting easier for some travelers to rent a car without a credit card. A CreditCards.com survey of the top rental car companies indicates that nearly all of the companies allow you to rent their vehicles without credit cards. However, it may take some work on your part -- and patience -- to get the vehicles.

21 resolutions to beat credit woes and debt regret

Was 2007 a bad year for you and credit card debt? Here are some easy and not-so-easy steps to take

How to escape that holiday credit card debt

The holidays bring a flurry of emotions and obligations, and people find it easy to get lost in holiday spirit. You may feel guilty if you can't afford to buy your loved ones what they want, so you put presents on the credit card. Come January, the holiday joy turns into debt regret. It's important to shed this debt quickly, and to learn how to prevent the same troubles next year. Drowning in debt after the holidays is all too common. "It's important to first take a deep breath and realize you're not the only one struggling with looming holiday debt," says Michael Gold, a certified financial planner who works in investments at Wachovia Securities. The average American household is already saddled with debt before holiday spending, so "digging an even bigger hole of debt during the holidays is a major concern for most."

Cell phone + contactless credit card = Yak, wave, buy

What do you get when you add "contactless" credit abilities to your cell phone? A single device for making calls and credit card purchases. You yak, you wave, you buy. Credit cards that use contactless technology are already becoming familiar to consumers through devices such as the Mobil Speedpass. You make purchases simply by waving such devices in front of contactless readers wherever you find them. Credit issuers want to add the technology to your mobile phone, so you can scan it, too. Credit-enabled phones, while years away in the United States, are already in widespread use elsewhere. In Korea, for example, cell phone users can wave phones at a machine and authorize a transaction of a few Korean wons for a bottle of soda. In the U.S., neither the wireless system nor merchant acceptance is up to the task yet. "I don't expect the industry to have that infrastructure rolled out for at least five years," says Bruce Cundiff, research director, Javelin Strategy and Research. It will probably be 10 years before the majority of credit card transactions are contactless, not to mention phone transactions, he adds. But the list of interested parties includes the industry heavyweights: Visa and MasterCard have held contactless phone trials in major cities such as Atlanta and New York with partners such as Citi, Cingular and Nokia, says Manuel Albers, a director with NXP, co-creator of the contactless phone chip and partner in contactless trials. With 2.7 billion cell phones in circulation globally, credit issuers have plenty of motive for turning the gadgets into contactless credit devices, says Richard Crone, founder, Crone Consulting, LLC, an electronic payments consultant. But what's in it for you?

Regulation Z: Feds move to change credit card rules

Depending on who you ask, today's credit card industry -- a multibillion dollar easy access lending machine -- operates like a deceptive, predatory mafia or is a convenient service for those in need of quick cash.

Let Paynet Systems help your business process credit card transactions

Paynet Systems provides the credit card processing and merchant account services your business needs to compete in today's marketplace -- regardless of whether you run a retail store, wholesale, mail/phone order or e-commerce operation.

Grow your business with American Express card acceptance

Merchants who are looking to grow their business should consider American Express card acceptance. That is because consumer spending on American Express credit cards is typically much higher than on other types of credit cards, while the costs associated with accepting AmEx credit cards through an American Express merchant account are low.