Guarding credit card information

Merchants need to be sure they are taking all the necessary precautions to protect their customers' credit card information. Losing your customers' credit card information is an easy way to lose your customers.

Credit card fraud targets merchants

Merchants need to be aware of credit card fraud that seeks to prey on small businesses. Recent telephone scams in certain parts of the U.S. involve an identity thief calling a small business in hopes of snagging some credit card information.

Credit card processing for nonprofits

Nowadays, many nonprofit organizations accept donations via credit card, which often means speedier collections of funds and larger donations. Meanwhile, donors appreciate the convenience of plastic and chance to earn perks if they give using their reward credit cards.

Concerned about privacy and security online? You're not alone

Do you feel your credit card information is safe when you shop online? Two newly released reports may give you reason to pause before you answer that question.

Buy Less Live More for Lent

What are you giving up for Lent this year? The Methodist Church of Britain has a theme for Lent that can best be described as the anti-credit card campaign.

J.P. Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo earnings slip

In the latest earnings announcements from major U.S. credit card issuers, both J.P. Morgan Chase and Wells Fargo said their net income declined in the fourth quarter, even as both banks appeared to avoid the full impact of the subprime meltdown.

Second Life bans gambling, predatory banks

Second Life is an Internet-based, virtual world where users interact using avatars (a virtual character you use to represent yourself). Residents create goods (buildings, cars, clothes) and services, and buy and sell them. Members can buy virtual "land." Religious groups meet and singles mingle. Several countries have virtual embassies and many real-world universities have virtual classrooms in Second Life. The virtual world has its own currency: the Linden Dollar. Second Life was once criticized for its lack of moderation, but due to the misuse of the Linden Dollar, it has recently banned virtual gambling and unchartered banks.

FTC seeks credit freeze feedback

Cool: The Federal Trade Commission, as part of its effort to fight identity theft, wants feedback on one of the newest ID-theft tools -- the credit freeze.

The future is now: introducing the digital wallet

In "Mission Impossible," "Minority Report," James Bond movies and even "The Terminator," eyes, fingers and voices are scanned to identify people and give access to secure places and objects. This futuristic type of identification technology, called biometrics, has been featured in movies for decades. Now it is a reality, and it may be the way of the future when it comes to credit cards.

AmEx sees fewer charges, greater delinquencies

American Express sounded a serious warning for the payment card industry yesterday, acknowledging that its cardholders both reduced their spending and were less able to pay their credit card bills in the final month of 2007.