Abstract
The paper considers 15 points regarding the credit card processing industry.

From the Paper
"The credit card industry has been in the news lately as lawmakers passed legislation designed ostensibly to safeguard consumers from unfair credit card practices. While credit card issuers such as Citibank and Bank of America have received considerable attention in the media, the credit card processing industry-that is the businesses that actually process payments-has received less attention. As people lose their jobs and face tougher economic times, they can be forced to use their credit cards even as they are less able to..."

Tags:credit card processing, credit card processing industry

Abstract
This paper discusses Visa, the credit card company, describing the organization and its products and services, then looking at the types of information it processes, including private/sensitive data. The information systems standards used and high-level security requirements are also discussed.

From the Paper
"Visa, the credit card company, is one among many today that are vitally concerned with the issue of security. Visa, like other organizations that maintain sensitive information about its customers, takes great care to protect that private and sensitive information. With programs for preventing e-mail fraud, card security, online security, ATM security and travel security, Visa is at the forefront of credit card companies who take an active role in preventing identity theft. Visa's vision is to be 'the way the world pays' by..."

Tags:Visa, credit card, security, private, sensitive, data, security requirements

Abstract
This paper offers a brief business plan for a small sports autograph and card shop, including an a website for selling the same merchandise and providing information about the sports collectibles market.

From the Paper
"This business will operate a retail store selling sports autographs memorabilia and trading cards. In addition the company will have an online Web site for selling the same merchandise and for providing information about the sports collectibles market..."

Tags:small business plan, sports autograph & card shop, marketing plan

Abstract
This paper uses the brand report card (BRC) to assess the brand strengths and identities of rivals Coke and Pepsi. The paper explains the concept of the BRC.

From the Paper
"The Brand Report Card (BRC) is a concept broached by Kevin Lane Kellerin, his Harvard Business Review article by the same name, identifying ten attributes shared by the world's strongest brands. The brand excels at delivering the benefits customers truly desire, uncovering unmet consumer needs and wants. The brand stays relevant through product improvements that provide better value for customers and by keeping it in line with consumers' tastes, market conditions and new trends that are applicable to the product..."

Tags:brand report card, BRC, Coke, Pepsi, branding, brand identity

Abstract
This paper uses secondary data to analyze the credit card industry along five constructs: (1) Competitive analysis: Porter's Five Forces and PEST analysis, (2) monopoly vs. perfect competition, (3) standardization vs. localization, (4) competition vs. collaboration and (5) revolutionary vs. evolutionary change. The author points out that the existing credit card industry is a mature market, but it still has room to grow as more people become familiar with the allied financial services their credit and debit cards can provide. The paper relates that VISA enjoys the most powerful credit/debit card position in consumer cards especially in business credit cards, with it has extensive and integrated work in payments processing; however, the founders of First Data/Concord EFS were particularly aggressive business people. Many tables and charts.

Table of Contents
Introduction
In Brief
Background
Flies in the First Data Ointment
Objective
Methodology
Structure of the Dissertation
Literature Review
Competitive analysis
Porter's Five Forces
Porter's Five Forces Example
PEST Analysis
Economic Factors
Socio-Cultural Factors
Technological Factors
Literature Review
Monopoly vs. Perfect Competition
Standardization vs. Localization
National Initiatives
Competition vs. Collaboration
Revolutionary vs. Evolutionary Change
Opportunities
Overview of Credit and Debit Card Industries
Top Ten Card Issuers Compared
Bank Card Profitability
Differences between Credit and Debit Cards
U.S. Payment Cards-in-Force (in millions)
Off-Line Debit History
Top 10 U.S. Issuers by Card Loans
Developed vs. Less Developed Nations' Credit Card Use
VISA Volume
2003 Top 10 Countries
Global Financial Cards in Circulation - 2003
Corporate /Commercial vs. Consumer Use
Analysis of VISA's Strategy
VISA's Strengths
VISA's Weaknesses
VISA's Opportunities
VISA's Threats
STP Strategy (Segmentation, Targeting and Positioning)
Conclusion
Conclusions and Recommendations

From the Paper
"From the merchant's point of view, the merger was seen as one that would give them an alternative to VISA and MasterCard. Shortly after the merger, major STAR network contracts with high-profile banks such as Wells Fargo, Wachovia and BankOne were set to expire; this opened the field to some turmoil, in all likelihood, because VISA was already making a play to sign the same institutions for its processing and acceptance capabilities. FirstData/Concord was assumed to have the upper hand, however because analysts thought those two institutions, despite their disparate original sizes, understood contracts of that sort and banks themselves better then VISA. As it turns out, STAR did lose some of its bank contracts, reducing the value of the merger somewhat from the First Data standpoint."

Tags:billpay, constructs, star, debit, aggressive

Abstract
The paper explains how credit card skimming works and describes the damage that can be caused to consumers and credit card companies. The paper looks at the criminal uses of skimmed credit card information, including how it can be used to assist terrorists. Finally, the paper discusses how consumers can keep themselves from being victimized by this form of fraud.

Outline:
Introduction
Credit Card Skimming
The Damage Caused by Credit Card Skimming
Criminal Use of Skimmed Credit Card Information for Financial Profit
Other Uses of Skimmed Credit Card Information
Preventing Credit Card Skimming

From the Paper
"In principle, credit card skimming consists of illegally recording, copying, and unauthorized criminal use of that sensitive consumer information by creating a brand new plastic credit card with all of the valid information belonging to the legitimate owner of the original credit card. The only hardware necessary to steal of the information encoded in a typical consumer credit card is a small card swiper and a means of storing digital information. Once the criminal has that information, he can download it and use illegal computer programs to encode blank credit cards with stolen consumer credit information (Schmalleger 2008)."

Tags:transactions, Internet, terrorism

Abstract
The author of this project plan is an employee of a major credit card company. In this paper, the writer examines issues of consumer confidence, trust and convenience in credit card use. The paper seeks to identify what initiatives have been used by financial institutions in recent years to provide consumers with the confidence they need to safely use their credit cards while avoiding fraudulent transactions in both brick-and-mortar and on line settings. The stated aim of the paper is to suggest what steps can be made to improve consumer confidence in a bank's credit card administration services.

Outline:
Project Plan
Brief Description of the Context of the Study
Project Rationale:
Provisional Reading List
Information about Data and Artifacts
Time Line
References

From the Paper
"Data collection will be accomplished by consulting relevant resources in public and university libraries as well as reliable online research sources such as EBSCO and Questia. Organizational resources including those maintained by Citi Cards will also be consulted. The data to be collected will focus on the impact of initiatives designed to improve consumer confidence in credit card use in quantifiable ways. Keywords and phrases to be used for this purpose will include: "credit cards," "credit card fraud," "Citibank," "international credit," "credit card industry," "online credit," "online credit transactions," "online fraud," "identity theft," "banking security," and so forth. The research process will progress in a step-wise fashion, beginning at the top of an inverted pyramid in terms of generality concerning the areas of interest and proceeding more specifically to the issue of defeating credit card fraud at Citibank. Serendipitously identified resources were also incorporated where appropriate. Exclusion criteria to be included in identifying these resources will be those resources that are less than 10 and preferably less than 5 years old, and published in the English language. This approach is highly congruent with a number of social researchers who emphasize the need to review the existing literature as part of virtually any research project today. For example, Gratton and Jones (2003) note that a review of the relevant literature is an essential task in all research... "

Tags:consumers, accounts, virtual, identity, theft, financial, EBSCO, questia

Abstract
The paper explores whether ID cards will have any impact on problems of identity theft and national security and examines the objections of civil rights groups. The paper considers the previous poor reputation of ID cards in western society, the concerns about biometric information being used on ID cards and the costs of creating and implementing ID cards. The paper also looks at the implementation of ID cards in the United Kingdom that illustrates the difficulties in creating a national system of ID cards. The paper concludes by summarizing the many problems with implementing a national ID card and finally asserting that the implementation of ID cards is unfeasible.

Outline:
Introduction
ID Cards: Reasons for choosing
A Twentieth Century History Of ID Cards
Civil Rights Concerns
Cost
Conclusion

From the Paper
"ID cards have been recently promoted by many Western governments (The UK, the United States, and the European Union, for example), both as a way to combat terrorism, and prevent personal security breaches, such as Identity theft. Despite the attempts to link ID cards to these important concerns, many people still feel that the creation of a National ID card system is a threat to both national liberty, and the individual rights of citizens.
"The setting-up of modern ID cards systems revolves around issues of security, identity theft, and the prevention of fraud. The questions raised by this ideal are concerns about whether any of these problems will be resolved by the creation of national ID cards. If these problems cannot be resolved through the creation of these cards, then this affects the feasibility of implementing the use of ID cards."

Tags:national, security, identity, theft, biometric, data, civil, rights

Abstract
While credit cards give the consumer many advantages, this paper takes a look at how credit cards have pushed the margin on high interest rates, at hidden fees and negative marketing strategies which have put society into debt.

Table of Contents
I. Introduction
A. Americans in credit card debt.
II. Origin of credit cards
A. Dates
B. Statistics
C. Relevant background
III. High Interest rates
A. Interest rates in recent years
B. Usury Laws
C. Who sets these laws?
IV. High Hidden Fees
A. The inflating Interest Rate Game
B. The Grace Period
C. Extra Fees
V. Negative Marketing Strategies
A. What to do first, if you have a complaint
B. Government agencies to contact
C. Can the company get penalties?
VI. Laws and Legislation regarding high interest rates, hidden fees and negative marketing strategies.
A. Truth in Lending Act
B.Governing finance charges
C.EFT Act
VII. CONCLUSION

From the Paper
"Credit cards have become a symbol of the American way of life. Until recently Americans were enjoying a period of wealth and freedom never before experienced in history. They were in a mood to buy, and buy they did. Many turned to credit cards to make the purchases that they desired. Some commodities, such as rental cars cannot be obtained with out plunking down a credit card. While credit cards give the consumer many advantages, credit cards have pushed the margin on high interest rates, hidden fees and negative marketing strategies, putting society in to debt."

Tags:interest, consumer, dept, economy, loan, social

Abstract
The paper relates that the credit card is responsible for the deterioration of the family's ability to manage their finances in an acceptable manner. The author validates the hypothesis that as consumers continue to incorporate credit card spending into their cultural practices, the economic impact will be the dissolution of one's economic buying power and stability. The paper researches whether additional financial education and training at the secondary level will help curb spending and the current acceptance of debt payment and debt equity as a norm of society.

Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Literature Review
Method
Analysis
Conclusion

From the Paper
"There is mounting evidence that the United States has become what many refer to as a "credit card nation" (Manning, 2000, p. 3), one dependent on debtor financing as an accepted and oft used form of payment among the wealthy and poor alike. The use of credit as a form of payment serves may purposes, including increasing the social status of independent users and providing users the opportunity to access services and commodities they may not otherwise have the opportunity to enjoy (Klein, 1999). Along with this opportunity however, also comes a financial obligation, one many consumers fail to recognize when they accept credit card financing as a primary vehicle for achievement and success (Klein, 1999)."

Tags:payments, debt, equity, economic, downfall, dependency, spending