More on Upbeat Consumers (and Banks): Fed Reports Card Use Up for Spring

Last week, we reported on findings that consumer confidence was on the rise, and this week, we have some tangible evidence of how that confidence is manifesting.  After a winter slowdown, in part caused by the harsh weather, consumers started to say “charge it!” more often in March.

When New Year’s Was New — Plus: New Cards Coming for the Hacked!

In the spirit of the holidays, we’ve stayed away from some of our “hard news” offerings in this space, to report on more thematically consistent topics, like the history of Christmas gift-giving, or this week — a history of New Year’s itself.

In the News: Card Use Encouraged; Card Use Cut Back

It’s that time of year where we start to monitor the trends over consumer card use — particularly with summer travel season looming. But two other initial trends this spring caught our eye first, and may shed some light on where your customers are at.

Shedding Some Light on “Gelt”

It’s that December mix of holiday time — wrapping up business for the year, and mixing in some seasonal pleasure, celebration, gift-giving, and travel, with it all. We’ll have a similar mix here on the blog heading into the new year, looking at the “fiscal aspects” of some of our seasonal traditions, as well as charting early business indicators for the year ahead.

Accept Online Payment: Providing Additional Convenience to Consumers

Businesses become successful by offering quality products or services. Consumers must be able to acquire these items conveniently for a…

Credit Card Services Are Vital for Providing the Convenience Customers Desire

As a business owner and a consumer, you probably fully understand the frustration that arises when you need to pay for something and cannot with your preferred payment method. If cash is required and not enough is in your pocket, you must drive to the bank or nearest ATM to obtain the correct amount. Writing a check is another possibility if you happen to actually have the checkbook with you. Most customers do not like this inconvenience.