Another non-bank moves into the banking arena after retailer Woolworths signed a deal with HSBC to issue the Woolworths’ credit card, due for release later this year.

The deal was a result of a global tender process undertaken by Woolworths’ financial services team last year.

“HSBC is a global leader in credit cards with world class technology and expertise,” Michael Luscombe, Woolworths’ CEO, said.

HSBC has long-term successful partnerships with large retailer card programs overseas, such as, Marks & Spencer’s in the UK and Saks in the USA.

“HSBC manages over 125 million credit cards worldwide, with established co-branded and white label alliances with over 100 of the world’s most respected companies, “ Stuart Davis, chief executive of HSBC Bank Australia, said.

Luscombe noted, “HSBC’s experience makes it a perfect partner for Woolworths to leverage our unique distribution reach and customer base in Australia.”

Woolworths stores process 114 million transactions or 11 per cent of all credit card transactions in Australia each year.

The companies are expected to sign a formal agreement by the end of first quarter 2008.

source [Full article here]

The new David Jones American Express card will be launched in time to capitalize on the busy Christmas trading period, which last year generated sales of about A$36 billion.

David Jones’ financial services business will deliver at least 7.5 percent earnings before interest and tax growth (EBIT) a year over fiscal year 2008, it said in the statement.

More on the David Jones Credit Card

It’s looking bad for over 350,ooo Victorians who are juggling more than 3 credit card or charge cards at the same time. Finance counselors are seeing people who can’t afford to pay off their credit cards debts by taking out more credit cards to pay off the debt of the initial credit card and subsequent cards.

” It’s not unusual for people we see to have six or more credit cards.” - Jan Pentland : Australian Financial Counselling and Credit Reform Association.

read more

Borrowers should be wary of banks seeking to recover the higher cost of credit due to the global credit crunch over coming months. Total personal lending and credit card debt rose by 13.2 per cent over the past year to $151 billion. Some credit card and fixed loan rates have already headed north and the big banks issued warnings over the closing months of 2007 that there would be more to come. Markets are also tipping that there is a strong possibility of an increase in the official cash rate when the Reserve banks meets again at the beginning of February. With Bendigo Bank’s variable home loan rate already at 8.60 per cent compared with a standard rate of 8.57 per cent it will pay for consumers to shop around for the best rates.

By News.com.au

Just like the large Department Stores Myer and David Jones, that offer the customers with instore credit cards. Woolmorths, Australia’s largest supermarket chain will be following suit by offering their customers the Woolworths credit card. The Woolworths credit card is due to be released next year.

Woolworths is expected to offers extra services like home and car insurance and loans.

Now it’s Woolworths, the credit card people

Research by research group Oxera has found that the typical median-income Australian family pays $222 each year for a transaction account, while an equivalent family in Britain only pays $48. The news is better on the credit card front though: our average interest free period of 35 days ranked in the middle of the 11 countries surveyed and our rates are not particularly high after taking into account differences in the cash rate. Penalty fees for late payment, overdrawing accounts or exceeding card limits can be up to $150 in Britain but are usually less than $40 here. Australian consumers are also offered a wider choice of account types which means that fees can be minimised by taking a basic bank product or higher fees can be paid for a product with more features.

Source: www.infochoice.com.au

Virgin Money are going to resist passing on to their customers any increases in funding costs for now, accepting reduced margins instead. Virgin’s home loans are funded by residential-backed mortgage securities from Macquarie bank which has a 10 per cent stake in the company. If the current level of expense in credit markets persists for a long period Virgin said that it would have to consider raising rates. The company also said yesterday that its credit card business was very profitable despite offering some of the lowest rates in the country.

source: http://www.infochoice.com.au

The Australian Bankers Association has called for an end to regulation of interchange fees on debit and credit cards by the Reserve Bank of Australia. Instead the association says that interchange fees should be set on commercial terms by the market, helping to restore regulatory certainty, and reducing the risk of sub-optimal levels of investment and innovation. In its submission to the review of payments system reforms American Express said that they had given merchants a significant and ongoing financial benefit, estimated to be at least $2.2 billion since 2003, but that there was no evidence of any decrease in the price of goods and services resulting from this.

Source http://www.infochoice.com.au

Those long waits at the checkout counter will be a thing of past if NAB and Telstra have their way. Both companys have teamed up with VISA to trial the new technology that allows customers to authorise payments by waving their mobile phone past special electronic markers.

The new mobile phone could potentiall replace the credit card as well as public transport tickets and building access security cards.

The new technology is currently being tested overseas, with Australia set to trial the PayWave technology early 2008.

Source: Infochoice.com.au

Customer of the ANZ bank that currently hold a Centrelink Health Care Card, Seniors Concession Card, Pensioners Concession Card, or Veterans Affairs issued Repatriation Health Care Cards, will receive a reduced dishonor fee for cash advances that go over the credit card limit. The cash advance dishonor fee will be reduces from $35 TO $10.
The new policy will take effect from 1 December.

Source: Infochoice.com.au

NAB’s latest ATM fee rise should generate the company around $50 Million in the next year.

The fees effect NAB customers using other bank ATMs. unfortunately for NAB customers, the bank is currently upgrading their ATM’s, leaving NAB customers having to use competitor ATM’s.

Even when the ATM service returns to normal, NAB stands to reap an additional $4.5 million per month from the higher fee it extracts from its 3 million customers.

More About NAB’s ATM fee rise

THE stock market returned to positive territory at the close today, with strong gains in the resources sector helping the bourse recover from its big falls on Friday.

More: continued here

A new survey has revealed business confidence has jumped to its highest level in three-and-a-half years.

More: continued here

The Australian share market made a surprising comeback this afternoon, to close almost 0.5 per cent higher.

More: continued here

THE dollar closed weaker today as nervousness about the share market restrained carry traders.

More: continued here

Business customers were happier with their banks in June after a year of falling sentiment, a survey shows.St George Bank had the highest overall customer sentiment rating, while the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA) had the lowest score.

More: continued here

THE US dollar fell to a two-month low against the yen and hovered near a record low against the euro today as worries about US sub-prime mortgage woes weighed on the currency.

More: continued here

THE Australian dollar has hit a new 18-year high in trading on financial markets today as it races towards US90 cents and beyond as the US dollar drifts lower and lower.

More: continued here