My longstanding recommendation that you rely primarily on plastic for travel money — credit cards for big-ticket items, debit (ATM) cards for cash — remains as valid as ever. In some cases, you can avoid fees and losses entirely; in others you pay something but lose less than any other way. For foreign travel, especially, you can’t beat plastic. Credit …
Prepaid card market is expanding – don’t miss it!
Prepaid debit cards are everywhere these days — and so are their fees. The cards allow you to load cash onto them and are accepted by businesses just like other types of plastic. Prepaid debit cards are everywhere these days — and so are their fees. The cards allow you to load cash onto them and are accepted by businesses …
To reduce theft – Amsterdam shops go cash free
A number of shops in Amsterdam will refuse to accept cash money from the end of this month in an experiment to try to reduce robberies. The city council is buying the smart card pin machines for some shop keepers so they can take part in the experiment. It is also funding posters and leafleting to make shoppers aware of …
Case study of plastic cards use: Millennium & Copthorne launches loyalty programme
Millennium & Copthorne Hotels (M&C) has launched a new loyalty programme in the UK in a bid retain custom as business travel slowly recovers. The M&C Loyalty Club has three tiers of membership, Classic, Gold and Diamond, with points from qualifying stays redeemable against a range of food and beverage and lifestyle rewards. Other card benefits include complimentary room upgrades and …
Case study – Pizza maker’s loyalty program
Increasing Customer Loyalty: A Case Study California-based pizza maker zpizza understands the importance of repeat custom to its business, having recently run an integrated direct marketing campaign combining mail, e-mail and mobile to entice consumers to join its ‘ztribe’ loyalty club. The chain – which is known for making gourmet pizza with unique toppings – is hoping to build the …
How to boost your town’s economy with plastic cards?
There are roughly 11,000 people living in Fruita who may be eating and shopping a lot somewhere other than where they live. The way city officials see it, there’s no reason they can’t do those things at the west end of the Grand Valley. And they’re hoping to give them some incentive to do just that and at the same …
First smart travel cards for bus passengers in Wales
BUS passengers in a Welsh city are to become the first outside London to use pre-paid smart cards to travel. The passes, which are similar to London’s Oyster cards, will be introduced by Newport Bus on Monday. They will be available in weekly, monthly and annual card types and will work by being held against the bus ticket machine. A …