Credit Cards News

This is Money30 June 2006 MASTERCARD is under investigation for allegedly fixing minimum prices retailers must pay for accepting MasterCard and Maestro payment cards, the European Commission confirmed today. WANT TO KNOW MORE? OFT to continue card fee battle EU clampdown on card fees Banks face card charges probe DEAL FINDER: Credit card best buys OTHER STORIES Five years on: 10% worse ...

By David Burrows LONDON (Reuters) - Unsolicited credit card cheques should be banned, say many consumer groups who blame them for making the problem of ever-growing personal debt levels even worse. A survey by financial comparison service uSwitch.com found such cheques cost UK consumers 179 million pounds in interest and charges last year. Over 18 million cardholders had been sent credit card cheques by their card company and 98 percent were unsolicited. uSwitch has called for a ban on unsol ...

By David Burrows LONDON (Reuters) - The credit card is 40 years old this week but with Britain now accounting for two thirds of the EU's personal debt, consumer groups are not exactly lining up to wish it a happy birthday. British consumers have taken to plastic with gusto since Barclaycard made its entrance back in 1966. The UK is the only European country that has more credit cards than people -- perhaps showing how many people have more than one credit or store card. But the card that mak ...

LONDON (Reuters) - The European Union's top antitrust regulator has formally charged credit card company MasterCard Inc (MA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) with breaking its rules by restricting competition between banks, the Financial Times said on Thursday. In a report posted on its Web site, the newspaper said the European Commission found MasterCard restricted competition between member banks b ...

By David Burrows LONDON (Reuters) - The credit card is 40 years old this week but with Britain now accounting for two thirds of the EU's personal debt, consumer groups are not exactly lining up to wish it a happy birthday. British consumers have taken to plastic with gusto since Barclaycard made its entrance back in 1966. The UK is the only European country that has more credit cards than peopl ...

Isabelle Kassam28 June 2006 IT was 40 years ago. Twiggy was our favourite model, the film Alfie was a box-office smash, Britain was swinging to the sound of pirate radio. . . oh, and England won the World Cup. Amid all this excitement, Barclaycard launched Britain's first credit card, giving an initial one million customers the chance to spend on the never-never. Condemned for encouraging debt and loved for their flexibility, these cards are now an integral part of our everyday lives. To ...

Simon Moon, This is Money28 June 2006 TESCO Personal Finance is challenging the big banks with the launch of a business credit card, available exclusively to the UK's 2.5m sole traders. CHALLENGE: The new business credit cards mark a change of tactics for Tesco Personal Finance OTHER STORIES Pay up or it will go to court Talk to me, says red tape cutter Enterprise winners are named EasyPizza founder wins fight over name Did Benjys tell its traders the truth? SM ...

Debt Free Direct Chief Exec Andrew RedmondDEBT Free Direct, a north west firm which helps consumers grappling with credit card bills and other liabilities, unveiled a bumper rise in profits and announced plans to enter the Australian market. The AIM-listed company, based in Chorley, posted pre-tax profits of £4.8m for the year April 30, up from £1.54m in 2005 and ahead of market expectations. Turnover rocketed 93 per cent, from £8.4m to £16.23m, as the firm completed an average of 422 indivi ...

Stephen Womack, Mail on Sunday28 June 2006 YOU could buy a new Ford Cortina for £485 and a gallon of petrol for 28p. The average factory worker earned only £17 a week, but beer cost 10p a pint. CARD PIONEERS: The Wallingtons were one of Barclaycard's first customers WANT TO KNOW MORE? DEAL FINDER: Great credit cards BEST BUY: Credit cards EXPERTS: Card qeustions answered OTHER STORIES We need to know the score Free help to tackle big debts New on the mark ...

By Steve Slater LONDON (Reuters) - Barclaycard, the country's first and biggest credit card, celebrates its 40th birthday on Thursday after having revolutionised spending habits, but it is now suffering along with others from consumers' mounting bad debts. Barclays (BARC.L: Quote, Profile, Research) , the country's third-biggest bank, launched Barclaycard on June 29, 1966, when The Beatles' "Paperback Writer" was at number one, England were about to win the soccer World Cup for the only time s ...