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Card Commentary for Consumers
King Cash The use of cash is still the most popular way to pay but its use is dwindling as consumers plasticize more transactions; some card issuers have come up with ways to help cardholders invest; ATMs could be the future way to vote; and credit card issuers are getting ready to beam offers to personal digital assistants. (Dec 00)	Getting Online Inline VISA is getting tough with e-merchants and how they handle personal cardholder information; response to direct mail credit card solicitations tanks; how many Americans do not have a payment card?; when it comes to paying bills will Americans click? or lick?; and online buyers versus information gatherers. (Nov 00)
Smart Cards USA Credit cards in the USA are finally getting smart; AmEx Blue gets some real competition; credit card costs for e-merchants may decline next year; credit card losses inch up but personal bankruptcies increase; MasterCard is fighting hotel no-shows; and Europe gets the E-go VISA card.(Oct 00)	Card Olympics While the Olympics get underway down under there is a real Olympic race brewing in the US; VISA and MasterCard wait for a judge to decide their future; Internet credit card ads remain hot; U.S. Bank settles a privacy lawsuit and the FTC has reeled-in some real shady loan sharks. (Sep 00)
Time Out After a break in the action, VISA and MasterCard are headed back into the courtroom, this time to defend their business structures and membership rules; here's a review of some of the trial highlights thus far as well as some of the nonpartisan groups throwing in their two cents. (Aug 00)	Big Guy Fight The public is yawning over the U.S. Government's lawsuit to change the business practices of VISA and MasterCard; credit card fee income continues to outpace revenue generated from interest charges; consumer bankruptcy continues to decline; Providian settles its past ways; NextCard creates a new points-based MasterCard while American Express creates an OfferZone for cardholders; July 4th holiday card spending explodes; and BMW beams with a new credit card. (July 00)
Travel Warnings Using your credit cards for summer travel could be hazardous to your financial health as issuers jack-up cash advance fees and foreign transaction fees; fighting high gas prices with special cards; whiz kid wins national awards; teen online shopping may not be that big of a deal; and an Irish clash over credit card marketing. (June 00)	31.99% APR Credit card rates exceed 30% while promo rates decline; bankruptcy reform is bogging down; the FTC slaps a credit card marketer; online credit card users are ethnically diverse but may suffer from PTAD; Canada gets two new cards; the UK gets a Boots Egg credit card and the US gets a WebMiles MasterCard.(May 00)
The WWW Implosion Credit card marketing and the Internet go together like soup and sandwiches, but not so with mortgages; VISA's market share grew a tad last year; Citibank regains leadership from a weakened Bank One; Debit cards surge again in 1999; The GM Card tightens up its rewards program; and a new payment system for teenagers.(Apr 00)	WYSINWYMG Some card offers look too-good-to-true and they might be; credit card interest rates are headed higher this year; plastic is helping the Presidential candidates; the bankruptcy landscape is changing; a new gas card appears; retailers gang up on debit cards; Membership Rewards gets some new partners; and print up movie tickets at home.(Mar 00)
Market Power The ten largest issuers now control more than three quarters of the bank credit card industry; Some banks adjust rates up, while others have introduced even lower rates; Platinum gets some shine, while Gold loses its glitter; Titanium cards continue to pop out of the woodwork; and Is it worth it to charge taxes for air miles? (Feb 00)	The Non-Event Of All Time The "Y2K Bug" has joined "Santa Claus" in mythology; However a "Browser Bug" appears on the Internet; Credit card numbers are hacked and it sends shivers down the spine of the credit card industry; Uncle Sam officially says charge your taxes; Discover picks a New Year's millionaire; and 2000 starts with some nifty cards in the wings. (Jan 00)