Business Card Credit Merchant Service

The mobile revolution - the collision of the internet and the world of mobile communications - is already changing the way we work and live. High levels of mobile phone penetration and internet access combine with widespread credit card usage to offer the prospect of a multitude of new business opportunities. But what are the most promising areas of m-commerce? Which are the most significant new technologies? How will mobile devices, networks and applications develop as we move towards the third-generation (3G) world? "Mobile Business Strategies explores the new mobile world, looks into the future and considers the emerging trends. It discusses the roles of financial institutions, operators, content providers and other key parties in the mobile commerce value chain. Core technologies are addressed from a strategic perspective, familiarizing the reader with both the possibilities and the limitations of the mobile environment. After an in-depth examination of potential corporate and consumer solutions, the book concludes with a more detailed analysis of two crucial areas: location-based services and mobile portals. Required reading for operators, financial institutions, web portals, content providers, systems integrators, and anyone looking to master the challenges of the mobile internet, "Mobile Business Strategies provides: A strategic overview of the most promising mobile technologies and their potential applicationAn understanding of the intrinsic differences between m-commerce and e-commercePractical and hype-free advice for securing competitive advantage in this fast-moving field40 mobile business case studies from around the world.

In today's world of electronic cash transfers, automated teller machines, and credit cards, the image of the musty, junk-laden pawnshop seems a relic of the past. But it is not. The 1980s witnessed a tremendous boom in pawnbroking. There are now more pawnshops than ever before in U.S. history, and they are found not only in large cities but in towns and suburbs throughout the nation. As John Caskey demonstrates in Fringe Banking, the increased public patronage of both pawnshops and commercial check-cashing outlets signals the growing number of American households now living on a cash-only basis, with no connection to any mainstream credit facilities or banking services. Fringe Banking is the first comprehensive study of pawnshops and check-cashing outlets. It profiles their operations, their customers, and their recent growth from small family-owned shops to such successful outlet chains as Cash America and ACE America's Cash Express. Further, it explains why, in spite of interest rates and fees that are substantially higher than those of banks, their use has so dramatically increased. According to Caskey, declining family earnings, changing family structures, a growing immigrant population, and lack of household budgeting skills greatly reduced the demand for bank deposit services among millions of Americans. In addition, banks responded to 1980s regulatory changes by increasing fees on deposit accounts with small balances and closing branches in numerous poor urban areas. These factors combined to leave many low- and moderate-income families without access to checking privileges, credit services, and bank loans. Pawnshops and check-cashing outlets provide such families with essentialfinancial services they cannot obtain elsewhere, and often meet additional needs by selling money orders, arranging wire transfers of funds, and handling utilities payments.