An online news portal – economictimes.indiatimes.com about business and economy, quotes a statement about ICICI Prudential MF Visa Debit Card payment service of Company, “This feature will provide easy accessibility to investors by facilitating mutual fund purchase on their website through Visa debit cards.”

So, ICICI Prudential MF Visa Debit Card payment service is introduced to provide an easy accessibility for buying mutual fund through Visa debit cards.

Further the press release says, “ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund plans to introduce Visa PoS (Point of sales) terminals in seven cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad offering investors the convenience of purchasing mutual fund schemes by swiping their Visa Debit card.”

So, ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund has tried to introduce Visa PoS in seven cities – including Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad. The PoS offers investors the convenience of purchasing mutual fund schemes. They can do it just swiping their Visa Debit card.

ICICI Prudential MF Visa Debit Card payment service is a much appreciating service like PremierMiles Credit Card of Citibank.

An online news portal about business and economy – economictimes.indiatimes.com, quotes a statement of ICICI Bank Managing Director and CEO Chanda Kochhar, “I feel that we have to grow beyond the number of existing) branches… Over the next 2-3 years, we would continue to add branches at the rate of 400-500 per year.”

Further the news portal writes, “The bank, which reported a 30.5 per cent increase in net profit to Rs 1,437 crore during the quarter ending December 31, has been expanding its branch network at rapid pace. Presently, it has about 2,500 branches and 5,800 ATMs.

Kochhar is here as one of the six co-chairs of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum being attended by the world’s top CEOs, heads of states, academicians and even faith leaders.

The Indian government yesterday decided to honour Kocchar with the Padam Bhushan, a civilian award given by the state in recognition of an individual’s achievements.”

In the analysis, the news portal writes, “ICICI Bank, which was quite aggressive on personal loans till 2008, has shifted focus and it has been concentrating on corporate sector financing as one of the key areas of “sustainable growth”.

With the private sector expected to play a major role in infrastructure financing, projected at USD 1 trillion in the next 5-6 years, ICICI Bank would remain active in areas like roads and power.”

It is the biggest event for ICICI bank after the launch of a new credit car jointly with Kingfisher.

An online news portal about business and economy – economictimes.indiatimes.com, writes about PremierMiles credit card of Citibank, “Under the programme, card members earn 10 premier miles for every 100 spent on airline ticket bookings made at airline-owned websites, airline booking counters or through the PremierMiles portal. For each non-airline spend worth 100, the card holder can earn 2.5 miles.

Upon activation, the card account is credited with 5,000 premier miles. If you incur expenses of 4 lakh using this card in a year, you will be entitled to a bonus of 2,500 premier miles. The points so earned cannot be clubbed with the frequent flyer points you may have earned.

The card membership also entitles the holder access to VIP lounges at airports across the world and offers on accommodation at hotels in the network. The card comes with a built-in overseas medical insurance and fraud protection plan.

Those wishing to obtain the card will have to shell out an annual fee of 5,000, which could be seen by some, particularly those looking for a diverse rewards programme, as trifle expensive for a primarily airline focused card. To redeem the points collected, card holders will have to visit the bank’s designated portal. They can also make their flight ticket bookings through the site.”

So, PremierMiles credit card of Citibank helps in booking air ticket specially. Card holder earns miles also from the card.

Further the news portal writes about the benefits of PremierMiles credit card, “The rewards programme is not restricted to any particular airline. Miles accumulated can be redeemed for tickets of several international and domestic airlines, including low-cost carriers.”

PremierMiles credit card of Citibank is considered as the best card after Multi-utility Cards of Corporation Bank.

It is an ICICI Bank Kingfisher Airlines MasterCard Credit Card. The card enables the holder to earn accelerated miles for all cards spend. You can get bonus miles on joining and renewal.

Subscribers of ICICI Bank Kingfisher Airlines MasterCard Credit Card can get complimentary upgrade vouchers, membership of King Club, Kingfisher Airlines’ frequent flyer programme, and a range of special offers on shopping. They will be able to enjoy with golfing and dining also.

A Raghunathan who is the Kingfisher Airlines’ Chief Financial Officer said in a statement, “This card is set to be a game-changer with an unmatched value proposition and a host of benefits.”

An online news portal – economictimes.indiatimes.com about business and economy, writes about ICICI Bank Kingfisher Airlines MasterCard Credit Card, “ICICI Bank Kingfisher Airlines MasterCard Credit Card enables the holder to earn accelerated miles for all card spends, bonus miles on joining and renewal, complimentary upgrade vouchers, membership of King Club, Kingfisher Airlines’ frequent flyer programme, and a range of special offers on shopping, golfing and dining.” It was also quoted by an official press release.

Further the press release adds, “The miles earned can be redeemed for free flight tickets and upgrade vouchers with the leading private airlines.”

So, it will offer a redeemed point also for free flight tickets and upgrade vouchers with the leading private airlines.

ICICI Bank Kingfisher Airlines MasterCard Credit Card will be available in three variants – World, Platinum and Titanium.

So, it is a joint credit card of ICICI Bank and Kingfisher Airlines with some good benefits for the customers. There are many new features in these cards for the different needs of customers. It is a very good co-branded credit card after Co-Branded Credit Cards by Aditya Birla Group and SBI Card.

Currently, HDFC has announced to give the facility to its customers. The enhanced limits for ATM withdrawals would save the consumers from running to bank branches. Currently, you are able to withdraw Rs 50,000 in a day through your ATMs.

Withdrawal upto Rs one lakh in a day to the HDFC customers effects from June 1. Other banks will also announce the policy soon.

About the enhanced ATMs withdrawal economictimes.indiatimes.com, an online news portal about business and economy writes, “The ATM withdrawal limit for HDFC Bank Imperia Gold Debit Cards now stands increased to Rs 1 lakh, and that for shopping to Rs 1.25 lakh, from Rs 50,000 per day.”

Further the news portal writes about the debit shopping, “Besides, the ATM card and shopping limit for Easy Shop Regular International/ Maestro/ NRO Debit Cards would stand increased to Rs 25,000 and Rs 40,000 respectively, from Rs 15,000 and 25,000 respectively.”

The news portal writes about the kid’s advantage, “Also the holders of Kid’s Advantage Debit Cards can withdraw and shop for Rs 2,500 in a single day, higher from Rs 1,500 and Rs 1,000 currently.”

“Further, for Women debit Card holders will get to withdraw Rs 25,000 from ATMs from Rs 20,000. Also customers can shop for up to Rs 40,000 crore with debit cards, from the present Rs 30,000.”

Further the news portal quotes a statement of HDFC, “The above revised limit are not applicable to the card holders whose current limit are different from the ones stated above and will continue to enjoy their requested/offered limits as sanctioned before.”

The new policy will save banks and customers both times. Both will get double advantage.

About the “Pay with Points”, economictimes.indiatimes.com, an online news portal writes, “American Express, through its Membership Rewards program, has introduced ‘Pay with Points’, a feature that makes booking flights easier and faster than before for its Platinum cardmembers and the Platinum Reserve credit cardmembers. Pay with Points feature allows cardmembers to instantly redeem membership rewards points for all or part of the cost of any leading airline ticket without blackout dates or restriction when booking travel through American Express Membership Travel Services.”

The “Pay with Points” allows card members to redeem membership rewards points for all or part of the cost of any leading airline ticket without blackout dates or restriction when booking travel through American Express Membership Travel Services.

Simran Kalra who is the vice president, product management & development, American Express, said to the ET, “In the past, American Express cardmembers were able to convert rewards points to frequent flyer miles with Membership Rewards partner airlines. Now in addition, with this ‘Pay with Points’ feature, our cardmembers have an option to use their membership reward points to fly on any leading airlines free of blackout dates or restrictions or memberships to Frequent Flyer programmes.”

With this “Pay with Points”, American Express Card Members will fly on any leading airlines free of blackout dates or restrictions.

Further the news portal writes, “Cardmembers can call American Express Membership Travel Services to book tickets availing of a choice of airlines to fly including leading domestic and over 50 international airlines. Cardmembers can pay for tickets by combining points with part payment on their American Express Platinum Cards as well as pay fully with the points earned.”

The feature allows you to fly including leading domestic and over 50 international airlines. It is the biggest news just like World Travel Card of PNB.

About the company said in a statement to ET, “LIC Cards Services Ltd has launched Card Protection Plan for its credit card customers in partnership with CPP Assistance Services… and it safeguards all of the LIC cardholder’s payment cards – credit, debit and ATM cards.”

Further they add, “Besides, customers will be able to retrieve important details on lost/stolen documents like passport, PAN and driving license. Customers would need to purchase a membership plan offered by LIC and register their cards.”

For the service, customers have to pay an annual fee of Rs 995 and Rs 1,295. About the service charges ET quotes a statement, “The difference between the two is in the Assistance services limits and fraud protection limits provided to the consumer”.

In another article, Economic Times writes about the tips of protection of credit cards fraud, “Never write your personal identification number (PIN) on your card. Instead memorise it or keep the number separately from your card.”

“…Do not provide photocopies of both the sides of your card to anyone. This is because the card verification value (CVV), which is required for online transactions, is printed on the reverse of the card. Anyone can use the card for online purchases if the information is available with one.”

“…Before shopping online, make certain the internet shopping sites are secure. For this you should check out the encryption software it uses.”

“…Don’t give out your credit card number online unless you know and trust the company in question.”

“…Do not give any information to persons seeking credit card information over phone unless you have yourself initiated the talk. They may even claim to be a bank’s representative, but you actually don’t know who they really are.”

So, if you are going to use your credit cards, follow above mentioned suggestions to protect from fraud. We already have discussed about how to enhance online security.

An ABN Amro spokeswoman called the move a standard industry practice to ET, “As a responsible lender, we review card limits and take appropriate action on an ongoing basis to protect our customers and manage risk.” She had replied by an email. According to her, “The bank’s strategy could be to discourage users and get them to give up their cards or reduce their credit exposure.”

In an analysis, economictimes.indiatimes.com, an online news portal of economy and business, writes, “ABN Amro, owned by UK’s troubled Royal Bank of Scotland, or RBS, has also decided to freeze fresh retail lending, including credit card and personal loans, to arrest a pile-up of bad loans.”

On the other hand, Deutsche Bank is set to launch WorldMiles credit card against airline tickets. The card comes in two variants – Platinum and Signature.

About the card, ET writes, “While the joining fee for the Platinum variant is Rs 5,000, one will have to shell out Rs 7,500 for the Signature card. In addition, the annual maintenance fees amount to Rs 1,500 and Rs 2,500, respectively.

The card and the programme are operational on a pilot basis, and the bank is planning a full-fledged launch shortly.”

WorldMiles card allows the users to redeem points or flight miles accumulated by booking flight tickets using the card.

On the one hand, we are seeing the credit crisis that results cuts limit on cards. On the other hand, we find some advantage of WorldMiles by Deutsche Bank.

Overall, in the industry of credit cards, some banks are in the crisis while some banks are searching new market to run their business. Recently launched Corporation Bank’s Multi-utility Card was also very effective.

According to the statement, “Corporation Bank would be the first Indian bank to come out with a one-stop technical solution through a combo card — a fusion of credit, debit and pre-paid cards.” The statement was published in Economic Times online news paper.

Further ET includes one more statement that was said by B R Bhat Corporation Bank’s General Manager, “We are planning to launch the combo card this year. However, we are still fine-tuning our plans. There is this proposal and we will launch a pilot programme first … may be in Mumbai in the next six months. Though the combo card concept is widely accepted in developed countries, India is yet to witness its benefits by which a person can use a single card as a debit, credit, and pre-paid card. The bank has the infrastructure but the problem is there is no infrastructure at the user-end and we have to create that first. We can make the facility available at our ATMs but then there were the ATMs of other banks and Point of Sales. So, this may take some time.”

As per the statement, benefits of the combo card are possible in developed country. However, concept of multi-utility cards by Corporation Bank for Indian users would be possible in coming future.

Corporation Bank talks about problem of infrastructures also for uses of multi-utility cards. I think that if the card launches recently in India then it would be available on Corporation Bank’s ATMs only because of infrastructure problem.

Multi-utility cards of Corporation Bank will be surly a new technology for Indian users. The combo card is very unique just like mShop card.

Co-Branded credit cards of Aditya Birla Group and SBI Card will be available for 8-million customers of Aditya Birla Group companies–Aditya Birla Retail, Aditya Birla Financial Services Group (which includes Birla Sun Life Insurance and Birla Sun Life Mutual Funds), IDEA and Madura Garments.

Initiative for the card will be taken by the financial services arm of the Aditya Birla Group – Aditya Birla Financial Services.

Economic Times writes a statement of Srinivasan about the card, “The Aditya Birla Group already has a strong presence in the financial services business, as a significant player in the non-bank space. And we are committed to meet all the felt and unfelt financial needs of our target customer. Today, we take yet another step in that direction, with the signing of a MoU with SBI Card, to offer a co-branded credit card to the customers of the Aditya Birla Group.”

On the other hand, Gupta said to ET, “We are pleased to partner with the Aditya Birla Group…bringing new products that offer greater value to our customers has been an ongoing endeavor for us at SBI Card.”

Co-Branded credit cards of Aditya Birla Group and SBI Card will be made available across more than 2000 retail outlets of Aditya Birla Group companies. The news was published in ET online news paper.

It is not first co-branded card of SBI but the bank already have launched many co-branded credit cards. In spite of, co-branded credit cards with Aditya Birla Group will surly increase the financial strength of State Bank of India.

Recently, SBI had introduced mShop card with the collaboration of GE Capital. It is the second step of State Bank of India to introduce new co-branded card services in just 2 months.