Credit cards confiscated for buying child porn on internet


PEOPLE who use credit cards to look at child pornography on the internet could have their plastic confiscated under changes to the law being proposed today.

The government has begun moves to allow the police and courts to hand names and addresses of online paedophiles to banks and credit card companies. [more]





Miles or points used to pay off credit cards


While consumers continue to earn miles and points in increasing numbers, redeeming them for free travel is becoming more and more difficult, according to loyalty programme operator GlobalPass, which says that frustration over a dwindling supply of reward air travel seats has led consumers to search for other redemption opportunities. [more]





Be wary, well-informed about store credit cards


Q: Are store credit cards worth signing up for, and how do I keep from getting so overwhelmed by it all?
A: It seems that every time shoppers go to a store, they get bombarded by offers to sign up for a store credit card, and it can be so confusing. [more]





The next step in a cashless society: credit cards accepted at Coke machines


It took longer than I would have liked, but of course convenience is worth any price. The ultimate in soda-dispensing technology is here. That's right, Coke machines are now being made that can accept credit cards. It's like the clouds have opened and the gentle song of angels is floating down to my ears. My thirsty, thirsty ears. [more]





Consumer Alert: Fingerprint ID for Credit Cards


Identity theft has become a billion dollar global problem. Now there's a new strategy based on a very old way of accurately identifying someone.

Forget pictures, forget ID badges, even passwords. All you need is literally at your fingertips. [more]


Mobiles morph into credit cards


A NEW technology, near-field communications (NFC), is set to turn phones into credit cards.

Nokia and smartcard supplier Giesecke and Devrient last week announced a joint venture that aims to offer consumer applications, such as credit cards and public transport tickets, wirelessly downloaded from the internet to NFC-capable devices. [more]





Credit cards' costs uncovered


Trying to work out which of the Big Four banks is the cheapest is rather like solving the theory of relativity with an abacus – almost impossible.

At Virgin’s launch into the credit card market on Monday, CEO Sir Richard Branson claimed that South Africans are being “ripped off” to the tune of R1,5bn. The statement added fuel to the fire currently underneath the banks. [more]





Fed: Cards Not to Blame for Bankruptcies


The Federal Reserve said Friday that certain banking industry practices have made it harder for borrowers to pay off debt and that regulators were working to address these problems.

But, in a report issued Friday, the central bank would not link higher levels of credit-card debt directly to an increase in the number of household bankruptcies. [more]





He may have been killed for his credit cards


A MAN and a woman apparently got to know Mr Martin Steiner through the Internet. They arranged to meet at a shopping centre in Sharjah, a neighbouring emirate of Dubai (around 20 km away) on 12 Jun.

The duo then invited Mr Steiner to their flat, where they allegedly killed him. The apparent motive: Robbery. [more]