Consumers Could Pay More if the European Commission Caps Credit Card Fees

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The European Commission (EU) has threatened to cap the credit card processing charges that banks impose on businesses and shops. In turn, the banks have threatened to add higher fees and other charges onto cards used by consumers. When it all finally boils down, it’s likely that UK households will take another hit in their billfolds.

As it stands now, credit cards like MasterCard and Visa charge businesses a 0.9 percent charge on all credit card purchases. This credit card fee costs businesses 850 million annually. The charge in debit cards is 0.2 percent. The EU wants to set a flat service charge fee of 0.3 percent.

On further examination, this matter gets more complex. The fees that businesses pay to banks are known as interchange fees. These fees cover the bank’s costs of processing credit card transactions such as fraud insurance and administration. Shops and businesses give banks different interchange fees based on size. Big retailers generating tons of sales tend to pay a smaller interchange fee. A mom and pop store will pay a larger interchange fee. These fees can vary from 2.5 to 0.1 percent.

The European Commission (EC) estimates that this fee payment market has a value of 112 billion. The EC is laying out the argument that the credit card sector is expensive and fragmented. Retailers tend to agree with the EC opinion. The British Retail Consortium (BRC) has been hammering the EC for a decade to end what it calls excessive and anti-competitive fees for processing credit cards. The BRC argues that consumers will benefit via lower prices if the fees are capped. At present, retailers eat these fees and charge them back into the business.

“We’re delighted with this landmark proposal,” said Helen Dickinson, the BRC director. “Capping these excessive and anti-competitive fees will support the UK retail industry by 362 million a year, boosting the industry’s ability to invest and innovate while continuing to deliver lower prices and value for customers,” Dickinson added in an interview at Daily Mail.

MasterCard Europe contends that if this EC cap goes through, consumers will be hit with a 25 annual fee per credit card. Marion King, president of MasterCard, warned that lower fees will result in less income for issuing banks, and that will force banks to charge consumers for using cards.

The EC fee proposal will force credit card companies to separate their payment card schemes from the business division that processes transactions. Essentially, this would destroy the current credit card model. The Financial Times (FT) describes this matter as the final battle in the long war between EU bureaucrats and payment providers. The Commission proposal calls for a 0.2 percent cap on debit transactions. Credit card fees would be capped at 0.3 percent. The EC estimates that EU debit card fees will be cut to 2.5 billion from 4.8 billion. Credit card fees will tumble to 3.5 billion from 5.7 billion.

Top Reasons People Take Out Personal Loans

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Life can throw little curve balls at you all the time and sometimes those curve balls can get expensive. When people get hit with bills they cannot pay, or they start to make future plans that they need to finance, many will turn to taking out a personal loan. Check and see if any of these top reasons that people take out a small loan apply to you and your situation.

Home Renovation – One of the more expensive rooms in your home to renovate is the kitchen and when it comes time to put in a new sink or a new kitchen floor then a small loan is a great way to finance it. You can also use a loan to put some new appliances in as well.

New Computer – If you find yourself with a need to be connected to the rest of the world then you are in need of a new computer. You could sign up for a credit account with the computer manufacturer but the chances are pretty good that the interest rate on that account will be fairly high. The solution could be a small loan, with a low interest rate, as a way to finance your new computer.

Big Screen – People who love movies tend to invest in some of the better movie watching equipment and a prime investment for any movie lover is a home entertainment theatre system. For a really impressive plasma screen, speaker system and proper seating your finances might need a little lift, all for the love of movies.

Landscape – Many people use their garden as their escape from the rest of the world and if you really want to take your garden to the next level then you need some serious landscaping. You can finance your garden landscaping and, when the garden is done, you will have your own oasis from the rest of the world. Not only this, the resale value of your home will be boosted by the improved garden.

Backyard Pool – When the weather is hot every Aussie wishes they had a swimming pool installed in time to fend off the heat of the summer sun. Having a swimming pool installed is a great gift for your family!

Fun on the Water – Some people look to the open waters as their source of relaxation and to do that you need a boat. Buying a boat to get away from it all is something that doesn’t come cheap. After the boat, you’ll need to moor it, have a boat license and pay for fuel and upkeep.

Wedding Bells – The happiest day of a young couple’s life can also be one of the most expensive days. A young couple seeking to get married, enjoy the day and invite the family, then jet off to some exotic island for the honeymoon is enough to make some people postpone their big day until they’ve saved up enough. A small loan might be a wise idea, to speed up that joyous day!

A Family Holiday – At some point everyone just needs to get away from it all and go on holiday but many people do not take that well needed rest because they feel they do not have the finances, and perhaps they do not have the cash flow right then and there. A low interest rate loan can get you on the beach and away from it all in no time.

Cash Flow – Sometime you can get caught in a situation where you need additional cash flow to fund a hobby you have taken up or maybe invest in a idea that you have been cultivating for a very long time. A personal loan can help you increase your cash flow and bring your ideas to life.

The Lowdown on the Orchard Bank Secured Credit Card

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When your credit history is proving to be a hindrance to your financial well-being, perhaps it is time for you to get a secured credit card. One of the cards worth your consideration would be the Orchard Bank MasterCard secured card issued by the HSBC Bank of Nevada.

This card targets customers with poor or limited credit ratings, and aids them towards improving their credit histories. A secured credit card works by requiring the card holder to deposit cash into their credit card account prior to utilization. This way, this credit card prevents its card owners from incurring more debt whilst helping them re-establish their credit history.

An additional advantage unique to this card is that the deposits in the account are paid interests by the bank. In the effort to establish a healthy credit rating, customers must bear in mind that late payments must be avoided, and they have to be aware of the current annual percentage rate for the card as the APR of the Orchard Bank Secured Credit card is based on a variable rate. Although, the regular rate now stands at 15.90%, the actual rate is dependent on the Prime Rate. APRs for cash advances are higher than most cards at 23.40%, with a minimum rate of 19.99%.

Interestingly enough, the annual fees for the Orchard Bank Secured Credit Card is lower than other most unsecured credit cards. Balances above $1000 will only incur fees of $35 whilst card holders who have charged more than their credit limits will only be charged only $29. Also, there are periodic reviews of the credit limit for each account, so regular payments will enable the card holder to obtain higher credit limits and at the same time improving their credit history.

Finally, the Orchard Bank secured credit card also offers a lot of perks not evident in other competing credit cards. These would include Internet services, emergency replacements for stolen cards as well as numerous protection services against fraud and identity theft.

Bondara The Best Online Store For Your Sex Toy Pruchases

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When speaking of sex toys and aids, there can be a good shop near you. However, When it comes to the huge selection and efficiency of the products, there is only one best name. That is one of UKs most successful online sotres, which is Bondara..

As you know, different ages and sexes have different needs when it comes to sex toys. The good news is that Bondara is very considerate. This is the reason why the range of their items is awesome from vibrators, dildos, male and women sex toys, sexy lingerie, bondage gears, anal toys to sex gears. In fact, the collection of products in this local store has come out to be over a million already.

Why Go For Bondara

More than the convenience in shopping that Bondara provides, there are a lot of other great benefits that this shop offers. Just like other online shopping site, you can enjoygreat discounts and price slash offs from the products that you want simply by using a Bondara offer code, Bondara discount codes or the promotional code that you can get from money-off vouchers for Bondara. Here, check out these great offers Bondara has in store for you:

Delivery. One of the best reasons as to why you need to choose Bondara is delivery service. For example, they have low shipping rates and can even offer free delivery service if you order reach up to 39.99 Euros. Most importantly, this online shop is very discreet about the client’s privacy. The package you will receive will not contain any logo of Bondara. Indeed, talking about affordability and privacy, Bondara has it both to offer you. Much more, they have a same day shipping policy.

Reputation. This online shop is indeed a trusted online company that undergoes monitoring from SafeBuy. With this, you can have peace of mind when doing your shopping here.

Billing. The good news about this shop is that even in your bills, they still think about your privacy. In fact, instead of Bondara, you will see the name Nagook Ltd reflecting on your credit card or bank account statement.

With all these, you can leave your doubts about trusting Bondara for your purchase of sex toys and aids. Indeed, if you try to shop here, there are a lot more great things you can discover from this shop.

Where To Get Discounts

What is great about Bondara is that they offer cheap sex toys for different needs. The website has a section dedicated to the cheapest of all their products in the market. Imagine, their bestsellers such as the Ultimate Jessica Rabbit Waver, MasterB Vibro-Cate Harrington, and Purple Pearl Rabbit Vibrator can all be purchased in less than 40 Euros.

Moreover, from time to time, there are Bondara offer code, money off vouchers for Bondara, Bondara UK discount code that you can make the best use of. To get any kind of Bondara offer code, what you only need to do is become a member of the company. Then, you can receive great discounts to all of your future purchases in the site. If you provide your email, you can always receive the shop’s newsletter containing special Bondara UK discount codes. You can also get these Bondara offer code, money off vouchers for Bondara, Bondara UK discount code by searching them in the Internet.

Indeed, what else are you looking for in a sex toy shop? With the wide selections, convenience, affordability, and privacy they promise, everything you need is already in here.

Skye Bank Customer Alert – Beware Of Hackers

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One of the features of online/Mobile banking is SMS banking services which are operated using both push and pull messages. Push messages are those that the bank chooses to send out to a customer’s mobile phone without the customer initiating a request for the information. For example push messages could be either Mobile marketing messages or messages alerting an event which happens in the customer’s bank account, such as a withdrawal of funds from the ATM or a payment using the customer’s credit card, etc.

Pull messages are those that are initiated by the customer, using a mobile phone, for obtaining information or performing a transaction in the bank account. Examples of pull messages for information include an account balance enquiry, or requests for current information like currency exchange rates and deposit interest rates, as published and updated by the bank.

The bank’s customer is empowered with the capability to select the list of activities (or alerts) that he/she needs to be informed. This functionality to choose activities can be done either by integrating to the internet banking channel or through the bank’s customer service call centre.
It is however sad to note that fraudsters and internet hackers have capitalized on this laudable innovation to rip people off their money. So it is important that as a bank account holder or intending holder you should be aware of this trend and choose the right bank to bank with where your money will be properly secured through adequate online security tips.

Skye bank as a customer friendly bank knows about the activities of these fraudstars and has developed security measures to protect its customers finances. If you are a Skye bank account holder, you might receive emails that seem to emanate from the bank.The mail might even carry the names of Skye bank top Management staff or Director. Some of them may require you to send in information on your Bank details, Pin codes and even your personal information as contained in the bank’s database of you. They might also claim to have access to large sums of ($)US dollars for you domiciled with the bank. Please note that these are scam mails and you should be very careful to avoid being a victim to fraudsters.

As part of its commitment to online security, Skye bank has developed some security tips for all its customers to recognize when they receive emails or letters from potential fraudsters.

Please note that Skye Bank would never ask you to disclose your account number or Pin code on the internet. Also Skye Bank would never ask you to disclose personal information on the internet.

You should also note that Skye Bank site would always carry a security certificate which would be visible on access to the bank’s site and be sure that the site you are on is a genuine Skye Bank site.

In addition Customers should not open attachments or follow Web links in unsolicited emails from unknown parties or from parties with whom you do not normally communicate, or that appear to be known but are suspicious or otherwise unusual.

The official Skye Bank web address is www.skyebankng.com. If you are still in doubt, please get in touch with your nearest branch or call us on (000 234 1) 8531655, 8948103, 07028390633-5

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