The economic downturn appears to have brought the market for credit union card portfolios flickering back to life, although brokers indicated that the market for CU card assets is no longer what it once was.

Credit union lobbyists with the Wisconsin Credit Union League gear up to support a cap the interest on so-called payday loans at 36%, but pointed out the state's credit unions are already fighting the problem.

The $1.6 billion Space Coast Credit Union has launched a program to allow members to donate 50% of the points they earn on specially marked credit and debit cards to go to support research against breast cancer.

CHICAGO -- An executive with the Consumer Federation of America told payment industry executives attending the Payments Conference that cash is the consumers' best and safest method of payment today.

CHICAGO -- An executive with MasterCard Worldwide came out swinging in defense of card interchange at an international payments conference last week, arguing that current rates are not too high and a strong case could be made to raise them.

CHICAGO -- U.S. consumers would likely face credit or debit card surcharges and see their credit and debit card rewards programs disappear if the federal government decided to cap or cut credit and debit card interchange.

A study of consumers who use check cashing stores in Virginia found that 25% of them have bank accounts or were banked in the past and currently make more than $45,000 per year.

A new application from software developer Intuit offers the promise of expanding the market for consumers to use their cards in more places.