Chipping in: How all those new credit cards will get issued

credit-card-chip

For years, credit card companies have been talking about “worldwide” cards that have a chip to allow use in certain countries overseas where a swipe isn’t deemed secure enough. Here in the U.S., that has been considered too inconvenient to switch to a chip and PIN system, that is, until the Target credit card debacle led to some thoughts over whether the protests were a bit too forceful. Continue reading

American Express reminds you of recurring charges when replacing your card

american-express-card

One of the more exciting parts about technology for me is the times when a very simple idea proves to be a great help or time saver. It’s something I strive for and teach people regularly at my job, as I think sometimes a very elegant solution implemented in the right spot, however simple it may be, can really bolster a person’s opinion of a business. Continue reading

Marriott Rewards: The holy grail?

I’ve been writing about loyalty programs pretty much as long as I’ve been blogging: MyPoints, Plink, and even credit card rewards. (An upcoming post will talk about whether all this stuff is worth it, but for now…) My latest foray began only a year ago, when after years of my father’s insisting, I joined Marriott Rewards. Continue reading

Picking up points with Plink

Plink Rewards program

As those who may follow me know, I’m interested in rewards programs.  I’m a member of a number of them, as they open up opportunities to get a bit more back without doing all that much. I’ve been a member of MyPoints for 10 years (I’ve written about them before) and have experimented with other services.  One of the most recent is Plink. Continue reading