Processor Added Value Services

Both the card issuing and transaction processor industries are consolidating at a rapid rate, and this activity has created a growing demand for processor value added services. For issuers, slowing portfolio growth is putting pressure on earnings growth. To meet their aggressive goals, issuers are searching for ways to make their current account base more profitable through increased transaction volumes, better cross-sell marketing and tighter expense controls (especially credit losses).

Boston, MA (PRWEB) August 24, 2005 -- Both the card issuing and transaction processor industries are consolidating at a rapid rate, and this activity has created a growing demand for processor value added services. For issuers, slowing portfolio growth is putting pressure on earnings growth. To meet their aggressive goals, issuers are searching for ways to make their current account base more profitable through increased transaction volumes, better cross-sell marketing and tighter expense controls (especially credit losses).

Processors have similar growth problems. The two largest processors have now acquired almost all of the third party processing business, so there is little market share left to grab. At the same time, the number of active accounts has been flat for several years, so processors are finding few new accounts to process. The result is a concerted effort to expand their revenue sources as far beyond core processing as possible. Figure 2 shows the breakdown of issuers expenses in 2004, and demonstrates why processors would like to expand beyond simply core processing.

The result has been an increase in the market for value added processor services. Issuers need help driving profitability, and processors are in a position to use their scale and transactional expertise, as well as their key position in the card industry value chain, to assist them. Processors have increased their efforts to provide a broad spectrum of new services, from pure cost reduction programs (like data warehousing and implementation of association compliance mandates) to complex data analytics services on top of the core processing activities (like risk prediction, fraud detection, loyalty and marketing programs).

Highlights of this report include:
• A definition and segmentation of the available value-added processor services, and the reasons why issuers choose to outsource some services and keep others in-house

• A profile of current issuer spending on processor provided value added services, and predictions on how this might change

• An analysis of which services are used most by different types of card issuers, and which offer the most promise for processors to sell effectively

• A discussion of which services are increasing and decreasing in

The report seeks to answer several key questions:

• How should we define process value added services?

• Which services are issuers currently outsourcing, and why?

• How much do issuers currently spend, and how are these spending habits changing?

• What services are most likely to be outsourced to processors in the future and why?

For more information call Mercator Advisory Group's main line: 781-419-1700 or send email to info@mercatoradvisorygroup.com.

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mercator advisory group processors expense controls cross-sell markets transaction growing demand outsourcing process added value

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