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Reports that First Data Corp. may soon acquire its rival Concord EFS Inc. Value of the proposed merger deal between the two consumer-finance middlemen, which was blocked by the United States Department of Justice because it had antitrust concerns; Anticipation of a meeting between government trustbusters and First Data; Speculation about a deal between the two sides; How a settlement could be influenced by the dynamics of the debit-card business at the center of the antitrust dispute; Percentage of the debit-card market the government claims will belong to First Data if the deal goes through; First Data's claim as to how market share should be measured; Discussion of processing signature transactions and payments processed through personal identification number (PIN) networks.

Focuses on a promotion offered by credit card companies to give cash back on purchases during months when consumers do not pay off their monthly balance. Percentage of Americans carrying a balance on their credit cards; Details of rewards-for-balances programs offered by Citigroup Inc's Citibank, Bank of America Corp. and Providian Financial Corp.; How the American Express Blue Card program works; Range of interest rates charged by credit card companies, suggesting the program does not make economic sense for the consumer.

The article reports on the drop in demand for credit as lenders raise the standards in the U.S. as of February 2008. According to the Federal Reserve, consumer borrowing increased to $2.54 trillion while credit-card borrowing gained at a 5.9% pace as demand for automobile loans and other nonrevolving debt dropped to 0.4%. It mentions that the slowdown resulted from lenders being more cautious about lending. Credit card issuer Citigroup Inc. has required higher credit scores for card applicants.

Discusses how cash-back credit cards are more valuable to consumers than airline miles incentives. Cash rewards offered by the Citi Dividend Platinum Select and the Chase Cash Plus Rewards Visa; How consumers can get up to five cents back for every dollar spent, a more valuable reward than the typical air travel programs; Advice on transferring one's funds to cash-back credit cards.

Answers a reader's question about the possible disadvantages of choosing not to receive paper statements from one's credit card company. Reasons why some consumers value paper statements over e-mail statements, including concerns over phishing.

Answers a reader's question regarding a credit card company denying a disputed charge. Services related to consumer disputed offered by the Customer Assistance Group (CAG); Value of contested charges that were returned to consumers as the result of CAG actions; Information the credit card company must provide to an individual; Phone number and Web site for CAG.

Assesses the risk of Citigroup Inc. to offer credit cards in China that can be settled in either American dollars are Chinese yuan, allowing the bank to extend credit to Chinese consumers. Potential benefits to be accrued by Citigroup related to retail-banking and brand loyalty; Number Chinese citizens holding credit cards, indicating a large untapped market, according to management consultants McKinsey & Co.; Assessment of China's financial system, indicating the risks associated with market entry in an immature consumer-credit culture; Potential problems in China, including bank fraud, limited market-research and counterfeiting; Discussion of consumer-credit bubbles in South Korea and Hong Kong, resulting in unrecoverable loans.

Discusses the consumer-finance industry in Europe. Idea that many Europeans, especially Germans, do not have credit cards; Finance companies which are growing in Europe, including General Electric Co, (GE), Citigroup Inc., and BNP Paribas SA; Competition between the companies to dominate the market for personal loans, credit cards, sales financing, and subprime mortgages; Plans of GE Consumer Finance to purchase Abbey National PLC's consumer-finance arm in Great Britain.