APACS, the UK payments association, today announced that American Express Services Europe Ltd ICSS and Elavon Merchant Services are to become members of its Card Payments Group - the industry’s lead body on payment cards - with immediate effect.

Jill Pluckrose, Director of UK Product Development at American Express Services Europe Ltd ICSS, expressed her enthusiasm at joining APACS:

“We are delighted to become part of this association and we look forward to working with the existing members to shape the future of card payments in the UK.”

Roger Alexander, the CEO of Elavon Merchant Services Ltd, a company that provides a card payment processing service throughout Europe, comments on becoming an APACS member:

“It is important that card payment organisations work collectively where appropriate, to ensure that the best possible service is provided to the customer - joining the Card Payments Group will ensure that we are able to play our part in full.”

APACS Card Payments Group membership now consists of the 17 largest card issuers and acquirers in the UK along with a representative of the community of smaller banks and building societies that issue cards.

ENDS

For further information contact the APACS Information Office:

T: 0870 420 3208 E: apacs@fourcommunications.com

Notes to editors:

1. APACS is the trade body that gives banks, building societies and card issuers a forum where they can work together on non-competitive issues. In a nutshell, we help manage the way that businesses and individuals in the UK move their money around - this covers cash, credit and debit cards, cheques and automated payments such as direct debits, salary payments and online/phone transactions. We also champion the fight against banking fraud and are the people who have been working to give consumers greater card fraud protection by introducing chip and PIN. Twice a year we publish figures on banking fraud losses.

2. The 17 members of Card Payments Group are:

Abbey
Alliance & Leicester
American Express Services Europe Ltd
Barclays
Capital One
Co-operative
Egg
Elavon
GE Capital
Goldfish
HBOS
HSBC
Lloyds TSB
MBNA
National Australia
Nationwide Building Society
Royal Bank of Scotland

In the last few years, CPG has driven the fight against fraud, including overseeing the introduction of chip and PIN in the UK, as well as promoting an agenda of responsible borrowing and responsible lending and increasing the transparency and understanding of payment cards.