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Prepaid Advisory Service

Service Description

The Prepaid Advisory Service (PAS) researches 33 different prepaid market segments that include solutions that are implemented on Branded Card Networks, Closed Loop Networks, and the EBT. Benchmarks measuring the growth of all 33 market segments have been performed annually since 2003, revealing the rapid expansion of Network Branded Solutions into several segments, such as Incentives.

Research includes in-depth reports on specific segments, such as Payroll, and research on how key issues will impact the prepaid industry, such as the expanding role of Prepaid Mall Distributors, Restricted Authorization Networks, Merchant Funded Discounts, and the growing role of telecommunications suppliers.

Prepaid Benchmark Annual Report
  • Market Size In $ for 33 Market Segments
  • Market Size in Cards for 33 Market Segments
  • Four Year Forecast in $ for all Segments
  • Cross-sell opportunities
Network Branded Segment Research
  • Network Branded Gift Cards & Financial Services
  • Payroll, Benefits, Healthcare
  • Incentives (Consumer, Employee, Partner)
  • Evolution Of Card Network Regulations/Operations
New Models / Evolving Markets
  • New Value Chain Models (intercepting interchange)
  • Restricted Authorization Networks
  • IIAS
  • Merchant Funded Discount Networks
  • Mobile + Prepaid = Opportunity
In Store Gift Card Opportunities
  • Processing Advances & Issues
  • Card & Category Management Issues
  • Risk Mitigation (Regulatory & Fraud)
  • Merchant Distribution Strategies
  • Emerging Technologies (Loyalty, Mobile, Etc).
Closed Loop Segment Research
  • Digital Content & Overlay Opportunities
  • Merchant Driven Category Management
  • Closed Loop Integration to Network Branded Cards
  • Closed Loop Integration to Telephony/Mobile
Channel Research
  • Detailed Analysis Of Channel Activity by Segment
  • Advances In Category Management & Marketing
  • Gift Card Mall / Card Distribution Benchmarks

Most Recent Five Documents (5.01)
Mercator Advisory Group's Seventh Annual Closed-Loop Prepaid AssessmentAugust 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Seventh Annual Open Loop Prepaid Market AssessmentAugust 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Understanding Prepaid Regulation: A Framework for Asking the Right QuestionsJune 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Ben Jackson   
Understanding Restricted Authorization Networks: Cards Between Closed and Open LoopsMay 2010
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Ben Jackson   
When The Regulatory Dust Settles, What Do We See?May 2010
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Ben Jackson   

Industry Metrics / Annual Benchmarks (5.1)
Mercator Advisory Group's Seventh Annual Closed-Loop Prepaid AssessmentAugust 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Seventh Annual Open Loop Prepaid Market AssessmentAugust 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Changing Places: Prepaid Open Loop Cards Poised to Pass Closed Loop Dollar Loads in 2012January 2010
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Brent Watters   
2009 Holiday Gift Card Sales Prediction: Things Don't Look So Bad From HereDecember 2009
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Brent Watters   
Prepaid Market Forecast 2009 to 2012November 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane  Brent Watters 
Sixth Annual Closed Loop Prepaid Market AssessmentSeptember 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane  Brent Watters 
Sixth Annual Network Branded Prepaid Market AssessmentSeptember 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane  Brent Watters 
The Resilient Nature of Prepaid: A Bright Spot in a Down EconomyJune 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Prepaid Market Forecasts to 2011November 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane  Tim Sloane 
5th Annual Prepaid Closed-loop Market AssessmentOctober 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
5th Annual Network Branded Prepaid Market AssessmentAugust 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Prepaid Market Forecasts 2007 to 2010November 2007
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
4th Annual Prepaid Closed Loop Market AssessmentSeptember 2007
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
4th Annual Network Branded Prepaid Market AssessmentSeptember 2007
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Prepaid Market Forecasts 2006-2009December 2006
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane  George Peabody 
Third Annual Closed Prepaid Market Performance: Spend, Growth and OpportunityOctober 2006
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Third Annual Open Prepaid Market Performance: Spend, Growth, & OpportunitySeptember 2006
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Closed Prepaid Market Performance: Spend, Growth & OpportunityJuly 2005
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Prepaid Market ForecastsJuly 2005
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Open Prepaid Market Performance: Spend, Growth & OpportunityJune 2005
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
The Prepaid Value Chain ExposedMarch 2005
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane  Barbara Flaherty 
Prepaid Market DynamicsMarch 2004
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane   
Prepaid 2003: 31 Prepaid Market Segments BenchmarkedFebruary 2004
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane  Tamara Hamlin 

Network Branded Market Research (5.2)
Modifying Overdraft Fee SchedulesOctober 2009
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Elizabeth Rowe   
Get Ready to Duck Swinging at Overdraft FeesSeptember 2009
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Patricia Hewitt   
Open-Loop Prepaid Gift Cards Face a Chilling Winter
Not Yet Available
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane   
Open-Loop Retail Reload Networks: Drivers of Increased Retention or Agents of Churn?December 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
Brent Watters   
Payroll Segmentation: Driving Payroll Cards Beyond the UnbankedJune 2008
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Brent Watters   
Payroll Card Markets & Strategies: The Market Demands More than Just a CardOctober 2004
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane  Barbara Flaherty 

Evolving Technologies, Markets & Models (5.3)
Understanding Prepaid Regulation: A Framework for Asking the Right QuestionsJune 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Ben Jackson   
Understanding Restricted Authorization Networks: Cards Between Closed and Open LoopsMay 2010
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Ben Jackson   
When The Regulatory Dust Settles, What Do We See?May 2010
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Ben Jackson   
Going Global: Taking Prepaid Processing AbroadApril 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Ben Jackson   
Beyond Brand Awareness with Exclusivity Contracts - An Olympic-Sized Opportunity for PrepaidMarch 2010
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Ben Jackson   
Building a Business Ecosystem Around the Underserved - The Case of VenezuleaApril 2009
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Terry X. Xie   
Challenges in Global Prepaid Card Markets: 2009April 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Terry X. Xie   
The Rise of Hybrid Credit/ Prepaid CardsApril 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Ken Paterson   
Prepaid Fraud and Risk: Between Cash and a Hard PlaceMarch 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
David Fish   
The Local ISO: Strategies for Hometown Merchant ServicesDecember 2008
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
David Fish   
Open-Loop Retail Reload Networks: Drivers of Increased Retention or Agents of Churn?December 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
Brent Watters   
Merchant Funded Discount Networks: Adding to the Payments Value ChainAugust 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
David Fish   
Toward Profitability in Prepaid: Navigating a Changing SeaMay 2008
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
David Fish   
Restricted Authorization Networks: Winner Takes AllMarch 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Opportunities for the Public and Private Sectors in the Canadian Prepaid MarketSeptember 2007
Available for Download
Available for Download
Elisa Athonvarangkul   
International Prepaid Market Readiness 2006: Opportunities and ObstaclesOctober 2006
Available for Download
Available for Download
George Peabody  Evren Bayri 

Merchant Strategies (5.4)
Innovation Loves a Crisis - Economic Uncertainty Drives Gift Cards of all Shapes, Sizes, and ValuesDecember 2008
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Elisa Athonvarangkul   
Testing Merchant Acceptance of Prepaid Online: Have Gift Card, Will LiftApril 2008
Available for Download
Available for Download
David Fish   

Closed Loop Market Research (5.5)
Sixth Annual Closed Loop Prepaid Market AssessmentSeptember 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane  Brent Watters 

Channel Research (5.6)
Consumer Prepaid Distribution Strategies, And The "Malling" Of PrepaidDecember 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Ken Paterson   
The Resilient Nature of Prepaid: A Bright Spot in a Down EconomyJune 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
A Guide to Achieving Greater Prepaid Volume: Six Channels That Drive Prepaid SuccessFebruary 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
Prepaid Cards & the Incentives Market: Challenges of Bringing a High Value Feature Rich Product into an Already Complex MarketJanuary 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Brent Watters   
Prepaid Distribution OpportunitiesDecember 2007
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane   
The Prepaid Value Chain ExposedMarch 2005
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane  Barbara Flaherty 
Prepaid Market DynamicsMarch 2004
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane   

Segment Research (5.7)
Payroll Cards 100% Electronic Payments 80% of the Time - Crossing the Market Finish LineFebruary 2010
Available for Download
Available for Download
Patricia Hewitt   
How Developing World FIs Will Miss the Biggest Consumer Financial Services Market of All TimeDecember 2009
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
George Peabody   
Prepaid Cards & the Incentives Market: Challenges of Bringing a High Value Feature Rich Product into an Already Complex MarketJanuary 2009
Available for Download
Available for Download
Brent Watters   
Payroll Segmentation: Driving Payroll Cards Beyond the UnbankedJune 2008
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Brent Watters   
HSA Growth Accelerates In Uncharted WatersJune 2007
Available for Download
Available for Download
Tim Sloane  Patricia Hayward 
Payroll Card Markets & Strategies: The Market Demands More than Just a CardOctober 2004
Available for Download
Not Yet Available
Tim Sloane  Barbara Flaherty 

Copyright © 2003-2010 by Mercator Advisory Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.