This eCourse consists of three modules. Module 1 traces the steps involved in card issuance, with the emphasis firmly on credit cards because they represent the most complex expression of the payment card product line. The entire credit card issuing cycle is described in detail, having particular regard to the profitability dynamics of the card issuing business.

Module 2 sets out the techniques and strategies that credit card marketers employ to generate customer loyalty while staying within best practice in terms of customer recruitment and onboarding. It analyzes the way that effective product design – in particular the employment of desirable benefits schemes – matches with desired customer behavior that is based on sophisticated customer profiling and segmentation.

Module 3 deconstructs merchant acquiring into its constituent parts and looks at how the future of the business lies in the delivery of value-added services that can harness the information element implicit in the increased digitalization of payments.

On completion of this course, you will be able to:
- Describe the profitability dynamics of the credit card issuing business, including concepts such as rollover rate, net interest, billed volume, and interchange
- Detail the responsibilities of operations in the credit card issuing business across an array of roles including customer applications tagging, sales measurement effectiveness, card dispatch, fraud prevention and monitoring, and collections and recoveries
- Outline the problem of both first-party and third-party fraud for credit card issuers and some of the fraud prevention techniques used to combat these issues
- Describe how the credit card product proposition is based on a combination of pricing elements, such as interest rates and fees, and cardholder benefits/rewards
- Explain why credit card marketers must obtain the fullest possible picture of customer profile and behavior in order to match customers with appropriate card offerings
- Outline the importance for credit card issuers of appropriate management of rewards/benefits programs
- Describe the business of merchant acquiring and how it has changed in recent times
- Explain the typical role and activities of merchant acquiring operations
- Outline how the future of the business lies in the delivery of value-added services

Module 1: Card Issuing - An Introduction
Topic 1: Card Issuing Profitability
Topic 2: Card Issuing Operations
Topic 3: Fraud & Risk Management

Module 2: Cards - Marketing
Topic 1: Product Features
Topic 2: Customer Profiling
Topic 3: Managing a Benefits Program

Module 3: Cards & Payments - Merchant Acquiring
Topic 1: Business of Merchant Acquiring
Topic 2: Merchant Acquiring Operations
Topic 3: Value- Added Services