May 3rd webinar features speakers from Wells Fargo, KeyBank, BB&T and IBM Canada

Princeton Junction, NJ, April 16, 2007–Consumers love fast and convenient contactless payments, and top card issuers like Wells Fargo, KeyBank and BB&T are responding–more than 20 million contactless financial payment cards have been issued in the United States. Well-known retailers are on board too, with more than 46,000 merchant locations worldwide enabled to accept contactless payments. Issuers interested in learning why contactless payments are so popular and how they can take advantage of the benefits of the technology are invited to join a free Smart Card Alliance webinar, “Contactless Payments: Issuers Meet Demand for Speed and Convenience,” May 3rd at 12:00pm Eastern Time.

“This educational webinar will provide issuers with a detailed understanding of what is driving the move to contactless payments in the United States and guidance on best practices for implementing their own rollouts,” said Randy Vanderhoof, executive director of the Smart Card Alliance.

Attendees can pre-register for the 60-minute presentation and discussion, hosted by the Alliance in partnership with SourceMedia, by visiting the SourceMedia website at
http://register.sourcemediaconferences.com/webevent/smart_registration_form.cfm?sourcecode=press.

Presenters who will share perspectives on contactless payment adoption and implementation are Deborah Baxley, partner and leader of the strategy and change consulting practice for financial services, IBM Canada; Peter Ho, vice president, product development, Wells Fargo; Carl Stauffeneger, senior vice president, consumer product management, KeyBank; and Jeff Tansill, senior vice president, BB&T. Randy Vanderhoof will also participate, reporting on how the Smart Card Alliance is helping issuers, retailers and suppliers prepare for the contactless payments future that lies ahead.

Attendees can expect details on:

• Market dynamics behind the issuance and acceptance of contactless payments
• Why leading banks are issuing more contactless cards and devices
• How consumers are reacting to using contactless payments
• What new opportunities are being enabled with contactless payment technology

Alliance members sponsoring the event are CPI Card Group, Discover® Network and INSIDE Contactless.

About the Smart Card Alliance

The Smart Card Alliance is a not-for-profit, multi-industry association working to stimulate the understanding, adoption, use and widespread application of smart card technology.

Through specific projects such as education programs, market research, advocacy, industry relations and open forums, the Alliance keeps its members connected to industry leaders and innovative thought. The Alliance is the single industry voice for smart cards, leading industry discussion on the impact and value of smart cards in the U.S. and Latin America. For more information, please visit http://www.securetechalliance.org.