Paybefore Reveals Top Industry Awards in Las Vegas (March 4, 2014)
Paybefore today announced the Best-in-Category winners in 20 categories for its eighth annual Paybefore Awards. The competition was fierce with companies and programs from the U.S., Canada, Turkey, Gibraltar, U.A.E., U.K., South Africa and Russia vying for top honors.
“An industry is only as good as its innovators,” said Loraine DeBonis, Paybefore editor-in-chief and chair of the judging panel. “As in years past, this competition showcases the strides our industry continues to make in advancing financial inclusion, helping businesses and government overcome challenges and finding new ways to provide value through electronic payments.”
The Best-in-Category results were tallied from the votes of three outside judges—David Parker, Polymath Consulting; Lori Breitzke, E&S Consulting; and Brian Dunne, SVM Europe and IMA—as well as DeBonis and Paybefore CEO Marilyn Bochicchio. Once again Paybefore invited visitors from Paybefore.com to weigh in on Best in Category in Sixth Judge voting. “This year we had a remarkable 11,000 votes, which collectively swayed the final outcome in nine categories,” Bochicchio noted.
The 2014 Best-in-Category winners are:
1. Best Choice Retail Card
Walmart Closed Loop Gift Card from Walmart and First Data
2. Top of Wallet
H&R Block Emerald Prepaid MasterCard
3. Outstanding Pay Solution
Comdata Payroll from Comdata Inc. and MasterCard Worldwide
4. Top Motivator
5% Cash Back from InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions and Visa Inc.
5. Best Benefits Delivery Program
ConnectYourCare HSA On Demand with Healthcare Payment Card
6. Best B2B Problem Solver
PromoWorks from PromoWorks and FirstView Financial
7. Market Mover
Pointstic from Epipoli S.p.A.
8. The Gotta-Have Mobile App
Clutch app from Clutch
9. Head of the Class
ISIC MasterCard from ISIC/STA US and MasterCard Worldwide
10. Best Travel Companion
Multi-currency Cash Passport Prepaid MasterCard from Access Prepaid and MasterCard Worldwide
11. The Better Way
Walmart Rapid Reload from Walmart Services; Green Dot Corporation; Money Network, a First Data Company; InComm
12. Top Digital Dollars
Zagat Dining Card from SE GiftCards, i2c Inc. and Visa Inc.
13. Up with Prepaid Marketing
Tie – Before You from Blackhawk Network and Speedy Holiday Shipper from InComm and Speedway
14. Best Dressed
Western Union Reloadable Prepaid Card Program
15. Prepaid with Soul
Alberta Flood Relief from InteliSpend Prepaid Solutions, Government of Alberta, Visa Inc., Peoples Trust Company, Source One Direct
16. Killer Technology
Virtual Health Care Claims Settlement from StoreFinancial, Pay-Plus Solutions Inc., UMB Financial Corporation
17. One to Watch: Program
PayPerks
One to Watch: Company
The Payments Company
18. Breakout Company of the Year
Global Processing Services
19. Boundary Buster: Program
EE Cash on Tap from from EE, MasterCard Worldwide and PrePay Solutions
Boundary Buster: Company
Discover
20. Paybefore Genius Award
Digital On-Demand Card Technology from Arroweye Solutions Inc.
In a special ceremony on Monday, March 3, Paybefore recognized all three winners in its new Consumer Champion category—American Express Serve, UPside Visa Prepaid Card and Walmart MoneyCard Reloadable Prepaid Cards. American Express Serve won Best in Category.
Today Paybefore also announced Judges’ Choice winners Balance Financial Prepaid MasterCard from Walgreens, The Bancorp, Galileo, MasterCard Worldwide and Integrated Printing Solutions, and Expense Manager from Global Cash Card.
The 2014 Awards ceremony closed with Industry Achievement Awards presented to Dan Henry, CEO, NetSpend; and Ron Hynes, executive vice president, global prepaid solutions, MasterCard Worldwide.
“Not only has he significantly grown NetSpend’s business … under his leadership NetSpend now has more than 1 million accounts using direct deposit, but Dan has been an outstanding industry spokesman, testifying at a Senate hearing as well as the CFPB’s field hearing on prepaid cards,” said Bochicchio. “For his dedication to providing quality service to underbanked consumers and his work serving the broader industry mission, Paybefore is proud to recognize Dan Henry with a 2014 Industry Achievement Award.”
Hynes, who became a visible and passionate industry advocate when he joined MasterCard in 2006, also was selected for Paybefore’s highest individual honor. “Ron has helped drive material changes to network rules in support of prepaid, including mandates for split-tender partial authorizations and fraud management tools,” said DeBonis. “Ron continues his efforts to raise consumer and policymaker awareness of the enormous social and economic benefits prepaid delivers. … For all this and more, Paybefore is proud to recognize Ron Hynes as a 2014 Industry Achievement winner.”
For more information on Paybefore’s winners, click here.
Paybefore is accepting nominations for Paybefore Awards Europe through March 14.
