Chase Launches Credit Cards with 'blink' in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

Chase Bank U.S.A., N.A., a division of JPMorgan Chase & Co., announced today the rollout of its new Chase contactless credit cards with “blink” in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex area. Chase already has begun to deliver approximately 800,000 new credit cards with blink to its Texas cardmembers, increasing the speed and convenience of credit card use at an initial base of approximately 500 merchant locations in 32 Texas counties.

To use Chase cards with blink, cardmembers simply hold their card near a point-of-sale reader at checkout, instead of swiping their card or handing it to a store employee. As cardmembers hold their Chase card with blink near the point-of-sale reader, the reader will quickly emit a tone and light up to signal payment confirmation.

7-Eleven, Inc., headquartered in Dallas, was an early adopter of the Chase cards with blink, with plans to roll out acceptance of blink cards to all 5,300 U.S. 7-Eleven® stores.

“We believe the innovative cards with blink provide merchants and cardmembers with the increased speed and convenience they want at the point-of-sale,” said Tom O’Donnell, senior vice president of Chase Card Services, the company’s credit card division. “With blink, cardmembers in the greater North Texas Region can save time when making everyday purchases. The Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex is known for being a progressive, innovative and trend-setting market, which makes it an excellent place to launch blink in Texas.”

Working in conjunction with Visa U.S.A. and MasterCard International, Chase has identified locations where speed and convenience are important to consumers and is introducing the new Chase card with blink with an impressive roster of participating Dallas merchants. The initial merchants include 7-Eleven®, AMC Theatres®, Cinemark USA, CVS/pharmacy®, RaceTrac® and Regal Entertainment Group. The number of merchants accepting the Chase card with blink is expected to grow steadily throughout the year. The new Chase cards with blink also feature the traditional magnetic stripe and can be used anywhere Visa and MasterCard are accepted to make purchases as consumers have done in the past.

“Because 7-Eleven is synonymous with convenience, anything we can do to improve a consumer’s shopping experience at our stores is always under review,” said Rick Updyke, vice president of business development for 7-Eleven, Inc. “Chase cards with blink provide customers with a faster, easier transaction. Contactless payment fits well with 7-Eleven’s strategy of providing consumers quick, convenient service.”

In conjunction with the introduction of its Chase cards with blink in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex, Chase is also unveiling its new blink-enabled Texas Rangers Ultimate Fan Rewards MasterCard. Texas Rangers fans will be able to use the new cards anywhere MasterCard is accepted, as well as at the 500 blink-enabled merchants in the area, to earn points toward Ranger rewards such as autographed baseballs, authentic Texas Rangers jerseys and Crown Royal® Club Seats at Rangers home games.

Benefits for Cardmembers and Merchants
After taking part in a pilot program and evaluating the results of trials from around the world, Chase understands the value and benefits that Chase cards with blink provide to both cardmembers and merchants. Trial results confirmed that consumers find the contactless technology to be simple, fast and convenient, and also enjoy the added security from retaining possession of their cards while paying.

The most significant time savings were realized in the drive-through environment, where transaction time was reduced by as much as 20 seconds as compared to cash. Consumers also liked the convenience of not carrying cash for everyday purchases. They no longer needed to fumble around for change and small bills, or be confined by the cash in their purses or wallets. In fact, 60 percent of respondents to a recent MasterCard survey said they use cash less often today than they did five years ago.

For merchants, blink transactions speed check-out times and allow consumers to spend less time waiting in lines. Research has shown that customers who use blink cards often spend more per transaction and are happier with their store experience. Chase cards with blink also provide a reliable, trusted payment method that works well in environments where speed is important.

Making More Time for Dallas Residents
In support of the new Chase credit cards with blink, and their ability to offer cardmembers more time and convenience, Chase recently commissioned a telephone survey conducted by the Opinion Research Corporation. The Chase “Just in a blink of time” Index polled 1,000 adult Americans hoping to discover what really irks them about waiting in line to do everyday routine activities. The survey was conducted April 15 – 17, 2005 with the results representative of and projectable to the U.S. population. The margin of error is +/- 3.1 percent. The survey also revealed how Americans make the most of waiting in line and how they look for timesaving alternatives.

• Americans most dread waiting in lines at the doctor’s office (27%) and the Department of Motor Vehicles (26%) followed by the grocery store (18%) and the airport (14%).
• Americans dislike waiting in lines but the following behaviors make it worse – slow/inefficient cashiers (23%), someone changing their mind about an item that has been rung up (19%), and someone who leaves the line to run back for an item (19%).
• One-third of Americans (32%) get frustrated after waiting in line for 10 minutes or less. Half of Americans (52%) take the stairs instead of waiting for an elevator.
• One-third of Americans will drive fast (35%), bring other things to do while waiting in line (33%) and buy fewer items to use the express lane (30%).
• Also, one-quarter of Americans use a fast pass on the highway (24%).