affinity card

Today, analysts estimate that the company has 85 percent of the affinity card market.

In some cases, the affinity cards will prove more costly than regular ones.

Consumer advocates have been less than enthusiastic about affinity cards, however.

"The affinity card has generally been a mirage," he said.

Thanks to these incentives, the growth of so-called affinity cards has jumped in the last year or so.

About 450 affinity card programs are in operation, with more than 500 others in the development stage.

The rise of "affinity cards" also underscored the saturation in the industry.

Most affinity cards came from companies trying to win customers by playing to buying habits or professional interests.

There is also an array of affinity cards linking credit to particular interests and brands.

Enough is enough, and affinity cards are likely to be headed for a shakeout.

Banks push affinity cards for a simple reason.

It was the world's largest independent credit card issuer, specializing in affinity cards.

Banks find that applications for affinity cards get a much better reception than other unsolicited mail.

Whatever its drawbacks, they say, the affinity card is the easiest - and least painful - way to support a pet cause.

Is the affinity card market reaching a plateau?

Delta, which did not previously have an affinity card, said the structure of the American Express program was attractive.

But people who make indirect contributions by charging purchases on an affinity card get no charitable deduction.

They spend their time lining up sponsors for so-called "affinity cards" which they then market to special interest groups.

Affinity cards are credit cards with an organisation's logo on them.

And the affinity cards raise deeper issues.

If consumer groups have misgivings about affinity cards, so, it turns does Catholic Charities itself.

I own a pharmacy and see affinity cards all year long, so we went to see if a municipality could do it."

In addition, the guide contains comparative data on credit cards with rates lower than those of the affinity cards.

Banks typically produce affinity cards in partnership with a range of groups, from alumni associations to sports teams to government agencies.

How do affinity cards work?