In a Tumultuous Climate for Gift Cards, iCARD Remains a Stable Provider and One-Stop Source for a Variety of Corporate Needs

FT. LAUDERDALE, Fla., July 15 /PRNewswire/ -- Springbok's late-June, 2010, bankruptcy filing is not the first casualty of changes in gift card laws; and it probably won't be the last. The Credit Card Act of 2009 was passed by the House and the Senate last year. President Obama signed the legislation into law this Spring, and it goes into effect next month.

(Logo:  http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100412/CG84702LOGO)

(Logo:  http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100412/CG84702LOGO)

"Last year, we could see that the pending legislation was going to require changes to maintain profitability and continue to service our clients," said Jeff Ehney, founder of iCARD Systems, a 12-year prepaid card industry innovator. "We acted fast. Others did not and we think that is causing turmoil in the industry."

"We sympathize with Springbok and their former employees," said Andrew Barrett-Weiss, iCARD's partnership manager. "We are grateful to Springbok for their referrals and look forward to providing program continuity to their former clients."

In addition to reloadable and single-load prepaid Visa cards, iCARD also provides bulk merchant gift cards and a Super Gift Card that can be emailed or printed, and then redeemed for any of 170+ different merchant gift cards, including both electronic and plastic gift cards. iCARD is now launching a new version of its Super Gift Card that is only redeemable for electronic gift cards, making it an environment-friendly option. No stamps. No paper. No plastic. No waiting. That sums up the value proposition for iCARD's latest "green" offering, available at http://green.clickit.icardgiftcard.com

Gift cards are popular tools for employee recognition programs, sales incentives, product rebates, customer satisfaction concessions, customer retention, customer referrals, and sales channel programs.

iCARD's innovative online platforms to support ordering, online merchandising, and fulfillment solutions for both corporations and entrepreneurs helps ensure the success of gift card programs in multiple industries.

About iCARD Systems

Founded in 1998, iCARD is a pioneer in the development of network-branded prepaid cards and was one of the first to offer Visa® Gift Cards online. Today, iCARD is a leading provider of prepaid cards, bulk merchant gift cards, digital gift cards, emailable gift cards and print-on-demand gift cards, for corporate incentives, promotions and rebates. iCARD is an Independent Sales Organization for the Bancorp Bank and is a Hallmark Cards® licensee. Its channel partners include American Greetings and AOL. iCARD has serviced more than 1,500 corporate clients and more than a million cardholders. Learn more at http://www.icardsystems.com. Order gift cards for personal use for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries and other needs at http://www.icardgiftcard.com.

SOURCE iCARD Systems