Most credit card issuers have a partner program that offers discounts or bonuses for online purchases with certain companies.

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That said, colleges and universities often partner up with credit card companies, offering cards that carry the school logo and giving the card companies easy access to the students.

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Facebook (or a partner) issues a credit card that ties to your Facebook profile.

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"They are like a partner in my business, " he says of the credit-card networks and bank issuers.

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The move reflects the credit card company's drive to win over younger consumers and gives Foursquare a heavyweight partner as Google Inc.

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Caixabank has begun searching for a partner who would buy part of its Spanish credit- and debit- card business, the latest indication of a selling spree by Spanish banks to raise capital.

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LivingSocial is in the midst of a class-action lawsuit that alleges that LivingSocial and a merchant partner offered vouchers with illegal expiration dates in violation of state and federal gift-card laws.

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The deals are yet another sign of the stiff competition in the credit-card industry at a time when consumers are more cautious about spending, says John Grund, a partner at First Annapolis Consulting, an advisory firm focusing on the electronic-payments industry.

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Issued by the State, this card will allow young citizens to benefit from a wide range of reductions in services and goods by public and private partner institutions.

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