What the Sunday papers said

With the introduction of 'Chip & PIN' payments this Tuesday (14th) a number of the UK's top banks stood accused of refusing requests for special 'chip and signature' cards, where payment can be verified by signing a receipt. Groups representing the elderly and disabled said banks were obliged to provide the alternative cards, but the message was not getting through to their customer service departments. - Sunday Express​

Up to half of American Express's million UK customers have yet to receive their Chip & PIN cards, despite Tuesday's looming deadline when the new payment system comes into effect. Amex refused to say how many of its customers were still waiting for the cards. - Mail On Sunday​

A spokesman for Apacs, the UK payments association, has urged retailers, including pubs, to ask for alternative forms of payment such as cash or a cheque in case customers have forgotten their PIN. Following the introduction of 'Chip & PIN' payments, from this Tuesday people making purchases with a debit or credit card will be asked to input their PIN four number code instead of signing a paper receipt. However the spokesman said the decision to accept a signature rested with the retailer. - Observer​

The academic who criticised the government's identity card scheme has compared himself to Dr David Kelly, the scientist who killed himself over the Iraq weapons scandal. Simon Davies, a visiting fellow at the London School of Economics (LSE), said that after he contributed to LSE research - which suggested ID cards would cost more than £300 versus the government's claimed figure of £93 - repeated criticism from ministers and Home Secretary Charles Clarke has threatened his livelihood. The LSE research has been cited by critics of the scheme to introduce a national idnetity scheme. The government's proposals are set to return to the Commons after defeat in the House of Lords. - Sunday Times​

Administrators to Unwins, the off licence chain, have instructed forensic accountants at KPMG to probe claims money was transferred to its private equity owner, Devereux Montague (DM), in the weeks before its collapse with debts of more than £30m last year. Australian businessman Phillip Cook, who backed DM, claimed the money was moved "because of extremely high levels of theft at Unwins". He said the transfers were checked and audited at the time and that "KPMG probably just wanted to earn some more fees". - Sunday Times​

Patrick Ricard, head of Pernod Ricard, believes the French company can become the world's biggest drinks concern. Fresh from integrating Allied Domecq, which is acquired last year, Mr Ricard said challenging Diageo as the globe's number one drink's business was within reach. Yet doubts remain. Can Pernod find a deal capable of taking it beyond Diageo? The latter is unlikely to stand still while the French group plays catch-up, and then there's the "small matter" of the $12bn Pernod borrowed to fund the Allied takeover. In its favour, say observers, is Pernod's global operational structure, while Diageo's centralised approach means it is slower to respond to new opportunities. - The Business​