American Express is abandoning its "Express Pay" fob--a payment device that attaches to a key chain--six years after it began testing it. It plans to focus on its traditional cards instead--installing computer chips in them that allow customers to hold the card up to an electronic reader instead of swiping it through a device. "We have actually found that our customers prefer to use the contactless technology through our traditional cards" rather than the key fob, says Richard Flynn, a svp who oversees "cardless" payments at AmEx. Card issuers have been encouraging merchants to install the new readers, which are …

Burger King plans to start building Whopper Bars that will be smaller than a typical restaurant and will sell Whoppers that are not typically available at all times. Executives say they haven't finalized the menu--which will be smaller than in a regular outlet--although it could include as many as 10 types of Whoppers, such as the Western Whopper, the Texas Double Whopper and the Angry Whopper, a version topped with spicy onions. BK plans to build Whopper Bars in places like casinos, airports and other venues with limited space. The company won't say how many it will open and where …

Wal-Mart ads that imply that the retailer saves the average family that shops in its stores $2,500 a year are misleading, the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business Bureaus will announce today. It is a message "for which the advertiser provided no support and, in fact, conceded that there was none," it says. The claim of saving $2,500 dates to 2005, when Wal-Mart--under mounting criticism from unions and elected leaders over its business practices--commissioned a study of its economic impact on Americans. It turns out you save $2,500 even if you never set foot inside a Wal-Mart. …

As part of its overhaul of the iconic "Small World" ride in Disneyland, Walt Disney Co. plans to showcase some of its familiar faces instead of an anonymous cast of characters. The company isn't saying how many characters will appear in the revamped ride or how prominent they will be, but relatives of artist and ride designer Mary Blair sent a blistering letter to Disney last week, berating what they called an "idiotic plan" that "represents a gross desecration." Some fans of the original ride fear the changes are a crass attempt by Disney to make the attraction more commercial …

A three-year, $300 million ad campaign highlighting the extent to which Americans' growing awareness of global warming has yet to translate into national policy changes will kick off Wednesday. Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection's "we" campaign will employ online organizing and ads on TV shows ranging from "American Idol" to "The Daily Show" to mobilize Americans to push for aggressive reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Gore says the campaign, which he helped to fund, has been undertaken in large part because of his fear that lawmakers are unwilling to curb the human-generated emissions linked to climate change. Private contributors …