Blackhawk Network or Blackhawk is a worldwide gift card distribution network owned by Safeway Inc. responsible for the sales and activation of prepaid gift cards, prepaid credit cards and prepaid debit cards. Blackhawk is in the process of phasing in an Automated Clearing House payment system, known as Fastforward, starting with Safeway Inc. stores with plans to extend this to other affiliates sometime in the future. When choosing a gift, green always fits. But how about plastic? Blackhawk Network sells gift, phone, sports, ticket, prepaid debit, and prepaid wireless phone cards through a network of more than 100,000 retailers around the world. The cards can be found in convenience, drug, grocery, and specialty stores, including Chevron, Food Lion, Kroger, and Safeway (which is also Blackhawk's parent company). Blackhawk offers more than 300 brands of cards from companies such as Barnes & Noble, iTunes, Starbucks, Visa, and the NBA. The cards can be found online or at Gift Card Mall racks, which display hundreds of cards that can be redeemed online or on-site at retail locations. Safeway has filed to take Blackhawk public.