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2010-01-08
Financial life is 'difficult to imagine without online billing solutions'
A paperless financial lifestyle built around direct merchant accounts and online payment processing is difficult to come back from, it has been claimed.
In an article for Ecommerce Times, Anick Jesdanun underlines how central e-billing has become to his life.
He noted that he has not written a cheque in just under a year, largely because much of his financial transactions and payments are now made through online payment processing systems.
In addition to his bank having online payment facilities, he also discovered that New York state has a website for making direct tax payments online.
Mr Jesdanun is "so used to a cheque-free lifestyle" that he "couldn't bear the thought of writing one and mailing it in".
The growth of online spending also appears to be taking hold across the rest of the US.
According to figures published by comScore this week, US shoppers spent $29.1 billion (£18.3 billion) online over the Christmas period, up four per cent compared to 2008. 
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2010-01-28
UK online billing solutions 'lag behind Europe'
British consumer use of online payment processing to pay bills is lower than other European countries, it has been claimed.
British consumer use of online payment processing to pay bills is lower than other European countries, it has been claimed.
Germany, Sweden and the Netherlands all boast higher instances of online payment processing than the UK, where an average of 44 per cent of people take advantage of online billing solutions.
Citing figures from the Payments Council, analysis firm Mapa points out that there is a 17 per cent gap between the UK and the Netherlands' data.
Germans appear to favour online billing solutions to any other method, with nearly three-quarters (73 per cent) taking advantage of the platform to pay their energy bills.
Mapas notes that this gap "is not one that can be ignored", suggesting that banks still have a long way to go to convince Brits that online billing solutions are the way forward.
Meanwhile, Britons that favour bill payments by cheque have a limited time to adjust to another means of paying their bills, with the Payment Council Board having last month agreed to end cheque clearing by October 31st 2018.
read more 2010-01-25
Nielsen's UKOM 'will help ecommerce advertiser targeting'
UKOM will give ecommerce advertisers the tools they need to target online consumers, it has been claimed.
UKOM will give ecommerce advertisers the tools they need to target online consumers, it has been claimed.
The introduction of UKOM, an online audience measurement tool, by Nielsen next month could help businesses to boost their online payment processing conversions, the Internet Advertising Bureau has suggested.
Chief executive of the bureau Guy Phillipson indicates that being able to measure "how many people click on everything and buy things" will rid advertisers of the requirement for audiences to provide a direct response, such as with other measures such as the Radio Joint Audience Research data.
He said: "If you wanted to launch a new shampoo or something, then in the past people wouldn't have thought 'I must do some media online', because they wouldn't be able to measure the audiences online as they could on television but now they have a comparable tool in UKOM."
Nielsen's UKOM has been approved for use by the UK's largest advertisers and agency groups, providing metrics for 35,000 consumers across home and work locations.
read more 2010-01-15
Ecommerce platform to enable 'easy Twitter apps integration'
A new ecommerce platform enabling retailers to sell their Twitter apps has been made available by oneforty for Alpha testing.
A new ecommerce platform enabling retailers to sell their Twitter apps has been made available by oneforty for Alpha testing.
The platform has been designed to allow developers to easily integrate their software product on to Twitter, by taking the hassle out of the laborious task of coding apps and setting up direct merchant accounts.
Onforty indicates that selling an app will give ecommerce companies increased visibility on their own website, where users can browse through all the paid apps available.
Developers of the new platform are welcoming feedback from those using it, with contact details available on the company's website.
The owners of the popular social media site Twitter are believed to be keen to start creating revenue, through the implementation of paid-for apps and other technologies.
A number of new jobs advertised by the website are specifically targeted at improving monetisation, which would complement the deal struck with Google and Microsoft to allow tweets to appear on search engine results pages
read more 2010-01-12
Heartland to pay Visa $60m for payment processing breach
Heartland Payment Systems is set to pay back $60 million (£37 million) to Visa following losses incurred in the 2008 criminal breach.
Heartland Payment Systems is set to pay back $60 million (£37 million) to Visa following losses incurred in the 2008 criminal breach.
The hacker who masterminded the initial attack, Albert Gonzalez, is facing a minimum of 17 years behind bars for his breach of the online payment processing system, which led to tens of millions of credit and debit records being stolen.
Heartland's $60 million settlement programme is subject to certain conditions, with Visa set to present details of the agreement to eligible issuers in the coming days.
Commenting on the agreement, chief enterprise risk officer at Visa Ellen Richey said: "We believe issuers will benefit by participating in this settlement programme because it offers an immediate recovery with respect to losses they may have incurred."
The whole settlement is contingent on acceptance by financial institutions representing 80 per cent of eligible issuers' US accounts placed at risk during the security breach.
read more 2010-01-11
Cobb County unveils new online payment processing solution
A new online payment processing solution has been launched in Cobb County, Georgia to enhance law enforcement services.
A new online payment processing solution has been launched in Cobb County, Georgia to enhance law enforcement services.
The new online billing solution will enable local residents to pay their police, sheriff and state patrol citations online, rather than visiting Marietta state court offices.
Cobb County's new online payment processing system has been designed to make the process more convenient, including an automated over the phone service.
Diane Webb, clerk at the Cobb County State Court, said: "Cobb County is dedicated to 'raising the bar' and we hope to be a role model for how other counties handle ticket payments.
"We are excited for Cobb County's new online payment system because it will simplify government for anyone, from anywhere, at anytime."
This announcement follows the publication of a new report by Mercator Advisory Group, which indicates that the market for online billing solutions is growing as more merchants realise the benefits of the technology.
read more 2010-01-05
Recology introduces quarterly and online billing in Ashland
The introduction of quarterly billing alongside online billing solutions by waste management firm Recology is expected to save $24,000 (£14,997).
The introduction of quarterly billing alongside online billing solutions by waste management firm Recology is expected to save $24,000 (£14,997).
Following the takeover of Ashland Sanitary Service in October, customers are set to receive more service payment options in addition to a commitment to switch to quarterly billing.
Speaking to Ashland Daily Tidings, Recology general manager Steve DeFabion explained that customers can now opt for online billing solutions, adding that the firm accepts credit cards online.
He told the newspaper: "By controlling costs, we are hoping to keep the rate increases under control. This is a win-win all the way around."
Recology's commitment to online billing and reducing paper bills complements its long-term commitment to recycling and reducing the environmental impact of waste.
The company recently announced that it had introduced a modified fleet of refuse trucks for use around San Francisco, which runs on alternative fuel rather than diesel.
In total, 385 vehicles now run on an environmentally-friendly option.
read more 2010-01-04
Ryanair online payment processing skirts 'letter of the law'
Ryanair has come under fire for its online payment processing by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in the UK.
Ryanair has come under fire for its online payment processing by the Office of Fair Trading (OFT) in the UK.
The no frills carrier's levying of additional fees on customers has been accused of operating only within "the narrow letter of the law" by the OFT chief executive John Fingleton.
Speaking to the Independent, Mr Fingleton criticised Europe's biggest airline for playing a "funny game where they have found some low frequency payment mechanism".
"It's almost like taunting consumers and pointing out: 'Oh well, we know this is completely outside the spirit of the law, but we think it's within the narrow letter of the law'," he added.
The comments have been met with a fierce response from Ryanair, which described Mr Fingleton's comments as "disappointing and wrong".
In a statement, the carrier indicated that it could not understand why it had been singled out for criticism when its charges policies are also adopted by high fare UK airlines, suggesting that the OFT has failed to take action against BA for its unfair fuel surcharges.
read more 2010-01-07
ComScore: US shoppers spend $29bn online over Christmas
US shoppers spent $29.1 billion (£18.3 billion) online over the 2009 Christmas period, according to new figures from comScore.
US shoppers spent $29.1 billion (£18.3 billion) online over the 2009 Christmas period, according to new figures from comScore.
This marks a four per cent increase compared to the same November to December period in 2008, with distinct spending growth around the Thanksgiving-Black Friday timeframe and final shopping week leading up to Christmas.
Thanksgiving Day (November 26th) saw spending using online billing solutions and other credit card processing systems increase by ten per cent to $318 million (£199 million).
Meanwhile the weekend before Christmas (December 19th-20th) saw spending leap to $767 million (£482 million) - a 13 per cent rise compared to the previous 12 months.
Commenting on the figures, comScore chairman Gian Fulgoni indicated that the sales data had surpassed forecasts made earlier in the year.
He said: "It's possible that this better-than-expected end-of-year performance is a harbinger of renewed vigor and optimism for 2010 as the consumer economy seeks to rebound from one of the worst years in memory.
"At the same time, we need to remember that consumers’ spending power remains constrained by high unemployment levels, substantial debt and a new-found desire to save."
Figures released by comScore earlier this week indicated that the number of US videos viewed online surpassed 30 billion for the first time on record.
read more 2010-03-15
Staff 'biggest threat to internet merchant account'
The biggest threat to IT security comes from employees, a study has revealed.
The biggest threat to IT security comes from employees, a study has revealed.
Ecommerce firms are more likely to find their internet merchant account compromised by an internal breach rather than an outside hacker, the survey showed.
Conducted by Harris Interactive for IT security firm Fiberlink, it revealed that more than one in ten workers have knowingly breached their firm's IT policy when doing their work, news provider ars technical reported.
"IT departments nationwide spend a lot of time and money on their compliance, usage and access policies, but they only work if people follow the rules," commented Fiberlink chief executive officer Jim Sheward.
Employees who break IT security rules put the company at risk of data loss, he warned, which could have severe consequences if the breach involves the internet merchant account details.
Panda Security has highlighted the need to train all staff on computer security, pointing out that this ensures the firm will remain as safe as possible.
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