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Microsoft Launches Innovative Search Rewards Program

Posted by John B. Frank Thursday, May 22, 2008 0 comments

I'm posting about Microsoft's new Live Search Rewards program because of the relationship it has to both the Internet Retail space and because it seems to suggest the makings for a potential online payment platform. Considering that Microsoft is going to offer cash rebates to consumers who use their Live Search to "find" and "purchase" products...they would have the desire to complete the process by implementing a way for consumers to pay for them via the very same platform.

The numbers suggest huge potential. Here's an excerpt from The Empire Strikes Back" in the Washington Post:)
This (Live Search cashback) only applies to e-commerce related searches for now. But frankly that is all that matters. Only about a third of searches are commerce related, but those searches generate 80% of search revenue. Get the commerce searches and you've got the revenue. And here's another interesting statistic - 68% of online purchases begin at a search engine or shopping comparison site. Only about 30% are from direct navigation to the ecommerce site itself. Will it Work? Yes, it will work and it will almost certainly increase Microsoft's market share in search, particularly in commerce search. The question is, how well will it work? A year ago Microsoft basically did a trial run of Live Search CashBack with Live Search Club, which lured searchers to Microsoft with offers of prizes to users for using Live Search. Microsoft went from 10.3% to 13.2% market share in a month, a nearly 30% rise. Live Search CashBack, which gives a much more straightforward layout to users, should see significantly better results.
Here's Microsoft's announcement regarding Live Search cashback...


Microsoft Corp. announced it will offer ad-funded cash rebates to customers who find and purchase their favorite products through a new program called Microsoft Live Search cashback. Key partners (including eBay, Barnes & Noble.com, Overstock.com, Sears, Zappos.com, and WPP) joined Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates at advance08, Microsoft’s annual advertising customer event, to announce their participation in the new program.

The complete Live Search cashback product portfolio includes more than 10 million product offers from more than 700 merchants, including more than 13 of the top 40 U.S. retailers.

The company also announced it has delivered a new Live Search travel destination, Live Search Farecast, making it easy for searchers to find the best travel deals on the Web.

“We believe search can offer much more value to consumers and advertisers than it does today, and we see Live Search cashback as an important opportunity to deliver additional value,” Gates said.

“Our goal is to make Live Search the most rewarding commercial search destination on the Web. Live Search cashback will help advertisers drive more online sales while giving consumers a new way to stretch their dollars.” During his keynote address, Gates outlined three areas of focus for the company’s broad search vision:

** Delivering the best search results by continuing to focus on relevancy and selection
** Expanding the role of search around the set of tasks that searchers are most often working to accomplish - including commerce, entertainment, navigation and reference - through improvements in its user experience, intelligent tools and access across devices
** Innovating in the economic model that today powers the search business by rewarding both advertisers and consumers for engagement

Today’s announcements of Live Search cashback and Live Search Farecast signify that commerce queries will be the first of the four tasks on which the company will focus.

As part of this “Commercial Search” strategy, Microsoft aims to make Live Search the premier search engine for the growing category of search queries that help consumers conduct research and "purchase goods or services", and which are critical to merchants aiming to drive online sales of their products.

New Business Opportunity for Search Advertisers

The opportunity to reach consumers via search advertising is enormous and growing. According to eMarketer Inc., U.S. online retail is projected to grow to $335 billion by 2012, and today 68 percent of all those retail transactions begin at a search engine. (This translates to 3.7 billion commerce-related queries per month).

The primary choice for advertisers to reach these search customers is the cost-per-click (CPC) model, where merchants pay a fee each time a searcher clicks on their ad, whether or not the potential customer makes a purchase.

The cost-per-action (CPA) model, where advertisers pay only when a customer makes a purchase, or completes a specific transaction, gives advertisers a more precise return on their advertising investment, and is currently being deployed on a relatively limited basis. The CPC and CPA search advertising models represent the most targeted advertising approaches available today, but there is still room for improvement. With Live Search cashback, Microsoft helps merchants maximize their advertising investments and drive more sales by providing consumers with an added incentive to buy - a cash rebate.

Participating merchants choose to pay Microsoft a CPA fee each time a customer completes a sale through Live Search cashback. The fee is a percentage of the retail price, and when that transaction is complete, Microsoft returns that fee to the consumer in the form of a cash rebate.

“Our business is to connect consumers with brands in the most effective and efficient ways. Microsoft’s Live Search cashback creates a real incentive for consumers to connect with our clients,” said Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP. “We believe this is a major development in the evolution of search marketing and look forward to participating and measuring the results.”

Key partners participating in the Live Search cashback offering include Abe’s of Maine, B&H, Backcountry.com, Barnes & Noble.com, Circuit City, Cookware.com, Crutchfield, eBags, eBay, Foot Locker, GiftBaskets.com, The Home Depot, HP, Jockey, J&R, Newegg.com, OfficeMax, Overstock.com, PetSmart, QVC, Sears, Spiegel, TigerDirect.com, Vitamin Shoppe, & Zappos.com. A complete list of Live Search cashback partners can be found at http://www.live.com/cashback.

“We’re happy to be partnering with Microsoft on this innovative program,” said John Donahoe, president and CEO of eBay Inc. “By combining eBay’s marketing expertise and incredible volume and velocity of trade, PayPal’s leadership in online payments, and Microsoft’s cashback program, we see a great opportunity to deliver more value in the eBay marketplace.”

Live Search Farecast

Also available is the new Live Search Farecast, which includes technology acquired through Microsoft’s April 2008 acquisition of Farecast Inc., the award-winning travel site known for helping users find the lowest airfares by predicting when to buy.

Starting today, Live Search Farecast results can be found at http://farecast.live.com and via Instant Answers in the main Live Search results page. Microsoft will explore the possibility of also incorporating an ad-funded rebate option for travel services in the future. The keynote address from advance08 will be available for Web video playback at http://www.microsoft.com/presspass.

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More on Alternative Payments

Posted by John B. Frank Wednesday, May 21, 2008 0 comments

Alternative ways to pay for goods online are on the rise, driven by online merchants looking for more consumer-friendly options and consumers looking for greater security and choice. New research from TowerGroup notes that the alternative payment method known as the "nonbank wallet" is one area to watch in 2008.

Within the last two years, the nonbank wallet category has seen a flood of new entrants. TowerGroup defines a nonbank wallet as an Internet-based storage service of consumer financial data, which helps facilitates online purchases without exposing consumers' financial information directly to the online merchant. These nonbank wallets do not replace traditional payment processes, but rather provide merchants and consumers with a secure integration layer that connects multiple payment methods and processes.

TowerGroup projects overall U.S. e-commerce retail sales reached $232 billion in 2007, though they remain a relatively small percentage of total retail sales at 5.6 percent. A graphic on these statistics is below, on the left.

Despite the fact that nonbank wallets process, settle, and fund transactions made by consumers through existing payment infrastructures, the banking industry continues to express concern over their growth and acceptance. TowerGroup believes that the concern nonbank wallets engender among financial institutions is warranted, yet more on an individual bank or provider basis than as a macro financial services industry "threat."

The challenge that nonbank wallets present to the traditional payments system will ultimately be countered by the overall value that they will provide to the financial services industry as both clients and partners. This is in addition to the value they will drive among consumers, by continuing to build confidence around and drive transaction volume of e-commerce.

The TowerGroup research report is titled "Online E-Commerce Nonbank Wallet Payment Alternatives: Bankers' Friends or Foes?" and is authored by Jennifer Roth, a senior analyst in the TowerGroup Global Payments practice. It reviews four nonbank wallet providers currently facilitating purchases over the Internet and analyzes the impact and potential threat of these offerings for bank-driven traditional payment methods.

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Accenture Payments Innovation Showcase

Posted by John B. Frank 0 comments

Accenture today announced it has opened a new facility at its research and development technology lab in Sophia Antipolis, France, dedicated to innovation in the rapidly growing global payments industry.

The facility, called the Accenture Payments Innovation Showcase, focuses on original research and development in all facets of the payments business, including mobile communications and other point-of-sale technology, bank-to-corporate connectivity, processing, process models, biometrics, regulation such as the Single Euro Payments Area (SEPA) initiative, and security. The Accenture Payments Innovation Showcase, combining Accenture's deep industry experience and leading technology capabilities, will demonstrate how businesses can drive innovation, reduce costs and improve the quality of products and services to their customers by using cutting-edge technologies

“Technology innovation is a key driver of high performance,” said Martin Illsley, director of research at Accenture Technology Labs in Sophia Antipolis, France. “In combining technology expertise with business acumen, our researchers apply new and emerging technologies to create prototypes and cutting-edge solutions that help clients maximize future performance.”

Every year, 150 leading global organizations attend technology workshops hosted by Accenture at its four technology Labs, in Sophia Antipolis, France, San Jose and Chicago in the United States, and Bangalore, India. The Payments Innovation Showcase will tap into this program, hosting payments executives for one- and two-day applied-technology programs that immerse participants in the payments business and current technology, as well as foster discussion of how their businesses and customers can benefit.

“The payments business faces massive change driven by increased competition, disruptive regulation, declining margins and revenues in traditional lines, rising transaction volume, and greater need for technology, scale and actionable information,” said Antonio Iglesias, an Accenture Financial Services senior executive who leads the payments business in Europe and Latin America. “Now is the time for Accenture to devote even more resources to helping clients better understand and benefit from this change. And it makes sense to base this work in Europe, where so much innovation is taking place.

The Showcase currently includes industry prototypes that draw on a number of new and emerging technologies including:
  • Mobile payments provisioning
  • Accenture Near Field Communications Wallet, which enables mobile payments with ATMs
  • Biometric identification
  • Point-of-sale scenarios
  • Mobile banking, including in-branch applications
  • Accenture High Performance Bank Business Process tool, which can be used to design the most appropriate and efficient processes for specific tasks
  • SAP Payment Engine, a high-scaling payment processing solution for banks, shared-service centers and automated clearinghouses

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With 178,000 people in 49 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$19.70 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2007. Its home page is www.accenture.com.

Editor’s note

  • Accenture will host journalists and industry analysts for programs at the Payments Innovation Showcase. The programs will include payments researchers and business experts. For more information, please contact one of the Accenture representatives listed below.

Francois Luu, + 33 1 53 23 68 55 Financial Services francois.luu@Accenture.com or: Accenture Technology Ed Trapasso, +1 917 452 3555 ed.trapasso@Accenture.com

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Alternative e-Payment Systems Expected to Reach $156 Billion by 2012

Posted by John B. Frank Saturday, May 17, 2008 0 comments

New York, May 15, 2008 -- Today's tech savvy and possibly even eco-conscious lifestyles have led to paperless shopping and bill pay. Consumers are enjoying the ease of alternative online payment systems that offer greater privacy and security features than traditional payment systems as well as multiple checkout options.

A new report from Packaged Facts, "The Alternative Payment Systems Industry in the U.S.," estimates total dollar volume of online alternative payments rose 33% over the 2006 level of $28.1 billion to $37.3 billion in 2007.

When paper payments began declining in 2003, the card and electronic payment segments of the industry increased 14% and 13%, respectively. By 2012 Packaged Facts forecasts the marketplace will see an even split for payment options: paper forms are expected to slide to 32% while electronic forms will capture 35% of the market and cards will keep at a steady 33%.

The battle between credit cards and alternative payments may end in stalemate, but the battle among alternative payment systems providers is just getting started. eBay, a long-time PayPal checkout endorser, recently banned Google Checkout from its online auction site. According to eBay, the ban is due to insufficient evidence of reliability.

"Though the market is dominated by PayPal, new alternative payment options are becoming increasingly popular," said Tatjana Meerman, Publisher of Packaged Facts. "Companies such as Amazon and Google have seen the future growth and opportunities in the marketplace and are coming on board.

Others, as diverse as Bill Me Later, OboPay, Verizon, Chase and Wachovia are all getting into the mix. Packaged Facts' all-new report, "The Alternative Payment Systems Industry in the U.S." provides an in-depth analysis of both the business-to-consumer (B2C) ecommerce market and the consumer payments market. The report presents the size and growth of the market using several key metrics, including paper payments, card payments and electronic payments, as well as trends and factors that affect the industry. Special regard is given to the activity of top players and the varied upstarts, particularly in mobile payments, hoping to steal share and further alter the old school payments paradigm. Major key competitors are profiled, along with a focused analysis of consumer payment demographics and preferences.

For further information on this report from Packaged Facts visit: http://www.packagedfacts.com/Consumer-Online-Bill-1103803.

Company press release.

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Interchange has Hearing...But Is Visa/MC even Listening?

Posted by John B. Frank Friday, May 16, 2008 0 comments

In one ear and out the other?

It will be interesting to see what develops out of yesterday's hearing. On the one side the merchants are livid about the fees they pay, on the other side, people don't want the government to step in and essentially "price fix" an industry as that lays a bad precedent.

So what to do? Well, if you're an Internet Retailer, the solution is simple! You can lower your Interchange by 100 Basis Points by switching to HomeATM's patented Web PIN Debit platform. No Government Price Fixing Involved!!!

Oh, and did I mention PIN Debit is about 10 times more secure, has no chargebacks and it's consumers preferred method of payment? I did. Here are some of the press releases regarding this issue from the National Retail Federation, the National Association of Convenience Stores and others...

Merchants Welcome Judiciary Committee Hearing on Interchange Fees

In a press release, the Merchants Payments Coalition says that "merchants welcome encouragement from Democrats and Republicans alike in support of HR 5546, the Credit Card Fair Fee Act, bi-partisan legislation that would end credit card industry price fixing, which is the subject of a hearing today by the House Judiciary Committee Antitrust Task Force."

NACS Comments on Interchange Fees at Yesterday's Hearing

The National Association of Convenience Stores has issued a press release on today's House Judiciary Committee hearing on interchange fees. Tom Robinson, president of San Jose, California-based Robinson Oil Corporation testified today at the hearing...

NRF Says Interchange Fees Cost Families Over $400 This Year

The National Retail Federation in a press release urged the House Judiciary Committee to support antitrust legislation that would require Visa and MasterCard to negotiate with merchants over credit card processing fees. The NRF said "a hidden fee charged by the two card giants is projected to cost the average U.S. family more than $400 this year."

MasterCard Comments at Today's Interchange Fee Hearing

In a press release, MasterCard commented that "merchants do not need price control legislation or an antitrust exemption to lower costs for payment card acceptance, as they already have real opportunities to negotiate fees." Joshua Peirez, Chief Payment System Integrity Officer at MasterCard Worldwide, gave his testimony at the hearing..

House Judiciary Committee Interchange Hearing Testimony

The testimony of several of the witnesses at today's heading on interchange fees by the US House Judiciary Committee is now available online in PDF format. Included is testimony from: Thomas L. Robinson (Vice President of Regulations, National Association of Convenience Stores), Joshua R. Floum (General Counsel and Corporate Sec., Visa Inc.), Steve Cannon (Chairman, Constantine Cannon, LLP), Joshua Peirez (Chief Payment System Integrity Officer, MasterCard Worldwide), John Blum (Vice President of Operations, Chartway FCU), and Edward Mierzwinski (Consumer Program Director U.S. PIRG).

Electronic Payments Coalition Comments on Interchange Hearing

In a press release, the Electronic Payments Coalition commented on today's hearing before the House Judiciary Committee Antitrust Task Force on H.R. 5546: "The Electronic Payments Coalition is pleased that the House Judiciary Committee Antitrust Task Force is holding a hearing today to take a closer look at H.R. 5546, the "Credit Card Fair Fee Act." Members of the Task Force will be given an opportunity to learn quite explicitly that this ill-conceived legislation is nothing short of price controls -- action that would result in less competition, fewer consumer choices, and reduced access to affordable credit and debit options."

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UK Payments Data Q1 from APACS

Posted by John B. Frank 0 comments



APACS has published its latest quarterly Statistical Release icon_PDF_small.gif covering the first quarter of 2008.

"In the first quarter of 2008 there were 1.8 billion plastic card purchases made in the UK totalling £91.1 billion. The number of purchases was 8.9% higher than in the first quarter of 2007, and spending was 8.9% higher. Debit cards accounted for 72.8% of all plastic card purchases compared with 71.1% in the first quarter of 2007."

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Introducing Pariter Solutions...Country's Largest ACH Processor

Posted by John B. Frank Thursday, May 15, 2008 0 comments

To give you an idea how quickly the landscape of the payments industry can change, the biggest ACH Processor in the nation didn't exist until just now.

Introducing Pariter Solutions...
our nation's biggest ACH Processor...

Wells Fargo and Bank of America said Thursday they are forming a joint venture to operate a single, combined automated clearinghouse (ACH) platform for both companies and their clients. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The joint venture, Pariter Solutions LLC, will be the country's largest processor of ACH payments, the banking giants said.

Through joint venture, the two companies will combine their strengths in advanced processing technology and high payment volumes to create a single, more efficient platform. It will also facilitate greater investment in innovation to deliver added value to clients through increased speed, broader product capability and capacity for higher volumes of cross-border payments.

An ACH payment is a mechanism for electronic funds transfers such as direct deposit, direct payment, business-to-business payments, e-checks, e-commerce payments and tax payments. Annual electronic payment volume doubles every five years, according to NACHA, the Electronic Payments Association. In 2007, nearly 14 billion ACH payments were made.

Payment processing operations are expected to begin in late 2009. The company will have offices in San Francisco and Charlotte.

Ownership of Pariter Solutions will initially reside with Wells Fargo and BofA. Stephanie Sturgis-Griffin, a senior vice president at Wells Fargo, will be chief executive of Pariter Solutions, and Walter Taylor, a senior vice president at Bank of America, will be chief operating officer.

The company's board will consist of the CEO and one executive representative from Wells Fargo and one from Bank of America. Shares of Wells Fargo rose a penny to $28.91, wile Bank of America shares fell 45 cents $36.35.

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UK's Payment Council Unveils National Payments Plan

Posted by John B. Frank Wednesday, May 14, 2008 0 comments


The UK's Payments Council has unveiled the first national plan for UK payments - calling it "a strategic framework for payments innovation and change over the next decade."

The National Payments Plan icon_PDF_small.gif was developed after extensive consultation with the payments industry and users and includes statements of principle, specific actions and a number of focused reviews of key issues. The document covers current payment methods such as plastic cards, cash and cheques and also reviews the next wave of innovation in payments, fraud and security, and consumer education about payments.

The Payments Council have published the first national plan for UK payments, providing a strategic framework for payments innovation and change over the next decade. The National Payments Plan - Setting the strategic vision for UK payments also summarises the results of the public consultation which closed on 4th February 2008.

From their website:

Why a National Payments Plan?

In payments, unlike many other sectors, there may need to be co-operation between participants if users are to have full benefit of new developments. The Plan outlines those areas where collaboration can deliver such an outcome.

The Plan will be periodically revised and updated, and is intended to provide a framework for the development of payments in the UK over the next five to ten years. Co-operative action can be needed:
  • to introduce common standards so that business is made easier to transact;
  • to create a network between participants which maximises the reach of payment services; and
  • to address market inefficiencies.

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HomeATM Headline Payments News

Posted by John B. Frank 0 comments





This list was compiled by Glenbrooks Payments News. Clicking on any of the links will redirect you to Payments News website.


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Disruption in the Payments World

Posted by John B. Frank Friday, May 9, 2008 0 comments





New Celent report focuses on disruptive influences to payments arena.

The consumer payments world is in transition. The current euphoric era for many issuers will be disrupted and quite possibly eliminated over the next three years, according to a new report, Disruption in the Payments World from Celent, a Boston-based financial research and consulting firm.

Key findings of the report include:
  • Pressures on interchange are mounting, and it's becoming increasingly questionable whether or not issuers will be able to reap the profits of a higher rate.

  • Alternative payment options that pose a real threat to issuers and credit are emerging. While the barriers to entry have always held strong, there are rifts that could give way to new initiatives. Nontraditional players like Wal-Mart or Google could eat into market share, and the growth of a new network that rivals MasterCard or Visa is almost certain.

  • A new spin on debit cards, decoupled debit, has the potential to shake things up among the issuing community, giving credit providers the chance to capture greater wallet share but threatening profit margins for debit issuers.

  • The evidence is mounting against the issuing business, and lawsuits will continue to add pressure to act. Celent believes that free rewards programs will be the first real casualty as issuers are forced to re-evaluate their card portfolios and justify high-cost programs.

  • In the long run, the card industry will be forced to return to a fee-based system that aligns the cost to the beneficiary. This will likely persuade consumers to seek their free lunch elsewhere, and the door to other payment methods will be opened even more.

  • Credit-only or credit-centric issuers are expected to diversify their payments mix (a necessity during this economic time and consumer trend to debit) and focus on building their debit payment options by way of decoupled debit programs.

    For more information, please find the press release below or at: http://www.celent.com/PressReleases/20080507/Disruption.asp

    HomeATM Blog readers can access the full report at:
    www.celent.com/reports/PaymentDisruption/PaymentDisruption.pdf .

Source: Company press release.

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High Rankings Execs Get Whaled On...

Posted by John B. Frank Tuesday, May 6, 2008 0 comments

Editors Note: Whaling is the term used when "phishing" attacks are aimed at the "big fish." (i.e. senior ranking executives) Once harpooned, they unwittingly download and install software which allows remote control of the computer. Keystrokes, financial data, screen scrapes (creating a .jpeg picture or screen capturing) passwords, etc. can then all be captured.

I find it interesting that the success rate of these types of attacks is higher than when attacking the general public. In this case, phony subpoenas were used as the lure. The story mentions that unlike the phony, spelling mistake laden emails that gave "phishing" its name, this new trend involves the use of more professionally crafted and believable storyline/designs. However, one would think that high level executives would have "caught" at least one of two blatant "giveaways," Sending, and thus receiving a subpoena via email would be one, the other was the email itself directing them to a non-government site. Common sense is an important commodity, never underestimate its power.

On the subject of common sense. If a floating PIN Pad was designed to prevent "keylogging", what aspect of the design would prevent "screen scraping? Seems to me that if a hacker had remote control of the computer, they would have remote control of the "Prt Sc" button and be able to print the screen everytime you moused over the floating PIN Pad and clicked it.

Here's the article:

SAN FRANCISCO (AFP) - US federal court officials have warned that hackers are emailing phony subpoenas embedded with malicious software to high-ranking executives to steal valuable corporate information.

Thousands of powerful US executives have received the bogus emails that contain links which, if clicked on, install software letting hackers take control of computers and swipe passwords or other sensitive data. Internet security insiders refer to the attacks as "whaling" because they use social-engineering trickery involved in "phishing" but target individual "big phish" instead of casting nets in a sea of Internet users.

"The success rate was incredibly high," Websense Security Labs manager Stephan Chenette told AFP. "Most likely due to the nature of the content and the real data, the emails had their exact names and legal language in there that made it seem like a serious subpoena."

The emails are crafted with the seal of the US federal court in San Diego, California, and are addressed to executives using their names, addresses and other individual details.

Clicking on a link to see a "subpoena" displays a realistic looking document and stealthily installs malicious computer code in the reader's computer. "When the recipient tries to view the document, they unwittingly download and install software that secretly records keystrokes and sends the data to a remote computer over the Internet," court officials said in their warning.

"This enables criminals to capture passwords and other personal or financial information and starts software that allows the computer to be controlled remotely."

Subpoenas in the United States are usually served in person to assure judges that the orders from courts have been properly received by those named. US investigators believe the hackers are not familiar with the court system because the website executives are directed to use a "uscourts.com" domain name while actual court online addresses typically end in ".gov." Aspects of writing in the messages appear British, according to police.

Among the targets have been executives at banking giant CitiBank, Time Warner-owned America OnLine and Internet auction house eBay, according to the courts. There is a trend toward more convincing, targeted "whaling" attacks, according to Chenette, who says to be wary of supposed court or tax department emails.

Trick emails with giveaway spelling errors of the kind that gave "phishing" its name are giving way to well-crafted, believable messages honed using confidential information about targets. "The future of spam is to become more evasive and successful," Chenette said. "It is always a cat and mouse game ... a very real game."

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PIN Your Credit Card Starting June 4th in AU

Posted by John B. Frank Monday, May 5, 2008 0 comments

I came across an interesting article this morning. The reason I found it interesting was how it relates to a specific HomeATM Technology called PIN My Card,. PIN My Card would allow online consumers to attach a PIN number to a credit card or PIN-less debit card and thus formulate the basis for Internet Retailers to be able to process these transactions at a lower "card present" rates.

Here's the release.

Click the graphic on the left to enlarge and read the entire press release.

Australian credit card customers will soon have the option of signing their name or keying in a PIN when shopping.

Pen or PIN project spokesman Simon Greig said the change would make it faster to make a purchase with a credit or charge card.

"Australians are among the most prolific card users in the world, making more than 118 million card transactions per month,'' Mr Greig said. "The introduction of PIN on credit and debit cards will give cardholders a quick and easy alternative to signature authorisation when making purchases in person.''

The change is set to occur on June 4 and will be available to all American Express, Diners Club, MasterCard and Visa customers, at more than 600,000 point of sale terminals across the country.

The introduction of credit card PIN will bring Australia in line with several other countries, including New Zealand, who have been using the system for several years.

More information: www.penorpin.com.au

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Towering Debit Card Growth

Posted by John B. Frank 0 comments

Tighter financial markets, new waves of bankruptcies and foreclosures, and economic uncertainty have caused a constriction in the availability of credit. Yet despite current challenges in the credit markets, new research from TowerGroup finds that the debit card’s increasingly dominant position as a payment vehicle will continue through 2009 and beyond. Prepaid cards will also continue their rapid growth as a result of foreclosures affecting credit scores and consumers continuing to require the benefits of payment card access.

Transactions for debit cards in the United States surged three times faster than those for credit cards from 2005 to 2007, as consumers separated purchases into “lending” versus “spending” products.

Debit cards have absorbed a growing share of consumable purchases – such as gasoline, groceries, and other day-to-day consumer expenses – leaving the credit card for durable goods purchases.

As consumers and businesses work their way out of a sluggish economy, TowerGroup projects the weakened economy will continue to erode the rate of credit card transaction growth. Although personal savings rates in the U.S. fell to record lows in 2004, debit card volume continued to grow both steady and aggressively. Even as consumers tightened their budgets or were unable to save discretionary cash, their reliance on payment cards for business transactions is visible.

TowerGroup believes the debit market is primed for growth from channels and relationships beyond the confines of traditional retail banking products. There are several emerging and high-growth debit markets that should carry substantial transaction volume and value as they come to fruition. These include person-to-person payments via the emergence of mobile and “contactless” transactions, micropayments covering low-value transactions, and pre-loaded debit products aimed at the teenage and college markets.

The research report, titled “Crediting Debit: How Debit Cards Will Grow in a Changing Environment,” is authored by Brian Riley, senior analyst in the TowerGroup Bank Cards practice. The report explores why debit cards will continue strong transaction growth regardless of a downturn in the economic climate and its uncertain impact on aggressive credit card lending.

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The Rise of Alternative Payments - Mercator Study

Posted by John B. Frank 0 comments

The rise of alternative payment services - from PayPal to Google Checkout, Bill Me Later, HomeATM and many others - is a response to both consumer demand for an improved online payment experience and merchant need to lower shopping cart abandonment rates, payment processing fees, and raise the appeal of online shopping to specific consumer demographics.

Mercator Advisory Group's latest report, Alternative Payment Services: Moving into Traditional Payment Territory, examines the role and adoption of these competitors to traditional online card-based payments and online merchant acquiring.

The report offers an in-depth look at the principle providers of alternative payment services. The report examines the payment modalities supported by these alternative payment services and the consumer demographics they appeal to. While retail point of sale continues to be the largest area for consumer payments, online consumer spending has yet to reach its potential from the payment perspective.

In 2000 less than 1 percent of sales were via the internet. Today, that spending is likely to be $116 billion in the United States, a full 5% of retail spending.
But this annual growth is predicted to slow from 20 percent to 16 percent by year end and further to 13 percent by 2008. As these rates slow, online merchants must meet their customers "where they are" with the right payment mechanisms to maintain the highest possible growth and the widest possible sales funnel.

Alternative payment systems are fast becoming an important way for merchants to sustain and accelerate that online sales flow. Highlights of this report include:
  • An overview of the current state of online commerce in the US.
  • A discussion of consumer segments that employ alternative payment solutions.
  • A discussion of the value of alternative payments to both e-commerce customers and online merchants.
  • A review of some of the main providers of alternative payment solutions: Bill Me Later, PayPal (with a specific look at PayPal Pay Later), Google Checkout, Amazon Financial Payment Services, Pay By Cash and Paid By Cash.
  • A brief look at the future of alternative payment solutions.
In Alternative Payment Services: Moving into Traditional Payment Territory, Mercator Advisory Group reviews the current and future roles of alternative payment services.

The report discusses some of the drawbacks and issues of each alternative payment service and its payment modalities in relation to both the consumer and merchant including the IT challenge of integrating multiple payment methods into an e-commerce site.

The report contains 34 pages and 5 exhibits.

Members of Mercator Advisory Group have access to these reports as well as the upcoming research for the year ahead, presentations, analyst access and other membership benefits. Please visit us online at www.mercatoradvisorygroup.com.

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ATMDirect President's Response to Open Letter

Posted by John B. Frank Saturday, May 3, 2008 0 comments

On Thursday, I received a telephone call from Nandon Sheth, the President and new owner of ATMDirect. We had a pleasant conversation and Nandon addressed a few of the issues made in "An Open Letter Letter to ATMDirect".

Regarding the "PIN-OFF" Challenge which HomeATM invited ATMDirect to participate in. Nandon replied that he would rather have the "marketplace" decide which technology emerges to the forefront. We have no argument with that logic as that was the reasoning behind challenging them to the PIN-OFF in the first place.

Apparently a panel of industry experts are not part of the marketplace in his view.

In our view, especially in light of the recent Digital Transactions News article "PIN Debit Meets the Web," a "PIN OFF" would, in fact, be tremendously influential in deciding who, as the graphic on the left states, the next president should be.

A debate sways the marketplace in an election, we just want the super-delegates to be there for this one. Call it our conventional approach to a PIN-OFF.

Personally, I am of the opinion, that a panel of industry experts, (super-delegates in my analogy) comprising of EFT Network representatives from First Data's Star, Metavante's NYCE, and Fisev's Accel Exchange, (along with Industry Analysts, such as Gartner's Avivah Litan or Javelin's Bruce Cundiff) would bring significant attention to both technologies and thus become an "enabler" in terms of letting Internet Retailers know the results.

One doesn't have to win and one fail...both could pass the muster, which, again, would provide Internet Retailers, EFT Networks and Industry analysts, with the information that is obviously lacking, based on the Digital Transaction News article.

Of course, one (or both for that matter) might not "pass the muster" in which case, both entities would at least know what they had to accomplish in order to provide a solution everybody agrees is viable.

So whatever the reason, ATMDirect has "Officially Declined to Participate in a PIN-OFF". That's too bad. Had they agreed and both companies compared technologies, it would have made for some good media and market exposure to both sides. I guess it would safe to assume that, at leaset at this stage, HomeATM is a bit more confident in their technology.

Nandon went on to say that he thinks it would be better to work together with HomeATM rather than "square-off" against each other. As I just mentioned, I am not of the opinion that it is "squaring-off" as much as I believe in furthering the understanding of both technologies to key players in the industry.

With that said, I certainly respect his business philosophy of working together. Both HomeATM and ATMDirect do share a common goal, which is to further enhance the payments landscape by introducing a PIN Debit solution for Internet Retailers. I'm not quite sure how he would propose working together. but HomeATM is certainly available anytime to hear any proposals to that end.

By the way, just so I am clear on the issue. I believe competition is a good thing, as it has always motivated companies to produce better technology, better products and better pricing, thus the end-user is always the ultimate beneficiary in a free marketplace.

Getting back to our conversation...I explained to Nandon that HomeATM doesn't have any type of vendetta or ill-will against ATMDirect. I did tell him that we were however, taken aback by some of the statments made in their press release.

One had to do with the number of patents they claimed to have bought from Pay By Touch. Nandon informed me that maybe I didn't see the complete documentation (I don't know how that would have happened) and that they have accomplished a lot since taking over ATMDirect 30 days ago, but couldn't elaborate or "pin it down" for me on account of the fact that it was Intellectual Property and we are the competition.

Regarding the statement made by Rajiv Grover, an investor in ATMDirect who said. “Our intention is to own Internet PIN debit" Nandon replied that Rajiv was overly enthusiastic and, in hindsight, maybe should've toned down his enthusiasm a little bit. I understand enthusiasm. If there was a top ten list of the people enthusiastic about bringing PIN Debit to the Web, I am certainly, without a shadow of a doubt, on it.

Let me remind you, that I did the Pay By Touch Blog from December 2005 through March of this year when they closed their doors. Go ahead and visit PBT's Blog site and do a search for ATMDirect. I have consistently praised their intention of bringing PIN Debit to the Web and even went so far as to go on the record that ATMDirect could potentially be Pay By Touch's "Cash Cow." I was probably one of their biggest supporters.

Let me also remind you, that because of my enthusiasm for both the market and the potential, I looked at acquiring ATMDirect. I certainly had the backers to come up with $600k, even more, but the one thing that concerned me is apparently the same issue that concerns one industry analyst. (click picture on left to read her analysis)

In fairness to ATMDirect, another industry analyst, said that he believes the floating PIN pad is secure and that people he knows "have signed off" on it. Hmmmm. there certainly seems to be some confusion in the marketplace. I wonder if that could be alleviated with published results of a "PIN-OFF"?

In hindsight, instead of calling it a "PIN-OFF" maybe we should have called it "The Show Case". That may have been something that Nandon would have been more willing to participate in. Indeed, we will be "showcasing" our technology, as will he, to quite a few interested parties in the near future. Why not have a professional upfront evaluation already a matter of record for all interested parties to see?

For the record...HomeATM is game as we feel our technology is at the PINnacle!

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PIN Debit Meets the Web is DTN Cover Story

Posted by John B. Frank Friday, May 2, 2008 0 comments



Digital Transaction News Cover Story for the month of May is "PIN Debit Meets the Web".

I'll have more on this later in the day, but if you'd like to read the article in it's entirety, you can either subscribe to Digital Transaction News for Free by clicking here

or:

You can download the entire May Issue of Digital Transaction News in Adobe PDF format by clicking here.

I've been a subscriber since for a couple years now and it's a great publication, I would highly recommend subscribing.


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Supermarket ATM/Card Reader Rigged with Illicit Scanner

Posted by John B. Frank 0 comments


Some shoppers at a supermarket in Los Gatos, Calif., got more than they bargained for in the past week: Over 100 have become victims of identity theft after the debit- and credit-card reader at the checkout was rigged to siphon off their debit- and credit-card information.

The perpetrators used the card information and PIN numbers to churn out cloned cards, which then were used to withdraw cash from the victims’ accounts and to incur fraudulent charges on their credit cards. The customers of the Lunardi’s grocery store in Los Gatos have been reporting cases of identity theft to authorities since last Sunday evening, and reportedly have been losing an average of $1,000 from their bank accounts, according to a published report .

"What we have here is more than one person -- they've been able to get in there (Lunardi's) and switch out the ATM card reader," said Los Gatos-Monte Sereno police Sgt. Tam McCarty in an article in the San Jose Mercury News. "Once they've done that, they can read the card and PIN numbers and either make a temporary card or sell the numbers over the phone."

It’s unclear so far whether the scam was perpetrated by an outside criminal or was an inside job. The Lunardi’s supermarket has since replaced its old ATM card readers with new ones that lock to prevent tampering.

Scanner tampering has long been a subject of concern for security researchers, who have demonstrated the ease of ATM machine hacks, as well as of smart card scanners for physical security.

The stolen card account incident at Lunardi’s follows a similar one in Los Altos in March at an Arco gas station’s payment machine.

Rob Enderle, president of Enderle Consulting, says this is yet another type of card-scanning scam. “It speaks strongly for the need for strong multifactor authentication over anything dealing with confidential data, particularly financial data“Attacks like this are likely to spread ,and it is relatively easy to search on the Web and find the parts you need to build one of these things," Enderle says. "I’ll bet there are sites in Eastern Europe where you can order the entire solution custom designed for the attack a criminal wants to make."

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An Open Letter to ATMDirect Executives

Posted by John B. Frank Thursday, May 1, 2008 0 comments

With less than 13 days remaining, we still have yet to hear from ATMDirect even though our CEO, Kenneth Mages, has made them aware of it from the beginning. However, in the interest of complete and unbiased fairness, this morning I sent them the following. Word on the street is that they have no intention of participating in the PIN-OFF, but let's give them every opportunity I say.

An Open Letter to ATMDirect Executives

Mr. Nandon Sheth - President - ATMDirect
Mr. Tom Wilkerson - Vice-President Business Development -ATMDirect
cc: Ms. Danielle Duclos - Director of Marketing - ATMDirect

As you are surely aware, from daily emails sent by Kenneth Mages, HomeATM's CEO to your President, Nandon Sheth, as well as various coverage in both the blogs and the newswires, we have challenged ATMDirect to compare technologies.

I was a founding member of the former ATMDirect owner, Solidus Networks, and was the author and Editor of the "Pay By Touch Blog" since 2005 until it's final post on March 20th. I am a firm believer and staunch supporter of bringing PIN Debit to the Web (in fact, query ATMDirect on the Pay By Touch Blog and you'll see myriad posts praising the potential of Internet PIN Debit. As such, I personally inquired about acquiring ATMDirect.

However, after reviewing the materials sent to me by Ron Carter, and speaking with several "insiders" including Eric Bachman, (who, by the way speaks highly of Tom Wilkerson) former COO of PBT, I decided that there was much that remained to be done before it could be considered anything more than an "early stage startup" to quote Eula Adams. So I passed and instead, I've joined forces with HomeATM, whose technology I felt could stand up to the demands that are required for PIN Debit to work on the Internet.

I saw ATMDirect's recent Press Release claiming the purchase of Pay By Touch's "25 Global Patents". Frankly, from the materials that were sent to me during my acquisition inquiry, I know only of one. However, that is not the point of this communication. Our patent attorney, Donald E. Stout, has sent a letter to your president regarding our patent. The point of this e-mail is to invite ATMDirect to what we've called a "PIN-OFF".

Upon reading your press release and hearing the patent claims you're making, we would like to "call you" on these claims as well as the one made that you intend to "Own PIN Debit on the Internet". If, in fact, you feel that ATMDirect's technology can stand up to the scrutiny of an independent "Internet PIN Debit Payment Panel" we would welcome ATMDirect's participation by accepting our invitation. We have extended the courtesy of allowing you 30 days to respond.

I've sent out "Internet PIN Debit Payment Panel" participant invitations to Paul Green, "The GreenSheet", John Stewart, "Digital Transaction News" Scott Loftesness, Payment News, Gwen Bezard, Aite Research Group, Avivah Litan, Garnter Research, Bruce Cundiff, Javelin Strategy & Research, David Brietkopf at SourceMedia and Evan Shuman, the former retail technology editor for eWEEK.com, PCMagazine, and CIOInsight, who are now all aware of HomeATM's PIN-Off Challenge to ATMDirect. We are all awaiting your acceptance/non-acceptance to this Internet PIN Debit challenge.

Please advise as to whether you plan on accepting, or forfeiting this opportunity to "showcase your technology". I'll await your response, along with other industry insiders who are "privy" to our so-called "PIN-OFF." My contact information is below...


John B. Frank
Executive Advisor
HomeATM e-Payment Solutions
Phone: 480-816-9578
Cell: 612-432-6980
JFrank@HomeATM.net
www.PINdebit.blogspot.com


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