Other Providers of Payment Solutions

			Payment Solutions Introduction to PayPerNet Visa MasterCard DigiCash I-Pay CyberCash CheckFree KLELine BIBIT Internet Payments SET - Secure Electronic Transaction

Most companies that call themselves 'Payment Solution Provider' do no more than help you accept credit card payments. Such companies can nonetheless be useful because they shield the small business from disadvantageous clauses in credit card acceptance contracts.

For some businesses they are the only possibility to receive card payments, as the card companies tend to be especially cautious in entering into contracts with recently established businesses.

Of course, they will be even more cautious when that new business intends to engage in e-commerce, where no physical card will be read and no signature of the owner can be verified. A principal disadvantage of the use of such intermediaries is their cost. Usually they charge monthly fees and tack on hefty additional transaction charges to the charges of the card companies themselves. A typical example, BIBIT currently charges a fixed fee of upwards of EUR 99/month, plus up to EUR 0.90 per transaction in addition to the fees of the card company. Separately, the companies do nothing to help overcome any reluctance on the side of the customer to actually use his card on-line.

Other Payment Solution companies are focussing on what may be coined 'more secure than SSL' card payments. Much of what has been said above applies to these companies.