Shopping online is easy and convenient, but is it safe? Not always. Unfortunately, fraudsters have a laundry list of ways to steal sensitive information, such as credit card or bank account numbers, from online shoppers.

How big is the identity theft problem?

Consider these stats from a 2010 FTC report that examined the fraud complaint database used by law enforcement officials:

• 1.3 million consumers filed fraud and identity theft complaints.
• 40% of consumer fraud complaints were credit card related.
• In 48% of complaints, the consumer’s initial contact with the alleged fraudster was through the Internet or email.

You can shop safely online.

Some ecommerce merchants offer consumers an alternative payment method. These credit card free options, which are offered in the checkout section of the store’s shopping cart, allow you to buy the digital goods and services you want without exposing yourself to identity fraud.

For example, Bill to Phone is a payment method that charges purchases to your phone bill. During checkout, you simply enter your phone number. There’s no need to transmit a credit card or bank account number over the web. When your phone bill arrives, you simply pay for the online purchase along with the rest of your phone charges. It’s easy, convenient, and safe—everything you love about shopping online.

You deserve a safe online shopping experience.

If your favorite digital merchants don’t give you credit card free payment options, like Bill to Phone, let them know that you want to shop safely, without being forced to share information that could increase your risk of identity theft.  

Safe & happy shopping!

It’s spring—the time when we get the urge to roll down the car window, crank up the tunes, and perhaps even smile at the attractive guy or girl in the next car over. So with all those spring-y feelings in the air, who would want to learn about boring ol’ alternative payment methods (APMs)? You do. Because working with an alternative payment service will help you boost revenue potential—and that’s guaranteed to put a spring in your step. Here’s what an APM will do for your ecommerce business:

Open unexplored markets.

Marketing digital games to college students? Offering digital services to the underbanked? In the past, online merchants had a challenging time attracting consumers who did not have credit cards or use bank accounts. APMs open those doors for you. For example, one alternative payment option, LEC billing, allows you to charge purchases to a customer’s phone bill, which means you’re able to access 150 million+ North Americans with phone accounts. Their purchase from you is simply added to the monthly phone bill they’re already paying each month.

Attract customers with a low-risk payment option.

Consumers are concerned about identity theft when shopping online. And from malicious viruses to phishing scams, they have every right to be wary. Attract risk-averse markets by offering an alternative payment method that significantly reduces online shopping risk. LEC billing doesn’t require customers to transmit credit card or bank account information. It’s peace of mind for the customer and a revenue boost for you.

Reduce exposure to uncollectibles and chargebacks.

Bad transactions are not the “cost of doing business.” Reduce the losses chipping away at your bottom line with an APM that offers real-time customer validation. An experienced LEC billing partner will offer verification services so you don’t lose revenue to a fraudulent customer or a customer who has moved or changed a phone number.  

Start boosting revenue potential.

Adding ILD’s LEC billing platform, Bill to Phone, to your digital shopping cart is a simple and reliable way to grow your business. We provide an easy-to-integrate system with full-featured management tools and a U.S.-based support team. Learn more today.

Do seniors find it easy to shop your ecommerce store? Or do they click off to find an easier shopping experience? Whether you actively court the senior set or haven’t yet realized the potential of the gray market, it might be time to make the adjustments that build and attract this potentially lucrative audience.

Forget about the old-school stereotypes of doddering grandparents. Seniors today are connected, in an increasingly big way. Consider these tidbits about older Americans:

• Seniors shop online. 77% of Internet users age 65 and older purchased products over the Web, according to a 2009 survey. (eMarketer)
• Seniors are embracing mobile. Use of smartphones, iPads and other mobile devices is rising among consumers over 55. And they’re using mobile in some, perhaps, unexpected ways. For example, 13% of users between 55 and 64 years old play mobile games. (Mashable)
• The senior market is ready to boom. By 2030, the over-65 market will double to more than 72 million Americans. (U.S. Census Bureau)

So what tactics can ecommerce merchants utilize to attract and retain this growing segment? The eMarketer article suggests a few possibilities for providing a better customer experience for senior shoppers, including:

• Incorporating large and easy-to-understand click buttons.
• Ensuring simple and uncluttered navigation.
• Using fewer boxes that might confuse a user.

Along with navigation and use accommodations, we’ll add another: incorporating alternative payment methods (APMs), like Bill to Phone, which allows customers to charge their purchases to their phone bill. Here’s how Bill to Phone, or LEC billing, makes digital businesses more attractive to the senior market:

• Makes buying easier. There’s no need to dig out reading glasses to read tiny credit card numbers; there’s no need to hunt for a card number or online account password that may not be handy. Instead, customers only need to enter info they’ll already know, such as their phone number.
• Reduces the risk of identity theft. There are no credit card numbers or bank accounts to transmit over the Internet, which means risk-averse seniors may be more comfortable clicking the buy button.

ILD’s alternative payment method, Bill to Phone, will help you connect with untapped audiences. Contact our APM team today to learn how LEC billing will lift revenue potential for your gray market.

Owning and operating a small digital business can be a challenge, from finding time to meet with the accountant about taxes to nailing down that new pricing strategy. But there is a surprisingly simple way to help your small business grow: add an alternative payment method (APM) to your ecommerce shopping cart.

Check out these 4 reasons to offer APMs to your customers:

1. Works with your existing infrastructure. As a small biz owner, the last thing you need is a payment platform that clashes with your current internal structures and processes. The ideal APM will embed right in your site, creating a seamless transaction for consumers—and fewer headaches for you.
2. Boosts new customer acquisition. Ecommerce customers are familiar with big-name retailers, like Amazon. They might hesitate, though, to share financial or personal information with an unfamiliar ecommerce store. Credit card transactions and some APM processors require shoppers to share info, such as credit card or bank account numbers, that can increase the risk of identity theft. A low-risk payment method that doesn’t require buyers to share sensitive information makes customers more comfortable doing business with a smaller ecommerce firm.
3. 3.      Increases Average Order Value (AOV). By providing a credit card free way to shop combined with a seamless shopping experience, alternative payment methods nurture happy customers—and happy customers spend more money.
4. 4.      Lowers chargeback rates and reduces bad debt. Think chargebacks, NSFs, etc. are just the cost of doing business? Not necessarily. Alternative payment methods that offer real-time verification reduce the revenue loss that comes from fraudulent transactions and unbillable accounts.

Find the right partner to deliver the APM your business needs to boost revenue potential and reduce exposure to bad debt. ILD Teleservices provides a payment option called Bill to Phone, which allows shoppers to easily charge purchases to their phone bill. Our team works with 1,400 local phone companies to connect your small business to more than 150 million North American consumers.

The right APM may just be one of the ingredients you need to start transforming your small business into a big business. Call one of our payment experts today about adding an alternative payment to your checkout.