"Public perception is still that the net is an unsecure way of buying. They like to see the product before parting with the cash!"
"I would never again, submit my credit card no. over the internet"
"Recently tried to buy a product from Lotus, I spent about thrity minutes at their site and still could not find a download button for the software I was interested in"
"The biggest problem for UK-based businesses with providing customers with the option to pay for items via the internet is not the lack of security (secure data transfer software solutions are already available off the shelf and custom solutions can be easily written). It is in fact the card-processing banks. In the UK, no bank will allow merchants to charge customers' credit/debit cards if the card details have been obtained via the internet, irrespective of any secure transmission systems used, without breaching the terms of their service agreement with the bank. This is in contrast to the banks' policy towards the arguably less secure, unencrypted provision of customers' card details via fax or voice phone. It seems the main objection of UK banks is based on their current lack of understanding of internet security, and while the UK industry drags its heels, in the US and Far East, banks have been allowing internet transmission of card details for a few years. Although companies and industry groups can continue to try to persuade the banking community of the need to accept payment details via the internet in order for UK industry to remain competitive, the most important action must surely be to wipe out the ignorance, rumours, hype and consequent fears among banks surrounding internet security and replace them with facts about existing solutions. Only then will UK industry be able to compete with other countries in this increasingly vital area. Based on past experience, however, it is a sad fact that by the time this has happened, it will be too late. Many of the potentially highly successful new UK-based businesses, which will help reestablish the UK's industrial success (this time in the technology sector), will have moved to another country where the banks are more forward looking."
"This is the way of the future, but always systems should be secure to ensure fraud does not take place"
"I think that this is a more secure way than using the phone but customers and suppliers are going to take a lot of convincing"
"Security of card information needs to be guaranteed specifically by each supplier before I would consider purchasing goods using credit cards on the internet"
"Only deal with very reputable companies to reduce risk - also have tight limits on the money available for a single transaction."
"We regard it as the most import imminent boom area on the Internet in the UK, and have had queries from several clients - the means for realtime credit checks have only recently become available here."
"The general feeling from our customers is that they don't feel 'safe' sending their credit card details over the net to unsecure web sites, we generally recommend that secure sites are safe to use."
"whilst the issue of security appears to be under control, customers are nevertheless less inclined to use the Internet - yet appear perfectly happy to use credit cards over telephones and fax. The problem is now one of educated the customer to use the Internet. The setting up of a Internet version of MOPS to protect consumers would I think go some way to helping to overcome their anxieties"
"No tales of woe are heard - everyone worries about credit card detail security, but no one seems to have lost any money yet?"
"Credit cards are a superb way of dealing Internationally as neither party need be bothered with currency exchange"
"The two instances I purchased using my credit card over the web was both for low value services. First item created all kinds of agro as the supplier failed to produce and support the goods. Second purchase took 2 months to arrive (CD) by which time I had downloaded it for free from the web. I guess lack of control and legislation is the problem."
"As to buying I'm fairly trusting about using my card over the net...I would love to incorporate selling, but I am only a small business and the initial investment (time and effort as well as money) would probably not be repaid in the long run. If it was simple to implement, and required no special servers etc., I would have online credit card ordering tomorrow..."
"People seem reluctant to spend larger sums, but below 100 pounds for software, books, tickets etc. seems fine"
"Not appropriate to this business. Personally I am wary about doing so and, in any case, would only consider doing so for larger reputable suppliers"
"It's becoming an every day thing now"
"We sell on the Internet taking payment by credit cards but users print a form, complete it then fax the form to us. As soon as our ISP provides secure credit card transaction facilities AT A REASONABLE PRICE for small numbers of high value transactions then we will provide this service to our customers."
"we plan to offer a on-line credit card service very soon"
"I view credit card security on the internet with a little precaution but realistically credit card fraud can be done in a lot of places not just the internet. The internet should not be singled out as a dodgy place to use a credit card."
"I'm not too happy about the idea of others getting hold of the information but find it no different than phoning through details"
"One of my customers suggested to me the putting of the credit card number across more than one Mail which I thought was a terrific idea. In other words say the first eight numbers on one mail and the last eight numbers on the next mail. I guess this solves the problems - if any since no one really seems to know."
"BAD IDEA AT THIS POINT IN TIME"
"More should be stated about security if this becomes a problem, and this should only come from the credit card companies if the security is not there."
"If buyers are doubtful they can FAX us the credit card details or send them in two separate emails"
"It is not considered safe by us yet."
"Still very unsure of internet security, especially revealing credit card details"
"Most people are very concerned about security but know little about what can be done to minimise risk - how do you know whether a site that claims to be secure and issues some certificate purporting to guarantee security, really is secure? - there is no independent verification of security"
"Security is a worry."
"The next time I buy petrol or food I will ask what happens to my card details, what security measures they have in place, for a detailed outline of the credit worthiness of the individuals involved in handling my details and for a third party reference from an organisation I trust to confirm that this process is valid and the individuals involved are trustworthy...."
"I see nothing wrong in buying or selling over the internet using credit cards, I think the new technologies are satisfactory as regards security. As with all methods of credit card transaction there are those who will abuse it or commit fraud either on the credit card company or the buyer. This is a risk we have to bear for the convenience of plastic. We can but hope that the companies both credit card, and sellers take sufficient care with the information to minimise the risk. "
"We are a legal practice and the internet is has not really become common in this field. We have a web page but no clients have resulted from it as yet! As a legal practice, security issues are paramount and we would hesitate to use credit cards over the net for that reason."
"I think Credit Card transactions over the Internet are as safe as over the phone, but you have to convince the Public"
"We provide a warning on our Web site that credit card details are not completely secure. Maybe one in thirty customers still chooses to pay that way, rather than by invoice"
"Security is a big issue when considering making a credit card purchase over the Internet. However so long as the site uses an encryption process to submit the data over the internet, I am prepared to take the risk where the company is one that I have knowledge of (ie. a brand leader) or where magazine reviews about products have given the site some credibility. That said, I have so far only used the Internet to purchase Books, Software, Photos and Computer Hardware, but have been pleased with the service, receiving most goods next day or been able to download within minutes, and on most occasions found that because my dealings have been with overseas organisations, I have made savings on the purchase price that I would have paid in the UK. So essentially the benefits of making internet purchases have so far overcome my concerns about the risk, lets face it, there are countless cases of fraudulent transactions using carbon copies of signed transaction slips both here and abroad"
"Our market is business to business, therefore once a company wishes to make use of services it is a corporate decision and results in a credit account being opened. If our customers want to arrange travel via our internet web site then we have the potential for this to happen. We could screen incoming e-mail requests by identifying the traveller's client company account name. Another fail-safe against 'ghost' booking requests is that we will confirm back to customers any transactions generated in their name. I imagine therefore that most business-to-business companies need not be overly concerned about this issue of credit card security in relation to payment for internet generated transactions."
"The central issue appears to be the greed and stupidity of the credit card companies and the banks. Instead of passing on the cost reductions made possible by the new technologies, they seek to develop a new paradigm with a pricing and development strategy based on the simple proposition "Cane the consumer". Take something as simple as exchange rates: the rates charged are, to say the least, extortionate, yet the easy ability to buy across frontiers is - or ought to be - the hallmark of web commerce. We come close to the classical conditions of a "perfect market" (perfect information), yet grossly distorted transaction charges are imposed by a quasi-cartel. "
"N/A - Service Industry"
"Feel perception is worse than reality regarding security of transactions and the technology is available to make transacting very secure. Anyone willing to deal over the phone should not be worried by the net. Having said that, until that perception is changed, buying and selling over the net will not be acceptable to the masses"
"We don't have a secure server (although it has been offered as a rather expensive add on) some customers use email for credit card details, but some fax them in separately. It strikes me that a credit card number can be obtained in so many ways that I can't see that giving it out by email poses any risk to the card holder - provided they reconcile their statement each month! The credit card companies apparently always refund fraudulent transactions."
"In Europe, one of the hurdles to offering e-sales for small business has been the lack of permission from the banks to take cc over the Internet and now it is starting to happen but with a high cost"
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