eMarkerter published an article this morning regarding which payment methods online shoppers use. and projections until 2013.  While credit cards usage is expected to drop 32%, from it's 59% level in 2007 to 40% in 2013, debit usage is expected to grow 15% during the same time period.  (see chart on left)

eMarketer also talked about "why" consumers use "payments services" (e.g. PayPal) and the number one reason, was "most secure...don't have to enter credit card information online."  (they must mean everytime, because when I chose PayPal to make a purchase on eBay, {see number two reason in chart below right} I had to enter my credit card/debit card information) 

With our personal swiping device, you "never" had to enter your credit card information online...just swipe (more convenient and faster) and enter PIN (outside browser space) making for a more secure online payment.   No skimming worries, no tampering worries, just you and your own private swiping device, in the privacy of your home...  Here's the article from eMarketer. 

How Do Online Buyers Pay?

JANUARY 14, 2009

Mostly by credit card, but other payment methods are gaining ground.  Most online buyers pay with credit cards. But the online credit card retail purchase volume growth rate is falling, and not just because of the recession.

Data from a January 2009 Javelin Strategy and Research study reveals that credit card purchase volume will continue to grow online and command the largest market share among payment types, reaching $107 billion by 2013, up from $81 billion in 2008.

Yet that is less than a 6% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), and the percentage of online purchases made with credit cards is set to fall to 40% in 2013, down from 59% in 2007. Javelin said that the share of online purchases made with private-label and prepaid cards would increase during that time.

The increased usage of other payment types is not an outright rejection of cards; Javelin estimated that e-mail payments such as PayPal would still account for only 10% of online purchases in 2013, up from 7% in 2007.

Rather, prepaid and debit cards may be viewed as ways to avoid interest charges, and private-label cards frequently have loyalty or rewards programs that give users cash or products back.

Some online buyers are still concerned about credit card fraud as well. In 2007, JupiterResearch and Ipsos Insight asked users of alternative payment methods including PayPal why they did not use credit cards, and the findings are worth remembering.

More security was the top reason given by online buyers for using payment services instead of credit cards. Respondents also said they used such services because of restricted options on credit cards, and greater flexibility, more convenience and easier dispute resolution than when they used credit cards.

Advertisement: Agencies and brands from all verticals rely on eMarketer Total Access for analysis and data. Daily articles are just the tip of the iceberg. Find out what you are missing. Learn more about Total Access today.