Choice Two (Our Way): For the cost of shipping and handling, we'll send you our SwipePIN device and you can process your purchases online the same way you do it in retail stores.

Simply take out your card and swipe it yourself in the safety of your own home. See the numbers on the PIN pad? Yes, it even allows you to further secure the transaction with your PIN. (all data is fully encrypted). You should be "SwipePIN your Slider"

This globally patented platform brings the Point of Sale device Home...where the Point of Sale occurs. Better yet, (and here's our direct response TV commercial pitch) "Try HomeATM's SwipePIN device at home FREE for 90 days...just pay shipping and handling ($5.00) and if you're not completely convinced it's the most secure way to make your online purchases, let us know and we'll deactivate it. Otherwise, use it to send us $5.00 dollars for a total cost of only $10.00! You can now shop online safely, securely with the knowledge that both your card and card reader are hack and skim free, respectively. (You can also rest assured it hasn't been tampered with)

Until you start using the SwipePIN method, consider these tips to reduce your risks. But remember, there's keyloggers, hijackers, screen scrapers, hacktivists, wardrivers and myriad other threats that these tips don't protect you against.

This holiday season many online shoppers wanting to avoid the hassle of visiting crowded shopping malls will look to the web as a quick and easy to purchase gifts for friends and loved ones. Although the number of Canadians shopping online continues to grow, there are still many consumers who won't shop online for fear they could be victims of identity theft.

The truth is that identity theft is a relatively rare occurrence and most identity theft occurs in using low tech off-line methods therefore most experts agree that shopping online is very safe provided consumers use some common sense when shopping online.

To help make shopping online more safe and secure, Digital Home presents the following Ten Tips for Secure online holiday shopping:

1. Only provide personal information if you're on a secure Web site. Once you are logged in, make sure the Web address starts with "https"("s" means it's secure). For added safety, check for a site certificate before submitting information on a secure page. Confirm the owner of the certificate by clicking on the padlock icon at the bottom of most browsers. You should see the owner listed as well as the site address. This address should match the Web site address at the top of the page; if they do not match, you may be at a fraudulent Web site and should not enter personal data.

2. Never respond to emails asking you to "confirm" recent transactions after you shop. These likely are "phishing" scams sent to lure private information from you.

3. Maintain a paper trail. Print and save records of your online transactions, including the product description and price, the online confirmation/receipt, and copies of any email(s) you exchange with the seller.

4. Do not share your passwords with anyone and never provide your social insurance number, birth date, or mother's maiden name in an email.

5. Make sure all of your security software is up-to-date before you do your online shopping. That includes anti-virus software, anti-spyware, and firewalls.

6. Check a company's privacy policy before doing business with it. A company should allow you to know what personal information its Web site is collecting, why and how it will be used. If you can't find a privacy policy -- or if you can't understand it -- consider taking your business to another site that's more security-conscious and accommodating to customers.

7. Consider using a separate email account for your online shopping. You can set up a free email account online through several different services.

8. Check your bank and visa accounts regularly for any activity you did not initiate. This is especially needed during the busy holiday shopping season. You should be able to log on quickly and check to see if there is any unusual activity in your bank or credit card account that you did not initiate. If there is, contact your bank immediately.

9. Do business with companies you know and trust. Research a company before revealing personal or financial information online. Confirm an online seller's physical address and phone number in case you need to get in touch with them. If you get an email or pop-up message from the seller while you're browsing that asks for financial information, don't reply or click on the link in the message. Legitimate companies don't ask for this information via email or pop-ups.

10. Watch out for fake "look-alike" sites. Some con artists disguise their Web site as a well-known company's site. Check your browser's address bar to make sure you're always using the correct Web site address. If the Web site seems suspicious, leave it immediately and call the company.

Finally and perhaps the most important piece of common sense when shopping online is one that is true when shopping offline - Never let anyone see your card numbers and never hand your card over.

Electronic Payments Now Account for Majority of Consumer Payments

DALLAS - Oct. 6, 2008 - Consumers are increasingly using electronic payments at the expense of cash and checks, according to a new nationwide consumer payment preferences study conducted by BAI and Hitachi Consulting. The research was sponsored by First Data Corporation and its STAR® Network, Harland Clarke, MasterCard Worldwide, Metavante, and PULSE.

The 2008 Study of Consumer Payment Preferences found that 63 percent of all consumer purchases are made using electronic payment methods. Electronic payments now account for the majority of payments across all three major payment venues-including bill payment. Internet payments have always been predominantly electronic, almost by default. For in-store payments, the balance between paper and electronic payments shifted in 2003, leaving bill payment as the last bastion of paper-based payments. This is no longer the case, however, as paper-based payments' share of bill payments shrank from 55 percent in 2005 to 38 percent in 2008.

"Bill payment has historically been a stronghold for checks," said Ajay Nagarkatte, managing director of Syndicated Research at BAI. "But increases in the adoption and usage of online bill payment over the past three years have significantly eroded the number of paper checks being mailed to pay bills."

Retail store purchases account for the majority of consumer payments. For in-store purchases, the migration to electronic payments continues to be driven by the increasing popularity of card-based payments, particularly debit. PIN and signature debit now account for 37 percent of consumers' in-store purchases, up from 21 percent in 1999.

Checks and now cash are giving way to card-based payments at the point of sale. Checks' share of in-store purchases has declined from 18 percent in 1999 to 8 percent in 2008, and after holding relatively steady for the past several years, cash has dropped to 29 percent. Contrary to robust forecasts, gift/prepaid card's share of purchases has not increased significantly over the past three years.

Looking forward, electronic payments will likely continue to erode the share of payments made using paper-based methods. As one young consumer observed when answering the survey, "paper is old school!", and over the next two years, consumers expect to increase their use of debit and decrease their use of checks and gift/prepaid cards.

"I expect the shift from paper to electronic payments to continue as consumers increase their use of cards and new forms of electronic payments gain traction," said Chris Allen, director of consulting services in the Financial Services Practice at Hitachi Consulting. "Although the proliferation of payment methods increases the complexity of managing payments, it also creates opportunities for financial institutions and payment service providers. There are a lot of changes taking place, and it's an exciting time to be in the industry."

About the Study

The 2008 Study of Consumer Payment Preferences is the definitive guide to how consumers pay in different venues, why, and how their payment habits are likely to evolve going forward. The study provides insights into consumer behavior and preferences across three important payment venues: retail point-of-sale (in-stores), Internet purchases, and bill payments. Findings from the 2008 Study are based on an online survey administered by Harris Interactive, and completed by a nationally representative sample of 3,308 U.S. consumers in June 2008. The sampling error for the national sample was +/- 1.7 percent at a 95 percent confidence interval.

This study is the fifth in a series of studies tracking consumers' payment habits, preferences and their migration from paper to electronic payments, and is a follow on to studies conducted in 1999, 2001, 2003, and 2005 by Dove Consulting (which was acquired by Hitachi Consulting in 2005) in conjunction with the American Bankers Association. To inquire about purchasing the study, please call Chris Allen, director of consulting services, Payment Strategy Group, Hitachi Consulting, at 617-753-9250 or Ajay Nagarkatte, managing director, Syndicated Research, BAI, at 312-683-2486.

Nearly two thirds of all US consumer payments are now made electronically as Americans increasingly turn away from cash and cheques, according to research from BAI and Hitachi Consulting.

A poll of 3308 US consumers - sponsored by First Data, Harland Clarke, MasterCard, Metavante and Pulse - found electronic payments are now the majority across all three major venues - bill, Internet and in-store.

Until recently bill payments were the last bastion of cash and cheques - with the two forms of payment accounting for 55% of total bill payments in 2005 - but this has slipped to 38% in 2008.

"Bill payment has historically been a stronghold for cheques," says Ajay Nagarkatte, MD of syndicated research at BAI. "But increases in the adoption and usage of online bill payment over the past three years have significantly eroded the number of paper cheques being mailed to pay bills."

PIN and signature debit cards continue to gain in popularity for in-store payments, accounting for 37% of purchases in 2008, compared to 21% in 1999.

In contrast, the use of cheques to pay for in-store purchases has declined from 18% in 1999 to eight per cent in 2008. After holding relatively steady for the past few years, the use of cash has now dropped to 29%.

However, the survey shows that contrary to robust forecasts, gift and pre-paid cards have not seen a significant increase in take up over the last three years.

Chris Allen, director, consulting services, financial services practice, Hitachi Consulting, says: "I expect the shift from paper to electronic payments to continue as consumers increase their use of cards and new forms of electronic payments gain traction."

Earlier this year a US study released by TowerGroup forecasted a continuing decline in cheque volumes - from 22.1 billion items in 2006 to 17.9 billion by the end of 2009 - as consumers turn to electronic payments.

Figures from TowerGroup and the Federal Reserve show that cheques have lost their dominance in the US payments market, shrinking from a 46% share of total non-cash payment volume in 2003 to 31% in 2006.

TowerGroup says this fall has been driven by a desire among consumers to be able to pay bills and make purchases in faster and more convenient ways.

Editor's Note: This article by Alex Rampell from E-Commerce times is subtitled "Expert Advice" but I should think that the idea of Internet Retailers offering a more secure transaction at a lower cost, would be labeled  "Common Sense."

Here's some expert advice: Stop calling platforms such as HomeATM's globally patented PIN Debit and Credit offering, an alternative payment. Alternative to what? Paying Visa and MasterCard's exorbitant fees?

In the bricks and mortar world, PIN Debit is labeled as the fastest growing, most secure and most preferred payment platform outside of cash. (Gartner Research)

So where's the logic in calling "the fastest growing most preferred payment method " an alternative payment method?  The fact is, PIN debit being labeled as an "alternative" payment platform would be akin to calling online shopping. "alternative shopping." I base this on the fact that the only truly alternative name for PIN debit is "online debit." 

So to call HomeATM, which provides online debit online, an alternative payment platform is, at best, a misnomer. In the face of the Duopoly known as Visa and MasterCard, anything other than using their platforms somehow got labeled as an "alternative payment."  I say au contraire...

In the here and the now, there's no better alternative for online shopping than using online debit.  I say, provide consumers with HomeATM's SwipePIN device in the future and "card not present" transactions become a thing of the past.  The point I'm making is that the card IS present, at the point of sale.  It's the ability to be SwipePIN at home that's missing.  So bring the POS device to the point of sale...bring it home.  There's no place like home...atm.

Here's the article:

"As consumers tighten their budgets, some e-commerce retailers may feel the pinch. To avoid being buried under a mountain of abandoned shopping carts, online vendors should consider offering alternative payment options that give the buyer more convenience, flexibility and security, writes TrialPay CEO Alex Rampell.

The U.S. economy has entered a vicious cycle where housing, employment and financial troubles are forcing consumers to tighten their purse strings and closely evaluate their every purchase. Retailers are also feeling the grip of a tightening economy as they compete aggressively for a diminishing number of buyers' dollars.

In response, innovators in e-commerce have introduced creative marketing models and alternative payment systems that offer more security than credit cards, no interest, and free products or purchase incentives. These methods are especially attractive to online merchants because they actually increase a customer's willingness to buy and create new revenue streams.

PayPal was a pioneer in this space, and its $12 billion valuation shows just how valuable alternative payment methods are. The current success of some companies' innovative marketing models, as well as firms like Bill Me Later and TrialPay, indicate that alternative payment platforms will soon become a mainstream player in the multi-billion dollar payments industry.

Integrating Alternative Payment Options

Any company that conducts business online should consider integrating alternative payment platforms. With unlimited earnings potential, minimal integration costs, and lower rates and more perks than credit cards, these alternative options attract tens of thousands of top-tier merchants across virtually all industries. In fact, a recent survey conducted by First Annapolis Consulting found that, of 83 mid-sized e-commerce retailers, 41 percent accept alternative payments.

Unlike traditional ways to pay, alternative payment models create new revenue streams. They generate sales from transactions that otherwise would have resulted in abandoned shopping carts, unfulfilled subscription renewals or sign-ups for free trials. They allow online marketers to evolve with the demands of today's discerning consumer. And they offer no-brainer, cost-per-acquisition opportunities to attract valuable advertising dollars.

The current state of the economy has encouraged widespread adoption of alternative payment platforms by online retailers and shoppers alike. However, the relevance and popularity of these payment methods extend beyond a down economy. The multi-billion dollar payments industry is undergoing a transformation, and soon these "alternative" payment methods will be considered mainstream competition for credit cards and even cash. Just as the Internet has changed the way people shop, innovative payment methods are changing the way people pay."

Microsoft Cashback Working, Says Hitwise - BusinessWeek

It does pay to buy clicks, it seems!

Hitwise says it’s seeing an increasing trend in the share of visits to Microsoft Live Search coming from its Cashback program. With Cashback, people get money back for clicking on and buying products offered under the Cashback name.

MSN Cashback represented 3.75% of the traffic to Live.com 11 weeks ago.

It was at 6.29% last week.  This rise in Cashback’s traffic underscores the interest in the
program, which is likely to be getting a boost from shoppers looking to
save money and stretch their budgets given the current economic climate.

MSN Cashback on its own ranked #12 within a category of the top 50
search engines for the week ending Sept. 27, 2008. Not bad for a
shopping search/rebate program!

Other tidbits:

• About 55% of the traffic are women.
• Nearly half of the visitors were between the ages of 25 to 44
• 22% were 25 to 34
• 27% were 35 to 44.
• And the majority of the visitors have a household income of under $100k.