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A Big Idea for Small Transactions

VeriFone, a division of Hewlett-Packard Company, has announced a marketing agreement with EHPT, a joint venture between Ericsson and Hewlett-Packard, to offer an integrated Internet payment solution that handles both micro- and macro-payments for value-added e-services.

Micro-payments-very small transactions that are below the typical limits set for credit card purchases-are used to pay for e-services billed in increments, such as by the minute, hour, game, point, download or online session. E-service providers need to support both micro- and the larger macro-payments made by consumers purchasing e-services, no matter what Internet-enabled device they’re using. To achieve this, e-service providers typically outsource the task of payment and collection to a payment service provider such as a telephone company, bank, processor or Internet Service Provider.

Jalda, a payment technology developed by EHPT, avoids the complexities and expense of a proprietary micro-payments solution by offering payment service providers a way to handle micro-payments securely over fixed and mobile Internet-enabled devices. Payment service providers will be able to use the Jalda-based EHPT SAFETRADER payment system and VeriFone’s e-Payment Server (ePS) product to handle micro- and macro-payment transactions for e-services, as well as the reloading of the accounts from which micro-payments are deducted, and all infrastructures required to support it. EHPT SAFETRADER is the first payment system based on the Jalda technology.

“Many people think Internet-based services are restricted to what they can access through their PC, but e-services will become ubiquitous-available through a wide variety of Internet-enabled devices, including cell phones, vending machines, point-of-sale terminals, handheld PDAs, and many others,” according to  Patrik Attemark, marketing director, EHPT Internet Payment Systems. “Many of these new e-services, like streaming video, music, and online gaming, also are charged in small, low-valued increments. As a result, e-service providers need the power and flexibility to accept virtually the entire spectrum of e-payments-small or large-no matter what Internet-enabled device is used. VeriFone’s e-Payment Server (ePS) for macro-payments, integrated with our Jalda-based EHPT SAFETRADER solution for micro- and session based payments answers this need.”

VeriFone’s ePS is a comprehensive, standards-based solution that handles traditional macro-payments over the Internet, including debit, credit, gift card, and electronic check, as well as online, customer prepaid accounts. A mission-critical payment server that provides essential capabilities for automating and integrating Internet, wireless and physical transactions, ePS interfaces with EHPT’s Jalda-enabled Internet payment system for micro-payments. By integrating with EHPT SAFETRADER, VeriFone’s ePS enables a payment service provider to reload capability for prepaid accounts and accept macro payments.

For more information visit www.verifone.hp.com.