Payment Tokens Set to Eliminate Ecommerce Compliance Challenge

LONDON, February 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ --

- Sage Pay's New Payment Technology Accessible to Business of All Sizes

Sage Pay, the UK's leading independent payment service provider (PSP), today officially launches a simple and secure way of processing transactions that reduces the burden of compliance for online merchants. Using Sage Pay's Token System, e-tailers can now offer a fast, single-click payment process for customers, without actually storing or transmitting personal information such as credit card details.

This new bolt-on to the payment gateway gives merchants the ability to convert credit card numbers - which are given directly to Sage Pay by online shoppers and stored within Sage Pay's secure servers - into a token or card number 'alias'. Tokens can then be safely stored by the merchant and are used to process transactions as and when required, which makes it easier for merchants to become Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) compliant.

The Token System also removes the need for returning customers to re-enter card details, whilst fully supporting the 3D Secure and CV2 re-entry process. Sage Pay believes this functionality will help e-tailers dramatically improve the overall customer experience and drive customer loyalty, without compromising security. Previously targeted at the large enterprise market, Sage Pay is the first PSP to offer this type of technology to businesses of all sizes.

Mat Peck, Sage Pay's Head of Research and Development, comments: "For years now, PCI DSS has presented a real challenge for online merchants and retailers, as they attempt to balance the complexities of providing an easy to use and inherently positive user experience, with the limitations imposed by strict regulation. Now we can help them do both, and at a relatively low cost to their business."

Sage Pay partner Sanderson Multi-Channel Solutions Ltd has integrated Tokenisation with their customers and been impressed with the system. Ian Newcombe, Managing Director of Sanderson, says, "We have recently integrated Sage Pay's Token system for a number of our customers, both large and small. For them, using Tokenisation removes some of the key pressure points for retailers, in particular PCI compliance - which can be a burden due to the high cost for businesses in terms of finance and resource."

Sage Pay's Token system will also support e-tailers ability to attract loyal customers by providing a, with a new single click payment process allowing customers to revisit a merchant's website time and again without having to re-enter card details.

After months of development and BETA testing, this service is now available to businesses of all sizes and for merchants using Sage Pay's API solution, the opportunity to customise the payment pages and the payment process are endless.

Gian Luzio, Managing Director of online DVD and game retailer Bee.com, says of the innovative system: "The Token system provides us with a highly secure and efficient way to store customer details, providing peace-of-mind to our customers. It is crucial that we encourage customers to return to our online store and by speeding up the payment process for them, Sage Pay has helped us facilitate this. By getting rid of the need for customers to have to enter delivery and card details again and again, we've seen a very high repeat purchase rate."

Sage Pay's Research and Development team have already started work on the next generation of their Token System too, as Mat explains:

"We've had so much interest in the Token System and some really positive feedback from our group of BETA testers that we're already developing a second phase of enhancements. Token will also form the basis of some exciting new innovations planned throughout 2011."

Sage Pay's Token System is available for use with Sage Pay Go with Server or Direct integration.

In conjunction with the release of Token System, Sage Pay is offering customers 1 month's free use of the Token system (up to 1000 stored tokens) to any customer who goes live with the system during February 2011.

Sign up to your free Token trial or get more information ( https://www.sagepay.com/contact_us/Token_offer)

About Sage Pay

Sage Pay is a division of FTSE 100 business software company Sage. It is the UK's fastest growing independent payment service provider (PSP) and is one of the most trusted e-commerce brands. Sage Pay processes millions of secure payments for its 32,000 customers each year and makes the process of accepting payments simpler, faster, safer and more profitable for businesses of all sizes. For more information, please visit http://www.sagepay.com

About PCI DSS

PCI DSS is a set of guidelines that provide businesses with a framework to ensure best practice when handling sensitive card data. Sage Pay is level 1 compliant (the highest level).

For more information, please visit http://www.pcisecuritystandars.org

About Bee.com

Bee.com is part of MBL Group PLC, a multi-channel distributor of home entertainment products. Bee.com differentiates itself from competitors by focusing on entertainment and leisure only and pioneering free delivery and free returns on DVDs, Music and Games on the internet.

For more information please visit http://www.bee.com and http://www.mblgroup.co.uk.

About Sanderson/Elucid

Sanderson

Sanderson is a publicly owned UK provider of software and IT services. We offer a comprehensive range of IT solutions and services for the multi-channel retail sector and as the software author we retain control of the development of our marketing leading solutions.

Elucid from Sanderson is the complete multi-channel software solution for multi-channel and online retailers. Elucid can help to increase order values, order frequency, customer satisfaction, quality of service, response times and the growth of your most profitable customers. It provides multiple sales platforms integrated to powerful back office functionality.

For more information, please visit http://www.sanderson.com/elucid