eCompany launches authenticated payment feature for etisalat4me portal

The new payment protocol is an authenticated payment environment that requires the participation of the card-issuing bank whereby the cardholders need to be registered for using the feature with their relevant bank. For etisalat4me and other merchants, the implementation of this new authentication protocol supported by Visa and Mastercard would lead to a decrease in disputed transactions. The process of integration into their back end systems would also be relatively smooth due to the ease of implementing only a software plug-in which is provided by eCompany.

Commenting on the new feature, Ahmad Abdulkarim Julfar, GM eCompany said, 'Security and safety of credit card holders money is the single most important factor in ePayments and this authentication will help reduce fraud in a big way and give customers confidence when transacting on the E4ME website. The fear and uncertainty associated with exposing their card details over the Internet is now mitigated. This implementation is proof of our commitment to using the latest technology for the benefit of our valued customers and setting the highest benchmarks for customer convenience.'

'Any Visa or Mastercard cardholder who has not been issued a password for online authentication should approach their issuing banks in the interest of their own safety,' added Mr. Julfar.

According to Salim Al Sharhan, Senior Executive Vice President - Finance, Etisalat, 'The importance attached to secure online transactions is growing each day. Our subscribers now have the added benefit of transacting with us over our own online cash counter, in a simple and secure manner. With eCompany overseeing the security of this facility, we are confident that customer apprehensions are appropriately addressed provided card issuing banks also take the initiative of protecting their cardholders.'