From: Aron Roberts (aron@socrates.berkeley.edu)
Date: Tue Nov 13 2001 - 11:18:51 PST
Hi Susan,
In the message "[Webnet] Internet Cash Card", dated 2001-11-09, Susan
L. Hedgpeth wrote:
>Someone asked me recently about where to purchase an internet cash card
>locally. I had to admit I'd never heard of it. But apparently it's an
>alternative to using a credit card number when purchasing things via the
>web. Does anyone have experience with this? And in particular where can
>one be purchased locally?
There are a number of institutions which offer, or have considered
offering, the equivalent of "Internet Cash Cards."
This name is apparently somewhat generic, and most commonly refers
to prepaid debit cards which one can use for online purchases -- and
sometimes also purchases at 'offline' merchants -- in place of one's
regular credit cards. (Note that some issuers charge modest service
fees for these cards, over and above the stored value on the cards.)
VISA International offers the "VISA Buxx" card, targeted at
teenagers but presumably equally usable by adults, which is accepted
online and offline wherever VISA credit cards are accepted:
A review of the VISA Buxx card:
http://ecommerce.internet.com/reviews/article/0,,3691_483971,00.html
MasterCard offers a list of several such prepaid debit cards, which
apparently can be used at any online merchants which accept
MasterCard credit cards, at:
http://www.mastercard.com/cgi-bin/afac/searchresults.cgi?prdctid=3
A review of two of these, Ecount and Webcertificate:
http://ecommerce.internet.com/reviews/article/0,,10412_384961,00.html
And a story regarding a security breach at Webcertificate.com:
http://news.cnet.com/news/0-1007-200-7495034.html?tag=lh
American Express has offered a similar card, called the Cobaltcard,
but according to its Web site, this card is in the process of being
discontinued and can no longer be used for online purchases as of
November 19, 2001:
http://www.cobaltcard.com/cobaltindex.html
Interestingly, in summer 2000, American Express also partnered with
7-Eleven in a test program in which "Internet Shopping Cards" were
once sold at 7-Eleven convenience stores. However, like the
Cobaltcard, these are no longer offered:
http://www.7-eleven.com/internetcard/
Aron Roberts
Workstation Software Support Group
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