Johannesburg, 09 Feb 2006
Low-cost airline 1time, one of South Africa`s largest online retailers, has migrated to MWEB Business` SafeShop e-commerce platform to facilitate secure and immediate online payments.
The airline, which conducts between 40 000 to 50 000 online transactions per month, has partnered with MWEB Business for its e-commerce requirements in an effort to deliver improved service to its customers.
"Following an evaluation of alternative providers, we selected the SafeShop platform as it acquires with all the major banks, enables alternative payment mechanisms and gives us complete peace of mind," says Christoff Snyman, financial manager, 1time.
E-commerce has transformed the travel industry worldwide, and research conducted by World Wide Worx reveals that the online purchasing of airline tickets accounted for R1.8 billion in e-commerce sales in South Africa in 2005. This figure is up from R850 million in 2004.
"The implementation of SafeShop was completed within hours, and we experienced no downtime. MWEB`s skills and experience in the e-commerce market ensured we had a seamless transition," adds Snyman.
According to Snyman, 95% of 1time`s business - including its call centre transactions - is conducted online and in real-time.
"A quick and reliable payment gateway is imperative, as any downtime results in financial losses and creates negative customer experiences. With MWEB`s SafeShop, a payment transaction generally takes less than two seconds."
Anton Gaylard, general manager of the application service provider (ASP) division at MWEB Business, says booking and payment is no longer restricted to credit card holders. The acceptance of alternative payment methods, such as Nedbank Secure Payment, eBucks, Standard Bank`s Autopay as well as direct deposits and cash on delivery (COD), make purchasing on the site accessible to a much wider audience.
In addition to facilitating secure online payments, MWEB Business also provides 1time with bulk mailing facilities via its Courier service. Courier provides 1time with an affordable channel to communicate with its customers on a regular basis by sending e-mails regarding special offers and other promotions.
1time, in collaboration with MWEB Business, plans to implement the 3-D Secure platform in 2006. 3-D Secure is an advanced security platform designed to authenticate online shoppers and their credit cards via the entry of a unique password/PIN prior to concluding a transaction. Most of South Africa`s major banks have already rolled out 3-D Secure to their customers. During the latter part of 2006, it is envisioned that debit card acceptance will also be rolled out to South African consumers on the same platform.
The deal marks MWEB Business` fourth deal with a major airline in recent years.
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MWEB Business
Founded in January 1998 as the business division of MWEB, MWEB Business provides comprehensive solutions in areas of Internet services, application services, content services, Web development, e-commerce, e-procurement and consultancy to businesses.
We are dedicated to helping our business clients leverage the power of the Internet by providing a comprehensive solution for all their Internet needs along with the expertise and skills to successfully implement their ventures online.
MWEB Business has e-commerce enabled more than 220 businesses and provided Internet services to more than 75 000 business clients, including Pick `n Pay, Makro, Netflorist, Incredible Connection, The Pro Shop and many more.
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