News.com: Web shoppers' new option: Bill me later

Troy Wolverton reports on CNET's News.com about Bill Me Later, a new payment option for online purchasing being introduced by I4 Commerce.

The "bill me later" feature works much like a credit card, said Mark Lavelle, vice president of business development for I4 Commerce. After entering their billing address during the checkout process, shoppers click on the "bill me later" button. Instead of asking for a credit card number, the service asks consumers to enter their date of birth and occasionally the last four digits of their Social Security number, Lavelle said. I4 pays the merchant, then within 10 to 15 days after the buyers complete their initial transaction, I4 will send them a bill for all of their "bill me later" transactions during that time period, Lavelle said. They can either pay the full bill at once or pay a portion of it. I4 charges 17.9 percent interest on any outstanding balances, he said. Much like a credit card company, I4 will bill customers on a monthly basis.