UK: Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank Implements 3D Secure

3D Secure is the latest weapon in the battle against online card fraud, creating a “trust chain” throughout the transaction and shifting the liability for fraud from the merchant to the issuer. This means that the online merchant can be assured that the risk of chargebacks will fall considerably, and so should encourage more business customers to accept bill payments online payers will have additional confidence that their transaction is even more secure.

Commenting on the new system, Graham Long, Head of Payment Services at Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank said: “This is great news for the many organisations that already use the BillPay website and for individuals who choose to pay their bills online. With a growing number of people taking advantage of the convenience and control offered by online payments, security is obviously vital, and Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank aims to be at the forefront of any technological developments.”

“The growth we have seen over the last few years clearly indicates that the internet is fast becoming the preferred bill payment channel for many. 3D Secure will provide businesses and payers with enhanced security and I am confident that this will lead to further growth in the number of organisations choosing our BillPay service.”

Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank’s BillPay website was launched in July 2000 and has proved to be very popular with organisations and their customers. More than 1.9 million payments were made via the system during 2007, a year-on-year increase of more than 70 per cent. The service is used by Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) and a growing number of utility companies, local authorities, housing associations, and debt collection agencies.

Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank is the market leader for online payments and currently more than 200 bill issuers, including 125 local authorities, enjoy the benefits of the web-based collection service.

BillPay is a cost effective option for organisations issuing bills, providing them with a highly effective payment collection solution without the hassle and expense of setting up and managing their own system. In addition consumers receive the benefit of paying their bills when it is convenient, from the comfort of their home, 24/7. BillPay is an integral part of the extensive range of revenue collection solutions offered by Alliance & Leicester Commercial Bank, the one-stop shop for bill issuers.