Paying with plastic

3D Secure, a new product offered by eCard, a company providing electronic payment solutions, could revolutionize online shopping in Poland. When implemented by banks, it would make it possible for holders of all payment cards to shop online.

Today, except for a couple of debit cards, only credit cards can be used to pay on the internet in Poland, and relatively few Poles have one. "There are 20 million payment cards in Poland and the market makes it possible for only four million to buy things online," the president of eCard, Konrad Korobowicz, said. In Poland, 70 percent of online transactions are paid in cash and only 23 percent using a credit card. On the global market, shopping using credit cards amounts to 70 percent of all transactions.

Transactions using the 3D Secure system look very similar to those for which credit cards are used. The client gives his name, card number and expiry date. However, there is one additional security measure. During the process the user is connected with his bank through a pop-up window and the transaction is confirmed by a special password.

Increasing security and opening the market for 16 million cards could give a massive boost to the quickly growing e-commerce market in Poland.

But while internet shops in Poland meet the requirements to start working with 3D Secure, there are no cards working with the system yet. "Since the end of July we have been in talks with many banks about the implementation of the system," Korobowicz said without disclosing any names.