Barclaycard Merchant Services is to use SMS information request service TxtOrder to promote the benefits of Verified by Visa to online merchants.
Barclaycard advertisements for Verified by Visa in the holiday season will feature a TxtAddress SMS code alongside the traditional phone and Web methods of contact. Mobile users who text the address will receive further information to their e-mail inbox and handset. The text will also automatically notify a sales representative to follow up with a call two days later.
Nigel Moloney, head of sales, marketing and business development, Barclaycard Merchant Services, comments: "Verified by Visa will be a powerful weapon in the fight against online credit card fraud in the run up to Christmas. Everyone in business has a mobile phone so SMS is the ideal medium for reaching this audience."
Steve Almond, CEO, TxtOrder PLC, adds: "To date, SMS has largely been used as a person-to-person messaging tool. Whilst growth is now being seen in the consumer to business market, few business-to-business organisations have tapped into this easy and effective way to make their information available."
Barclaycard initially worked with the firm to integrate its ePDQ payments system during TxtOrder's pre-launch pilot, where brands such as Next Directory, Phones4u and Yamaha trialed the service.