However, technical and logistical issues pose significant challenges for merchants wanting to enter the China eCommerce market. CyberSource Ltd (NASDAQ: CYBS) and China-based PayEase Technology Ltd. are collaborating to remove these barriers and facilitate merchants' entry into the China market.

Past challenges

eCommerce solutions for selling into China have long been problematic. Only 6% of Chinese citizens hold credit cards. The common electronic payment vehicles are Chinese debit cards, offered by over 20 different key banks in the country. Merchants seeking broad access to the market are required to integrate with each of these disparate institutions, in addition to satisfying regulatory requirements regarding licenses and domicile.

The PayEase/CyberSource solution

The collaboration between CyberSource and PayEase provides merchants with fast and cost-effective access to the majority of online payment vehicles in China. With the PayEase/CyberSource solution, merchants gain support for both Chinese credit cards as well as debit cards from over 20 key banks. PayEase can also help foreign companies navigate the various regulatory requirements associated with conducting eCommerce in China, such as licensing requirements for Internet Content Providers, by, for example, helping to identify professional advisers in China familiar with such regulatory requirements. PayEase also offers customer loyalty programmes designed to help promote new foreign merchants to Chinese nationals that have previously purchased online.

Full Payment Management Support

The integration between CyberSource and PayEase reaches beyond payment acceptance to tap the full range of CyberSource and PayEase payment management solutions. Merchants can opt for real-time tax calculation for local Chinese value-added tax. CyberSource's industry-leading fraud management portal, Decision Manager, supports payments through PayEase, including the ability to recognise thhe Chinese language character set, and incorporates country-specific decisioning rules to automate the acceptance or rejection of orders. Financial transaction reports are available in English to ease reconciliation.

"We see this alliance with PayEase as an extraordinary opportunity for merchants who wish to expand into the Chinese eCommerce market," said Scott Cruickshank, CyberSource president and COO. "We believe that PayEase has unmatched credentials for managing eCommerce in China for domestic and foreign companies, drawing upon years of experience working with English-speaking and multinational corporations seeking entry into that arena. We believe our merchants will now have a unique opportunity to engage consumers in China as growth in that market accelerates."

Fred Sum, CEO of PayEase said, "Electronic payment in China is an underserved market with great potential. CyberSource is one of the world's most trusted and experienced payment management companies. We believe the combined capabilities of our two companies will offer significant help to U.S. and U.K. merchants that see China as a logical extension of their worldwide sales efforts."

The PayEase/CyberSource solution is available now. A merchant's ability to accept credit and debit cards through PayEase is subject to satisfaction of certain eligibility criteria and regulatory requirements.

PayEase's major shareholder, Capinfo Company Ltd., a public company in Hong Kong, is affiliated with the Beijing municipal government and was initially formed by various Chinese ministries and government entities to promote eCommerce in China.