Designed to increase revenue and customer lifetime value, Digital River World Payments enables online merchants to manage the entire payment lifecycle through a single connection to a payment gateway, merchant account services or fully outsourced payment programs.

"For more than 15 years, some of the world's leading brands have relied on Digital River to manage and grow their online businesses on a global basis. This year alone, we expect to process more than USD 8 billion in online transactions," said Digital River CEO Joel Ronning. "Now we are taking our proven payments expertise and technologies and creating a holistic package of services that can be purchased, tailored and used on a stand-alone basis to meet a company's strategic payments goals. From the customer experience on the checkout page to payouts, Digital River World Payments is designed to reduce the risk and costs of online commerce while ensuring the revenue rewards."

Digital River World Payments offers relevant payment options in more than 190 countries and over 170 transaction and display currencies. The e-payments solution is built based on a modular approach, offering three primary payment programs:

• Payment Advance: A payments program that combines merchant account services with a customised set of local payment methods, real-time fraud detection, back office solutions and check out optimisation services.
• Payment Stream: A traditional payment gateway service that simplifies global connectivity.
• Payment Source: A comprehensive outsourced payments program designed to accelerate global expansion through fully-managed distribution and reseller services as well as local payment acceptance.

These programs can be used alone, together, or paired with other added value offerings to optimise the customer's payment experience and improve the merchant's profitability. These offerings include checkout page optimisation, real-time fraud detection, solutions to manage PCI exposure and currency risk, as well as advanced back-office reconciliation services and business intelligence tools.

Digital River World Payments represents an expanded package of technologies and innovative services from Digital River and its global payments provider, Netgiro. World Payments combines the payment features associated with Digital River's core enterprise e-commerce solution - including its proven checkout optimisation and risk management programs - with Netgiro's advanced gateway, back office services and vertical market focus. Digital River acquired Netgiro in 2007. Netgiro and Digital River offer 15 years of experience operating global online payments programs.

"As part of Digital River's core business strategy, we have been investing in and advancing our payment services and banking relationships on a global basis," said Ronning. "With the launch of Digital River World Payments, we are taking the next natural step in extending our leadership presence in the payments space. We intend to use this opportunity to accelerate our business growth in a variety of vertical markets, including e-retail, travel and entertainment, and online services."