[Asterisk-Users] Re: merchant account

[Justin Newman]

What about SMS or LEC billing? The second may be more difficult, but there
are many solutions with SMS, even if it is just transferring contact
information (instead of hiring operators to typing in data with the keypad).
The first can be used alone or in conjunction with credit cards and direct
widthdrawals.

900 numbers work well, but they are expensive. Probably the 2nd easiest
solution, aside from credit cards (if you can tackle the data collection
piece).

Credit cards are difficult because of security problems, plus the market you
are targeting may not have legal access to these cards. :) That means
chargebacks.

Direct withdrawal (ACH/EFT) can be even more problematic than credit cards,
although it is inexpensive.

> Date: Fri, 21 Oct 2005 00:03:24 -0400 (EDT)
> From: "Jon Pounder" <JonP at inline.net>
> Subject: Re: [Asterisk-Users] merchant account
>
> > On Thu, 2005-10-20 at 23:07 -0400, Jon Pounder wrote:
> >> my suggestion is to issue your own "cards" even if they don't
physically
> >
> > not an option, the customer that is needed this is setting up an adult
> > service and he believes that since its just for adult entertainment that
> > no one will front the money to have a prepaid account like that.  He
> > doesnt trust the girls so he doesnt want them to have access to any of
> > the billing information.
> >
> > While not all merchant accounts support adult services, enough do that
> > if anyone said they had one that worked with phone only interfaces I
> > would investigate, its starting to look like the person will have to
> > signup online and all that.  Which isnt a bad thing since it does
> > involve some online aspects in addition to voice.
>
> another option is 900 service, then you don't have to worry about
> creditcards at all.
>
> iBill used to have something called web900 where you phoned and got a
> generic token to use on the web, you could just accept those tokens (just
> a number) and not deal with the 900 part at all. Basically they issue you
> a file with tokens and you just erase them as they get redeemed, when you
> need more, you get a new file from them. (iBill is adult friendly btw,
> porn is their bread and butter)