Shopping.com today announced a new cash-out protocol that will keep check-out at the site instead of redirecting buyers to merchants' Web shops so customers are saved from filling out multiple forms and clicking through dozens of pages to complete payment transactions.
The new streamlined cash-out system is undergoing testing to iron out any wrinkles in the process, said Rob Goldman, vice president of Shopping.com's US Business unit, with an official launch slated for November, but only if the technology is ready. "We will keep testing," he said, "for as long as it takes to get it fully grooving."
The shopping cart technology is modeled on the one used at eBay, which owns Shopping.com, and the payment solution is powered by PayPal, another eBay company, though you can pay by any option you choose.
Perhaps best for Web shop owners is the new pricing model, which moves from pay-per-click to a revenue-sharing arrangement. "They paid for each click, whether or not it resulted in sales," says Goldman, "but what's cool is now merchants only pay when a sale happens, they'll pay us a fraction of the sales based on revenue."
Smooth Operator: Shopping.com rolls out streamlined check-out.
Another benefit for e-tailers is that the 90 million eBay buyers can use Shopping.com without having to re-enter any registration information, says Goldman.
While it remains to be seen if merchants will miss having traffic sent to their Web shops for check-out, it does appear that Shopping.com needed to streamline the payment process. Customers buying multiple items from multiple vendors had to fill out shipping and payment information at each Web site, and couldn't track items from one spot.
"This is a trifecta win because the customers don't get frustrated and confused by going through numerous pages and check-outs," says Goldman, "the merchants benefit because they sell more, and we win because we are in the business of keeping the relationship between e-tailers and customers running smoothly."
Online sellers who want to list at Shopping.com can sign up at the merhcant enrollment page for $25, which is put in their account and tapped only as sales are made.
Michelle Megna is managing editor of ECommerce-Guide.com.
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