In their bid to make online payments in South Africa easier and more convenient, PayU, South Africa’s largest online and mobile service provider has just incorporated online airtime and electricity purchasing into their offering.

Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/11/2013 -- Johannesburg, South Africa - In addition to using PayU to securely speed through checkout at some of South Africa's leading online stores, this new service offering will greatly benefit consumers and is easy, safe and convenient.

It has traditionally always been a struggle to purchase electricity around the clock in South Africa. In addition to securely speeding through checkout at some of South Africa's leading online retailers, PayU customers can now purchase electricity and airtime securely via any Internet enabled device such as a mobile, pc or tablet at any time.

"We are always looking for innovative ways to add customer value," says Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU. "Our ever-increasing product offering is testament to this philosophy which now includes being able to purchase electricity and airtime online. Before adding new services to our portfolio, we always ensure that they adhere to our criteria of being safe, convenient and easy."

It is currently possible to buy pre-paid electricity from 52 providers, with more to follow. Consumers using PayU will also enjoy the added benefit of not being charged any additional fees when they purchase electricity or airtime via PayU. To view the list of supported providers/areas, visit https://www.payu.co.za/faqs/my-payu-wallet/#purchaseprepaidelectricityandairtime

About PayU and EasyMerchant
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider. PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. With the launch of their innovative new service, EasyMerchant, PayU, has removed a significant barrier of entry for small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) who are keen to take advantage of the significant benefits of selling online. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For more information visit: https://www.payu.co.za/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The Heritage Day public holiday in South Africa will be the turning point for local online retail, according to Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU, SA’s largest online and mobile payment service provider

Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/02/2013 -- "Traditionally, South Africa has always been out of step with global patterns regarding public holidays". In the US and Europe, online sales spike during public holidays as people shop from home. However, locally, South Africans have done their online shopping on normal business weekdays, transacting during office hours by accessing the internet from their workplace.

According to the DMMA and Effective Measures South African Online Report for July 2013, this usage pattern has now reached a tipping point with 70.64% of South Africans accessing the internet from home. Work internet access falls to second place at 61.4%. Chirnside comments, "With the majority of active online South Africans now accessing the internet at home and the rise in mobile shoppers and mobile retail, we foresee a definite spike for online shopping numbers starting with Heritage Day. This trend should now establish itself across all public holidays going forward."

The benchmark example of the holiday shopping phenomenon is America's Black Friday which takes place on 23 November, the day following Thanksgiving Day and the start of a long weekend. Most major retailers open quite early, often at 4 am or earlier, and offer promotional sales to kick off the holiday shopping season. Black Friday has consistently been the busiest shopping day of the year in the US since 2005. This has been replicated in the e-commerce space where, due to the convenience of online shopping allowing consumers to avoid crowds and queues, American shoppers spent in excess of $1 billion online on Black Friday in 2012, a 26% increase on 2011.

"While online shopping continues to be a regular internet activity for more than half of all South Africans who are actively online, research shows that the most important considerations when consumers are transacting are secure payment facilities and convenient payment methods. "Consumers are able to rest assured when shopping on our vendor sites," said Chirnside.

Ecommerce is one of the fastest growing industries in South Africa. With a broad range of South African online retailers, the public is able to find anything they require while supporting their fellow countrymen," comments PayU's Chirnside.

About PayU and EasyMerchant
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider. PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. With the launch of their innovative new service, EasyMerchant, PayU, has removed a significant barrier of entry for small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) who are keen to take advantage of the significant benefits of selling online. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For more information visit: https://www.payu.co.za/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Starting an online business is very exciting and the e-commerce environment offers great opportunities and innovative payment gateway products that can save businesses time and money

Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/01/2013 -- The World Wide Web, together with other ICT enabling technologies, has made it increasingly easy for companies to conduct business online. However, the expansion of the digital environment has also brought with it an additional development: the potential for any individual to have a commercial presence.

The growth in internet users is having a huge impact on businesses, and for entrepreneurs looking to start their own business the opportunities are boundless. This is especially true for small to medium enterprises that are looking to expand their value by entering the e-commerce – and the good news is that this shift from traditional trade to selling online has been made simpler than ever.

Ultimately, the World Wide Web, coupled with new services enabling businesses to successfully enter the e-commerce environment, has made it possible for any person to put a business idea into action. A further advantage to starting a web-based business is that the capital layout for selling online has been reduced dramatically with the introduction of services like PayU EasyMerchant, which offers start-ups and SMEs a quick and simple way to take their business online.

According to Mark Chirnside, CEO of payment gateway PayU, the e-commerce environment further reduces the risks associated with traditional trade: "if you are an individual dreaming of becoming a successful entrepreneur and you are seeking minimum risk and maximum output on your business venture, then you should look no further than the online trading environment."

For those interested in embarking on a web-based business venture, Chirnside offers the following advice:

1. Don't write a business plan - prepare an e-Business model. Although some of the principles of good business practice still apply in the digital environment, the online trading environment ultimately requires that the traditional business model is adapted to suit the e-commerce environment.

2. Once you are online, simply maintaining a web presence is not enough. The conventional brick-and-mortar approach of simply maintaining an online presence should be replaced with an active e-trading option where consumers can engage with your product or service by paying for it.

3. Spend money on building a decent website. Critical reviews of e-commerce show that problems of poor Web design and interfaces ill-adapted to users' requirements result in low active participation by consumers.

4. Commit to the task. Once you have decided to embark on a business venture, recognize that it will take time for your business to develop – although it is easy to setup a web-based business overnight, the fruits of your labour might take time to show on your income sheet.

5. Join discussion groups of fellow entrepreneurs. Share your experiences with likeminded businesspeople. The internet provides various forums where support is offered in the form of discussion groups where peers provide solutions to, for example, technical problems.

6. Protect your customer. Trust is imperative in trading, and regulating users' perceptions of security issues is critical. Incorporating the services of a payment gateway that is PCI DSS certified – like PayU – will indicate to users that your site adheres to the security standards as reviewed by the PCI Security Standards Council.

About PayU and EasyMerchant
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider. PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. With the launch of their innovative new service, EasyMerchant, PayU, has removed a significant barrier of entry for small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) who are keen to take advantage of the significant benefits of selling online. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For more information visit: https://www.payu.co.za/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Gone are the days when mothers had to choose between a career and their children – thanks to a growing online community working mothers can now have both.

Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/19/2013 -- According to recent research from Direct Line for Business ("DL4B") in the UK, one in six Britons are operating as an 'online business from home' – making their own products to sell for profit, or purchasing goods to resell. DL4B has termed these companies 'home webtailers' - a development stay-at-home parents are finding especially beneficial.

This is according to Mark Chirnside, CEO of Payment Gateway PayU, which processes 65% of online transactions in South Africa. According to Chirnside the company has seen a significant rise in small and medium enterprises taking their business online. However, he adds, this change in online trade is not only limited to existing businesses, "we are increasingly seeing individuals wanting a portal for a start-up business, or those who want to run a business on the side seeking our services. In many instances start-ups are run by parents – stay-at-home moms or dads - seeking flexible working conditions."

Lauren Cohn and Karen Kaimowitz attest to this observation. These two entrepreneurs started their own business called Labels Inc, a personalised stationery company, in 2003, but quickly moved it onto the online sphere when it became clear that more-and-more people opt to conduct business online.

Cohn says the increasing popularity of the web as an effective sales and marketing channel informed their decision to embrace the e-commerce business model, but, moreover, it was the ease with which they could consolidate motherhood with a career that sweetened the idea. She says that when she started the company with her business partner they both just had children and were looking for a way to combine a stay-at-home lifestyle with a steady stream of income. Cohn says online was the way to go: "it allows for flexible working hours, which suits Karen and I because we are both full-time mothers – and we are not the only ones, more and more people we know have online businesses."

This year sees these two mothers celebrate 10 years of at-home trading with Labels Inc. Last year the company added an online payment option to its site which resulted in a marked increase in sales.

"Everybody is going online," says Cohn, "we noticed that people place orders quicker when provided with an online payment option, which is why we opted to sign with a product called PayU EasyMerchant – a simple and convenient product which allowed us as small business to incorporate a credit card payment facility to our site. The increase in sales was noteworthy – which goes to show that South Africans don't lag behind anymore when conducting business online."

For stay-at-home parents looking to kick-start their online venture, Chirnside has the following advice:

"If you have a great idea, and you are willing to work hard at it, then there is no reason why you shouldn't consider building a start-up business online. I've seen the growth and potential in e-commerce in South Africa, and would advise any person that they've got nothing to lose by simply trying."

About PayU and EasyMerchant
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider. PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. With the launch of their innovative new service, EasyMerchant, PayU, has removed a significant barrier of entry for small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) who are keen to take advantage of the significant benefits of selling online. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For more information visit: https://www.payu.co.za/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

The rapid growth of internet users in South Africa offers entrepreneurs a valuable opportunity to create their own successful e-commerce website

Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/10/2013 -- Research conducted by the Digital Media Marketing Association shows that internet penetration has grown from 15% of the population in 2008 to 39% this year. According to the recent MasterCard online shopping survey, the revenue from online retail (excluding airline tickets) has grown from R2.6 billion in 2011 to R3.3 billion in 2012. This looks set to exceed R4.2 billion at the end of 2013.

Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU which is South Africa's largest internet payment service provider, has seen a dramatic rise in the number of small to medium businesses which are entering the online retail environment. "While there are a wide variety of products, templates and services available to an entrepreneur to help them create their own e-commerce website, careful attention must be paid in the planning stage to ensure the fundamentals are in place."

The major cost benefit of online retail over traditional retail is the relatively low barrier to entry in terms of capital expenditure. According to Chirnside, this saving should be strategically invested during the conceptual phase of developing an e-commerce website by selecting the right service providers and ensuring the long term viability of the business.

While the look and feel of a website's design is critical in appealing to the intended market, the following three factors are useful guiding principles when considering the architecture of an e-commerce website:

1. Scalability
The capacity to scale a business according to budget and customer demand is especially important in the early stages of the business development cycle. Aside from being able to meet the potential growing volume of online traffic, customer transactions and exposure to risk; the e-commerce platform must be designed to be able to upscale to provide more data rich content as internet speeds in South Africa improve.

2. Mobility
Access to the internet via mobile phone over other technology is growing rapidly worldwide, even more so in Africa. Nearly three quarters of the 35% of South Africans who access the internet, use their cell phone to go online, and this number is expected to rise. PayU are at a stage where any new e-commerce platform should be optimised for mobile access, with a view to introducing a mobile app as budget allows. Another option to consider is responsive web design which can be a simple and more cost effective way of ensuring that client's e-commerce platforms can be viewed on all internet–capable devices. Research and analysis of the target market's online habits should inform a client's decision on the best route to choose.

3. Integration
Surveys from mature, international e-commerce markets cite the challenge of integrating multiple technologies and touchpoints into their e-commerce platform as one of their key frustrations. Consumers can engage with multiple touchpoints to make a purchase, and ensuring a consistent, interchangeable experience should be a major focus when developing an e-commerce platform. In addition to being compatible with different operating systems and other internet capable devices, the e-commerce website should be designed to integrate with back office systems, internet payment service providers, and traditional retail outlets if one exists.

About PayU and EasyMerchant
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider. PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. With the launch of their innovative new service, EasyMerchant, PayU, has removed a significant barrier of entry for small to medium size enterprises (SMEs) who are keen to take advantage of the significant benefits of selling online. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For more information visit https://www.payu.co.za/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Cape Town, South Africa -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/29/2013 -- ReD, a leading global provider of fraud prevention and payment services, has announced the launch of its ReD Shield® online fraud prevention service for PayU South Africa, a prominent online and mobile payments provider in the region.

Headquartered in Cape Town, PayU processes approximately 65% of the e-commerce transaction value in South Africa. Under a three year deal, PayU will be rolling out ReD Shield® to help its e-commerce customers across South Africa in the battle against online fraud.

The launch for PayU South Africa is one of two contracts recently secured with the group, with ReD also providing the ReD Shield® fraud prevention solution to PayU's merchants in India. Both services successfully launched in September and the solution is now available to PayU merchants in both countries.

The integration of ReD Shield® into PayU's payment environment means that new merchants can now be up and running, with online payments protected instantaneously. Larger merchants and those with complex or distinct requirements can also take advantage of ReD's team of expert analysts to create more highly tailored deployments of the solution.

ReD Shield® uses an unlimited number of variables and an unrivalled global database of 'hot' cards to detect and prevent online fraud for many of the biggest companies in the world across the retail, banking, travel, gaming, telecom and broader ecommerce sectors. For every transaction, it acts in a split-second to assemble and analyse information and determine whether or not a payment is genuine.

ReD is widely recognised as employing some of the best risk analysts in the industry and has an established presence in South Africa, with local offices in Cape Town. The company already collates and distributes South African negative card files on behalf of issuing banks, providing up-to-date details of lost and stolen cards as they are reported across the country.

Commenting on the contract with ReD, Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU Middle East and Africa, said: "We chose ReD for their unrivalled fraud expertise, speed of service and their ability to provide a tailored solution to meet our needs. Their global footprint and strong presence in South Africa were also deciding factors for us."

Kami Boyer, Director International Partnerships and Alliances at ReD, commented, "We will provide PayU and its merchants with a simple method of combining excellent payment transaction services with 'real-time, all-the-time' fraud prevention, through a single connection. We are delighted to have been selected by PayU and look forward to supporting the company as it expands into new continents."

About PayU
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider, PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce.

It is owned by Naspers and the company's products include a digital wallet for consumers and a PCI DSS level 1 certified payment gateway for businesses. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For additional information please visit, https://www.payu.co.za/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Cape Town, South Africa -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/27/2013 -- The Payments Association of SA (Pasa) announced that private credit card and banking details have been leaked during a breach at a company which processes online transactions for a number of large online merchants.

PayU, Naspers-owned mobile and online payment service provider has confirmed that they are not the online payment service provider in question as they are PCI DSS compliant offering the protection and security of their merchants and customers card data.

Pasa CEO Walter Volke stated that the card data emanating from the online transactions were stored in a manner which does not meet the stringent security standards expected by Pasa, the international card schemes and the bank.

The PCI DSS is a set of comprehensive safety requirements that payment gateways need to comply with to ensure that all cardholder data is always stored, processed and transmitted securely. As a payment service provider that enables businesses to accept debit and credit card payments online, compliance with data security best practices is of the utmost importance for the company. PayU is one of few payment gateways in the country to have received this certification.

"These wide-ranging standards have been established due to the escalating statistics of stolen cardholder account data. This has resulted in merchants and financial institutions suffering fraud losses and has incurred unforeseen operational expenses, which has inconvenienced consumers significantly. Our system has been PCI DSS complaint for four years as we recognise the importance of taking measures to protect our merchants and customers," comments Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU.

About PayU
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider, PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. It is owned by Naspers and the company's products include a digital wallet for consumers and a PCI DSS level 1 certified payment gateway for businesses. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For additional information please visit, https://www.payu.co.za/.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/26/2013 -- PayU is a leading online payment provider in South Africa and has recently partnered with Discovery enabling them to offer Discovery Miles as a secure payment method to Discovery approved online stores.

PayU, an online payment service provider that processes over 65% of the e-commerce transaction value in South Africa, recently announced a partnership with Discovery that enables the company to offer Discovery Miles as a secure payment method to Discovery approved online stores.

Discovery Miles is one of the most popular loyalty currency programs in South Africa. However, in the past, Discovery Miles could only be redeemed for a select number of services and products. Now Discovery approved e-commerce partners can activate this payment channel via PayU, enabling Discovery Miles subscribers to spend their Miles at a host of additional online stores.

Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU said, "We are pleased to be the payment gateway selected in South Africa to offer Discovery Miles as a secure online payment method. This demonstrates our commitment to providing new and exciting ways for merchants to reach customers online, while also ensuring that Discovery Miles subscribers have a wide selection of websites to choose from when they're ready to spend their Miles."

With a conversion rate of ten Discovery Miles to the Rand, Vitality members who are Discovery Mile subscribers can choose to pay the full amount of the purchase using Discovery Miles when shopping online, or make a part payment with their Miles and settle the balance with a credit card. Vitality members now have the flexibility to securely spend all or a portion of their loyalty points at numerous online stores, vastly expanding the spend opportunities of the Discovery Miles which are earned on the DiscoveryCard.

About PayU
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider, PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce.

It is owned by Naspers and the company's products include a digital wallet for consumers and a PCI DSS level 1 certified payment gateway for businesses. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Cape Town, South Aftrica -- (SBWIRE) -- 04/25/2013 -- Johannesburg, South Africa – The Blue Bulls could be more popular than the Stormers, more South Africans would rather read Victor Matfields' biography than Steve Jobs' and Valentine's Day does mark an increase in online sales, but not necessarily for Valentine's Day related products. This is just to mention a few of the online buying trends released by PayU merchants Kalahari.com and Look & Listen.

The annual Kalahari.com mobile survey tracks spikes in seasonal shopping trends while observations by Look & Listen provide insight into the decision-making processes which inform online shopping. As its transactional gateway, payment solutions company PayU ensures that online buying power during peak events and seasons is not undermined by security issues. Therefore, connected shoppers – of which more than a third own a tablet device – could comfortably, and safely take their shopping online during traditional shopping periods like Father's Day, Mother's Day and the festive season.

Interestingly enough, these 'peak shopping periods' don't necessarily reflect in online sales figures over the same period. Says Anne-Marie Green, Online Manager at Look & Listen: "We see a definite increase in sales in the periods around noteworthy dates or events. However, retail specific events for Mother's or Father's Day don't have as extensive an effect on sales, but rather a slight increase in sales across all formats. What is also quite interesting is that Valentine's Day does mark an increase in sales, but not necessarily for Valentine-specific product."

So what about Whitney Houston or Amy Winehouse's death? Did these dramatic events have an impact on online sales? According to Green, nostalgia-driven sales, such as those surrounding a celebrity death, are usually attributed to mass media coverage and not necessarily due to the online retailer's promotions alone. "Sales do increase, but only if there is traction in other media. This is also dependent on the artist," comments Green.

Band or artist commemorative promotions also lead to increased sales but are also dependant on the promotion and releases around them, as do touring bands, while Christmas naturally shows a marked increase in sales across the business.

What about the passing of tech visionary Steve Jobs? Did it have an impact on biography sales? According to Kalahari.com, the death of the former Apple CEO did trigger an increase in sales of the book. However, while it was the best seller globally during the festive season, in South Africa it was Victor Matfield's biography (in both physical and ebook format) that topped the charts on kalahari.com.

As far as awards season is concerned, perhaps unsurprisingly, Oscar winning DVD's typically perform better than Oscar nominated movies, while regular promotions are still an attraction to customers, according to Look & Listen. "We did well with our Horrorween campaign, which demonstrates that promoted product increases sales of that product," says Green. These promotions are across the entire online categories including CD, DVD, Gaming, Toys, Digital and Technology and of course MP3 downloads. "The trend we are also seeing is that the price of the products naturally also play a substantial role in sales. Irrespective of the content, people are flocking to the R39/R59/R79/R99 categories," Green concluded.

Similarly, Kalahari.com also revealed some interesting online shopping trends during seasonal periods. During Father's Day, Blue Bulls hampers outsold Stormers hampers 3:1 according to the local e-tailer. Is this to say that there are more Blue Bulls fans in South Africa or are the Stormers fans simply less demonstrative in their support? Perhaps Stormers fans just shop online less?

Results from the Kalahari.com survey, which analyses the bahaviour of over 4000 connected South Africans, further revealed interesting divisions of interest between the sexes. The results show that the gobii e-Reader was a bestseller on Mother's Day, with research also showing that more woman buy e-Readers, whereas men prefer to buy tablets. In this category, the Apple iPad remains the most popular, followed by the Samsung Galaxy. 73.4% of tablet owners already use their device to shop online for items such as eBooks, music, flight tickets or banking.

In addition, statistics point to South Africans' increased reliance on Smartphones, as nearly 80% of SA's connected own Smartphones. Of these, 74.2% of shoppers access internet via Smartphones every day. Here, Apple's iPhone takes second place as Blackberry still shows to be the more popular choice.

Interestingly the survey further revealed 98% of these connectors feel accessing the mobile internet is as safe as accessing it through a fixed line. A quarter of these are already shopping online using their phones – an 11.3% increase from last year, with 63.2% planning to shop on their phones in the near future.

Says PayU CEO Mark Chirnside "what is great to note of these statistics is the growth and increased trust with which online buyers tackle gift buying online. As South Africa's leading payment gateway, I would like to think that PayU plays no small role in contributing to this trust and associated growth."

About PayU:
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider, PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce.

It is owned by Naspers and the company's products include a digital wallet for consumers and a PCI DSS level 1 certified payment gateway for businesses. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm

Cape Town, South Africa -- (SBWIRE) -- 10/26/2012 -- PayU, a Naspers-owned mobile and online payment service provider, has been awarded PCI DSS Level 1 certification - demonstrating the company's commitment to protecting the security of online shoppers' card data. The PCI DSS is a set of comprehensive safety requirements that payment gateways need to comply with to ensure that all cardholder data is always stored, processed and transmitted securely.

As a payment service provider that enables businesses to accept debit and credit card payments online, compliance with data security best practices is of the utmost importance for the company. PayU is one of few payment gateways in the country to have received this certification.

"These wide-ranging standards have been established due to the escalating statistics of stolen cardholder account data. This has resulted in merchants and financial institutions suffering fraud losses and has incurred unforeseen operational expenses, which has inconvenienced consumers significantly. Receiving this certification therefore became imperative for us in order to protect our merchants and customers," comments Mark Chirnside, CEO of PayU.

PCI DSS has been developed by the major credit card companies, including MasterCard and VISA, proactively to protect cardholder payment data, and covers security management, policies, procedures, network architecture, software design and other critical protective measures. As compliance is a continuous requirement, an annual audit is conducted to ensure that certified companies maintain their level of compliance. The PCI Security Standards Council regularly reviews the PCI standards to ensure that improved data security measures are introduced for detection and prevention of fraud.

"PayU processes approximately 65% of the e-commerce transaction value in South Africa. It is therefore crucial that we have a safe and secure environment, compliant to the highest industry standard to prevent security vulnerability and breaches. PayU is committed to providing merchants and customers with a convenient, fast and safe way to transact online; the PCI DSS certification has proven that we are confidently able to offer this," said Chirnside.

About PayU
PayU is an online and mobile payments service provider. PayU Payment Solutions (Pty) Ltd ("PayU MEA") enables and empowers businesses and individuals in the Middle East and Africa to safely transact and easily participate in e-commerce. It is owned by Naspers and the company's products include a digital wallet for consumers and a PCI DSS level 1 certified payment gateway for businesses. PayU's vision is to be the most trusted payment gateway in the region for both merchants and consumers. For more information, visit http://www.payu.co.za.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm