PesoPay powers the First Philippine launch
of a major telco ecommerce player: Smart Shop
A more secure and convenient way to purchase
mobile handsets and other broadband gadgets
and devices is now available to consumers.
The Smart Shop — https://www.shop.smart.com.ph
— the virtual store of leading wireless services
provider Smart Communications Inc., is now online
and ready to serve customers 24/7
Learning how to increase online sales? For One Peso?
Yes! True that!
AsiaPay would like to thank the attendees of the past eCommerista Seminars that were held last:
- JAN 22
- FEB 12
- FEB 26
- MAR 19
- APR 16
- MAY 07
In total, there were over 50 participants from 35 different companies who have spent 3 hours of their Thursday afternoon’s with us to learn tactics and maximizing the possibility to increase online sales.
We are happy to be of service and we would like to thank everyone who came and represented the following companies:
ELITE TRAVEL CENTER
EPHILIPPINES ADVENTURE TRAVEL
EXPONENCIA, INC
F1C INTERNATIONAL
GALILEO ENRICHMENT LEARNING PROGGRAM
GLOBAL 9, INC.
GUASO PHILIPPINES
HANDS ON MANILA FOUNDATION
JESUIT COMMUNICATIONS
LETSGOSAGO.NET
MAGSAYSAY TRANSPORT AND LOGISTICS / SUN CRUISES
MANNASOFT TECH. CORPORATION
NETVISION, INC.
ODYSSEY LIVE
PAMPAMILYANG PAARALANG AGRIKULTURA
PHILIPPINE BIBLE SOCIETY
PHILIPPINE FOUNDATION FOR CULTURAL AND EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT
PHILIPPINES HOTEL RESERVATIONS SERVICE
REPUBLICA PUBLISHING / PINNOY PARAZZI
ROBINSONS CONVENIENCE STORS (MINISTOP)
SOLID STATE RISK CONSULTANTS
TERRY S.A. INCORPORATED (HAVAIANAS)
TRADE CHANNEL PHILIPPINES
TRANSNATIONAL TRAVEL AND TOURS, INC.
UNICEF PHILIPPINES
VIVA COMMUNICATIONS
VMV HYPOALLERGENICS GROUP
WONG GROUP OF COMPANIES
WWF PHILIPPINES
YUCHENGCO GROUP OF COMPANIES
We look forward to seeing other companies in the next eCommerista One Peso workshops! Please check our Facebook account for the announcement of schedules.
In the world of online convenience, nothing can be more preferable than electronic payment or e-payment when one is dealing with payment options. With e-payments, there is no need to be physically there to swipe a credit or debit card, write a check, or pay directly with paper currencies. All you need is a web browser, entering secured information into a payment gateway and an additional click of the mouse. This feature makes consumers turn their heads this way and avail of the convenience provided by e-payments. However, the main drawbacks to e-payments are the possibilities of infringement of privacy and identity theft. To protect both consumers and merchants from these unscrupulous entities, safeguards have been developed that will secure and safeguard customers’ vital personal information. Merchants, businesses and charitable institutions planning to have an online payment gateway on their own websites should go for an e-commerce payment provider that is proven to comply with the highest standards in online security. And the leading e-payment gateway provider in Asia and the Philippines that provides these services is AsiaPay.
Fig.1: AsiaPay’s PayDollar and PesoPay services provides top-of-the line online payment security
AsiaPay paves the way in providing safe and secure electronic real-time payment processing services for credit cards or debit cards for merchants, banks, corporations and non-profit institutions in Asia, and now in the Philippines. AsiaPay has continuously been compliant with PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry - Data Security Standard) requirements and is consistent in providing comprehensive and secure e-payment facilities that meets the rigors of this international security standard. In a Payment Card Interface system, the most sensitive part is during the transmittal of information. These standards sets and implements the rules and best practices in securely capturing vital information from the customer through the payment card interface and protect this information from identity theft and fraud. Figure 2 below is a snapshot from the PCI-DSS registry of certified service providers from Visa showcasing AsiaPay as one of 46 international payment providers that meets the standards. Each company is assessed by an Independent Qualified Security Assessor (QSA) using onsite review standards provided by PCI-DSS.
Fig.2: AsiaPay’s PayDollar and PesoPay services provides top-of-the line online payment security
AsiaPay features the PayAlert security system that provides advanced protection for our merchants and their customers against fraudulent or suspicious transactions. PayAlert is a real-time monitoring tool analyzes transactions for fraud patterns which include the questionable origin of transactions, invalid attempts, velocity checks and other patterns. This alerts the merchant’s business on these suspicious transactions via real-time reporting so appropriate verification or cancellation actions can be performed.
These features make AsiaPay the prime choice as accredited TPP (Third-Party Processor) for banks, certified IPSP (Internet Payment Processing Solution) for merchants, a certified 3D-Secure vendor for Visa, MasterCard and JCB. 3D-Secure is an added layer of security for online transactions of credit cards and/or debit cards developed by Visa to beef up the security for e-payments. The 3D-Secure protocol is offered by Visa as the Verified by Visa service, but was also adopted by MasterCard under SecureCode services and JCB International as J/Secure. 3D-Secure is different from the Card Security Code or the Card Verification Value Code (CVV) which is a short 3 or 4-digit numeric security code printed at the back of the card which is separate from the actual card number. This number provides the proper assessment that the person entering credit card information into an e-payment system physically holds the card.
AsiaPay is also an accredited payment partner for PayPal, AliPay and MasterCard. This partnership with these financial institutions enables merchants to receive customers using various payment methods that are available to them. This would make it more convenient for customers to make safe and secure online payments with the assurance that their credit card and other vital information is kept secure and protected from theft even at the most sophisticated levels.
That phrase is considered as the fifth most famous advertising slogan of all time and is associated with AVIS, the leading car rental company in the world. Since Warren Avis opened the first AVIS Airlines Rent A Car Systems outlet at Willow Run Airport in Detroit in 1946, that slogan was used not only as a marketing tool but is an open-ended promise of continual improvement – a commitment to do better than yesterday, everyday. This same concept catapulted AVIS into the international arena in 1965 and has achieved leadership in the car rental services 8 years later, and has retained this position ever since.
With a presence in 142 countries, AVIS brought this commitment of service to Philippine shores with AVIS Philippines, which quickly became the No.1 Car Rental services in the country. With a nationwide network of well-trained personnel, clients can make reservations at any location in the country and make use of their vehicles in another location. With the commitment for maintaining quality standards that was set by AVIS International, it is ensured that high quality service is met and received by all clients.
The Need for Online Services
Clients of AVIS Philippines are used to the protocol of booking their rentals by phone, get on their flight to their destination location, then pick up and pay for the rental car as soon as they arrive in their destinations. However, such a setup has certain limitations that make it not convenient for business people on the go.
In their commitment of achieving excellent and consistent customer service and delivering on their “We Try Harder” promise, AVIS Philippines has recently launched their improved website with an online payment gateway powered by PesoPay. Payment and booking options are much more flexible and convenient, with systems allowing online reservations and credit card payments.
Convenience is a Mouse Click Away
With AVIS Philippines new online reservations and payment gateway, world-class customer service is just a click away 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, backed with a 24/7 Helpdesk that can be contacted by any means possible from landlines, mobile phones, chat and email.
Booking is easy with drop-down menus to locate your destination location anywhere in the Philippines and make a convenient choice of where you want to pick up your rental car. A car selection guide is also provided so you can automatically see for yourself what car choices are available for your, instead of listening to an operator attempt to describe the same to you through the telephone.
Making a reservation is as simple and user friendly as possible, with the online gateway providing a simple step-by-step guide to make reservations as convenient for you as possible.
You can start by choosing what type of services you prefer from the selection of products and services they offer in the site.
You can then select your first and second choice for cars. Car guides are provided in separate pages to help you select your vehicle of choice for whatever purposes you need.
Set the date and time for car pick-up and return.
Choose the specific location where you want to pick-up and return the car.
After you have selected the type of services and rental car you prefer, the next step is to enter all pertinent personal information, including contact information and identification.
The transaction is concluded after you have provided your credit card payment information and receipt of a confirmation message online and through your email, together with your transaction ID, which will be used to monitor and confirm your reservation.
Getting a rental car has never been as stress-free and convenient than getting it online through AVIS Philippines online reservation and payment gateway. People who are constantly on the go around the country would find this services a very convenient tool whether they use it for personal or business purposes.
Not only does AVIS Philippines offer this convenient car rental system for people within the country, the service is also open to people from around the globe who are coming to visit the Philippines, whether they are Balikbayans returning home for vacations or foreign nationals choosing the Philippines as their destination for business of pleasure. AVIS Philippines have gone a long way in putting the country back in the international map.
Mastering the Essentials of eCommerce and Online Sales
Asiapay’s second eCommerista event was again a success. Thanks to the following merchants and prospects:
PHILIPPINE BIBLE SOCIETY - Jefferson Castro
ROBINSONS CONVENIENCE STORS (MINISTOP) - Joanne Rico
CENTER FOR CULINARY ARTS - JB Bolanos, Agnes Manalaysay and Cherrie Bautista
GUASO PHILS., INC. - Ingrid Penas
GALILEO ENRICHMENT LEARNING PROGGRAM, INC. - Rowena Matt
PHILIPPINES HOTEL RESERVATIONS SERVICE - Jake Lazado and Joanna Marie Obsiana
BDO - Nestea Pascua
Memories still linger in the minds of Pinoy fans and concertgoers from yesteryears on how they waited overnight lining in front of the box office hours before ticket sales opens - just to get the best seats for concerts and shows. If their lucks ran out, their only option is to buy the exorbitantly priced tickets scalpers sell outside the stadium, arenas or theaters.
After a few years, scalpers still abound but improvements in the system allowed tickets to be brought beforehand in outlets or through phone. Still, many people grew frustrated after unsuccessful attempts of getting through on the phone that they eventually had to resort to the old norm of queuing for hours in long lines of fans just to get the best seats. Fans outside Metro Manila has no choice but to call long distance to reserve tickets, only to find out that their reservations were not recorded or a foul-up in the system erased their records. It is for these reasons why only 4% of the population ever go out and see concerts and live shows.
Everything changed when online ticketing made its presence felt in the country. Web forum posters were extremely excited to find that Pinoys finally have an online ticketing web service. However, during the early stages, they were disappointed to find many bugs upon purchasing reserved seats. When they tried to pay by credit cards errors pop out from all over the place.
Since then, the web sales channels of online ticketing applications were upgraded and significantly expanded. TicketWorld is now powered by AudienceView; the leading software used by international online ticketing companies, and has become the premiere online ticketing provider for Filipinos.
There are several types of tickets sold for various kinds of shows around the Metro. However, if you have no time to go out of your office or make a side trip during one of your errands and line up for the tickets at the nearest outlet, your best bet is to purchase the tickets from an online source. Whether the shows you want are plays, concerts, musicals, conventions, sporting events and even theme parks entrances, you have a chance of getting good seats on the date and time you prefer when you buy your tickets online. The seats are configured depending on the type of event the show is categorized, and the computerized ticketing system provides the buyer the opportunity to buy the Next Best Seat (NBS) available. The longer your delay your online purchase, available seats becomes less desirable.
Some fans missed out on a concert date simply because they do not know that ticket sales were already open. TicketWorld makes it possible for fans to track and count down the availability of tickets for their much-anticipated concerts or shows. They can then grab as many tickets as their credit cards can allow minutes after online ticket sales are open.
Show tickets that are not accessible from the provinces can be easily obtained through TicketWorld’s online web portal. Overseas Filipino Workers can send gifts to their loved ones in a form of a ticket bundles for any shows or concerts they want and have these tickets sent directly anywhere in the Philippines through LBC. International fans tracking their favorite stars around the world can actually have the opportunity of following them here in the Philippines and watch the concert here. While they are at it, these foreign fans can be exposed to the country’s richness in culture and be familiarized with the showcase of Filipino talent featured in TicketWorld’s online pages.
TicketWorld outlets are found in convenient locations across Metro Manila. Metro residents can just grab their purchased online tickets at the nearest available outlets. Provincial patrons can have their tickets sent to them for an additional fee, through the reliable services of LBC. On top of that, tickets can also be bought online or by phone through partner sites, that features their own products as well.
At a click of a button, prospective ticket buyers can view details about a particular show and get information regarding ticket prices, show schedules and venue.
Information about the easiest ways to get to the venue is provided, as well as a comprehensive map and guide to motorists. The seatmap for a particular venue is also provided so ticketholders can go to their designated locations in a breeze.
(Venue location map and instructions on how to get there.)
(Seatmap showing seat configuration and areas for particular ticket levels.)
When you do decide to purchase your online tickets, you can just click on the BUY button where you will be directed to a page showing ticket availability on particular dates. Instructions will also be given on selecting the number of tickets you will purchase, choosing the best available seats, creating an account, securing it with your password, then move on to the payment page. An email will be sent to you as confirmation of your purchase.
The online ticketing industry is evolving in parallel with developments in web technology and software platforms. This is opening up a new world of convenience in e-commerce for the virtual Filipino.
In Boryeong City in South Korea, people watched a beautiful fireworks display after the annual Mud Festival. When asked, locals would say they could only get to enjoy such displays during festivals or lunar New Year celebrations. Fireworks are too extravagant for their own private celebrations.
In the United States, anyone can buy fireworks at such magnitudes of display, but would need the proper permits from the ATFE or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Avoiding such hassles, people resign themselves to wait for New Year, 4th of July displays, concerts or go to theme parks like Disneyland to witness amazing fireworks shows.
Fireworks in the Philippines
For 20 years, fireworks manufacturing stagnated after it was declared illegal by Martial Law in 1972. The industry went underground and focused on making noisy bangers than putting good shows. Quality deteriorated as safety risks started a yearly countdown of maimed hands and burned houses.
Fortune finally looked down on the industry in January 1992 as Republic Act 7183 finally legalized the manufacture and sale of approved pyrotechnic devices. This also curbed the influx of foreign and mostly substandard fireworks. Symbolizing prosperity and good luck, fireworks manufacturing continued to flourish and is now a $400-million industry in the Philippines with 300 licensed manufacturers and dealers.
The Birth of a Dragon
Dragons are iconic symbols of prosperity, blessings and good luck, just as fireworks do. Joven Ong’s fascination with dragons and fireworks drove him to venture into pyrotechnics in 1992. Dragon Fireworks Incorporated (DFI) became the first licensed fireworks manufacturing company in the Philippines to meet the growing demand for safe and quality fireworks. Seeing the trend of fireworks in international scenes, Dragon Fireworks focused from traditional firecrackers to aerial pyrotechnic displays, just like a fire-breathing dragon soaring through the skies.
(Dragon Fireworks Star Wars Opening)
Fireworks and Philippine Celebrations
The emerging global consciousness of the Filipino is not only reflected in fashion and technology but in the manner of celebrating events and other festivals. Fireworks were previously relegated to New Year celebrations, but the availability of safe, reliable and quality fireworks made it possible to have amazing pyrotechnic displays for occasions such as weddings, birthdays, baptismal, fiestas, and other events that always bring joy and happiness to everyone.
Balikbayans coming home always dreamt of making their homecomings as grand, memorable, full of fun and laughter. What better way to add glitter, awe and glamour to their celebrations than to make use of amazing fireworks display. However, the difficulty of coordinating orders as well as on-time deliveries to provinces where celebrations will be held made the idea of fireworks displays less appealing. The Online Solution
With Dragon Fireworks Inc.’s unyielding commitment to product excellence and quality, driven by its vision of providing the safest and finest fireworks for the Pinoy, Dragon Fireworks has expanded its dealership networks. Dragon Fireworks, Inc. became the first and only pyrotechnic company in the Philippines to have retail outlets in SM malls, while also supplying other fireworks companies all throughout the country.
Winning the People’s Choice award for SME’s during the 7th Philippine Web Awards showed Dragon Fireworks dominance as the Philippines No.1 pyrotechnics manufacturer. They have taken this a step further by launching their online shop, where Pinoys from around the world can order their favorite fireworks at the click of a button. This commitment by Dragon Fireworks to bring quality fireworks products to the global Pinoy allowed people from the provinces and from abroad to order from a wide array of pyrotechnic products and services in Dragon Fireworks’ website through AsiaPay’s secured payment gateway and have these products conveniently delivered right to their doorsteps. Pinoys can conveniently pay in peso or dollar, depending on their preference and location.
Continuously striving to improve their products and foster innovation in new ones, coupled with their commitment to quality and convenient services to the Pinoy, Dragon Fireworks has come a long way in being the country’s trusted name in World-Class pyrotechnics.
Recent studies show that 1 out of 5 hotel bookings are now online & 53% of all internet bookings will be directly with hotel-owned websites. While the rest of the hotel world has already tuned in to ecommerce, Philippine hotels/resorts are slowly catching up.
As more travelers feel more secure and comfortable doing it the ecommerce way, local hotels need to shape up in order to keep up with this major development.
With Xpressbooking Simple and Secure, hotels/resorts can now confirm bookings and process credit card payments instantly online.
eCommerce here in the Philippines is starting to boom nowadays with the help of payment systems like AsiaPay. However, online shopping here is not yet sophisticated as compared to US, Canada and other countries.
According to DigitalFilipino.com, a typical internet user only starts buying online after 3 or 4 years of using the internet because of the fact that there are a lot of security and risk issues being discussed that hampers online purhcase. Not only that, most companies here in the Philippines spends month(sssss) to develop their shopping page by building the system from scratch - which is the old school way.
AsiaPay recently launched a new way to simplify adding eCommerce to websites. PesoPay Simple and Secure is built from the world’s most popular and #1 online shopping management platform called OS Commercewith a combination of Asia’s #1 fraud monitoring. It helps you set up your store and payment gateway instantly.
PesoPay Simple and Secure Top 10 Benefits:
1. No need for bank security deposit to activate your eCommerce Account under PesoPay.
2. No software or hardware needed just add to your existing website(s).
3. No additional licenses and fees needed, just one annual fee for your simple ecommerce and secure epayment.
4. Enjoy Asia’s most advanced anti-fraud monitoring system, PayAlert.
5. Enjoy the world’s first shopping platform designed for Overseas Filipino customers, PesoPay eMalling.
6. Enjoy built-in pre-authentication of your customer’s credit card for their first time purchase in your store.
7. Enjoy dealing only with AsiaPay for your bank application and merchant support questions day to day.
8. Enjoy powerful payment tools like recurring payment, eMOTO and online payment web links directly under your control.
9. Enjoy instant shopping pages with PayCart.
10. Enjoy your comprehensive store creator, eMalling eStore, based on the world’s #1 online store system.