A Hereford-based financial payments specialist firm - allpay.net - has launched a campaign to persuade retailers to let 'Wonga-loving' shoppers buy from webbased shopping sites.
As more and more retailers - large and small - rush to embrace the online shopping bonanza, millions of "cash-only" consumers in Britain are being denied the chance of taking advantage simply because they don't or won't have bank accounts.
Apart from the general inconvenience caused, millions cannot take advantage of the special "online only" discounts and promotions now offered by many retailers; and are often limited to the "downsized" stock available in-store compared to the more extensive ranges offered to online customers.
Six million adults in Britain do not have a bank account and therefore no credit or debit cards with which to buy goods and services online. A further four million who have bank accounts - and debit and credit cards - will not use them for online transactions for fear of identity theft or fraud.
However, allpay says that it's high time that online shopping sites also cater for customers who may prefer paying with cash rather than cards, either all of the time, or just some of the time.
It is now introducing the first cash payment facility for enabling retailers to include a cash payment option on their internet shopping sites. The service is called 'go&pay'.
Payzone, found in over 25,000 convenience shops, forecourts and newsagents, is the first point of sale payment network to support go&pay.
At the same time as paying their utility bills, topping up mobile phones and so on, consumers will be able to pay in cash for goods they've already ordered online from shopping sites offering the go&pay option. The goods will be dispatched directly to the customer by the retailer with whom the online order was placed.
