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2 Jun 2001, USA

Dear Dr. Ecommerce:

I am setting up an online money remittance service for an immigrant group in the US on my website. I have arranged for the correspondent bank in that country.

The bank of my choice can not set up a system that can accept ATM into my website. Only credit card. Why is this? Can you recommend an online ecommerce service?

Sincerely,

Lee

Dear Lee:

I cannot say why the bank of your choice will not accept debit cards. Perhaps part of the problem is that US banks are not so used to dealing with debit cards as are Asian and European banks. The obvious solution is to try another bank.

Think about making a deal with an Internet bank - either a bank that is solely on the Internet or one with a strong Internet presence and which offers the option of a setting up an account via the Internet.

Your customers could simply set up an account at that bank and then arrange for a certain amount of that money to be transferred to a bank in the customer's country. The Internet banks will be more used to on-line transactions and will probably be much more interested in an Internet venture like yours.

The real question you have to ask yourself is what advantage do your customers get by transferring money via your web site rather than arranging transfers via their own banks.

Good luck,

Dr. Ecommerce