Amazon drops Bill Me Later payment service after eBay deal |
Connect with TechFlash on our Facebook page for all the latest technology news headlines and commentary, plus information and access to special events, photos from events, promotions and more.
Amazon.com is ditching the Bill Me Later payment service today.
Speculation had been growing that Amazon would dump Bill Me Later following the company's acquisition by online auction giant eBay a few months ago. Now Amazon has finally pulled the plug on the payment processing service, which does a quick credit check on shoppers and, if approved, allows them to purchase items online and receive a bill in the mail.
I had heard rumblings of the change Tuesday, and received this statement from Mark Lavelle, Bill Me Later's vice president of corporate development and strategic planning, this morning:
"Effective December 31, 2008, Bill Me Later will no longer be offered as a payment option for Amazon.com customers. Based on the change of control of Bill Me Later, Amazon exercised their right in deciding to discontinue offering Bill Me Later as a payments option. More than 1,000 online stores, catalogs and travel partners, currently offer Bill Me Later, because our payment service offers a convenient, flexible way for millions of consumers to shop. We think Bill Me Later provided a valuable service to shoppers on Amazon.com, and we would welcome the chance to work with Amazon.com in the future."
Amazon spokeswoman Patricia Smith confirmed the split but said the company does not comment on vendor relationships.
Amazon started offering the Bill Me Later option this summer after taking a stake in the company -- estimated at 10 percent.
But apparently eBay's ownership of Bill Me Later was too much for Amazon. Amazon also declines to use PayPal, another payment service owned by eBay.
If you are commenting using a Facebook account, your profile information may be displayed with your comment depending on your privacy settings. By leaving the 'Post to Facebook' box selected, your comment will be published to your Facebook profile in addition to the space below.
Follow, like, and connect to a broader audience for your company!
The Puget Sound Business Journal announces Social Madness: A Corporate Social Media Challenge, presented by Capital One Spark Business. This a local and national challenge that will spotlight the best social media programs of companies in 43 cities. The local challenge begins (following the nomination period) on June 1, 2012. The promotion will culminate in a national bracket challenge that will crown Social Madness champions in 3 categories based on company size. To see the official rules, visit http://www.socialmadness.com/rules.
For more information on how your company can participate, visit the nomination page here. Nominations are due May 15th.
BizDev Seminar Series - Leadership: Rallying People to a Brighter Future
Join us for this one-of-a-kind seminar series where you hear directly from the experts about hot topics to grow your business.
The skills to be effective as a leader can be learned. What are the skills and attributes needed to be effective top leaders? How do you tell what level your people are at, and what development skills each person needs? Workshop attendees will learn the answers to these questions and more.
Tuesday, May 17, 2012
8:30am - 10:30am
The Harbor Club, Seattle
Register here.