By Erika Icon
YNOT – Processing payments for the online adult industry always has been risky. Chargebacks, fraudulent charges and other abuses of payment services and are perennial headaches, especially since the big credit card networks now require webmasters to keep their statistics within very narrow targets or face cancellation of their accounts. Add to that the absence of credit cards among the majority of potential customers outside the U.S., and webmasters justifiably wonder how they’re supposed to maintain profitability online.
2000Charge made a dent in those concerns when the company debuted in 1999. By offering what then were unheard-of alternative payment solutions, 2000Charge changed the face of payment processing. Since then, the company has found a warm reception not only in adult, but also in other high-risk industries including games, music, movies and dating.
YNOT sat down with Chief Operating Officer Inez K to find out the secrets to 2000Charge’s success. In a nutshell, she said, credit cards are all but obsolete.
YNOT.com: What’s your background?
Inez K: After finishing my education in Europe, I moved to Los Angeles and worked my way up to my current position as COO of the company. I manage the daily operations and oversee the work of more than 25 employees.
Explain how 2000Charge works.
2000Charge provides alternative payment solutions to online merchants worldwide. We accept all forms of worldwide payments without the need for credit cards. When merchants add our solutions to their website, they can easily achieve an increase in sales of 30 percent or more.
How is 2000Charge different from other payment solutions?
We specialize in alternative payments, and we do not provide credit card processing. We have more options and better conversion rates than our competitors, and our products are developed in-house.
What is the most common reason people get hit with chargebacks?
In most cases, merchants receive chargebacks when consumers are unhappy with their purchase and they have not been able to communicate with the merchant to resolve the issue. Then, they will resort to calling their bank or the credit card company, who then initiate the chargeback process. Note that with many of our alternative solutions, chargebacks are not an issue, as transactions cannot be reversed, so the merchant has less risk of loss.
What do you think the future will look like for payment processing in the adult industry? Will there be big changes in the next few years?
Saturation is almost reached, and current solutions are being fine-tuned for the future. Technology will continue to improve, and we will continue to be competitive.
What do you like best about working at 2000Charge?
No day is the same. There’s always news, changes and issues to resolve.
2000Charge is the title sponsor for the YNOT Grand Prix at The European Summits in Barcelona and Prague. Why are you a consistent sponsor of the events?
YNOT and 2000Charge go back to the early days when we both started in the industry. We’ve always worked with YNOT, even during good and bad times for both companies. This is the best event the industry has, so why not support it?
What do you have planned for 2013 and beyond?
We’re very busy renovating our office and are overhauling our complete infrastructure. We just finished upgrading all of our hardware and will upgrade all our software in 2013. We also have some very exciting new products on the starting line that are ready to take off.
How does someone contact you to inquire about 2000Charge?
Inquires can be made via [email=sales@2000Charge.com]email[/email], or you can telephone me at (626) 585-1814.
