Folks, The recent discussion thread on p-cards has surfaced many interesting points. I hope that subscribers to this list have found the discussions enlightening. Let me thank Anders for starting this thread, and Emory, Todd, Lynn, Geoff, David, Russ, and Scott for their contributions and insights.
As the moderator for this list, I'd like to suggest that this discussion thread be broken into several new threads, as we've strayed a bit from Anders' original posting. From what I've seen, the following issues have surfaced during this discussion: * The role of p-cards (or "commercial cards") in B2B payments. There appears to be interest in further evaluating how this payment option works, and how it compares to other B2B payments. It would also be good to hear from folks outside the United States on this topic. * Authentication of p-card users to sellers and other parties. This topic could include discussion of suitability of Visa's 3-D Secure, MasterCard's SPA, Microsoft passport, and X9.59 for B2B payment transactions. Let me suggest that further discussion on this topic address requirements of the actual users, and lets try to avoid evaluating technologies, since there are other forums more appropriate for technical debates. * Related to authentication, is the question of who or what gets authenticated to whom? So, is it important that a seller authenticate a buyer as an individual (whether using a p-card or not), or is it more important to authenticate the buyer as an agent (employee) of an authenticated enterprise? * Discussion of the various business models used in B2B trading, and how payments could or should be applied to these models. For example, David Goldberg pointed out that for many B2B transactions, a PO-Invoice model is important, and payment services that can exist in a rich information exchange between businesses are needed. Anders has also proposed models appropriate for SMEs trading with each other and larger enterprises. * Another topic worth exploring is the suitability of peer-to- peer business transactions and the viability of the portal model. Todd has introduced some interesting ideas, and I get the impression that he and Anders have as many points of agreement as disagreement. Certainly, the idea that all B2B transactions (where payments are just one step in the overall cycle) should automatically update general ledgers is intriguing. Aside: The CommerceNet survey on P2P use within and between enterprises has been extended to October 12th. Go to http://www.peerintelligence.com/p2psurvey/ to participate in this survey and receive the summary report. * The role of payment service providers (e.g., card associations, banks) in facilitating B2B trade has also come up, and probably deserves further exploration and discussion. For example, there is a tradeoff between the functionality offered with p-cards and what suppliers offer through their web services. Similarly, the question of whether or not payment service providers have a long-term role in B2B transactions has come up. Even if this question appears a bit radical on the surface, it is probably worth exploring. I invite anyone who feels a strong interest in one of these topics (or another payments-related topic) to post a new message (not a reply) to this list under an appropriate subject line to begin a new, more focused thread. The value of this list is that it can serve as a means for sharing our collective expertise. Since answers to many of the important questions about modern payment systems cannot be found in a text book, this sort of forum can help develop answers that can be shared broadly and critiqued by experts. I should also point out that questions from subscribers are welcome. There has been a lot of terminology thrown around in the past few days, and I suspect that not everyone out there knows what is meant by levels 2 and 3 in a p-card context, or even what a SKU is. So, please feel free to ask for clarification. There are no 'dumb' questions on this list, although I can't vouch for all the answers. :-) And finally, please remember that this list is about payments, especially payments that can be transacted over the Internet or in an eCommerce (or mCommerce) context. I appreciate everyone's help in keeping our discussions on topic. Regards... -- ...Chuck Wade CommerceNet "Setting the business agenda for global electronic commerce" +1 508 625-1137 Office Phone/Voice Mail +1 309 422-9871 Fax Service http://www.Commerce.Net/initiatives/sipayment/
