Israel

A recent study conducted by the Bank of Israel shows that in Israel the use of payment cards has surged in several sectors due to the recent economic boom there.

Online shopping, thanks to a 72 percent penetration rate in household Internet access, has played an important role in this, along with the increasing number of merchants that accept payment cards.

Technological advancement has brought its own contribution, allowing for the launch of new products on the market, including prepaid cards and smart cards. The issuer of Leumi Visa credit cards recently reported that the number of valid cards at the end of last year grew by 14 percent relative to the previous year.

However, as with most developed markets, many Israelis are often reluctant to use their plastic friends online for fear of fraud, identity theft, or plain fear of being found out by an over-inquisitive wife!

This might help account for why our pay-per-call phone billing solution is popular with surfers from there: No forms; no paper trial; just easy and anonymous access to the forbidden fruits of your member's area for a time of your choosing.

And on the subject of phones, Jackie Mason's hilarious cell phone sketch simply reinforces what we had long suspected — the Israelis are a nation of cell phone junkies!

It therefore stands to reason that you should include phone processing as part of your billing armory in order to maximize your revenues from Israel and elsewhere in the Middle East.