NetSecure Kudos Payments announced for Canada, is the half-circle to Square

Canada may be moving to polymer-based currency, but mobile payment services like Square -- which cater to classic plastic -- haven't yet taken time to trek to the Great White North. NetSecure is looking to offer similar convenience to the region with its new Kudos Payments service, which just so happens to ship with a shockingly curvy swiping dongle. Similar to Square, it creates a secure 'point of sale' without a hard-wired transaction terminal, and charges a slightly higher 2.9-percent fee to users' accounts for each exchange. Kudos has iOS, Android, and Blackberry apps to tap into the functionality and, even a version for Mac and PC -- in other words, you and yours should be suitably covered. Any roving entrepreneurs who are interested in the service will be able to snag the $49.99 kit free of charge from the company's website for a "limited time," which may or may not expire before Google decides to open its own Wallet a few miles kilometers north.

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June 21, 2011 02:51 PM Eastern Daylight Time

NetSecure Technologies Introduces Kudos Credit Card Acceptance Solution in Canada

Kudos Provides a Turnkey "Point of Sale in a Box" Solution for the First Time Ever in Canada, Giving Micro-Businesses a Flexible, Affordable and Secure Way to Accept Credit Card Payments Through a Smartphone, Desktop or Laptop

REGINA, Saskatchewan--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NetSecure Technologies, leading developer of products and security solutions for the eCommerce industry, launched the first mobile payment solution of its kind in Canada – Kudos – a service allowing small business owners to start accepting credit card payments on-the-spot via swipe terminals compatible with desktops, laptops and smartphones (iOS, Android and RIM platforms).

"Smaller businesses that do not offer a credit card payment option are at a competitive disadvantage. NetSecure designed Kudos to take the pain out of payment acceptance for the Canadian business owner and their customers."

Cash-strapped small businesses typically cannot afford payment processing services designed for larger merchants. Canada has approximately 2.5 million micro-businesses that do not accept credit/debit card payments. Costly capital outlays upfront, monthly fees, hidden fees and complex contracts all serve as deterrents.

"Terminals and merchant accounts are expensive," said Daniel McCann, president and founder of NetSecure Technologies. "The whole process is intimidating to small merchants. Is the musician selling his CD's after the show really expected to shell out hundreds of dollars for a terminal? We have an opportunity to allow small businesses to accept credit cards using what they already have today – their phones and laptops."

Mobile payments have proven extremely successful in the United States, dominated by a startup called Square that provides a free service for credit card acceptance, charging users a flat rate for all transactions. This service has already been adopted by hundreds of thousands of small merchants. Unfortunately for Canadians, Square is only available in the United States, leaving a vacuum for credit card acceptance for small businesses in Canada.

"Up until now, the Canadian market's mobile payment arena has been virtually non-existent," says McCann. "Through the introduction of Kudos, NetSecure is bringing Square-style payments to Canada for the very first time, making it affordable and convenient for small business owners to start accepting card payments and growing their business."

The Kudos credit card acceptance kit serves as a complete 'point of sale in a box' solution for small business owners. Equipped with a swipe terminal, POS software and a merchant account, users can begin accepting credit card payments through their smartphones or laptops for a flat rate of 2.9 percent per transaction, with no monthly or ongoing fees.

Kudos' key advantages include no limitations on the amount of transactions and the added benefit of compatibility with RIM platforms, such as Blackberry. Kudos also implements full end-to-end encryption, ensuring security for sensitive data.

"The merchant never needs to see their customers' credit card numbers, so PCI compliance becomes much easier," says McCann.

By eliminating lost payments, bounced checks and unnecessary trips to the bank, Kudos helps to improve accounts receivables for small business owners, thereby increasing sales and expanding their customer base.

Kudos is an ideal solution for small business owners and independent professionals, including contractors, consultants, day care providers, repair services, massage therapists, personal trainers, photographers, service employees, tradeshows and events, landscapers, plumbers and more.

"Over half of all transactions today are plastic, and customers are demanding greater flexibility from their vendors," said McCann. "Smaller businesses that do not offer a credit card payment option are at a competitive disadvantage. NetSecure designed Kudos to take the pain out of payment acceptance for the Canadian business owner and their customers."

Kudos, available for $49.99 at www.KudosPayments.com, is currently available for free as part of a limited time offer, while supplies last.

About NetSecure

Founded in 2005, NetSecure Technologies Ltd. is a technology company focused on developing breakthrough security solutions for online transactions. The company's products, SmartSwipe and Kudos, are designed to prevent interception of information at the most vulnerable point in the transaction: the point of origin. Integrated with NetSecure's security patents, the company's products are unique in the industry, taking the pain out of payment acceptance for businesses of all sizes.