US online payment giant PayPal is launching in the UK as a prelude to a wider European launch.
The company, bought by eBay last summer, provides an easy way for smaller retailers to accept, or make, payments online without running the risks associated with taking credit card payments.
The main benefit for small retailers is that PayPal offers protection from chargebacks - where the retailer is held liable for fraudulent use of credit cards over the Internet or phone.
Robert Wing, fish director at online fishmonger Fishworks.co.uk, welcomed the news. He said: 'The attitude of the joint credit card companies is that the onus is on the retailer if it is selling over the Web. If something does go wrong, it is usually the retailer that has to pay. Anything that removes that must be good news.'
A spokesman for Cybersource, a PayPal partner, said 'PayPal has 31 million subscribers that trust the company for buying online. Retailers will get access to these potential customers without the risk of a credit card transaction.'
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