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Online Gift Shop Now Open to ATM Market
Computerworld Philippines
July 28, 2003

Filgifts.com, a web-based gift store that serves as an alternative gift channel for Filipino consumers worlwide, recently integrated PayPlus+ into its website "in order to enable the over 14 million ATM cardholders in the country to shop for presents online," said a company executive.

PayPlus+ is a web-based payment gateway that allows users to make purchases over the Internet using ATM (automated teller machine) cards. It was built by top Philippine Internet portal and online community YEHEY! using Microsoft .NET technology.

"Eighty percent of our clients are based overseas. They order from us mainly because they can't physically go to the Philippines and buy presents for their loved ones every time an occasion arises," said Gerry Ditching, managing partner of Filgifts.com. "We also believe, however, that the local market can benefit greatly from the convenience of online shopping. There are times when you just don't have the time to go the mall and check each store one-by-one for gift ideas. Now, you can just log on to our site, www.filgifts.com, browse through our carefully chosen product offerings, and pay for your purchase through your ATM card."

The shop currently has a selection of around 1,500 gift items conveniently pre-sorted for easy browsing. All the products are warehoused in Metro Manila enabling the store to charge lower freight costs. It can also deliver orders within the metropolis and other key cities within one to two days, and within three to five for remote provincial sites.

PayPlus+ was integrated into the Filgifts website at the start of the year to make the store's services accessible to more Filipinos and to boost the site's local presence. Of the gift shop's approximately 9,000 registered users, only 1,800 reside in the Philippines.

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