Barclays unveils online payment scheme for SMEs

Barclays Merchant Services (BMS) has launched en@ble - an online payment scheme for small businesses that could help boost the profile of UK ecommerce.

The move will make it easier for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to accept credit card payments online, from JCB, Mastercard, Switch and Visa cards.

Banks and credit card companies operating in the UK have been accused of restricting small companies, especially start-up dot-coms, from offering transactional facilities online.

Last summer, Martha Lane Fox, co-founder and director of Lastminute.com, called Barclays' attitude to small businesses "archaic" following negotiations with the bank. While earlier this year, Jim Norton, head of ecommerce of the Institute of Directors (IoD), said banks' approach to SMEs and start-ups was holding back the uptake of ecommerce in the UK.

Norton has since had meetings with the Credit Card Research Group (CCRG) - whose members include BMS, Bank of Scotland Merchant Services, HSBC, Lloyds TSB, NatWest Streamline and Royal Bank of Scotland - and is encouraged by developments.

He said: "We've seen moves from the CCRG over the past few weeks indicating that banks want to turn over a new leaf. We welcome this, although I remain cautious to see how things turn out."

Similarly, the Federation of Small Business (FSB) has taken a positive view of en@ble. The FSB's Steve Alambritis said BMS is taking steps that "will help smaller businesses rise to the ecommerce challenge".

James Davison, managing director of Barclaycard E-Commerce, acknowledged in a statement that "some businesses have faced difficulties getting approval from their bank to accept cards". But added: "We fully recognise the importance of establishing speedy, and secure methods to implement and support ecommerce."

Businesses interested in en@ble can contact BMS on 0800 616161.