Contents   Introduction   Consumer wallet   Vendor server   Broker server

See Also   The Insider Secrets to Marketing Your Business on the Internet   Alternative Payment Solutions   Fraud Prevention Tools   Top Tools to Help You Boost Customer Service   iV-Caller Verification Service   Make Your Price Sell!   FindWhat.com   Make Your Knowledge Sell!   HumanClick   Netship   iFulfill.com   Nexchange   Nothing But 'Net   Netwhistle.com   Bigstep.com   Make Your Site Sell!   AWeber   GoTo.com   Constant Contact   WebAdverts   PersonalStore   SiteInspector   LinkExchange   ClickTrade   Safe   eCHARGE   MilliCent

The MilliCent vendor server is implemented as a server-side proxy server that intercepts URL requests (for both payment and non-payment pages) headed for the Web server. It handles the payment processing if needed, and forwards the request on to a standard Web server. This allows it to work with a large variety of Web servers. The trial vendor server software works with Netscape, Microsoft and Apache servers but is limited to Windows 95 and NT (Intel) operating systems. Vendors using other operating systems can still take part in the trial, as MilliCent will provide access to an NT server.

The vendor server is the server-side equivalent of the wallet. When started, it loads a price configuration file that describes the payment and reward attributes associated with each URL. Like the wallet, the vendor server interacts with each HTTP request to process and handle scrip embedded in the HTTP header. Because the MilliCent protocol is implemented as an extension to HTTP business users who sit behind a corporate firewall can still use the system.

With each URL request, the vendor server extracts payment in the form of scrip to check for tampering or theft. It checks an in-memory vector array to test for double spending. It maps the URL against the pre-loaded price file to determine how to handle each request. It also returns change and generates rewards, both in the form of scrip, which are returned back to the consumer with requested content. Spent scrip and all scrip transactions are logged to disk at regular intervals.

There are two options available for using the vendor server, either to host the Web site with an ISP who is participating in the MilliCent program or to run the software on an in-house server.

To work with a participating ISP, the merchant needs to download a pricing tool from the MilliCent site. The pricing tool is used to create a price file that associates a cost (or benefit) with each URL on the merchant's Web site. The tool allows for costs to be assigned on a server-wide basis, a directory-to-directory basis or a per-URL basis. The resultant price file is then uploaded to the ISP along with a document tree that maps the structure of the merchant's Web site.

To host the MilliCent system in house, the merchant needs to download and install the vendor server software as well as the pricing tool.

Once the software is set up, the final step is for the merchant to select and license a broker to sell their scrip. Although there are no real brokers currently taking part in the trial, MilliCent envisage that there will eventually be a number of brokers for merchants to chose from. For now, the merchant needs to license the MilliCent demonstration broker to sell their scrip.

The MilliCent system offers many potential advantages for the Web store merchant.

They can simultaneously sell content by the click and by subscriptions, while at the same time offering promotional incentives for first-time visitors or frequent users. And whilst traditional subscription or pay-per-view systems require the merchant to create and manage thousands of accounts, the use of brokers frees the MilliCent merchant from this. And finally those dreaded chargebacks and overdue accounts are eliminated as customers prepay for all services.