In a survey of net users in 16 countries, Ipsos-Reid found that 46% of those questioned cited online credit card fraud as a “major concern” when shopping online and 26% said it was a “moderate concern”. Ipsos say that such concerns are limiting the potential for e-commerce growth as 55% of those who have not, as yet, shopped online said that concerns over online fraud would make them less inclined to do so in future.
According to its latest survey,
The Face of the Web, looking at internet usage around the world, Ipsos found that more than two thirds of internet users in the US have bought online, making the US the single biggest e-commerce market in the world. In other developed countries around the world only around 40% of net users have shopped online.
“E-commerce has gone mainstream in the U.S. and a handful of industrialised nations. But to some extent the easy money has been made. The fears about fraud and misuse of personal data persist and are keeping tens of millions of potential shoppers from making the leap from using the Internet to comparison shop to making an actual purchase online,” said Julie Busch, vice president and technology analyst with Ipsos-Reid.
“Other research we’ve done shows that online shoppers are generally satisfied with the online shopping process,” Busch added. ”But at the same time, online security and privacy are issues that refuse to go away, especially in key markets such as the U.S.”
“With more than 100 million Americans online, half of whom spend over $500 a year on the Internet, there is huge opportunity among the other half who have yet to make an online purchase. ItÂÂ’s now up to e-tailers and credit card companies to demystify e-commerce and turn these fence-sitters into satisfied Internet consumersÂÂ… and make money.”
The same survey, however, reveals that less than 1% of consumers report having been the victim of online fraud, suggesting that many net users concerns are unfounded.
