Buck, the mobile payments company formerly known as Billing Revolution, is launching its new, single-click credit card checkout today, which allows shoppers to pay for goods or services without an account, username or password. Coinciding with the launch is news of where you can actually use the service: the company has lined up several new high-profile customers, including Glamour, SpyderLynk, Papaya Mobile and credit card processor Braintree.
The way Buck works is that, at first, it does require a more traditional checkout process, including entry of the appropriate data like credit card number, expiration date, etc. The difference is that after that initial transaction, your phone then becomes a mobile wallet in the sense that any other Buck-enabled merchant will automatically recognize that you’re a member of the Buck network. You won’t have to type in your information again the next time you check out on a Buck-powered site.
The platform also supports SMS notifications for receipts, and all major card types (MC, VS, Amex, Discover) are supported.
In addition, Buck doesn’t have to be only for web-only merchants. With the new Glamour integration, for example, Buck will be powering the purchases of beauty products advertised in the pages of the magazine’s March issue, tying together print and mobile. Meanwhile, thanks to the deal with credit card processor and payment gateway Braintree, Buck will be offered to the company’s thousands of merchants as another payment option.
Obviously, a solution like Buck’s is only truly helpful when multiple merchants adopt the same platform, so today’s news of at least a few more major brands getting on board is a promising step for the young company. Other Buck customers include Condé Nast, L’Oreal, Mocospace, Grindr, Thornton’s, Big Fish Games and more.
Launched in 2008, the startup raised $6.6 million in Series B funding last spring, led by DCM and SK Telecom Ventures. In October, it was also one of the companies selected for DCM’s A-Fund investment, which aimed to encourage Android entrepreneurs.