2008-11-18 01:06:01 -

e-commerce, cyber holiday, pulse index, all in one e-commerce web hosting, cartoon network and e-commerce - Chase Paymentech, the leading payment processor of Internet transactions, today launched its 2008 Cyber Holiday Pulse Index. The Index, an annual measurement of online shopping activity during the holiday season, tracks e-commerce spending activity across a sample of leading e-retailers The measurement reflects the number of transactions and dollar value crossing Chase Paymentech"s global processing platforms.
"This will be a very interesting year to watch the Pulse Index," said Mike Duffy, President of Chase Paymentech. "The conventional wisdom holds that holiday spending will be depressed for many reasons. The economy is weak, discretionary spending is down and the shopping season

is a week shorter this year as Thanksgiving is late. However, recent analyst reports indicate that e-commerce may actually be trending ahead of last year. The Pulse Index will give some insight into whether the conventional wisdom is accurate or not."
A report by Forrester Research, "Outlook for US Online Holiday Sales, 2008," (October 21, 2008), forecasts "online holiday shopping spend will increase by a humble 12% over 2007 [as] consumers seek value and savings online more than ever." That prediction will be tested by this year"s Pulse Index.
Chase Paymentech provides payment processing services to more than half of Internet Retailer"s list of the 500 largest e-commerce companies. The Pulse Index tracks 25 of the top 150 e-commerce merchants, representing a large and diverse field of e-retailers for this holiday shopping season.
To view the Pulse Index, visit: cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=http%3A%2F%2Fpul ...
About Chase Paymentech:
Chase Paymentech, a business unit of JPMorgan Chase, is a global leader in payment processing and merchant acquiring, capable of authorizing transactions in more than 130 currencies. The company"s state-of-the-art platforms provide access to a wide variety of payment methods, such as credit cards, debit cards, prepaid stored value cards and electronic check processing. With a legacy of innovation and vision in electronic payments, Chase Paymentech promoted the growth of e-commerce worldwide. The company continues to fuel the success of the Internet"s largest brands, currently processing more than 50 percent of all Internet transactions. Offering secure payment solutions, improving cash-flow management, mitigating risk and accelerating funding " Chase Paymentech"s consultative approach helps today"s small and emerging businesses become tomorrow"s industry leaders. On the Internet or at the point of sale, Chase Paymentech"s unique combination of outstanding service, innovative solutions and financial strength offers solid benefits to companies both large and small. More information can be found at cts.businesswire.com/ct/CT"id=smartlink&url=BLOCKED%3A%2F%2F ...


Chase Paymentech

James Wester, 214-849-2194

mailto:james.wester@chasepaymentech.com