(by Mark Riley)

SecureCode-enabling is being promoted by the MasterCard with over 7 million of its more than 545 million PIN-secured Maestro cards already having the system of secure online debit payments, specialists say.

SecureCode program is so far enrolled by about 2,500 MasterCard banks. 9,000 e-tailers already accept online SecureCode payments.

The Maestro brand grew globally by 10.2% in the quarter to June 2004, recent data shows. In the U.S., Maestro payment volumes boosted by 92% in 1H 2004, with MasterCard attributing this to new acquirers and merchants make links to the MasterCard Debit Switch (MDS), to which issuers connect for online debit transactions.

Maestro debit cards are popular with the recent figures showing gross dollar volume in the Asia-Pacific growing to USD 34.2 billion, at a purchase volume of USD 6.7 billion.