PasswordbyPhone offers a geo-targeted log-in system that is available in 35 languages across 240 countries, the London-based company said. A surfer dials the number listed on a partner site, listens to a 5-minute message, and is then granted a 30-minute pass to the site’s contents.
The company has been a secure phone biller in various incarnations since 1991 and developed PasswordbyPhone to combat many Europeans’ fears of using credit cards. In addition, the reputation of the dialer business in Europe and other countries has waned in recent years. PasswordbyPhone combines a familiar medium with a more secure method of using it to access content on the Internet.
The initial phone call is key to the company’s revenue generation. The call is billed discreetly and partner webmasters, according to PbP’s website, are then paid up to $10 per password. Calls are terminated in destinations such as Tuvalu, Diego Garcia, Vanuatu, St.Tome, Guyana, Guinea Bisseau, Kiribati, Solomon Island, Cook Island, Norfolk Island, Wallis and Fortuna.
According to PbP, customers in Russia, Saudi Arabia, Latin America and Europe are predominantly averse to using credit cards and seek a different solution. Once granted a password, surfers can either browse PbP’s content or that of its affiliate sites. The service is not available in Africa.