Amazon Introduces PayPhrase to Make Online Shopping Easier

Online shopping isn't exactly a novelty anymore but it's still a lot more complicated than it should be. Amazon, the largest online retailer, is launching a new system that aims to simplify that though its success is far from guaranteed yet. Dubbed Amazon PayPhrase, it will allow customers to check out a product in just a couple of steps by setting up a catchphrase associated with a payment method and shipping address and then a PIN to go along with the phrase.

“PayPhrase solves the headache of trying to keep track of all the different usernames and passwords people use to shop on various sites across the web. With PayPhrase all you need is one phrase and one PIN to pay online,” Matt Williams, general manager for Amazon PayPhrase, said. “We think customers will enjoy the simplicity that Amazon PayPhrase offers, and we hope they’ll have some fun choosing their own personal phrases.”

The idea is to simplify the payment process and at the same time keep it secure. Users will be able to register their own phrases to go with a shipping address and payment method. This way, they can simply click on the PayPhrase button next to the products they want to buy. They can then enter their phrase inside the button and they will be taken directly to a preview page for their purchase complete with shipping costs. If they're sure they want to continue all they need to do is enter the PIN number associated with the phrase and they're done with it.

Amazon wants this to become a payment method in its own right, similar to PayPal, so it will be available with other partner sites as well, not just on Amazon.com. With third-party sites there is the added convenience that users won't need to register a new account with that site to make the purchase. In theory this is all very good but in practice this may prove to be just another thing users have to remember on top of the already huge amount of usernames and passwords for various accounts. Still, if Amazon convinces enough partners to implement the payment method, it could prove successful.