Editor's Note: AT&T has disavowed information provided by Clickbuytel for this story, saying Clickbuytel did not have authorization to release the information. “Clickbuytel’s characterization in the release of an e-commerce service based on AT&T technology should be disregarded and should not necessarily be interpreted as a preview of an announcement to be made at a future date,” a AT&T statement said. “There is no information AT&T is prepared to share about any such service at this time. In addition, although AT&T did have a relationship with Clickbuytel for a trial of a service, this relationship was far more limited in scope than the one described.”
E-commerce services provider Clickbuytel Inc. yesterday announced a program that would allow its e-business clients to offer consumers the ability to charge purchases online to AT&T phone accounts. The announcement came after a marketing agreement was completed with telecommunications giant AT&T Corp., Basking Ridge, NJ.
Clickbuytel, Los Angeles, said Internet customers are often afraid of getting their credit card numbers stolen online, and its “ClickATT” program is less risky because the phone accounts can be used only for purchases at Web sites that use the system. To use the system, AT&T-registered customers can click on the “ClickATT” icon, enter their personal identification numbers and charge from 25 cents to $300 to their phone bill. Cost of the service was not disclosed.
