Yahoo! Opens Its Wallet

Yahoo! Inc. has enhanced its Yahoo! Shopping online service with a number of new features, a new design and content. The most prominent new feature is Yahoo! Wallet, where consumers can store their credit card, billing and shipping information for use at more than 6,000 online retailers when purchasing products on Yahoo! Shopping, says the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Internet company.
     Once shoppers have found what they want to buy, they can use the new Express Checkout feature to expedite the purchasing process, the company adds. A users' credit card information is then automatically entered into order forms when he or she makes purchases at Yahoo! Shopping retailers.
     Consumers can sign up for Yahoo! Wallet starting today on Yahoo! Shopping, or directly at the Yahoo! Wallet website. Once an ID and six-digit Security Key have been obtained, individuals can then securely enter personal information.
     Launched in November 1998, Yahoo! Shopping currently has more than 6,000 stores and millions of products organized in 17 retail categories, including Apparel & Accessories, Bath & Beauty, Books, Computers, Food & Drink, Health & Wellness, Home & Garden, Movies & Video, Music, and Toys & Games, among others, the company says. It includes products from retailers such as Barnes & Noble, Ben & Jerry's, Beyond.com, Bugle Boy, Crate & Barrel, Dean & DeLuca, FAO Shwarz, Harry & David, HP Shopping Village, J&R, Neiman Marcus, Patagonia, REI, The Sharper Image, Strouds and Tower Records, among others.