eBay to announce PayPal Access, deepen ties with Facebook

By Jeffrey Van Camp October 12, 2011

Image used with permission by copyright holder

It’s a rare occasion, but eBay has made the news. The online commerce site, one of the Web’s oldest and most stable, is holding its X.commerce conference in San Francisco Oct 12-14. The company is set to announce a new PayPal service called “PayPal Access” and possibly a partnership with Facebook at the conference, Reuters and Bloomberg report.

PayPal Access

From what we understand, PayPal Access will turn the PayPal system into a login credentials platform, much like Facebook has become in the last year. Websites will be able to let their users register and login using PayPal Access instead of taking the time to fill out and create a login just for that site. And since it’s PayPal, shopping sites know that users already have money at their disposal the moment they log in.

Recommended Videos

“You can create an account wherever you’re shopping without giving the merchant your information,” Anuj Nayar, an X.commerce spokesman, told Bloomberg in an interview. “These retailers don’t have the time and resources necessary to figure it all out.” And by ‘it’ he means storing and handling financial information. PayPal Access sounds much like Facebook Connect, which many sites have begun adopting, allowing them to tap into Facebook’s userbase and friend network.

While services like this and Facebook’s login are certainly convenient for sites, it means that online stores would be giving all ownership of their customers information to PayPal, essentially tying their fortunes and their users’ experiences to the vitality of the PayPal system. Should PayPal go off the deep end and make terrible decisions, a lot of businesses could be hurt. Then again, PayPal has been one of the more stable systems.

Linking up with Facebook

We don’t know any details, but Reuters believes that eBay and Facebook will announce a new partnership at the X.commerce conference this week. EBay already works with Facebook a bit, allowing users of PayPal to purchase Facebook Credits and ads, but its possible that a deeper collaboration could happen. The social network recently made a substantial partnership with Skype, integrating the company’s video chatting service deep into its platform.

“We believe a deeper partnership could be announced at the conference,” wrote Doug Anmuth, an analyst at JPMorgan, in a note to investors yesterday.

Topics

Jeffrey Van Camp

Former Digital Trends Contributor

As DT's Deputy Editor, Jeff helps oversee editorial operations at Digital Trends. Previously, he ran the site's…

Mobile

Best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deals: Get Samsung’s flagship for $200

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra and S Pen stylus on its screen.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the largest of Samsung’s latest phones, and to many it’s considered one of the best phones on the market. It’s a good phone to consider if you aren’t finding what you’re looking for among the best Samsung Galaxy S24 deals or best Samsung Galaxy S23 deals, as its larger size delivers more screen real estate but also sometimes more savings. There are several ways to save on a Galaxy S24 Ultra scattered across carriers and retailers, so we’ve rounded up all of the best Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deals below. Some of them could are up there with the best phone deals, and they’re nice alternatives if the current Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra deals feel a little dated, and they price the phone nicely among all of the iPhone deals and Google Pixel 8 deals taking place right now.
Today's best Galaxy S24 Ultra deals
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra deals change frequently but below, we’ve picked out some of the best available today. These include being able to buy directly from Samsung, along with buying from other retailers and cell phone network providers. There’s something for every intention here.

: Get up to $800 of instant trade-in credit along with a choice of exclusive colors.
: Get up to $1,000 trade-in credit applied over 36 months.
: Get the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for $5 per month for 36 months with a new Unlimited Ultimate plan.
: Get the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for up to $1,100 off.
: Save $100 on the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra when you trade-in your current phone.

Mobile

Strava’s latest feature aims to make outdoor exercise safer

New heatmaps for Strava.

Strava, a popular app for tracking fitness activities, is expanding its Hatmaps feature to help improve the safety of its users. The update should be especially useful now for users in the Northern Hemisphere, which is heading into winter with reduced daylight.

The new Night and Weekly Heatmaps were announced by the San Francisco-based company on Wednesday and are available to all Strava subscribers. As the name of the feature suggests, the Heatmaps show where Strava users are choosing to exercise, with dark thick lines showing well-used routes, and light thin lines showing less popular ones.

Mobile

Consumer group sues Apple for $3.8 billion over alleged iCloud monopoly

A person using the Apple iPhone 16 Plus.

Independent U.K. consumer rights association Which? has filed a massive legal claim of 3 billion British pounds (nearly $3.8 billion) against Apple, claiming it has breached competition law and locked its customers into its expensive iCloud cloud storage service. It says if the claim is successful, 40 million Apple device owners in the U.K could be entitled to money back.

If you haven’t heard of Which? before, it’s made up of two different companies. The Consumers Association, is a charity that campaigns for the protection of consumers and the understanding of consumer issues while also working to ensure businesses meet the law. The second company is Which? Limited, a website producing content and services around products to help people choose what’s best for them.