Even consumers with several years of experience online continue to cite security and privacy features as a key factor in the decision to spend online, according to a new study by MasterCard International, lending weight to recent analysis suggesting financial institutions and other enterprises stop using Microsoft's .NET Passport service.

MasterCard's U.S. consumer study found that assurance that personal information would be kept private, a guarantee that consumers would not receive unwanted emails as a result of purchases, and an extra layer of security for credit card transactions were "among the most important factors influencing the degree to which consumers would make purchases online."

"Internet retailers should take a close look at this study as it indicates that extra security programs and assurances will motivate consumers to shop online," said Steve Orfei, senior vice president and head of MasterCard International's e-Commerce and e-B2B Center of Excellence.

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