"...why would I want to use a new payment processor if paypal or e-gold already exist."
Let me share with you why. I've used Webmoney for about 6 years now, its an excellent way to pay online and very inexpensive to use. Much cheaper than Google Checkout or PayPal.
You do not have to visit their web to log in, like e-gold, they offer a super secure software client to log in and access your account.
Whenever you offer to customers a new method to pay for purchases, you invite all those who are currently using that method of payment...accept CCs get those new customers, you accept WM, you get all those new customers.
WM has been around since 1998, they have over 4 million accounts open and process something like 1+ billion dollar a year. You can fund your WM account without a Credit card or bank account, so you capture all those customers also. They have partnerships with
cashU (middle east and africa)
Ukash (Europe, UK, Ireland etc) and even
paysafecard. So anyone living in those area can walk to a local store, pay cash, and receive the card or voucher to instantly fund their WM account. No CC needed.
They are also partnered with Paymer which is mostly Russian, but anyone can create a
Paymer with WM. Webmoney offers prepaid cards anyone can buy, transfer and use. Scratch off the card, instantly fund your account.
Webmoney offers the ability to use money online, where credit cards and banks cannot. Even around Russia, there are over 150,000 walk up kiosks that you can pay cash and fund your account. About 50% of these have people working at them and the rest are like ATMs, you put in cash and type in your account number for instant funding.
This way to pay online(WM) is the most used and popular digital currency on the Internet. I mean digital currency, because all transactions are final (no chargebacks like CCs) you must buy Webmoney from a third party independent agent or funding product (like e-gold you cannot buy it from the WM company, only 3rd party agents sell it) and you can exchange your WM for another currency like e-gold, Liberty Reserve or Pecunix.
Digital currencies operate outside of conventional banking on the Internet and WM is the largest and most popular. They are very well known and widely used because of their easy funding.
The idea here is not to select WM over PayPal, the idea is to use both and capture that many more customers by providing more methods to pay.
Mark
DGCmagazine