Facebook Wants Your Credit Card Numbers

Unlike some other titans of consumer tech -- namely, Apple and Amazon -- Facebook has a vast wealth of data about all of us but relatively few credit cards.

Facebook's $1 messages: One more way to get your credit card

by Donna Tam

December 21, 2012 4:00 AM PST Follow @DonnaYTam

(Credit: Facebook)

Facebook, which began the year with a reputation for caring more about its users than about making a buck, is ending the year with the rollout of yet another way to try to squeeze more money from its members.

This latest money-making effort comes with a revamp of its popular Messages service -- that part of Facebook through which you can message/e-mail your "friends" and, in fact, those who aren't your friends. What's changing -- and a spokesman describes it to CNET as a "small experiment" -- is that Facebook will start charging some people for messages they want to send to people they're not friends with.

The $1 cost seems steep just to shoot someone a message, but no matter. Facebook will surely drop the price if no one uses it. But the bigger point: This latest "test" shows that Facebook, eager to prove to Wall Street that it's building a cash-generating empire, is looking for more ways to add revenue streams not tied to advertising and, importantly, is trying to get more user credit cards on file.

(Credit: Screenshot by Donna Tam/CNET)

Unlike some other titans of consumer tech -- namely, Apple and Amazon -- Facebook has a vast wealth of data about all of us but relatively few credit cards. Most of the credit card numbers it has -- a number it won't disclose -- it's accumulated from people who play games and pay up for virtual items. But that's far from enough for Facebook's ambitions.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-57560335-93/facebooks-$1-messages-one-more-way-to-get-your-credit-card/

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Permalink Reply by Epinoia on December 22, 2012 at 12:47am

Facebook 'cashing in on mums-to-be by selling information about due dates and babies' genders

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2251415/Facebook-cashing-mu...

"In reality, we wouldn't share your information in a way you wouldn't want ... The trust you place in us as a safe place to share information is the most important part of what makes Facebook work." -- Mark Zuckerberg, FUC*ING LIAR!!

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Permalink Reply by DTOM on December 22, 2012 at 4:02am

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Permalink Reply by Patriot Horse on December 27, 2012 at 10:33pm

LMAO DTOM you rock... btw I knew it was coming James. GREAT post. Hopefully my clueless fam won't take the bait. But you know how that goes... Baaa, baaaa,baaa, ooops, HUH????

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Permalink Reply by Central Scrutinizer on December 22, 2012 at 9:34am

good luck with that scam FeceB00k

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Permalink Reply by WTRH-AM-AE on December 23, 2012 at 8:29am

Zuckerburg is going to get his butt put into prison if he keeps on coming up with stupid ideas like this. I am going to let me friend Robert know about this. In fact I don't have ANY credit cards!