In a move that will substantially reduce the threat of credit and debit fraud, the Voice Pay system uses the customer's own voice as a means of digitally signing and authorizing payments. It incorporates VoiceVault voice biometric authentication technology which is already in use by global banks, insurers and public sector organizations.

With its use of biometric, anti-phishing and anti-fraud technologies, Voice Pay can provide payment guarantees to consumers and business users processing any size of transaction from a penny upwards.

Chief Executive Officer of Voice Pay, Nick Ogden, believes that the use of voice biometric technology will improve security and consumer confidence making it far safer for shoppers to buy goods and services. "Using Voice Pay is secure, quick and easy. No special software or hardware is required - just access to a phone," he says.

"Consumers complete a short, one-time only enrolment process during which a few spoken words are used to generate a unique biometric voiceprint. Subsequently whenever a purchase is made, the user voice verifies the transaction over the phone or Internet," Ogden adds. "No special software or hardware is required".

Voice Pay changes the way that all payments can be undertaken - not only Internet transactions. It opens up many new commercial avenues and the potential for voice-verified payments is phenomenal. Voice Pay gives consumers new freedoms to buy using their mobile phone from a TV or print advertisement instantly or pay for goods in a shop. Buyers simply call the national Voice Pay number and authorize payments over the phone using their unique voiceprint as a digital signature.

As well as convenience, the Voice Pay system also offers buyer and retailer additional safeguards. For example, consumers using Voice Pay via the Internet benefit from integrated anti-phishing technology, which ensures total confidence in the stores that process payments with Voice Pay.

Ogden explained: "Security of personal data and credit card fraud remains at the forefront of people's minds. Voice Pay hands power and control of the transaction to the consumer, who for the first time can digitally sign every transaction using their voice and benefit from a guarantee."

Consumers are not the only group to gain from the service. VoicePay also offers merchants low cost credit and debit card payment processing services. In addition, merchants that use Voice Pay for payment processing benefit from other voice technologies, including 'Click to Call' integrated telecommunications capabilities for their business. Voice Pay is cost effective and easy to use, works anywhere in the world and whenever the retailer receives a signed Voice Pay payment, the transaction is guaranteed.

The Voice Pay's patent pending process has been developed by Ogden, who founded the Internet payment processor, WorldPay, before it was sold to the Royal Bank of Scotland in 2002. He was also the first person to guarantee internet payments and built Europe's first online store. Ogden and Biometric Security worked for more than a year developing and refining the technology and processes that are now encapsulated in the Voice Pay payment processing system.

Consumers and retailers can register for Voice Pay through the website www.voice-pay.com.