Swipely.com, a new social networking website that broadcasts users' credit and debit card purchases, says its strong security features will help it avoid embarrassing data breaches such as the one Blippy.com suffered last month.
Swipely, of Providence, R.I., went live with the site on Tuesday. It invites users to register their credit and debit cards and tracks their purchases. The site then posts users' purchases online by integrating the data into Facebook and other social networking sites chosen by users. The service is designed to enable users to discuss and review their purchases with others through the networking sites.
The service is in test mode and will be available to U.S. consumers this summer, the company said.
Swipely said it will remove users' account numbers and other sensitive card data, revealing only where a customer made a purchase. Unlike Blippy, Swipely will not specify the amount. Users may add details, such as the exact product purchased, photos, the amount spent and their opinions of it. They also can import details about their online purchases and have control over which purchases are broadcast.
Blippy, which has 125,000 users, came under fire last month when a security glitch briefly exposed some customers' transaction data, including card account numbers.
A Swipely spokeswoman said the company protects cardholders' account details with "bank-grade encryption," and that its system has "passed reviews and audits from leading third-party security and privacy organizations."
The enterprise is backed by $7.5 million in funding from Index Ventures, Greylock Partners and First Round Capital, among others.
Angus Davis, Swipely's founder and chief executive, said in a press release that its mission is to "fundamentally change the way consumers shop and share by adding value to every swipe.
"Our service will transform everyday purchases at restaurants, movies or online retailers into conversations with friends, personalized recommendations and opportunities to save money," Davis said.
Danny Rimer, general partner at Index Ventures, said in the release that "the convergence of payments and social media is the natural next step in the evolution of the Web."
