An alternative to complex and impenetrable credit card processing is the key to success for online credit card gateway InterPay, according to CEO Byron Gray.

According to Gray, a six-month statement of business activities is just one hurdle thrown in front of fledgling e-commerce merchants who apply for credit card processing authorisation.

"If you're a startup, forget it," Gray said.

As a result, Gray predicted that InterPay, the alternative offered by his e-commerce company Graycorp, will have signed up more than 1500 young or radical e-commerce companies by the end of 2000.

Web-based businesses that sign up for the 128-bit encrypted InterPay gateway are only required to submit a two-page overview of the company's business strategies, Gray said, explaining that Graycorp's "extremely close" partnership with St George Banking Group ensured streamlined gateway-authorisation processes.

Payments for all international credit cards are possible via the interface-customisable gateway, although all payments are processed in Australian dollars, Gray said.

According to Graycorp, implementing the InterPay system does not require any additional software or hardware. No sign-up charges apply, but clients are charged $39 per month, as well as 80 cents per transaction.