Amazon's 1-Click Payment Patent Expiring in 2017
The patent for Amazon.com's one-click payment technology is expiring this year, meaning other online stores may adopt similar payment methods. Amazon first applied for the patent in 1997, and was granted it in 1999. Over the years, the online retailer has defended its exclusivity in court. For example, Apple paid Amazon an undisclosed amount to develop its own version of 1-Click. The core benefit of 1-Click is that by storing payment and address details, customers only need to click a single button to make a purchase.
Total Retail’s Take: It’s suggested that Amazon’s 1-Click technology may be worth $2.4 billion to the company. The technology was the first of its kind, and gave Amazon a tremendous advantage over other online retailers. It wasn’t until Apple paid Amazon — what was most likely a huge sum of money — to use the technology that any other company had a “frictionless” checkout. One-click checkout is part of what makes Amazon a preferred shopping destination for so many consumers.
