How do I purchase picks from Handicappers?

**NEW** You may now directly enter your credit card SECURELY at Sportswire.com! Just select any of the "purchase" buttons on the site and you will be moved to our secure server where you may directly enter your credit card! That's it! If you wish to use the Cybercash Wallet: please read the below text: Please read the following instructions carefully before ordering. Sportswire.com uses the CyberCash Secure Internet Payment System to allow our users to purchase Sports Merchandise and Picks from members of the Sportswire.com Handicapper's League. This service allows you to pay for items on the Sportswire.com Site using your Visa or MasterCard. Transactions are processed in the most secure manner available to Internet consumers. CyberCash uses special encryption technology that not only protects you from having your credit card information stolen over the Net, but verifies your credit card information is current and is not a stolen card.

Watch for future enhancements to Sportswire.com's payment system. Sportswire.com will continually be adding more features that will allow its customers the greatest access to sports information and sports merchandise.

For a full explaination of installing the CyberCash software, read the complete CyberCash Installation Manual. For a more brief explaination, follow the links below.

Using CyberCash software
Ordering Picks Using CyberCash

Using CyberCash software

Sportswire.com will process your orders through the CyberCash Secure Internet Payment Service. To use CyberCash, you'll first need to download their free software. After downloading their software and following their instructions for installation on your computer, return to this page to read on setting up your Netscape browser to use CyberCash.

Setting up your Browser to use CyberCash

Now that you've downloaded and installed the CyberCash software, here's how to make it work with your browser. Please follow the steps below to insure that you're ready to purchase items at Sportswire

Configuring your Netscape Browser (Version 1.1N):

1. Launch Netscape.
2. Choose Preferences menu from the Options menu.
3. In the Popup menu of the Preferences dialog, select the Helper Applications menu item.
4. Click on the New... button. This should bring up the "Create New Mime Type" dialog.
   Enter the following information in the appropriate fields:
   Mime Type: application
   Mime Subtype: cybercash
   
5. Click OK.
6. Fill in the Extensions field with ".cyb"
7. Click on the Launch Application radio.
8. Click on the Browse... button.
9. Use the dialog box to find the location of the CyberCash Client. Select it by clicking on the "Open" button. This action tells Netscape the location of the CyberCash Client on your hard disk.
   Note: If you move the location of the CyberCash Client, you may have to repeat Step 9 again.
10. In the File Type popup menu, select 'Cash'.
    IMPORTANT! Do not select any of the other File Types!
11. Click on the OK button.

Configuring NCSA Mosaic (Version 2.0.0a12):

1. Launch NCSA Mosaic.
2. Chose Preferences from the Options menu.
3. Click on the Apps icon button.
4. Click on the Helper Applications... button.
5. Click on the Add Document Type... button.
6. Type in application/cybercash and click OK.
7. Click on the Add Extensions button.
8. Type in .cyb into the text field and make sure application/cybercash is selected in the Mime type popup menu. Click OK.
9. Click on the application/cybercash item in the Document Type -> Application list box (the right scrolling field).
10. Click on Set Application.
11. Find the CyberCash Client application and click on Open.
12. Select a CyberCash File Type. The Macintosh Client will only work when the 'Cash' file type is selected. Click on 'Cash' icon and click on the Launch Automatically check box.
13. Now you need to restart NCSA Mosaic for the changes to take effect.

Ordering Picks Using CyberCash

Once you've installed the CyberCash software, you'll be ready to order merchandise and picks from Sportswire.com. To order a pick, click on one of the paid picks icons on one of our Handicappers pages. This will take you to the CyberCash payment page. You'll find instructions there on how to purchase the pick using CyberCash. There will be two buttons on this page, a "before" button and "after" button.

Use the before button to begin your purchase; this will start the CyberCash software. If you're using the CyberCash client software for the first time, you'll need to answer some questions including entering a user name and password and entering credit cards to use for purchasing. Once done with the intial setup, CyberCash will process your credit card info, process your transaction, and return you to the payment page.

If there are any problems with your credit card, CyberCash will give you instructions on how to complete the transaction, and a number to call with questions. If there is a problem with your credit card (such as the purchase being over your account limit, etc.) CyberCash will give you the option to enter another credit card. If you do not receive a "transaction successfully completed" message, then your transactions did not go through and you will not be able to view your intended pick.

Once you've sucsessfully returned to the payment page, click on the "after" button. This verifies your payment, and displays the pick you've purchased. If you click the after button without having sucessfully completed your transaction, you'll receive an error message.

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