Authentication Features

The site designer may configure the International Retail Site to require authentication in order for the user to make a transaction on the site. Authentication makes the shopping experience far easier and more targeted. It allows the user to maintain multiple ship-to addresses, multiple credit card information, and past shopping history.

The International Retail Site allows two types of user authentication:

• Forms / Passport Authentication

  An authenticated user is a user who has filled out a user profile for the site, or who has logged in through Microsoft Passport. The International Retail Site uses authentication to enhance the retail experience by allowing targeted offers and stream-lined checkout; however, users are not forced to authenticate their visits.

• Anonymous Authentication

  Users are considered anonymous until they log into the site using either Microsoft Passport or the login page. Anonymous users can still be tracked, but less is known about them, and so less can be done for them. Targeted advertisements, for example, cannot be generated for an anonymous user.

Authentication may be expanded to provide other personalized details such as holiday or birthday wish lists. If the user supplies their profile data in advance, it will also make the checkout process easier.

This section contains:

• Tracking Users. Describes how the site can track users.
• Passport Integration Features. Describes Microsoft Passport integration features.
• Security Features in the International Retail Site. Describes security features as they relate to the International Retail Site.

See Also

• Authenticating Users
• Integrating with Passport

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