SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc is launching a new business offering loans to some of its online sellers, a move that could boost the growth of its Internet marketplace while exposing it to potential credit risks.

The new program is called Amazon Lending and sellers on the company’s marketplace have been sent emails offering loans from Amazon Capital Services Inc, a unit of Amazon, according to a merchant who received such an email from the company recently. The merchant did not want to be identified because Amazon has not announced the program publicly.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc (FB.O: Quote, Profile, Research) said it will start charging businesses to run Offers on its social network, turning a previously free service into a potential revenue generator at a time when Wall Street is demanding new sources of growth and profit from the company.

Facebook launched Facebook Offers earlier this year, letting retailers and other local merchants send deals to their Facebook fans. Users claim the offers from their News Feeds and redeem the vouchers at stores to get discounts.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Facebook Inc said it will start charging businesses to run Offers on its social network, turning a previously free service into a potential revenue generator at a time when Wall Street is demanding new sources of growth and profit from the company.

Facebook launched Facebook Offers earlier this year, letting retailers and other local merchants send deals to their Facebook fans. Users claim the offers from their News Feeds and redeem the vouchers at stores to get discounts.

By Alistair Barr

(Reuters) – Groupon Inc (GRPN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) launched a credit card payment business on Wednesday, entering a crowded field to compete with eBay Inc’s (EBAY.O> PayPal and start-up Square Inc.

Groupon said the new service lets restaurants, salons and spas, retailers and other local businesses accept credit card payments at a lower rate than other providers.

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept 18 (Reuters) – Amazon.com Inc
is closing its fashion website endless.com as the world’s
largest Internet retailer focuses on a new, upgraded apparel and
accessories section of its main website.

On Sept. 27, endless.com will become part of
Amazon.com/Fashion, according to a statement on the front page
of endless.com on Tuesday.

By Alistair Barr

(Reuters) – Groupon Inc (GRPN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) shares dropped 7 percent on Monday on concern about merchant demand for the company’s daily deals.

Raymond James analysts, led by Aaron Kessler, released a survey of more than 100 Groupon merchants on Monday showing these key partners have mixed feelings about working with the company.

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Groupon Inc (GRPN.O: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) is working on cross-border and multi-country deals as the world’s largest online daily deals provider looks for newer ways to build global market share and help retailers broaden their footprint, a top executive said.

“That really is where we have added advantage, being in 48 countries,” said Rajen Ruparell, vice president of global sales, speaking at the Reuters Retail and Consumer Summit in New York.

SAN FRANCISCO/NEW YORK (Reuters) – EBay Inc Chief Executive John Donahoe often quotes a merchant saying NFC stands for “Not For Commerce” – and dismisses the prospects of Near Field Communication technology used to turn cellphones into mobile wallets.

He got some support this week from Apple Inc, which did not embed NFC chips into the iPhone 5.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – EBay Inc executive Devin Wenig unveiled a new logo on Thursday, a re-design he said reflected a shift by the online marketplace away from auctions and collectibles toward full-priced, buy-it-now merchandise.

The new logo keeps eBay’s famous colors, red, blue, yellow and green, but the letters are thinner and arranged inline, rather than the previous, slightly jumbled approach.

By Alistair Barr

(Reuters) – E-commerce start-up Decide.com is launching a guarantee on Thursday, claiming it will help online shoppers handle increasingly swift price swings known as dynamic pricing.

Decide.com crunches data to tell shoppers the best products to buy and also when to buy them.