A new class of internet start-ups is trying to turn data into money

Klarna, ReadyForZero, Wongo

Klarna, a Swedish company that counts Sequoia Capital, a noted venture-capital firm, among its financial backers, allows consumers to shop online by simply typing in their date of birth, name and address. Klarna fronts up the payments and charges retailers a fee for making online purchases easier. Shoppers pay only once they have received the goods. ReadyForZero, a start-up in Silicon Valley, lets people see all their credit-card debts in one place and puts together a plan to pay them off.

http://www.economist.com/node/18396166?story_id=18396166