EBay, E-Stamp in Alliance

Internet companies EBay Inc. and E-Stamp Corp. said they have formed an alliance aimed at boosting consumers’ ability to print computerized postage at home. The multiyear deal, terms of which were not disclosed, will allow E-Stamp to be prominently featured on EBay’s Internet site, which has attracted more than 7.7 million registered users in just a few years. Buyers and sellers at auction house EBay will receive significant discounts on the E-Stamp Internet postage starter kit and reduced convenience fees for online postage purchases through E-Stamp, the companies said. E-Stamp and EBay also plan to offer easy access to E-Stamp’s online supply store by means of a special co-branded micro-site. Shares of San Jose-based EBay fell $8.81 to close at $130.38, and shares of San Mateo, Calif.-based E-Stamp lost $1.44 to close at $21.63, both on Nasdaq.