Over 2,500 merchants are participating - last year's sales volume was $1.3 billion - selling international brands of perfume, designer clothing, electronics and jewelry.

The merchants gladly participated in schemes to evade I.R.S. reporting.

These itinerant merchants often participated in large-scale trade with powerful families and officials.

Initially, 30,000 merchants participated in the plan.

To get merchants to participate, the banks will subsidize the cost of the card readers, which now run $500 to $1,000.

More than 1,700 merchants from all 50 states participated and the official site saw 317,000 unique visitors.

Several hundred merchants participated and media attention was unusually high.

In addition, the merchants participated in growing trade with the Holy Land, where Acre played the main role until 1291.

Some merchants in Louisiana participate in a program called Louisiana Tax Free Shopping.

About 100 merchants are participating, he said, and "I'm about to run out of windows."