Where is On-Line payment?

Dennis Asher (asden@iinet.com.au)
Wed, 28 Dec 1994 19:02:55 -0800

There seems to be a HUGE gap in this selling process. The WEB site (shop)
can be promoted, the customer arrives views the goods on-line, then we tell
him to go away and phone or write us with the order - from a selling point
of view this is a disaster. I have seen several sites which attempt to solve
this. Some have on-line invoice creators which print out on the shopper's
printer (still not good enough), one had room for the credit card info but
included a message which stated "your credit card detail will be encrypted
when it gets to our site, however internet is not a secure place yet and
others could view the detail before it reaches us".

For my own products (software) I can provide everything automatically
including delivery of demos and full product to the shoppers own computer IF
I can receive payment on-line. I know on-line payment systems are being
developed but how far away is it before it reaches the general internet user?

Dennis Asher
Adaptive Technologist