Credits and debits on the Internet

With the arrival of the Internet as a mass market data network, new technologies and business models are being developed to facilitate electronic credit and debit transfers for ordinary consumers. New systems include CyberCash (which is a gateway between the Internet and the authorization network of major credit cards), the Secure Electronic Transactions protocol (a standard for presenting credit card transactions on the Internet), First Virtual (a way of using e-mail to secure approval for credit card purchases of information), GC Tech (a payment system that can use credit or debit via an intermediation server), and NetBill (a public-private-key encryption system for purchasing information).