If you've ever bought something online, you know the worst part comes when it's time to pay.
Every store is different.
Buy from a few places and you'll fill out billing forms until you get carpal tunnel syndrome. While ecash systems differ, all purport to make online shopping safer and easier. And any plans ecash companies have to beef up their ranks have been stymied by the upcoming, but not yet available, ecash standards being developed by MasterCard and Visa. Here's more on how ecash works, which options are available now, and what changes are in the works. Michelle V. Rafter is a frequent CNET contributor and writes weekly Internet columns for Reuters and the Chicago Tribune.