The biggest challenge for Electronic Payment Systems is finding customers and vendors who are willing to risk investing in a product that is currently in its introduction stage. This has created is a chicken and egg effect. Security factors are perhaps the biggest deterrent for individuals interested in making on-line purchases. Most people fear giving their credit card numbers, phone numbers or addresses not knowing who will be able to retrieve that information without their consent. It is interesting to note that most people don't even give it a second thought when purchasing items with a credit card over the phone, but to ask them to do it from their PC makes them very uncomfortable.
Privacy is a significant factor in some of the payment schemes.
Cyberpunks feel that privacy is paramount. However, the public has become comfortable with credit cards and debit cards. Private cash has a potential market, but it may not be as large as people today are thinking. Return to the Top Electronic Cash and the Web Systems such as Digicash and NetCash allow the customer to deposit cash into a bank account then use that cash to purchase items off the internet. Digicash customers receive an encoded 64 bit number for each nickel they convert to ecash, which is then transferred to the user's hard drive.