It seems natural that online commerce would be done with credit cards. No physical paper needs to be passed unlike cash or checks. The only thing that needs to pass between the merchant and the buyer is the credit card number. The problem is, it's not that simple.
People have some legitimate fears about giving their credit card number out over the Internet.
It is an open network without any basic security provisions built in. Unless a secure server is involved, one that uses SSL or S-HTTP for transporting data, data passes between the browser and the server unencrypted. Because of these fears, methods are being developed to make purchasing products online more secure. The first attempt at making online credit card transactions secure was to take the transaction off-line. Many sites will allow you to call in your credit card number to a customer support person.