User ID's provide a convenient mechanism for establishing credit. since they are associated with the individual or organization who is actually paying for the software. On the other hand, a software distribution system based purely on S-box ID's can provide a high degree of privacy for users. Requiring prepayment for software usage avoids any risk of default, but such a requirement is unattractive to users and negates the social benefits that we hope to see provided through superdistribution. It is easy to understand why this should be so if we consider how people would react to being required to pay for all their water and electricity in advance. Example of software distribution system utilizing the superdistribution architecture The superdistribution scheme does not provide any absolute guarantee that users will pay what they owe, or even that they will return the necessary payment files to the collection agents.
Transmission can be either over a telecommunication link or with a memory card.
In the event that a user transmits the payment files but does not remit the corresponding payment, a collection agent can apply appropriate sanctions. Superdistribution does not rely on the honesty or goodwill of the manufacturer of the S-box. However, the methods of providing such protection are beyond the scope of this paper. To join the system, a user need only insert an S-box, most likely in the form of a coprocessor chip , into his or her own personal computer. A collection agency can join the system in the same way.