The Internet offers an abundance of services to enable electronic commerce. Most business-to-business commerce has taken place via World Wide Web home pages and product databases; although pilot projects and production systems exist that support Internet-based commercial transactions, their limited use has been caused by lack of secure payment services.
E-payment or Internet payment involves transmitting money electronically between bank accounts of buyers and sellers. A substantial proportion of e-commerce volume was conducted through business-to-business transactions in 2003; while only a relatively small portion, such as online consumer purchases, was settled using internet-based payments – this represents your internet payment discover charge on your credit card statement as evidence of these purchases. Unfortunately, cyberpiracy also exists with scammers fraudulently using famous brands or products in attempts to make a quick buck off them – sometimes illegally!