FIRST VIRTUAL HOLDINGS INCORPORATED

摘要

First Virtual Holdings Incorporated was one of the first companies to design a payment mechanism specifically for the Internet. The company developed a system whereby buyers and sellers could complete transactions on the Internet securely and efficiently. The buyer would use his or her credit card, yet the credit card number would not be sent over the Internet. Instead, First Virtual would issue each buyer a "Virtual Pin," which would be used as a proxy for the buyer's credit card number. Students are left to analyze and decide whether the system will gain widespread acceptance among the Internet commerce community.