Whether you’re buying or selling there is a way to exchange cash for goods and services. You can make online transactions by using a variety of payment methods.

The most common kind of payment is made with a credit card. A credit card allows you to draw on a credit line up to a limit. The bank is notified every when you make a purchase using your credit card. The bank confirms the transaction’s details and sends authorization back to the merchant. The merchant is then able to accept or decline the transaction.

Another popular method of payment is via an ACH (Automated Clearing House) or wire transfer. These are electronic transfers that can take up to a week for processing. They can be international or domestic and may require extra information, such as a bank account or routing number.

Many people today discover and purchase items through social media platforms. These platforms let users purchase directly from brands by using top data room features such as in-app checkouts, shoppable posts and in-app purchases.

The growing popularity of social media platforms has prompted companies to create alternative methods to facilitate online payments. These newer payment methods include cryptocurrency and digital currencies, which function like traditional currencies, but with the added benefit anonymity and cryptographic verification. The growth of these technologies highlights how the underlying infrastructures supporting online transactions are changing and are now a broad category referred to as transactional information.