Hard Vs Soft Electronic Currencies
A hard electronic currency is one that does not have services to dispute or reverse charges. In other words, it only supports non-reversible transactions. Reversing transactions, even in case of a legitimate error, unauthorized use, or failure of a vendor to supply goods is difficult, if not impossible. The advantage of this arrangement is that the operating costs of the electronic currency system are greatly reduced by not having to resolve payment disputes. Additionally, it allows the electronic currency transactions to clear instantly, making the funds available immediately to the recipient. This means that using hard electronic currency is more akin to a cash transaction. Examples are TokenPay, Pecunix, Western Union, KlickEx and Bitcoin.
A soft electronic currency is one that allows for reversal of payments, for example in case of fraud or disputes. Reversible payment methods generally have a "clearing time" of 72 hours or more. Examples are PayPal and credit card.
A hard currency can be softened by using a trusted third party or an escrow service.
Read more about this topic: Electronic Money
Famous quotes containing the words hard, soft and/or electronic:
“If I get a hard audience they are not going to get away until they laugh. Those seven laughs a minute—I’ve got to have them.”
—Ken Dodd (b. 1931)
“Help me to seek, for I lost it there
And if that ye have found it, ye that be here,
And seek to convey it secretly,
Handle it soft and treat it tenderly,
Or else it will plain and then appear:”
—Sir Thomas Wyatt (1503?–1542)
“The new electronic interdependence recreates the world in the image of a global village.”
—Marshall McLuhan (1911–1980)