As credit card use grows in the real world, plastic already dominates the world of Web shopping. This breakdown of how people pay for online purchases demonstrates that credit cards are the key to e-commerce:

Credit card online - 85%
Check mailed - 10%
Credit card via phone - 2%
Credit card via mail - 1%
Other method - 2%

The Future of PlasticMarket research indicates that consumers view credit cards as lifestyle enhancers that contribute to other areas of interest in their lives. And credit card products now in development, such as the electronic purse and online debit cards, promise to further extend the use of credit cards.

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Paying with plastic is becoming increasingly popular for even routine bills such as gas and electricity. And customers preference for plastic cards is even more pronounced. These trends are projected to cause check and paper credit use to fall from 32 percent of all non-cash transaction in 1997 to just 14 percent by 2007.