An investigation work that can be divided in four parts. First, payment methods that can be used in the Internet and in the physical world. Second, those payment methodscompletely virtual , without hardware and that can solely be used in electronic surroundings. Third, a legal approach is made that tries to clarify the legal surroundings that govern the use of different payment methods and to orient consumers and businessman about the legal treatment these payment methods can suffer. Finally, the protocols of security used in the electronic surroundings are analyzed and try to clarify the technological doubts that they have been able to arise during the reading of this work.
