PayPal, an eBay company, is a service that acts as a payment middleman, allowing people to send money to each other over the Internet.  Both parties entrust their credit card and bank information to PayPal, which then facilitates the transactions.  Many online retailers are accepting PayPal payments.  The best thing about it is that the seller never sees your payment information.  The fewer retailers that see your personal information, the better.  Other alternative payment options include BillMeLater and Google Checkout.