RFC 1898 (rfc1898) - Page 3 of 52

CyberCash Credit Card Protocol Version 0

RFC 1898                 CyberCash Version 0.8             February 1996


      4.5 Utility and Error Messges.............................38
      4.5.1 P1 - ping...........................................39
      4.5.2 P2 - ping-response..................................39
      4.5.3 TQ1 - transaction-query.............................40
      4.5.4 TQ2 - transaction-cancel............................41
      4.5.5 TQ3 - transaction-response..........................42
      4.5.6 UNK1 - unknown-error................................44
      4.5.7 DL1 - diagnostic-log................................46
      4.5.8 DL2 - merchant-diagnostic-log.......................47
      4.6 Table of Messages Described...........................48
      5. Future Development.....................................49
      5.1 The Credit Card Authorization/Clearance Process.......49
      5.2 Lessons Learned.......................................50
      6. Security Considerations................................51
      References................................................51
      Authors' Addresses........................................52

1. Overall System

   CyberCash, Inc. of Reston, Virginia was founded in August of 1994 to
   partner with financial institutions and providers of goods and
   services to deliver a safe, convenient and inexpensive system for
   making payments on the Internet.  The CyberCash approach is based on
   establishing a trusted link between the new world of cyberspace and
   the traditional banking world.  CyberCash serves as a conduit through
   which payments can be transported quickly, easily and safely between
   buyers, sellers and their banks.  Significantly - much as it is the
   real world of commerce - the buyer and seller need not have any prior
   existing relationship.

   As a neutral third party whose sole concern is ensuring the delivery
   of payments from one party to another, CyberCash is the linchpin in
   delivering spontaneous consumer electronic commerce on the Internet.

1.1 System Overview

   The CyberCash system will provide several separate payment services
   on the Internet including credit card and electronic cash.  To gain
   access to CyberCash services, consumers need only a personal computer
   with a network connection.  Similarly, merchants and banks need make
   only minimal changes to their current operating procedures in order
   to process CyberCash transactions, enabling them to more quickly
   integrate safe on-line payments into their existing service
   offerings.  Communications with banks are over existing financial
   communications networks.






Eastlake, et al              Informational