First, we had the barter system
That was terrific, except that produce rots after a while, and moving cattle from Spain to Turkey was a challenge at the time. Not to mention that it doesn’t do you much good to have a surplus of wheat and a need for cows when everyone in traveling distance has the same surpluses and the same needs.
Then, we invented money
And it was better. Sorta. Coins and paper currency were eventually standardized making them easier to exchange. They were also eventually regulated, making them more trustworthy. Unlike crops, they don’t spoil, so they can be stored for when you need them. There’s one problem with coin and paper currency, though: they don’t identify their owner, so it can be fairly easy to get away with stealing ’em.
Then, there were checks
The big advantages to the development of checks are that they’re personalized, they’re good for one purchase only, and they’re a little less susceptible to fraudulent use. The downside? Checks contain – in plain text – all the information an industrious crook needs to misuse them.
Enter the charge card
Fully personalized, the original charge cards were provided by a single merchant for use only in its stores. Charge cards became generalized, usable nearly everywhere and every way at bricks-and-mortar locations, on-line, by telephone etc. And even though they’re personalized, it’s easy enough for the bad guys to steal cards (or card information), pretend they are you, and generate profit for themselves.
NC3 – the next step in the evolution of currency
NC3 gives consumers the same convenience and utility as a charge card (or cash), but with the same kind of personalization and time sensitivity as bartering. NC3 basically lets you create your own money in the precise amount you need, and lets you make that money good only for the merchant you say, only for the amount you say, only for one use, and only for a limited time. The convenience of cash with more security than any form of commerce we’ve used before. NC3 is commerce… evolved.
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