Money is the whimsical fuel that keeps the world of commerce and finance go on. But it's also an ever-evolving element of our everyday life. Think about how money has been changing during the latest decades: we passed from cash payments to digital currencies that allow users to pay via the internet all across the world.

From Cash Money To Digital Money

The transformation of currencies from being material goods to becoming digital products offers several benefits as long as negative points. In fact, if on one hand, you can process instant payments to buy an item, on the other hand, digital payments hurt your privacy. That's why millions of people still prefer to pay cash money rather than choosing any other form of digital or electric money. In certain situations, payments via credit cards or debit cards might be the best solution. For example, if you need an urgent locksmith service to fix a broken door lock but you don't have any money with you at the moment, you can contact this office locksmith and agree on an e-money payment instead of cash money.

On the other hand, you would hardly choose to pay via credit card for a cup of coffee at a bar. Since it's a very small price to pay, you will surely prefer to pay cash.

Payment Processing Via Internet

As we've mentioned in the previous paragraph, digital currencies and in general all payments via digital cards or online accounts might mean to lose your privacy when paying. Digital payments are conducted on the basis of a complex system that monitors, controls and verifies both the payer's account and the receiver's account. This means that the system knows who both parties are.

For many aspects, this is the best and most effective guarantee that both the payer and the receiver can get from processing online transactions. But for those who would prefer to be anonymous, it means to give up digital payments. For example, the Dark Web is full of things that people would like to buy but without to be tracked anyway. The existing digital currencies and electronic methods of payment don't really work to ensure the users of the Dark Web a good level of anonymity.

Payment Methods That Protect Your Anonymity

so if you are interested in buying something without to be tracked by traditional online payment systems, you can address your attention to a few untraceable methods. Keep in mind that if your transactions can't be traced and you can so conduct an anonymous payment, you hardly can get a refund in case of dispute with the seller.

This said, here is a quick overview of the most effective methods of payment for people who don't want to be controlled by traditional online payment systems:

Gift cards
Do you have someone who wants to make your gift? Suggest a prepaid gift card. Although many people don't like them because prepaid gift cards can be spent only at specific shops, you can use them to move money around anonymously. You can actually resell the gift card, for example, and get cash money in change. Or you can use a gift card to pay an item out of those shops if the seller agrees with your idea.

Credit cards and debit cards

Traditional credit cards are the world's most used method of payment, but you can't be anonymous anyway if you use them. The good news is that there are virtual credit card systems: you can use them to create a credit card, use it to pay and then delete it after the payment. This way you will hide your identity, but consider that the system knows who you are and from where your money came on the card.
Prepaid debit cards can be also used to keep anonymity as long as the card's value is inferior to 1,000 USD. You can purchase the card without to show your identity. Moreover, you can now also buy prepaid debit cards online.

Cryptocurrencies
Bitcoins are all but fully anonymous methods of payment – despite what they were thought to be initially. However, technology offers the way for the improvement of even anonymous financial transactions, so now you can choose a newer cryptocurrency (for example, Monero) which keeps you completely unknown to any digital tracking system.

Cash
Don't forget that cash money still plays a significant role in anonymous payments. It's maybe an old-fashioned solution, but it's always excellent. The only thing is that you have to be physically there to move cash money from your pocket to the seller's hands. But you may also select an online seller who offers the option of cash on delivery: you give a fake name and a neutral address and then pay cash money.

It seems that it's going to be harder and harder to keep anonymity with electronic money, but with little good luck, we can hope to find a loophole anyway.