Abstract: A method for managing an e-commerce system comprising: accepting an order to sell one or more goods or services from a seller to a buyer; charging the buyer an amount according to the order; holding the amount in an intermediary; receiving a first signal from the buyer upon the seller's delivery of said one or more goods or services; retrieving a second signal; verifying the first signal against the second signal; and making at least a portion of the amount available to the seller if the first signal and the second signal satisfy a predetermined relationship.