With the recent problems that we have been seeing with IntGold and other online currencies I have decided to address the issue of which e-Currencies are good to use.

The main difficulty in talking about this is that working with e-Currencies is not easy as they are constantly changing in many ways.

We can easily see this with PayPal. As they grew they had to adopt new rules and regulations to protect themselves and also those using their services. Like any credit card company they have to deal with fraud and other legal issues on a daily basis.

We see the same in banking. Banks need to have strict security in all that they do in order to secure themselves and their customers.

e-Currencies are no exception to this rule. In fact, e-Currencies probably have to deal with more problems as they work only with the Internet, which is probably one of the biggest sources of fraud.

In the past we have seen e-Currencies fail: Notably those that have been with DXInOne for more than a year will know of the infamous Evocash and the problems it caused when it shut down. Now we are seeing similar problems with IntGold, although I cannot say what their fate will be.

The problem here is that all you can see is the website from which the e-Currency operates. A good web designer can make even the smallest of operations look like a large corporation.

Instead of judging by appearances we will consider the following to be important when choosing an e-Currency:

What does the e-Currency provide in terms of security? Simply having a secondary password is not enough as key loggers can easily bypass even them.

Questions to ask about security would be: Do they use a virtual keyboard (like DXInOne)? Do they have more than one password to remember (like IntGold or NetPay)? Do they have some sort of hardware that you can purchase to increase your security (like e-Bullion)? Do they require you to verify your identity to prevent fraud (like PayPal and DXInOne)?

The more security measures that the e-Currency business takes the more secure that you can feel when dealing with them.

However, security is not enough.

This is where the one or two man businesses will fail in comparison to those providers that have real resources. Test out their customer service by emailing them a simple question.

How long does it take them to respond? While customer service doesn't necessarily give you a proper guage on a company alone (DXInOne is still working on theirs...), it will help you to feel more comfortable when dealing with the e-Currency.

This is important because illegal issues such as fraud or theft do happen to people's accounts. No matter how secure an e-Currency is it is still possible to lose money from theft or fraud. The company's customer service is key in resolving these matters quickly so that you lose the least amount possible.

This is a question on how easily you can exchange the funds in this e-Currency for another. Any good e-Currency will allow you to easily withdraw your funds, and not just to another account.

E-Bullion has been great for this. I request a check for the amount in my account and I have it delivered within two weeks, and that is to another country! PayPal's option to outxchange right to your bank account is quick and efficient.

Liquidity is a sign of healthiness in an e-Currency, and should be considered as well. This is one of the main reasons that DXGold is not yet used by a lot of companies in their online transactions - their outxchange times are far too slow right now.

In the end each of these factors alone will not give you enough to determine if an e-Currency is any good, but combined they will give you a healthy picture of how the company is working.

Always be careful when dealing with online transactions - there is a lot of risk involved, more than most companies are willing to tell you. Do not trust any e-Currency with a large amount of funds until you have tested them out with smaller amounts.

e-Currency is the way of the online future. Choosing the right one for you is as important as choosing the right bank.