Most Americans of a certain age remember the days before ATMs, ecommerce, and online retail outlets: long lines at the bank on Fridays, no cashback option at stores, and having to shop out of catalogs or in stores before the internet.

In the next five years alone, the market for online shopping from mobile devices is expected to grow to almost $150 billion. Over 1 billion people will shop via the internet this year, and the shift toward ecommerce in America shows no signs of slowing down.

Due to ease of purchase and cost concerns, three out of four Americans who use the internet report making one or more purchases online per year. Many grocery stores allow shoppers to buy in bulk and to place orders online, which are then delivered. Boutique craft websites allow consumers to purchase goods from artists all over the world. In the last several years, almost 200 million Americans bought from an online store or at least researched and did some price comparison online.

Many retailers report problems, however, with “card not present” transactions. Not only are many shoppers concerned about the potential for online retail fraud from vendors, but merchants report over $16 billion in online credit card fraud from shoppers every year. Unfortunately, fraud seems to be on the upswing: experts report an almost 20% increase in overall online retail fraud.

With online sales predicted to reach almost $400 billion in the next several years, concerns about “card not present” transactions, where the vendor cannot verify the purchaser’s identity and card information, many businesses are looking to upgrade their security protocols.

Merchant account providers are looking for secure payment solutions, both to benefit their business and to attract more shoppers, and payment processing companies are starting to allow shoppers to register their information in a secure environment to ensure safety. In a marketplace that is worth billions, secure transactions are becoming essential to sellers and consumers alike.