Before you e-cash in on the product of your latest brainstorm, here are some final pieces of advice and further readings that might make the journey less painful for you and your customers.

• Always read the user agreements aimed at both sellers and buyers. As mentioned before, many consumers have been burned by PayPal's reportedly dodgy terms of service. As a general rule, steer clear of services that take rights away from your customers or from you. This doesn't mean you shouldn't use PayPal, it just means that you should read everything carefully, and you should encourage your customers to do the same. If your customers have a positive experience at every step of their dealings with you and your payment service, they are more likely to return.
• Be a stickler for security. While too much security steps can send potential customers packing, it's wise to pick a payment system that's going to clearly offer confidence to your customers. People who spend money on the Web like to see features like SSL, password protection, P3P statements, and privacy statements. Also, choosing a service with an established brand can help ease the security jitters your users may feel.
• You didn't forget about taxes, did you?
• And how are you going to ship? FedEx? UPS? US Mail? Carrier pigeon? Just some other costs that need addressing.
• Beware of hidden special rules attached to some services. Some payment systems only allow one-time billing for security reasons. Some require customers to input excessive personal info that may not have anything to do with your product.
• Leave room to grow. If your product is generating gobs of press — or even hype — then do yourself a favor and pick a payment service that's going to allow you to grow. Who knows, in a year, you may need to coordinate a database-driven shopping cart system with a warehouse full of inventory!
• Armed with this information, you're more than ready to go forth and get what's yours. I'm talking about money here! Money for your hard work, your hours spent away from loved ones, your time that could have been spent chasing squirrels or learning how to play the drums. You've got to start somewhere, so pick the right level of commitment and go for it. Don't leave those customers waiting.