Thanks Jimmy and to everyone else for such detailed replies! It's very much appreciated. Kmanrox: While there is some "instant stability" associated with Nats, I've also read where webmasters will only work with CCBill programs.

I think my real question boils down to: If a guy is just starting out (launching new sites and program) should Nats be considered a "must have" in the expense column from the get go? Or, can a program be developed with what's available from say CCBill and that CCBTools website, and still be comparably successful?