| Electronic commerce, or e-commerce, refers to | | | | could be business to business (B2B), business |
| the use of the Internet at any point during | | | | to consumer (B2C), business to administration |
| the buying and selling of goods. The term is | | | | (B2A), business to employee (B2E) or customer |
| commonly used to refer to transactions where | | | | to customer (C2C). These classifications can |
| an actual payment has been made online via a | | | | be broken down into further sub-groups. For |
| credit card. But e-commerce also involves | | | | example, a B2B activity could be a vertical |
| other online activities such as marketing, | | | | e-marketplace that offers goods or services |
| distribution and servicing of products over | | | | to businesses within a specific industry |
| the Internet. E-commerce often relies on | | | | segment. Alternatively, it could be a |
| technologies such as e-mail and enterprise | | | | horizontal e-marketplace that offers services |
| resource planning applications for | | | | to businesses irrespective of industry |
| transaction completion and order fulfilment. | | | | segment. |
| | | | |
| The term e-business is usually | | | | E-commerce continues to grow in popularity |
| interchangeable with e-commerce. However, | | | | and a large amount of business is transacted |
| some definitions treat e-commerce as a subset | | | | online every year. But it's worth noting that |
| of e-business. In these cases, a clear | | | | it also presents many challenges for |
| distinction is made between transactions that | | | | governments and regulatory bodies, which can |
| involve the exchange of money online and | | | | also affect your business. The United Kingdom |
| those that don't. A transaction where a | | | | has relatively clear e-commerce definitions |
| payment is made online is defined as | | | | and laws. But with its decentralised and |
| e-commerce. And e-business is used to refer | | | | complicated tax structure, the United States |
| to all non-fiscal online transactions that | | | | still has a moratorium on new, multiple or |
| facilitate and support the actual sale. | | | | discriminatory Internet taxes. In 2000, an |
| | | | advisory commission on e-commerce in the |
| E-commerce can involve commercial activity | | | | United States failed to reach a conclusive |
| between different interest groups. These | | | | agreement on e-commerce taxation. |