Different classifications of e-commerce

There are different classifications of e-commerce depending on the parties involved and the type of transaction that occurs between businesses and customers.

The main classifications are:

Business-to-Business (B2B)

This category involves transactions from business to business, such as a wholesaler and a retailer. It can include e-transactions, e-procurement, supply chain management and the negotiation of purchases.

Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

Through this category, a business introduces products and services to consumers via internet technologies. This can include selling, delivery and providing digital services, such as online magazines and search engines.

Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)

This category is where individuals (not a business) trade and exchange goods/services or information with other individuals. One of the popular examples of this e-commerce model is eBay.

Business-to-Government (B2G)

This e-commerce category refers to the selling and exchanging of goods and services from businesses to governments or government agencies, such as the army, police force, hospitals and schools. It can involve competing in an online environment for contracts to provide services to the public on behalf of the government.

The following table shows other types of e-commerce categories where the e-commerce participants are varied. For example, government-to-consumers (G2C) provides a system where the government can trade and exchange information or goods with consumers, such as an online system to declare and pay for tax.

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Your task

Use the comments section below to share examples of any other types of e-commerce.