What are the Different Types / Category of E-Commerce or E-Commerce Models

4 min readAug 16, 2020

E-Commerce

E-Commerce or Electronic Commerce is the buying and selling of Product or services via the Internet. For many, e-commerce is something we participate in daily,like online bill payment or purchasing from an e-tailer.

Nowaday the thought of living without ecommerce seems unfathomable,complicated and an inconvenience to many .It wasn’t until only a few decades ago that the idea of eCommerce had even appeared.

E-Commerce Models

1.Business-to-Business (B2B)

B2B is one of the most common types of e-commerce. This is when a transaction of goods or services occurs between two businesses.
B2B e-commerce is simply defines as e-commerce between Companies .This is the type of e-Commerce that deals with relationship between and among businesses. examples- Indiamart ,Alibaba ,Amazon Business.

2.Business-to-Consumer (B2C)

Business to Consumer. Here the company will sell their goods and/or services directly to the consumer. The consumer can browse their websites and look at products, pictures, read reviews. Then they place their order and the company ships the goods directly to them. Popular examples are Amazon, Flipkart, Jabong , paying and using Netflix at home. McDonalds (most big brands).

3.Business -to -Government (B2G)

B2G e-commerce is commerce between Companies and public sector. it refers to the use of the Internet for Public Procurement, licensing procedure, and other government-related Operation.
Example: — Business pay taxes, file reports, or sell goods and services to Govt. agencies.

4.Consumer -to-Business (C2B)

The consumer to business model isn’t all that traditional. The idea here is that businesses are buying from solo consumers, although more often than not those consumers are operating a business of their own.
This is the reverse of B2C, it is a consumer to business. So the consumer provides a good or some service to the Company. Say for example an IT freelancer who demos and sells his software to a company. This would be a C2B transaction

5.Consumer-to Consumer (C2C)

Consumer -to -consumer e-commerce or C2C is simply commerce betwwen private individuals or consumers.Consumer to consumer, where the consumers are in direct contact with each other. No company is involved. It helps people sell their personal goods and assets directly to an interested party. example eBay,Olx,Quikr

6.Consumer -to -Government (C2G)

Consumer to administration or consumer to government e-commerce model enables the consumers to post feedback or request information regarding public sectors directly to the government administration or authorities.
For example, when you pay electricity bill through the government website, payment of health insurance, make payment of taxes, etc.

7. Government- to- Business (G2B)

G2B e-commerce is a business model were all the information and services are provided by the Government to the Business Organizations. The information is shared through a vast network of different government websites.
The business Organization use that information to apply for various permission needed for starting a new business, and other specifications.
A Business Organization can also download the different forms and submit it online or offline to the related office. Example if you visit https://www.maharashtra.gov.in you will be able to read all the important Information about current tenders.

8. Government -to -Consumer (G2C)

The electronic commerce activities performed between the government and its citizens or consumers, including paying taxes, registering vehicles, and providing information and services,registration for birth, marriage or death certificates.

9. Government -to -Government (G2G)

Government to government (G2G) is the electronic sharing of data and/or information systems between government agencies, departments or organizations. The goal of G2G is to support e-government initiatives by improving communication, data access and data sharing.
Any E-commerce transaction happening between 2 or more governments or within departments of government .

10. Mobile Commerce ( M -Commerce)

M-commerce (Mobile Commerce) is the buying and selling of goods and services through wireless handheld devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Experts consider mobile commerce as the next phase of eCommerce, as it allows consumers to buy goods or services online — but from anywhere and at any time.

But mobile commerce is so much more than that. In fact, M- Commerce triggered the emergence of brand-new industries and services or helped the existing ones to grow in new directions. Examples of such innovations include: