"E-commerce" or "Internet commerce" is the purchase and sale of goods and services over the internet or through other electronic environments. It includes the exchange of electronic data such as product descriptions, orders, and payment information between buyers and sellers, as well as the use of electronic systems to facilitate the processing of transactions. E-commerce encompasses various types of business activities, including retail(purchase and sale of goods, delivery of goods to customers), wholesale(purchase and sale of goods, delivery to distributors), and business-to-business(B2B) transactions.
‘Online shopping’ refers to purchases made either on a computer or on a smart phone/tablet. You can shop online with or without full authentication.
Using a card is a safe method of payment in online shopping as long as you exercise the same care as in other shopping.
Carefully read the terms and conditions, including the small print. These terms and conditions should be available on the merchant’s website.
Check that the merchant’s address details are available on the webpage and save or print them in case you need to return any items. If no address details are given, you should proceed with caution. Make a note of the URL address of the shop.
Read what the merchant has to say about delivery costs, accepted currencies and applicable taxes.
Types of E-Commerce Platforms