E - commerce can be classified as follows:
(i) B2B (Business-to-Business): Companies doing business with each other such as manufacturers selling to distributors and wholesalers selling to retailers. Pricing is based on quantity of order and is often negotiable.
(ii) B2C (Business-to-Consumer): Businesses selling to the general public typically through catalogues utilising shopping cart software. By dollar volume, B2B takes the price, and the consumer to do the transaction.
(iii) C2B (Consumer-to-Business): A consumer posts his project with a set budget online and within hours companies review the consumer's requirements and bid on the project. The consumer reviews the bids and selects the company that will complete the project. C2B empowers consumers around the world by providing the meeting ground and platform for such transactions.
(iv) C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer): There are many sites offering free classifieds, auctions, and forums where individuals can buy and sell things to online payment systems like Pay Bill where people can send and receive money online with ease. eBay's auction service is a great example of where person-to-person transactions take place everyday since 1995.