There are 6 basic types of e-commerce:
- Business-to-Business (B2B)
- Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
- Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
- Consumer-to-Business (C2B).
- Business-to-Administration (B2A)
- Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)
Business-to-Business (B2B)
Business-to-business (B2B) is a transaction or business conducted between one business and another, such as a wholesaler and retailer. B2B transactions tend to happen in the supply chain, where one company will purchase raw materials from another to be used in the manufacturing process.
Business-to-Consumer (B2C)
The term business-to-consumer (B2C) refers to the process of selling products and services directly between a business and consumers who are the end-users of its products or services. Most companies that sell directly to consumers can be referred to as B2C companies.
Consumer-to-Consumer (C2C)
Customer to customer (C2C) is a business model that enables customers to trade with each other, frequently in an online environment. C2C businesses are a type of business model that emerged with e-commerce technology and the sharing economy.
Consumer-to-Business (C2B).
The consumer-to-business (C2B) e-commerce model allows businesses and consumers to have a mutually beneficial relationship. It is the opposite of the traditional business setup: In this relationship, the consumers create value that an organization uses to engage in a business process or gain a competitive advantage.
In this article, we discuss what the consumer-to-business model is, give examples, list its benefits and compare it to the other five e-commerce models.
Business-to-Administration (B2A)
Business-to-administration or (B2A) takes place between companies, public administration, or government agencies.
In this e-commerce business model, there are dealings between companies and public administration using the internet.
Government agencies (administration) use central websites to trade and exchange information with various business organizations.
B2A includes different services, and some of them are fiscal measures, social security, legal documents, and other government-related operations.
Consumer-to-Administration (C2A)
C2A is defined as the e-commerce model where consumers utilize electronic means to reach out to the administration (local government/authorities). Every activity where a consumer avails of a public service or interacts with the government/authorities through a website, an online portal or a mobile app can be considered as the C2A model.
Following are the examples of Government of India initiatives for public service delivery i.e. C2A structures:
- Government Services: application for PAN card, Aadhar Card, Voter-ID, booking railway tickets through IRCTC.
- Health: COWIN portal for vaccination, National Digital Health Mission.
- Tax: filing tax returns online, paying GST.
- Bills: payment of electricity bill, payment of water bill.
- Education: education provided by public institutions, central universities, NPTEL etc.
