LifeinAsia - 6:10 pm on Sep 26, 2006 (gmt 0)

The answer will depend on your definition of e-commerce as well. And many people have different definitions.

Someone goes to Amazon and finds a book to buy, then pays online with a credit card. OK, that should fit everyone's definition of e-commerce.

Someone else goes to another book shop's web site and finds a book to buy. The site doesn't have an online shopping cart, so the customer calls the book store and gives his credit card info over the phone. Is that still e-commerce?

A person goes to Expedia and makes a hotel reservation, entering his credit card information online. But the hotel doesn't charge his card until he checks out (and he may use a different card than the one he used online). Is this e-commerce?

The same person uses to his local travel agent to make another hotel reservation. He has an account with her that he settles monthly. Obviously, not e-commerce, right? Well, she makes the hotel reservations through the GDS (which ties all the major chains' hotel reservations systems together through a private computer network). Now is it e-commerce?

A person goes to the Circuit City web site and finds a TV she wants, so she places an order for pickup at her local store. She goes to the store and pays for it there. Is this e-commerce?

Instead of mailing a check, I go to the web site of my local utility company and submit my payment either with a credit card or through direct debit from my bank account. Is this e-comemrce?

A completely brick and morter business (doesn't even have a web site) pays for banner advertising on AOL. Is this e-commerce?

I go and get $40 from my bank account through an ATM. E-commerce?

Before you argue that no product/service is changing hands in some of these examples, see Wikipedia's definition of e-commerce: [en.wikipedia.org...] (note- that will also give the OP a number to use, although it's quite outdated: 2003!).

Depending on the actual settlement method, one could claim that just about every non-cash transaction could be classified as e-commerce.

[edited by: LifeinAsia at 6:24 pm (utc) on Sep. 26, 2006]