E-Commerce vs M-Commerce

E-Commerce vs M-Commerce

In the FinTech industry, the terms E-Commerce and M-Commerce are thrown around a lot. But what do these terms mean? Can they be used interchangeably?

E-Commerce is an umbrella term for selling and buying products online. M-Commerce on the other hand is a subcategory of E-Commerce where mobile devices are used to shop and purchase.

E-Commerce

E-Commerce was first developed in the 1970s. It is a term that denotes all commerce that takes place online.

Benefits of E-Commerce:

• Costs less than a traditional brick and mortar store
• Reach customers globally
• Customers can access stores from mobile devices or desktop computers

E-Commerce has seen a massive increase in alternative payment methods (APMs). Google Wallet launched in 2011 and ApplePay in 2014. This provided consumers a quick and easy way to check out on an online shop, reducing the rate of abandoned carts Merchants were experiencing.

M-Commerce

M-Commerce began in the 1990s. The three main types of M-Commerce are mobile shopping, mobile banking, and mobile payments.

Benefits of M-Commerce:

• Customers can access stores whilst on the go
• Customers can customise their app to suit their needs
• Global reach, as all you need to access a store is a mobile device

The 00s saw a boom in social media sites, arguably the biggest factor in the growth of E-Commerce. Almost every company in the E-Commerce industry utilises social media as a way to connect with consumers and drive sales. Companies such as Depop found ways to merge the lines between “selling” and “social media”, encouraging users to gain likes and followers to boost their shop’s visibility.

To learn how Cardstream can help your offerings, and to view our different Payment Gateway Solutions, please get in contact with us.

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