E-business models

An e-business model describes who does business with whom over the Internet, and how value and revenue are generated. The four main models are classified by the participants.

1. B2B (Business-to-Business)

One business sells products or services to another business.

• Features: large order volumes, negotiated prices, long-term contracts, supply-chain focus, invoicing and procurement systems.
• Examples: Alibaba, IndiaMART, Amazon Business, a software vendor selling to companies.

2. B2C (Business-to-Consumer)

A business sells directly to individual customers.

• Features: high volume of small transactions, fixed prices, retail catalogue, quick payment, marketing to the public.
• Examples: Amazon, Flipkart, Netflix, Zomato.

3. C2C (Consumer-to-Consumer)

Individuals sell to other individuals through a third-party platform.

• Features: the platform provides listings, trust and payment; revenue comes from commissions and listing fees; user-generated content and ratings.
• Examples: eBay, OLX, Quikr, Facebook Marketplace.

4. C2B (Consumer-to-Business)

Individuals offer products, services, or content to businesses, reversing the traditional flow.

• Features: the consumer sets the value, or businesses bid for the consumer's work.
• Examples: freelancers on Upwork or Fiverr, stock photographers selling to companies (Shutterstock), influencers selling promotions, reverse-auction sites.

Comparison

Basis	B2B	B2C	C2C	C2B
Seller	Business	Business	Consumer	Consumer
Buyer	Business	Consumer	Consumer	Business
Order size	Large	Small	Small	Varies
Pricing	Negotiated / bulk	Fixed	Set by sellers / auction	Set by consumer or bid
Sales cycle	Long	Short	Short	Project-based
Example	Alibaba	Amazon	OLX	Upwork

Other models

• B2G (Business-to-Government): selling to government agencies (e.g. GeM portal).
• G2C (Government-to-Citizen): online tax filing, passport services.
• D2C (Direct-to-Consumer): brands selling directly without intermediaries.
• Revenue models: advertising, subscription, commission, direct sales, freemium.