E-commerce

What is E-commerce?

E-commerce (electronic commerce) is selling goods and services over the internet: your own online store, marketplaces, landing pages with an order form, and social media. In nutra and fintech, the term most often refers to direct online sales paid by card, via SBP or by cash on delivery.

## How it works

The typical chain: traffic goes to a product page or landing page, the user places an order, payment is processed through a payment gateway or PSP, and the seller confirms the order and hands it over to delivery. Funds from the acquiring bank are credited to the merchant's account, often with part of the amount held as a reserve against refunds and disputes.

## Where it appears in high-risk verticals

In nutra (dietary supplements and health products), e-commerce is often built on landing pages with cash on delivery, where the customer pays the courier upon receipt. In fintech and payments, e-commerce is a card payments environment where banks and providers look closely at the product description, MCC and refund rate. The economics of the model depend on the payment method: with cash on delivery, the key metric is the buyout rate; with online payment, it is the decline rate and chargebacks. A high refund rate can lead to the merchant being blocked.

## Common mistakes

Typical missteps include a product description that doesn't match the actual offer, no clear contacts or refund terms, and launching sales without checking which payment methods the chosen provider allows. In nutra, a separate risk is medical claims in creatives and on the site, which lead to blocks and complaints.