ISO 32110:2023

Transaction assurance in E-commerce - Vocabulary

This document provides terms and definitions in the field of transaction assurance in e-commerce.

Assurance des transactions de commerce électronique — Vocabulaire

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 11-Sep-2023
• ICS: 01.040.03 - Services. Company organization, management and quality. Administration. Transport. Sociology. (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 01.040.35 - Information technology (Vocabularies)
• ICS: 03.080.30 - Services for consumers
• ICS: 35.240.63 - IT applications in trade
• Technical Committee: ISO/TC 321 - Transaction assurance in E-commerce
• Drafting Committee: ISO/TC 321 - Transaction assurance in E-commerce
• Current Stage: 9092 - International Standard to be revised
• Start Date: 19-Dec-2025
• Completion Date: 27-Dec-2025

Overview

ISO 32110:2023, titled Transaction assurance in E-commerce - Vocabulary, is an International Standard published by ISO in September 2023. This document provides a comprehensive set of terms and definitions specifically focused on transaction assurance within the context of e-commerce. The vocabulary establishes a common language to support clarity and understanding among all stakeholders involved in e-commerce transactions, including regulators, platform operators, buyers, sellers, and service providers.

This standard plays a crucial role in facilitating secure, transparent, and efficient e-commerce activities worldwide, especially as cross-border transactions continue to grow. By defining key concepts associated with transaction assurance, ISO 32110:2023 promotes harmonization and standardization in the fast-evolving digital commerce landscape.

Key Topics

ISO 32110:2023 covers important term categories relevant to transaction assurance, including:

• General Terms in E-commerce
  Definitions related to the types of e-commerce transactions, such as B2B (business-to-business), B2C (business-to-consumer), C2C (consumer-to-consumer), and C2M (consumer-to-manufacturer). It clarifies the distinctions between these transaction modes and highlights their relevance for e-commerce assurance.

• Participants in E-commerce Transactions
  Key stakeholders are defined, including buyers, consumers, sellers, resellers, manufacturers, logistic service providers, e-commerce platform operators, and third-party service providers such as payment and software service providers. These definitions help stakeholders understand roles and responsibilities across the transaction lifecycle.

• Product and Service Related Terms
  The standard specifies terms for products, goods, banned products, product categories, products requiring licenses, and services within e-commerce. This section supports management and regulatory compliance regarding product offerings in online marketplaces.

• Pre-transaction Concepts
  Terms such as electronic coupons, enrolment (registration), export licenses, and promotional campaigns clarify processes that precede actual transaction completion but are critical for transaction assurance and regulatory compliance.

• Transaction Lifecycle Phases
  The vocabulary organizes terms according to transaction stages, including pre-transaction, in-transaction, and post-transaction activities, thus enabling thorough understanding and communication about transactional assurance processes.

Applications

ISO 32110:2023 is highly applicable across a broad spectrum of e-commerce stakeholders:

• E-commerce Platform Operators
  Use unified vocabulary for consistent transaction management, risk assessment, and compliance verification.

• Regulatory Bodies
  Leverage standardized terms to develop clearer regulations and enforcement frameworks aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring transaction integrity.

• Sellers and Manufacturers
  Benefit from a shared understanding of roles, product classifications, and transaction assurance mechanisms to improve trust and operational efficiency.

• Logistics and Payment Service Providers
  Align their services with defined concepts for seamless integration and assured transaction completion.

• Researchers and Standards Developers
  Utilize the standard to inform studies and the development of complementary or sector-specific standards related to e-commerce.

This standard enhances e-commerce security, transparency, and trust, particularly in cross-border trade where varying jurisdictional requirements demand common understanding and precise language.

Related Standards

ISO 32110:2023 references and adapts terms from several related international standards to suit e-commerce transaction contexts, including:

• ISO 9564-4:2016 - Related to transaction security and authentication.
• ISO 10008:2022 - Concerning e-commerce customer satisfaction and dispute resolution.
• ISO/IEC 15944 series - Covering e-business frameworks and transaction semantics.
• ISO 20400:2017 - Sustainable procurement principles applicable to services in e-commerce.
• ISO 22300:2021 - Providing security and resilience terminology applicable to supply chains.
• ISO/TS 17187:2019 - Logistics service definitions for effective supply chain integration.
• ISO/IEC 24760-1:2019 - On identity management and registration processes relevant to e-commerce participants.

By harmonizing language with these established standards, ISO 32110:2023 ensures interoperability and strengthens broader standardization initiatives across the global digital economy.

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Keywords: ISO 32110:2023, e-commerce transaction assurance, e-commerce vocabulary, online transaction standards, cross-border e-commerce, e-commerce platform, transaction terminology, B2B e-commerce, B2C e-commerce, consumer protection, e-commerce regulation, e-commerce security, international standards in e-commerce

Standards Content (Sample)

INTERNATIONAL ISO
STANDARD 32110
First edition
2023-09
Transaction assurance in
E-commerce — Vocabulary
Assurance des transactions de commerce électronique — Vocabulaire
Reference number
© ISO 2023
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
be reproduced or utilized otherwise in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, or posting on
the internet or an intranet, without prior written permission. Permission can be requested from either ISO at the address below
or ISO’s member body in the country of the requester.
ISO copyright office
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CH-1214 Vernier, Geneva
Phone: [phone]
Email: [e-mail]
Website: www.iso.org
Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
3.1 General . 1
3.2 E-commerce transaction — Participants . 2
3.3 E-commerce transaction — Product related . 4
3.4 E-commerce transaction — Pre-transaction . 5
3.5 E-commerce transaction — In-transaction . 6
3.6 E-commerce transaction — Post-transaction . 7
Bibliography . 9
Index .10
iii
Foreword
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This document was prepared by Technical Committee ISO/TC 321, Transaction assurance in E-commerce.
Any feedback or questions on this document should be directed to the user’s national standards body. A
complete listing of these bodies can be found at www.iso.org/members.html.
iv
Introduction
Uniform terms and accurate definitions are the basis of standardization activities. This document
provides a common understanding of e-commerce transaction assurance concepts. Additionally, it
supports the expanding e-commerce industry, especially cross-border e-commerce activities.
The terms and definitions in this document focus on:
— terms essential to transaction assurance in e-commerce;
— significant and potentially ambiguous terms in e-commerce transactions;
— terms already defined within relevant international standards while not entirely applicable to
e-commerce, with necessary modifications to adapt them to the industry.
This document is particularly useful for e-commerce stakeholders and practitioners, such as
e-commerce regulatory agencies, e-commerce platform operators, sellers, buyers, service providers,
regardless of B2B, B2C, C2C or C2M. It can also be used by interested parties, such as researchers,
others interested in the e-commerce profession and developers of other standards in relevant sectors.
v
INTERNATIONAL STANDARD ISO 32110:2023(E)
Transaction assurance in E-commerce — Vocabulary
1 Scope
This document provides terms and definitions in the field of transaction assurance in e-commerce.
2 Normative references
There are no normative references in this document.
3 Terms and definitions
ISO and IEC maintain terminology databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
— ISO Online browsing platform: available at https:// www .iso .org/ obp
— IEC Electropedia: available at www .electropedia .org
3.1 General
3.1.1
e-commerce
electronic commerce
eCommerce
activity of buying and selling products (3.3.4) over open networks
Note 1 to entry: E-commerce includes different modes, e.g. B2B (3.1.3), B2C (3.1.4), C2C (3.1.5), C2M (3.1.6).
[SOURCE: ISO 9564-4:2016, 3.4, modified — “activity of” has been added to the definition, “or services”
has been deleted. Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.1.2
cross-border e-commerce
e-commerce (3.1.1) across borders
Note 1 to entry: Cross border means from one customs territory to another.
3.1.3
B2B e-commerce transaction
business-to-business electronic commerce transaction
set of interactions between businesses (3.2.1) for the provision of a product (3.3.4) over open networks,
such as between a manufacturer (3.2.9) and a wholesaler, or between a wholesaler and a retailer
3.1.4
B2C e-commerce transaction
business-to-consumer electronic commerce transaction
set of interactions between a businesses (3.2.1) and a consumer (3.2.4) for the provision of a product
(3.3.4) over open networks
[SOURCE: ISO 10008:2022, 3.1, modified — “an organization” has been replaced by “businesses”, and
“products and services, facilitated online” has been replaced by “a product over open networks”.]
3.1.5
C2C e-commerce transaction
consumer-to-consumer electronic commerce transaction
set of interactions between a consumer (3.2.4) and another consumer (3.2.4) for the provision of a
product (3.3.4) over open networks
3.1.6
C2M e-commerce transaction
consumer-to-manufacturer electronic commerce transaction
set of interactions between a consumer (3.2.4) and a manufacturer (3.2.9) for the provision of goods
(3.3.3) over open networks
Note 1 to entry: In a C2M e-commerce transaction, a product (3.3.4) is commonly designed and provided according
to the specific requirements of a consumer (3.2.4).
3.1.7
e-commerce platform
e-marketplace
network information system that provides one or more services (3.3.7) to interested parties to facilitate
e-commerce (3.1.1) transactions
Note 1 to entry: Service (3.3.7) can consist of information releasing, information delivery, data processing and
transaction information matching.
Note 2 to entry: Platform means application interface to provide e-commerce (3.1.1) transactions in forms of
websites and mobile applications.
3.1.8
e-shop
e-store
business (3.2.1) place for the provision of products (3.3.4) through an e-commerce platform (3.1.7)
3.2 E-commerce transaction — Participants
3.2.1
business
organization (3.2.10) that produces or sells goods (3.3.3) or services (3.3.7) in order to make a profit
3.2.2
buyer
individual or organization (3.2.10) to whom or to which goods (3.3.3) or services (3.3.7) are sold
Note 1 to entry: In e-commerce (3.1.1) transaction, a buyer can be a consumer (3.2.4) or a reseller (3.2.11).
3.2.3
collection agent for goods
individual or organization (3.2.10) authorized to act for or on behalf of a buyer (3.2.2) or consignee in
respect of service (3.3.7) concerning the receipt of goods (3.3.3)
3.2.4
consumer
party that is an individual to whom consumer protection requirements are applied as a set of external
constraints on a business (3.2.1) transaction
Note 1 to entry: Consumer protection is a set of explicitly defined rights and obligations applicable as external
constraints on a business (3.2.1) transaction.
Note 2 to entry: The assumption is that a consumer protection applies only where a buyer (3.2.2) in a business
(3.2.1) transaction is an individual. If this is not the case in a particular jurisdictional domain, such external
constraints should be specified as part of scenario components as applicable.
Note 3 to entry: It is recognized that external constraints on a buyer (3.2.2) of the nature of consumer protection
may be peculiar to a specified jurisdictional domain.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 15944-12:2020, 3.24, modified — “buyer who” has been replaced by “party that”.]
3.2.5
customer
individual or organization (3.2.10) to whom or to which either goods (3.3.3) or services (3.3.7), or both,
are supplied
Note 1 to entry: In e-commerce (3.1.1) transaction, a customer is a buyer (3.2.2).
3.2.6
e-commerce operator
individual or organization (3.2.10) engaged in e-commerce (3.1.1)
Note 1 to entry: E-commerce operator can be an e-commerce platform operator (3.2.7) or a seller (3.2.13).
3.2.7
e-commerce platform operator
organization (3.2.10) that operates an e-commerce platform (3.1.7)
3.2.8
logistic service provider
party providing logistic services (3.3.7) such as warehousing, repacking goods (3.3.3), distribution, and
assembly
EXAMPLE Third-party logistic provider, container freight station.
[SOURCE: ISO/TS 17187:2019, 3.20, modified — “products” has been replaced by “goods”.]
3.2.9
manufacturer
individual or organization (3.2.10) that produces goods (3.3.3) for sale
Note 1 to entry: A manufacturer can also be a supplier (3.2.14) of goods (3.3.3).
3.2.10
organization
organized structure set up for a particular purpose, such as a business (3.2.1), government body,
department, charity, or financial institution
3.2.11
reseller
individual or organization (3.2.10) that purchases goods (3.3.3) or services (3.3.7) with an intention of
selling them to another customer (3.2.5) and possibly supporting them, rather than consuming or using
them
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC/IEEE 24765:2017, 3.3454, modified — Added “individual or” and “rather than
consuming or using them”.]
3.2.12
rights holder
physical person or legal entity, either holding or authorized to use, one or more intellectual property
rights
[SOURCE: ISO 22300:2021, 3.1.214, modified — “physical person or” has been added.]
3.2.13
seller
individual or organization (3.2.10) that sells products (3.3.4) over open networks
Note 1 to entry: A seller can be a manufacturer (3.2.9) or a retailer. When trading large volumes of goods (3.3.3)
for profit or business (3.2.1), a seller can be a merchant.
Note 2 to entry: The definition of seller includes both for-profit and non-profit.
3.2.14
supplier
individual or organization (3.2.10) that provides goods (3.3.3) or services (3.3.7)
EXAMPLE E-commerce platform operator (3.2.7), manufacturer (3.2.9), vendor, distributor, seller (3.2.13),
logistic service provider (3.2.8), third-party software service provider (3.2.16), third-party payment service provider
(3.2.15).
Note
...