ISO 32112:2025

Transaction assurance in E-commerce - Relevant factors of evaluation and selection of indicators

This document provides the description of relevant factors for evaluating E-commerce transactions, which can help in identifying indicators, evaluation toolkits and an approach for selection of indicators. This document focuses on E-commerce transaction assurance by providing the relevant factors of evaluations including quality of E-commerce transaction platforms and sites, quality of E-commerce transaction services, local external environments for E-commerce transactions and sustainability of E-commerce transactions. This document also explains the way to set up a set of E-commerce transaction evaluation indicators that enables monitoring and improvement of the quality of E-commerce transactions.

Assurance des transactions de commerce électronique — Facteurs pertinents pour l'évaluation et sélection des indicateurs

General Information

• Status: Published
• Publication Date: 06-Jan-2025
• 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: 6060 - International Standard published
• Start Date: 07-Jan-2025
• Due Date: 29-Sep-2025
• Completion Date: 07-Jan-2025

Overview

ISO 32112:2025 - Transaction assurance in E‑commerce - defines a framework of relevant factors and a method for evaluating E‑commerce transactions and selecting meaningful indicators. The standard helps organizations identify evaluation themes, build indicator sets, and adopt evaluation toolkits to monitor and improve the quality, security and sustainability of online transactions across platforms, services and local environments.

Key topics and technical requirements

ISO 32112 outlines a structured approach (see Clauses 4–6) and describes four primary factors to consider when evaluating transaction assurance:

• Quality of E‑commerce platforms and sites
  • Processing capacity, user interface, information security and management, compliance, trust and brand reputation.
• Quality of E‑commerce transaction services
  • Pre‑sale, order handling, payment, logistics, after‑sales and miscellaneous service quality considerations.
• Local external environment
  • Business environment, government initiatives, supervision and availability of financing that affect transactions.
• Sustainability of transactions
  • Economic, social and environmental sustainability aligned with SDGs and international climate commitments.

Clause 6 provides guidelines on selecting indicators, including:

• Identifying the role and purpose of indicators.
• Characteristics of robust indicators (relevance, measurability, comparability, timeliness).
• Practical steps to select and validate indicator sets for monitoring and improvement.

Informative annexes include examples of indicators (Annex A) and a matrix of factors and themes to tailor evaluations to context (Annex B).

Applications and who uses it

ISO 32112 is practical for stakeholders involved in E‑commerce risk management, quality assurance and policy:

• E‑commerce platform operators: assess platform resilience, security, UX and compliance.
• Sellers and service providers: monitor order, payment, logistics and after‑sales performance.
• Payment and logistics firms: align service KPIs to transaction assurance factors.
• Local governments and regulators: evaluate the local business environment, supervision and financing support.
• Research institutions and neutral auditors: design evaluation toolkits and comparative studies.
• Policy makers: inform consumer protection and cross‑border transaction reliability.

Practical uses include building monitoring dashboards, defining KPIs for service level agreements (SLAs), guiding audits, informing policy and improving customer experience while reducing fraud and privacy risks.

Related standards

• ISO 32111 is referenced as related work describing activities across pre‑transaction, in‑transaction and post‑transaction stages; ISO 32112 maps its factors to those activities for coherent indicator selection.

Keywords: ISO 32112, E‑commerce transaction assurance, evaluation indicators, platform quality, payment services, logistics, sustainability, monitoring, evaluation toolkit.

Standards Content (Sample)

International
Standard
ISO 32112
First edition
Transaction assurance in
2025-01
E-commerce — Relevant factors
of evaluation and selection of
indicators
Assurance des transactions de commerce électronique —
Facteurs pertinents pour l'évaluation et sélection des indicateurs
Reference number
© ISO 2025
All rights reserved. Unless otherwise specified, or required in the context of its implementation, no part of this publication may
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Published in Switzerland
ii
Contents Page
Foreword .iv
Introduction .v
1 Scope . 1
2 Normative references . 1
3 Terms and definitions . 1
4 Conducting evaluations for E-commerce transactions . 2
4.1 Understanding the context of conducting evaluations .2
4.1.1 What are the purposes and features of evaluations? .2
4.1.2 Why are evaluations useful? .3
4.2 Benefits of conducting evaluations by various interested parties .3
4.2.1 Who should be involved when conducting evaluations? .3
4.2.2 Where and when can the results of evaluations be used? .3
4.3 Adopting the evaluation approach using indicators .4
5 Relevant factors for conducting evaluations . 4
5.1 General .4
5.2 Quality of E-commerce transaction platforms and sites .5
5.2.1 Processing capacity .5
5.2.2 Interface .6
5.2.3 Information security and management measures .6
5.2.4 Compliance .6
5.2.5 Trust and brand reputation .7
5.3 Quality of E-commerce transaction services .7
5.3.1 Pre-sale services .7
5.3.2 Order services .7
5.3.3 Payment services .8
5.3.4 Logistic services .8
5.3.5 After-sales services .9
5.3.6 Miscellaneous services .9
5.4 Local external environments for E-commerce transactions.9
5.4.1 Business environment .9
5.4.2 Initiatives and measures .10
5.4.3 Supervision . .10
5.4.4 Availability of financing .10
5.5 Sustainability of E-commerce transactions .10
5.5.1 Sustainability in economy .10
5.5.2 Sustainability in society .11
5.5.3 Sustainability in environment.11
6 Guidelines on selection of indicators in relevant factors .11
6.1 Identifying the role of indicators .11
6.2 Characteristics of selected indicators . 12
6.3 Steps to select indicators . 12
Annex A (informative) Examples for indicators in relevant factors of E-commerce transaction
assurance . 14
Annex B (informative) Matrix of factors and themes to be considered for evaluations .18
Bibliography . 19

iii
Foreword
ISO (the International Organization for Standardization) is a worldwide federation of national standards
bodies (ISO member bodies). The work of preparing International Standards is normally carried out through
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The procedures used to develop this document and those intended for its further maintenance are described
in the ISO/IEC Directives, Part 1. In particular, the different approval criteria needed for the different types
of ISO document should be noted. This document was drafted in accordance with the editorial rules of the
ISO/IEC Directives, Part 2 (see www.iso.org/directives).
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Organization (WTO) principles in the Technical Barriers to Trade (TBT), see www.iso.org/iso/foreword.html.
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
E-commerce has revolutionized the way businesses operate and has become an important driver of economic
growth worldwide. The increasing number of E-commerce users has spurred growth in other digital
industries, for example, mobile technology, information and communications technology (ICT), and digital
advertising. Local governments view E-commerce as a new engine of economic growth, while entrepreneurs
see it as an opportunity to tap into a larger market and ensure the security of their transactions.
Meanwhile, E-commerce has been a rapidly evolving field, with various emerging "new norm" digital
commerce trends such as live commerce, social E-commerce, AI-driven commerce, crowdfunding
E-commerce, Internet of Things (IoT) in E-commerce, and data analytics and consumer profiling. These
trends also have significant impacts related to the assurance of E-commerce transactions.
E-commerce transactions offer numerous benefits for businesses and consumers, but they can also come
with inherent risks, for example, fraud and abuse. As such, transaction assurance has become crucial for all
interested parties involved in E-commerce. To reduce legal uncertainties and mitigate risks, the approach of
carrying out evaluations is necessary. Evaluations of various targets enable E-commerce platform operators,
buyers and sellers to check the security and privacy of online transaction information, ensuring that all
interested parties are satisfied with the convenience, safety and confidentiality of the entire transaction
process. Moreover, the evaluation also plays an important role in market vitality, policy-making, reliability
of cross-border transactions, etc.
This document provides a comprehensive evaluation approach to aid selection of indicators for various
factors and themes. It elaborates four relevant factors that should be considered when carrying out
evaluations of E-commerce transactions, including the quality of E-commerce transaction platforms and
sites, the quality of E-commerce transaction services, the local external environments for E-commerce
transactions and the sustainability of E-commerce transactions.
Figure 1 illustrates the positioning of relevant evaluation factors in the transaction process. The quality
of E-commerce transaction platforms and sites is evaluated with regard to their abilities and capabilities
to enhance security and privacy. The quality of E-commerce transaction services represents the services
provided throughout the process of E-commerce transactions. The local external environment for
E-commerce transactions measures the impact of external aspects. The sustainability of E-commerce
transactions emphasizes the impacts on the economy, society, and environment, reflecting the United
Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the London Declaration, which was approved by
members of ISO at the ISO General Assembly 2021. The London Declaration represents a push from ISO to
transform the approach to climate action and advance international efforts to attain net-zero goals.

v
Figure 1 — Positioning of the relevant factors of evaluation
By following the systemic approach outlined in this document, indicators can be selected by interested
parties based on the framework of factors, themes defined under the factors and consideration points under
the themes. This approach ensures a comprehensive evaluation of E-commerce transaction assurance, which
is helpful to improve customer experience, ensure fairness and justice, and minimize negative impacts on
the environment.
This document provides an assessment method for the use of indicators and relevant factors, so that it
can later serve as a reference for improving quality levels throughout the entire process. The themes of
the relevant factors are generally in line with the activities provided in ISO 32111, with some additional
themes included to reflect the external factors that can have potential impacts on E-commerce transaction
processes.
Figure 2 illustrates the corresponding relationship between this document and the activities provided
in ISO 32111. Subclause 5.3 outlines the basic factors of services related to transaction assurance, which
correspond to the activities that occur in the pre-transaction, in-transaction, and post-transaction stages.
The themes provided in 5.2 partially relate to pre-transaction activities, such as account registration
defined in ISO 32111. Additionally, the themes identified in 5.4 partially align with in-transaction and post-
transaction activities, such as performance evaluation.

vi
Figure 2 — Relationship between this document and the activities provided in ISO 32111
This document is applicable for gathering various information to evaluate E-commerce transactions. The
tracking of essential buyers’ information is solely conducted for the purpose of evaluating the E-commerce
transaction process. This is done to protect buyers' personal information and to ensure cyber-security and
privacy of the online transaction information for E-commerce platform operators, buyers and sellers.
This document is beneficial for a diverse range of interested parties, such as E-commerce platform operators,
sellers, service providers, neutral parties, research institutions and local governments, etc., to ensure the
security and trustworthiness of online transactions. This approach facilitates the identification of areas for
improvement and enables the implementation of measures to assure E-commerce transactions, ultimately
improving service quality and customer satisfaction, and contributing to the economy, society and the
environment.
Figure 3 provides an overview of the main contents and the logical structure of this document. Clause 4
pertains to the evaluation of E-commerce transaction assurance, while Clause 5 covers relevant factors,
themes, and consideration points. Clause 6 provides guidelines and procedures for selecting indicators.
Annex A presents examples of indicators that align with the relevant factors, themes, and consideration
points, and Annex B outlines various relevant factors and themes that interested parties can choose based
on their respective context and interests.

vii
Figure 3 — Overview of the main contents and logic in this document

viii
International Standard ISO 32112:2025(en)
Transaction assurance in E-commerce — Relevant factors of
evaluation and selection of indicators
1 Scope
This document provides the description of relevant factors for evaluating E-commerce transactions, which
can help in identifying indicators, evaluation toolkits and an approach for selection of indicators. This
document focuses on E-commerce transaction assurance by providing the relevant factors of evaluations
including quality of E-commerce transaction platforms and sites, quality of E-commerce transaction services,
local external environments for E-commerce transactions and sustainability of E-commerce transactions.
This document also explains the way to set up a set of E-commerce transaction evaluation indicators that
enables monitoring and improvement of the quality of E-commerce transactions.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content constitutes
requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For undated references,
the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
ISO 32111, Transaction assurance in E-commerce — Principles and framework
3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
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 https:// www .electropedia .org/
3.1
relevant factor
specific aspect that is significant or important in a particular situation or context
Note 1 to entry: These factors are considered to be relevant because they have a direct impact on the outcome, decision,
understanding or analysis of the situation.
3.2
theme
specific or detailed topic or area under each relevant factor (3.1)
Note 1 to entry: By identifying and exploring themes within relevant factors, users can obtain more detailed
information of each factor.
3.3
consideration point
specific issue that must be taken into account when making a decision on selecting an indicator (3.4)
Note 1 to entry: Consideration points are important because they can provide more appropriate actions. For example, a
small e-store can prioritize customer service, while a larger one can focus on cost reduction and efficiency. Regardless
of the context, it is essential to consider the relevant consideration points when choosing the most appropriate
indicators for each theme.
3.4
indicator
quantitative, qualitative or descriptive measure
Note 1 to entry: Each indicator in this document can align with the consideration point in this document.
[SOURCE: ISO 6707-3:2022, 3.10.8, modified — Note 1 to entry has been added.]
3.5
evaluation
assessment of a deliverable against defined criteria
Note 1 to entry: In this context, a deliverable is E-commerce transactions.
Note 2 to entry: The defined criteria for evaluation are an indicator system of evaluation for E-commerce transactions
that aligns with relevant factors, themes and consideration points.
[SOURCE: ISO/IEC 19792:2009, 4.1.7, modified — Note 1 to entry and Note 2 to entry have been changed.]
3.6
user
visitor or registered individual or organization that uses services of an E-commerce platform
[SOURCE: ISO 32110:2023, 3.2.17]
4 Conducting evaluations for E-commerce transactions
4.1 Understanding the context of conducting evaluations
4.1.1 What are the purposes and features of evaluations?
Evaluations play an important role in ensuring the quality of E-commerce transactions. They can be
conducted as one-time, periodic, or long-term assessments to monitor the related activities and provide
guidance for improvement.
Evaluations for E-commerce transactions serve several purposes as below:
— providing comprehensive and quantitative references for multiple interested parties;
— identifying potential vulnerabilities and risks to ensure the integrity and effectiveness of E-commerce
transactions;
— identifying areas that should be improved, where E-commerce transactions can use to foster sustainable
development and ongoing innovation.
Evaluations for E-commerce transactions have the following features:
— evaluating the quality of various aspects of E-commerce transactions, which covers the entire process of
E-commerce transactions, before, during and after the transactions;
— using objective standards for evaluation, which can be measured and verified, rather than purely relying
on personal judgments;
— offering self-evaluation and third-party evaluation options that utilize the approach of evaluation with
indicators;
— providing a reference point when assessing the effectiveness and efficiency of the E-commerce
transactions.
4.1.2 Why are evaluations useful?
Evaluations play an important role in safeguarding buyers from various risks, including scams, counterfeit
goods, misleading advertisements, or poor-quality products, thereby ensuring the safety of their purchases
as expected. Evaluations also contribute to enhancing the quality of E-commerce transactions, catering to
the diverse needs of different interested parties involved as below:
— A high-quality transaction environment is crucial to ensure the reliability and trustworthiness of buyers
and to provide equal opportunities for various sellers, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs),
in various E-commerce transactions;
— The establishment of diversified services can efficiently enhance service quality and facilitate seamless
integration with the overall transaction process;
— A safe, secure and efficient E-commerce transaction environment guided by the evaluation results to
promote market vitality and social creativity;
— The sustainability concerns related to social and environmental factors in E-commerce transactions, as
promoted by the UN and the London Declaration, can be noted by different interested parties.
It is possible to maintain competitiveness and to improve transactions by conducting an evaluation that
compares performance with industry benchmarks and best practices. The results of evaluations contribute
to the quality and credibility of E-commerce transactions, improving the external environment of
E-commerce transactions and supporting decision-making.
4.2 Benefits of conducting evaluations by various interested parties
4.2.1 Who should be involved when conducting evaluations?
Evaluations and improvements based on the evaluation results are useful when establishing a trustworthy
E-commerce environment. By gathering objective feedback and providing valuable insights, evaluations
benefit all parties involved, including buyers, sellers, E-commerce platform operators, service providers,
neutral parties, research institutes and local governments.
This document is beneficial for various interested parties as below:
— E-commerce platform operators and sellers can use it to assess the quality of E-commerce transactions,
being enabled to display these measures on their platforms to strengthen trust in a relationship with
buyers and mitigate fraud risks.
— Service providers can gain insight about how to improve their services by looking at the evaluation
results. For example, payment service providers can measure the safety and security of transactions
using relevant indicators. They can also display verified logos or seals on their websites or service pages
in line with the evaluation results.
— Neutral parties, such as third-party auditors or certification bodies, can use the indicators framework
and methods provided in this document to assess and verify the trustworthiness of E-commerce
transactions. They can provide certification or auditing services in due course.
— Research institutes can refer to this document for researching and developing evaluation methods
specifically tailored to E-commerce transactions.
— Local governments, aiming to enhance institutional construction and management approaches, can
use this document to foster local E-commerce growth and gain valuable insights into the long-term
development of the E-commerce sector.
4.2.2 Where and when can the results of evaluations be used?
The evaluations are applicable for various platforms and sites at different stages of the transaction process,
i.e. pre-transaction, in-transaction, and post-transaction, in accordance with the definitions in ISO 32111.
Evaluations are useful when more efficient and higher quality services are desired. Performance-based

evaluations can be conducted to enhance industry performance. These assessments can provide buyers
with information on the performance and reliability of different E-commerce platforms and sites. Social
media could provide channels that can be used to share these assessment results, allowing buyers to make
well-informed decisions about where to make their purchases.
Additionally, evaluations also contribute to the development of E-commerce-related industries in cities
or industry parks. When optimizing the external environment to support the growth of the E-commerce
related industries, evaluations can provide valuable insights and recommendations. This further contributes
to the formation of consulting services and promotes the development of consulting and certification,
ultimately improving the quality of E-commerce transaction platforms and sites, as well as the local external
environments.
However, acknowledging the limitations of relying solely on evaluation results is important. For example,
E-commerce platform operators can lack transparency and be inclined towards favouring positive
evaluations, as sellers can have incentives to maintain a higher rating. Neutral parties should remain
unbiased and avoid any attempts at compromises.
It is important to note that tracking buyers for analytical purposes should not occur without their consent.
Only necessary information for the transaction process may be tracked, and this should be limited to the
absolute minimum. Additionally, buyers should be informed about this tracking.
The interested parties can determine the frequency of evaluations based on their specific needs, including
product development and enhancement, user experience design, technical improvements, customer support
and training, regulatory authorities, and research. This will enable users to effectively evaluate E-commerce
transaction protection.
4.3 Adopting the evaluation approach using indicators
Conducting evaluations by following a step-by-step procedure can be beneficial. Indicators play an essential
role in assessing E-commerce transactions by utilizing both qualitative and quantitative methods. The
following steps can be included in the procedure:
— clarifying the purposes of evaluation: interested parties can identify specific factors and themes based
on their individual needs (see Annex B).
— selecting indicators: interested parties can choose indicators based on the specific consideration points
(see Clause 5) in line with the identified factors and themes. An approach for selecting indicators, as
described in Clause 6, can be employed.
— collecting data: based on the selected evaluation indicators, the evaluation questionnaire can be designed
to conduct a survey for gathering data from various interested parties. Data can also come from the
monitoring and operating of E-commerce platforms and sites.
— analysing evaluation results: the values of indicators can be calculated based on the collected data and
the evaluation results analysed.
— implementing improvement measures: if applicable, take measures for improvement within a specified
timeframe based on the evaluation results and provide feedback to relevant interested parties to track
progress on identified improvements.
Interested parties can regularly conduct evaluations, such as annually or quarterly, to assess relevant
matters, review improvements, and continuously enhance performance.
5 Relevant factors for conducting evaluations
5.1 General
This clause elaborates the four factors with associated themes and considerations when conducting
evaluations of transactions in E-commerce. The factors include the quality of E-commerce transaction
platforms and sites, the quality of E-commerce transaction services, the quality of local external

environments for E-commerce transactions, and the sustainability of E-commerce transactions. To some
extent, these four factors align with the objectives of the London Declaration, which supports the integration
of climate science and facilitates necessary transitions. Each factor contains several themes with respective
considerations. Figure 4 illustrates the four factors and 18 themes below. These consideration points can
support the selection of indicators when performing evaluations in different contexts. Annex A provides
examples of possible indicators that respond to different considerations, themes and factors. Annex B
compares the themes among interested parties.
Figure 4 — The structure of factors and themes
5.2 Quality of E-commerce transaction platforms and sites
5.2.1 Processing capacity
E-commerce transaction platforms and sites should have processing capacity that is:
— functional, which means, being able to ensure smooth functioning of foundational E-commerce features,
including account registration and sign-up processes, searching on websites and mobile applications
specifically designed for sellers;
— customizable, which means, offering flexible solutions that can expand to accommodate increased
demand and providing alternative options to suit buyers’ personal preferences, including product

customization and personalized recommendations, one-click ordering, receipt with confirmation, and
search functionality for e-shops/e-stores. It is crucial to ensure that buyers are not tracked without
their knowledge. Safeguarding buyers’ personal registered information and privacy is of paramount
importance;
— responsive and dynamic, which means, being equipped with the ability to adapt and react effectively,
which includes timely releasing of transaction-related information, verification of registered information,
prompt response to requests, capacity of maintaining low latency, redundancy and failover, timely
updated search functions, and a convenient verification and approval process;
— stable and error-free, which means, being capable of handling a high-frequency trading volume while
offering functions such as ease of maintenance and technical support, quick recovery, cache efficiency,
load balancing effectiveness, etc.
5.2.2 Interface
E-commerce transaction platforms and sites should have interfaces that are:
— authentic and validated, which means, being able to provide valid and accurate information or feedback
and transaction progress information to users, visitors, or third parties associated with an E-commerce
platform;
— user-friendly, which means, being designed for easy navigation that enables users to be easily directed
to the sellers’ entries, online dispute resolution (ODR), maintenance and technical support, searching
functionality, user onboarding, and ensuring a consistent clarity in design, typography, readability and
multilingual support;
— regularly assessed and maintained, which means, being capable of carrying out quality assessment
through client feedback, performance monitoring, and secure testing.
5.2.3 Information security and management measures
E-commerce transaction platforms and sites should have information security and management measures
that are:
— well-protected, which means, being capable of ensuring safety and security for transaction databases
by means of utilizing transaction databases in a legal and secure manner, physical security measures,
database backup-restore, permissions or access control, etc;
— confidential, which means, ensuring the prevention of transaction related-information leakage
throughout the entire process of E-commerce transactions to protect user privacy;
— integral, which means, being capable of ensuring that all necessary transaction details are stored and
accurate;
— effective and robust, which means, providing operational support, such as timely processing, reliable
tracing and permissions or hierarchical access control for transaction-related information.
NOTE For further information on information security, refer to ISO/IEC 27001.
5.2.4 Compliance
E-commerce transaction platforms and sites should have compliance measures that are:
— integrated and information consolidated, which means, being outfitted with all necessary information,
including terms and conditions, software, resolving disputes, connectivity, contact information, and
preparation of third-party services;
— transparent and verifiable, which means, capable of being open to the public and easily accessible for
query, browsing, and future retrieval;

— well-connected and easily available, which means, being designed for a clear, measurable and
understandable platform, helping various sellers or buyers to handle transactions efficiently;
— compatible, which means, being able to ensure that an E-commerce transaction platform complies with
all relevant statutory and regulatory requirements in the jurisdictions where the transaction occurs
locally;
— reliable, which means, being incorporated with intellectual property protection measures to promptly
address any potential intellectual property rights (IPR) infringements.
5.2.5 Trust and brand reputation
E-commerce transaction platforms and sites should cultivate trust and brand reputation that is:
— objective and accurate, which means, being able to assure the true and valid provision of information,
such as product descriptions, credit of e-shops/e-stores and reviews by buyers;
— fair, which means, being able to ensure that everyone has equal opportunities to participate in the
E-commerce transactions. For example, the reviews of the E-commerce platforms and sites should be
accessible to everyone, ensuring equal access for small and medium-sized enterprises, and offering
assistance to individuals with disabilities who wish to participate in transactions;
— promptly responding, which means, being capable of addressing issues such as fraudulent behaviours in
a timely manner;
— immutable and discoverable, which means, being able to ensure publicly available information related to
the E-commerce transactions, such as brand information, logistic information, reviews, and assessment
information of e-shops/e-stores, etc., is easy to access and understand. Additionally, any changes made
to this information should be transparent and clearly visible to all.
NOTE For further information on brand, refer to the ISO 20671 series.
5.3 Quality of E-commerce transaction services
5.3.1 Pre-sale services
The quality of pre-sale services in E-commerce transactions should be evaluated in terms of:
— various contact options available, which means, being equipped with a variety of channels, including
online, telephone, and personalized consulting services, as well as multi-language support, empowered
customer service representatives, and integration of artificial intelligence (AI) systems and chatbots,
that efficiently handle any inquiries or concerns related to pre-sales customer services;
— quick and agile, which means, being capable of prioritizing responses to enquiries and time commitments;
— streamlined and accessible, which means, being equipped with multiple channels for obtaining
comprehensive product information and lodging complaints, by means of interactive and real-time live
room influencer responses, phone, email, online and human or AI-powered customer services, which are
easily accessible and efficiently handled;
— well-established, which means, being designed for the placement of electronic orders, incorporation of
order tracking, record-keeping, and customer relationship management (CRM) integration to cater to
buyers who demand further consultation or confirmation of electronic orders.
5.3.2 Order services
The quality of order services in E-commerce transactions should be evaluated in terms of:
— timely updated, which means, being capable of ensuring the accuracy and completeness of transaction-
related information, including descriptions, delivery dates, precise and holistic real-time order tracking,
and notices;
— communicable and reachable, which means, being assured of smooth communication between the sellers
and buyers, such as real-time interaction between influencers and buyers in live streaming studios;
— interoperable, which means, being designed to ensure seamless and timely processing of orders, such
as automatic order confirmation emails, real-time inventory management, mobile-compatible guest
checkout options, and fast delivery options, especially for cross-border transactions, up-to-date currency
exchanges, custom duties and confirmations of the electronic order. They should also be compatible with
pre-sales services (see 5.3.1) and after-sales services (see 5.3.5);
— transaction records documented, which means, assuring that confirmation of electronic orders are
safely stored for a specified retention period for accountability and future reference. Additionally, they
should provide order history and account integration.
NOTE For further information on order confirmation, refer to ISO/IEC 18000.
5.3.3 Payment services
The quality of payment services in E-commerce transactions should be evaluated for:
— multiple options available, which means, being able to offer a choice of payment methods for products,
such as cash on delivery, online payment, post office remittance, e-banking, and credit cards, etc;
— countable and proactive, which means, being capable of promptly and effectively addressing any queries,
ensuring the traceability of payment information in transactions;
— secured and safe, which means, being able to ensure payment information is used and interconnected
safely between platforms, sellers, buyers, logistics, and other recipients;
— adaptive and resilient, which means, being equipped to manage transaction risks, payment failures, and
frauds against transactions and payments, and to implement measures such as payment verification,
instant notification, and reconfirmation to prevent and mitigate issues.
5.3.4 Logistic services
The quality of logistics services in E-commerce transactions should be evaluated for:
— complete and extensive, which means, being able to offer account management, delivery of purchased
products, inventory management, innovative warehousing management, and customs clearance to
support logistics for all transactions;
— traceable and query-able, which means, being able to track the entire logistics process from dispatch,
distribution, and last-mile delivery of purchased products to the final consumer. Real-time tracking and
SMS or email notifications can enhance the customer experience;
— confidential, which means, being able to ensure that the logistics details match between sellers and
E-commerce platforms whilst protecting the privacy and data security of related participants;
— tailor-made, which means, outfitting with personalized logistics options such as custom packaging,
specialized transport, vendor-managed inventory, urban distribution, door-to-door pickup, and other
last-mile delivery solutions;
— reversed, which means, being able to offer a reverse logistics system that can manage the return, repair,
recycling, or disposal of goods from their final destination to a resource hub, maximizing the value
recovery from returns while minimizing waste and environmental impact (see 5.5.3).

5.3.5 After-sales services
The quality of after-sales services in E-commerce transactions should be evaluated for:
— flexible and selective, which means, providing multiple hassle-free and flexible product return or
replacement options, such as no-reason-required replacements, trial periods for returns, and a range of
alternatives for replacement;
— efficient and refundable, which means, being equipped with various refund options, such as refunds
according to contract or agreed rules, and customer retention offers. An E-commerce customer service
representative can determine open refund cases;
— customer-centric, which means, addressing complaints and reviews from buyers, being accessible to
various unbiased dispute resolution mechanisms, and being provided with feedback to improve customer
satisfaction;
— reasonable and insured, which means, being able to offer a variety of compensation for transaction
loss and insurance options, including clear guidelines on claims, margin compensation, exemptions,
compensation standards, and coverage;
— straightforward and evident, which means, being outfitted with prompt and genial service responses,
and clearly defined terms that are easily understood;
— interactive, which means, being capable of facilitating real-time engagement between sellers and bu
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