Trust in Electronic Commerce: Definition and Theoretical Considerations

Successful electronic commerce sites allow businesses to create low cost or more efficient channels for product sales or to create new business opportunities. The success and acceptance of most online businesses depend on several factors, both technological and social. In this paper, we examine the role of trust in successful use and adoption of electronic commerce applications. We define trust as a belief in the system characteristics, specifically belief in the competence, dependability and security of the system, under conditions of risk. Based on this definition, we develop a theoretical model that identifies the factors that effect users’ trust in electronic commerce. The theoretical model presented in this paper will serve as the basis for future empirical studies that will aim to measure the impact of these factors on the development of trust in electronic commerce.