Trust Research in the Transactional Context and Its Implications for Online Trust

In the context of electronic commerce (eCommerce), trust is critical to business relationship, because no transaction will take place before a buyer trusts an unknown online seller. However, little has been known about the nature of online trust. In this paper, we propose a framework to categorize the transactional contexts within which trust takes place. Based on this framework, we then review the literature and examine the special nature of online trust. The theoretical foundations are offered to explain the major antecedents of online trust. Finally the future research issues of online trust that are challenging the research community are identified.