Based on the online-questionning of over 500 people, a new study called “Payment processes over the Internet” which was carried out by the ibi research scientific institute at the University of Regensburg presents current trends in electronic business. The study comes up with information on business models and the current situation of online sales as well as aspects on payment methods, delay and default in payment. Furthermore, the study also contains data on the degree of automization of payment processes in companies and to which extent external service providers are involved in this matter. The study´s data were collected in the period from February to March 2006.
Dr. Ernst Stahl, who is a research director with ibi, comments on the concept of the study: “What is important is to analyse payment processes as a whole, which in addition to the payment as such also includes risk management, sales financing, invoicing, debtors managment as well as liquidity/cash management and accounting.” In contrast to other studies which mainly concentrated exclusively on the payment method used, our study also considers those processes anteceding and subsequent to the payment as such, e.g. risk and debtors management.
The study which contains over 200 pages (ISBN 3937195122) can be ordered in ibi´s online shop. 