E-commerce Glossary - F

Factoring

The purchase of debts owed, or "accounts receivable," in exchange for immediate payment at a discount. In e-commerce, the term is often applied to ISOs that offer to process credit card transactions through their own merchant account rather than through an account established by the merchant, in exchange for a percentage of the transaction or other fee. Factoring of credit card debt is illegal.

FAQ

A list of the answers to frequently asked questions, usually questions asked by visitors to an e-commerce storefront.

File FTP

Transfer Protocol (FTP) - Application protocol for moving, copying, renaming and deleting files from one computer to another, most commonly from Web server to client.

File compression:

You can use PKZIP, ZipIt, gzip, or another compatible archiver to compress a file (to code the data in it in a way that makes it more compact). Compressed files save storage space and are faster to transmit.

Filters

A means of narrowing the scope of a report or view by specifying ranges or types of data to include in or exclude.

Firewall

A system used to shield a computer network from unwanted external visitors. Companies with an Intranet which also allows staff to access the Internet use a firewall to prevent people from outside exploiting that connection to gain access to the Intranet or the firm's own database on its server.

Font

The name of a style of text.

Forms

HTML pages that gather information from users and pass these variables back to the server.

Framework for Global E-Commerce

Former President Bill Clinton's plan for advancing the commercial use of the Internet to advance its use in commerce.

Freedom of Choice

With respect to the Internet, a common term used to justify the marketing principals used in development of the Internet which rely on additional physical environment marketing rules currently unobtainable in the e-commerce environment, such as Product, Promotion, Price, and Placement.

Freight forwarder

A firm that handles export shipments for other firms.

Frontpage

A Microsoft program used to create web sites and pages through a user friendly interface. Designed for the average person with OLE processes that automatically writes corresponding html code. Is responsible for prolific type of web site and e-commerce development and deployment.

Front End

The user interface that appears on a Web page and allows a visitor to the site to interact with dynamic features, including databases, shopping cart programs, and online purchase processing software.

FTP (file transfer protocol)

A set of standard codes for transferring files over the Internet. FTP is usually used for retrieving large files or files that cannot be displayed through a browser. Windows FTP and Fetch are examples of FTP software that can also be used for e-commerce.