Purpose – The aim of this paper is to explore and evaluate customers’ use of e-commerce activities through e-banking services in Saudi Islamic and conventional banks through analysing the perceptions of their customers. Design / methodology / approach -This paper presents the initial findings with the objective of developing a better understanding of customers’ preferences based on their opinions and perceptions expressed through a questionnaire survey with a sample of 198 Islamic and conventional bank customers representing six banks in the country. Findings – The findings indicate that the order of preferences in terms of mean ranking is similar in both types of banks in five out of six cases. Based on the application of K-W and MW-U tests, the findings also show that independent variables have turned out to be more significant in Islamic banks than in the conventional banks. Research limitation / implications – The study has considered six banks out of the total of 12 in Saudi Arabia. In addition, the research is based on a limited selection of bank customers in three main regions of Saudi Arabia.Practical implications – With reference to practical implications, the findings suggest that e-commerce activities can play a significant role in expanding the dealing of e-commerce through e-banking services in Saudi Arabia. Originality/value – This is the first paper in the area of exploring and evaluating customers’ use of e-commerce activities through e-banking services on a comparative analysis of Islamic and conventional banks in Saudi Arabia. The findings and implications of the research offer invaluable information to the industry and policy-makers.
Keywords: E-Banking services, E-Commerce, Islamic and conventional banks, Saudi Arabia
