There are mainly 2 types of business, one, the sale of a product and two, the provision of service.
Selling of a product is quite straightforward, one pays money in exchange for a physical asset or product. When we buy a mobile phone, we pay the price and we receive the goods.
For service, it is paying for the provision of an action or advice. When we pay for a mobile service, the teleco provides the network service for you to make calls/sms/internet, no physical goods was provided.
However, most of the time, the line is not very clear. For example, purchasing a pair of shoes from a shoe shop. Although the end result is receiving a pair of shoes, a service staff is around to assist finding the pair that fits and promoting the product for sale.
So, sometimes, it boils down to the expectation. Some go to hawker ......