Can you guess what the first item sold on the Internet was?

Black Friday has quickly become one of the most important days of the year for online sales, and a video released by e-commerce company Shopify is set to reveal what the first online purchase was.

It is often rumored that Pizza Hut made its first online sale, although online sales began in 1994, but it was not the first.

One of the first claims of the first online sales dates back to the early 1970s, when students in the US allegedly organized marijuana sales using the university’s ARPAnet computer network, which was not yet available on the Internet.

However, this was not a true online sale because no money was exchanged on the Internet and the network was only used to send messages to arrange a face-to-face meeting. This was also illegal.

Fast forward to 1984 and 72-year-old British retiree Jane Snowball used an old Videotex machine to order groceries.

Jane Snowball orders groceries via Videotex (BBC)

The outdated technology mainly relied on a television connected to a telephone line, which was used to place orders using a remote control as part of a council initiative to help older people.

Although the order was placed online, it was paid in cash on arrival.

According to Shopify, the first secure online transaction was made on August 11, 1994 through Net Market, a very early e-shopping startup founded by Dan Kohn.

The first online purchase was a CD, purchased from Kohn’s friend.

And the album in question? The Summoner’s Tales by Sting for $12.48.

Image source: Shopify/YouTube

Via: FastCompany