International cash-on-delivery system and method

• US 20030040947A1
• Filed: 08/27/2001
• Published: 02/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: United Parcel Service Of America Incorporated (United Parcel Service Incorporated)
• Inventors: Alie, Jason D., Vliek, Paul E.
• Granted Patent: US 7,249,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/7
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

An international cash-on-delivery (I-COD) system for completing a transaction between a seller in a first country and purchaser in a second country, wherein the seller has agreed to exchange packaged goods for a payment from the purchaser. The international delivery system includes a delivery service system, a payment system and an information system. The delivery system physically handles delivery of the packaged goods, including import and export clearing, and holding of the packaged goods in escrow at an intermediate location until payment by the purchaser. The payment system handles the flow of funds including receiving payment from the purchaser, holding the payment in escrow and distribution of the payment to the seller upon delivery of the packaged goods. The information system electronically coordinates escrow aspects of both the delivery service system, and the payment system, so as to minimize the risk of the transaction to both the seller and the purchaser.

Claims

1. A delivery system for completing a transaction between a seller having a funds account and a purchaser having a funds account, wherein the seller has agreed to exchange one, or more, packages of goods for a payment from the purchaser, the delivery system comprising:

a delivery service system capable of delivering the package from a first location to an intermediate location and responsive to a hold command to hold the package at the intermediate location and responsive to a release command to release the package from the intermediate location;

a payment system configured to receive the payment from the purchaser'"'"'s funds account and to transmit payment verification information; and

an information system configured to receive instructions from one of the seller, purchaser and delivery service system and configured to transmit the hold command to the delivery service system responsive to the instructions and to receive the payment verification information from the payment system, the information system also configured to transmit the release command to the delivery system in response to receiving the payment verification information thereby releasing the package.

2. A delivery system of claim 1, wherein the delivery service system is capable of delivering the package to a final location after releasing the package.

3. A delivery system of claim 2, wherein the final location is a purchaser location, and wherein the delivery service system is capable of transmitting a delivery verification information after delivery to the purchaser location.

4. A delivery system of claim 3, wherein the payment system is further configured to hold the payment on receipt and to distribute the payment to the seller'"'"'s account in response to a distribution command and wherein the information system is further configured to transmit the distribution command to the payment system in response to receipt of the delivery verification information.

5. A delivery system of claim 4, wherein the systems are capable of electronically transmitting and receiving their respective information and commands.

6. A delivery system of claim 1, wherein the first location is in a first country and the intermediate location is in a second country, and the delivery service system further comprises an export brokerage in the first country and an import brokerage in the second country.

7. A delivery system of claim 6, wherein the export brokerage is capable of clearing export of the package out of the first country and the import brokerage is capable of clearing import of the package into the second country and holding the package at the intermediate location in response to the hold command.

8. A delivery system of claim 7, wherein the delivery services system further includes a local delivery system that delivers the package from the intermediate location to a final location.

9. A delivery system of claim 8, wherein the final location is a purchaser location and wherein the delivery service system is capable of transmitting a delivery verification information after delivery to the purchaser location.

10. A delivery system of claim 9, wherein the account is further configured to distribute the payment to the seller'"'"'s account in response to a distribution command and wherein the information system is further configured to transmit the distribution command to the payment system in response to receipt of the delivery verification information.

11. A delivery system of claim 10, wherein the systems are capable of electronically transmitting and receiving their respective information and commands.

12. A delivery system of claim 1, further comprising a shipment order system that is configured to record shipment order information submitted by the seller and to transmit the shipment order information to the delivery service system.

13. A delivery system of claim 12, wherein the shipment order information includes export and import information and wherein the delivery service system is configured to receive the shipment order information from the shipment order system and is capable of clearing export of the package out of a first country having the first location using the shipment information and import of the package into a second country having the intermediate location using the shipment information.

14. A delivery system of claim 13, wherein the import and the export information includes at least one of a value-of-goods information, a transaction reference number and a currency of payment.

15. A delivery system of claim 12, wherein the shipment order system is configured to transmit notification information to the purchaser in response to receiving the shipment order information.

16. A delivery system of claim 15, wherein the notification information includes a description of the packaged goods and payment instructions.

17. A delivery system of claim 16, wherein the payment system includes an account and wherein the payment instructions include an account identification number and an amount of the payment.

18. A delivery system of claim 15, wherein the information system includes a secure Internet site having payment instructions and wherein the notification information includes a description of the packaged goods and a link to the payment instructions on the secure Internet site.

19. A delivery system of claim 18, wherein the payment system includes an account and wherein the payment instructions include an account identification number and an amount of the payment.

20. A delivery system of claim 18, wherein the systems are capable of electronically transmitting and receiving their respective information and commands.

21. An international cash-on-delivery system for completing an international transaction between a seller having a funds account and a purchaser having a funds account, wherein the seller has agreed to exchange one, or more, packages of goods for a payment from the purchaser, and wherein the seller is in a first country having a first department of commerce and the purchaser is in a second country having a second department of commerce, the international cash-on-delivery system comprising:

an export service system capable of receiving a package shipment information and using the package shipment information to interact with the first department of commerce to clear export of the package out of the first country;

an import service system capable of receiving the package shipment information and using the package shipment information to interact with the second department of commerce to clear import of the package into the second country, the import service system responsive to a hold command by to hold the package and responsive to a release command to release the package;

an payment system configured to receive the payment from the purchaser'"'"'s funds account and to communicate payment verification information; and

an electronic information system configured to receive the package shipment information from one of the seller and the purchaser and to transmit the shipment information to the export service and the import service, the information system further configured to transmit the hold command to the import service and to receive the payment verification information from the account, the information system also configured to transmit the release command to the import service in response to receiving the payment verification information thereby controlling movement of the shipping information, the payment verification information and the package so as to complete the international transaction between the buyer and the seller.

22. An international cash-on-delivery system of claim 21, further comprising a local delivery system configured to receive the released package from the import service system, to deliver the package to the purchaser and to transmit a delivery verification information to the information system.

23. An international cash-on-delivery system of claim 22, wherein the account is further configured to distribute the payment to the seller'"'"'s funds account in response to a distribution command and wherein the information system is further configured to transmit the distribution command to the payment system in response to receipt of the delivery verification information.

24. An international cash-on-delivery system of claim 21, further comprising a shipment order system that is configured to record the shipment order information submitted by the seller and to transmit the shipment order information to the information system.

25. A method of delivery for completing a transaction between a seller having a finds account and a purchaser having a funds account, wherein the seller has agreed to exchange one, or more, packages of goods for a payment from the purchaser, the method of delivery comprising:

receiving the package at a first location using a delivery system;

receiving shipment order information on the package using an information system;

moving the package to an intermediate location using the delivery system;

transmitting a hold command to the delivery service system using the information system;

holding the package at the intermediate location using the delivery system in response to the hold command;

receiving the payment from the purchaser'"'"'s funds account using a payment system and transmitting a payment verification to the information system;

transmitting a release command to the delivery system using the information system; and

releasing the package from the intermediate location in response to the release command.

26. A method of delivery of claim 25, further comprising delivering the package to a purchaser location after releasing the package and transmitting a delivery verification to the information system using the delivery system.

27. A method of delivery of claim 26, further comprising transmitting a distribution command to the payment system using the information system after receiving the delivery verification and, responsive to the distribution command, distributing the payment to the seller'"'"'s funds account using the payment system.

28. A method of delivery of claim 25, further comprising clearing the package for export from the first location using an export brokerage of the delivery system and clearing the package for import to the intermediate location using an import brokerage of the delivery system before moving the package to the intermediate location.

29. A method of delivery of claim 28, further comprising delivering the package to a purchaser location using a local delivery system of the delivery system after releasing the package and transmitting a delivery verification to the information system using the delivery system.

30. A method of delivery of claim 29, further comprising transmitting a distribution command to the payment system using the information system after receiving the delivery verification and distributing the payment to the seller'"'"'s funds account using the payment system.

31. A method of delivery of claim 25, further comprising recording shipment order information using a shipment order system and transmitting the shipment order information to the delivery service system.

32. A method of delivery of claim 31, wherein the shipment order information includes export and import information and further comprising clearing the package for export from the first location using the export information and clearing the package for import to the intermediate location using the import information before moving the package to the intermediate location.

33. A method of delivery of claim 31, further comprising transmitting notification information to the purchaser using the shipment order system after receiving the shipment order information.

34. A method of delivery of claim 33, wherein the notification information includes a description of the package and a link to payment instructions on a secure Internet site of the information system.

35. An electronic information system for coordinating delivery of a package, or packages, of goods by a seller using a delivery service system and payment for the package by a purchaser using a payment system, the information system comprising:

a request system capable of receiving instructions from one of the seller, the purchaser and the delivery service system, the instructions requesting coordination of the delivery of, and payment for, the package, the request system also configured to transmit a coordination request verification;

a hold system capable of receiving the verification of the coordination request and transmitting a hold request to the delivery service system in response to receipt of the verification of the coordination request, the hold request requesting the delivery service system to hold the package at a location; and

a release system capable of receiving a payment verification transmitted by the payment system, payment verification verifying payment by the purchaser for the package, and the release system capable of transmitting a release request to the delivery system in response to receipt of the payment verification, the release request requesting the delivery service system to release the package for delivery to the purchaser.

36. An electronic information system for coordinating delivery of a package, or packages, of goods by a seller using a delivery service system and payment for the package by a purchaser, the information system comprising:

a request system capable of receiving instructions from one of the seller, the purchaser and the delivery service system, the instructions requesting coordination of the delivery of, and payment for, the package, the request system also configured to transmit a coordination request verification;

a hold system capable of receiving the coordination request and transmitting a hold request to the delivery service system in response to receipt of the verification of the coordination request, the hold request requesting the delivery service system to hold the package at a location;

a account system capable of receiving payment from a funds account of the purchaser and capable of transmitting a payment verification in response to receipt of the payment from the funds account of the purchaser;

a release system capable of receiving the payment verification transmitted by the account system and verifying payment by the purchaser for the package, the release system capable of transmitting a release request to the delivery service system in response to receipt of the payment verification, the release request requesting the delivery service system to release the package from the location for delivery to the purchaser.