Systems and methods for providing item sales and delivery service

• US 20030208413A1
• Filed: 02/20/2003
• Published: 11/06/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Original Assignee: United States Postal Service (Government of the United States of America)
• Inventors: Ray, Christine R.L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,487,113 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A method and system for providing item sales and delivery service (see FIG. 1) consistent with the invention includes arranging over a communications system (170) a sales transaction of an item (110) between a seller (105) and a buyer (155), sending the item through a delivery system directed toward the buyer, and making a payment for at least one of the following: a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

Claims

1. A method for providing item sales and delivery service, comprising:

arranging over a communications system a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer;

sending the item through a delivery system directed toward the buyer; and

making a payment for at least one of the following;

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the arranging stage further comprises:

receiving authorization from the buyer to transfer the payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item;

debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment; and

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising debiting the buyer account by at least one of the following:

billing the buyer, debiting buyer'"'"'s checking account, debiting buyer'"'"'s credit card account, debiting buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and receiving cash from the buyer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the arranging stage further comprises:

sending to the buyer a receipt identifying the sales transaction and the payment amount; and

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment when the buyer pays the amount of the payment at a retail unit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the sending stage further comprises:

generating a tracking indicia identifying the sales transaction when a notice is received by the seller over the communications system that the sales transaction has been arranged; and

placing the item in the delivery system directed toward the buyer, the tracking indicia attached to the item.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the making stage further comprises:

reading a tracking indicia when the item is delivered to the buyer, the tracking indicia identifying the sales transaction and placed on the item; and

releasing the payment from an escrow account in response to reading the tracking indicia.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the releasing stage further comprises:

releasing the purchase price of the item from the escrow account to the seller if the payment included the purchase price;

releasing the delivery fee of the item from the escrow account to a delivery system operator if the payment included the delivery fee; and

releasing a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services of the item from the escrow account to the delivery system operator if the payment included the fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the releasing stage further comprises:

releasing the purchase price of the item from the escrow account to the buyer if the payment included the purchase price and the buyer decides to return the item to the seller;

releasing the delivery fee of the item from the escrow account to a delivery system operator if the payment included the delivery fee; and

releasing a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services of the item from the escrow account to the delivery system operator if the payment included the fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising utilizing in the communications system at least one of the following media:

regular mail, email, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response method.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising processing the item comprising at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

11. The method of claim 5 further comprising utilizing as the tracking indicia at least one of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

12. The method of claim 6 further comprising utilizing as the tracking indicia at least one of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

13. A system for providing item sales and delivery service, comprising:

a component for arranging over a communications system a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer;

a component for sending the item through a delivery system directed toward the buyer; and

a component for making a payment for at least one of the following;

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for arranging further comprises:

a component for receiving authorization from the buyer to transfer the payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item;

a component for debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment; and

a component for crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the component for debiting the buyer account comprises at least one of the following:

a component for billing the buyer, a component for debiting buyer'"'"'s checking account, a component for debiting buyer'"'"'s credit card account, a component for debiting buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and a component for receiving cash from the buyer.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for arranging further comprises:

a component for sending to the buyer a receipt identifying the sales transaction and payment amount; and

a component for crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment when the buyer pays the amount of the payment at a retail unit.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for sending further comprises:

a component for generating a tracking indicia identifying the sales transaction when a notice is received by the seller over the communications system that the sales transaction has been arranged; and

a component for placing the item in the delivery system directed toward the buyer, the tracking indicia attached to the item.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein the component for making further comprises:

a component for reading a tracking indicia when the item is delivered to the buyer, the tracking indicia identifying the sales transaction and placed on the item; and

a component for releasing the payment from an escrow account.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the component for releasing further comprises:

a component for releasing the purchase price of the item from the escrow account to the seller if the payment included the purchase price;

a component for releasing the delivery fee of the item from the escrow account to a delivery system operator if the payment included the delivery fee; and

a component for releasing a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services of the item from the escrow account to the delivery system operator if the payment included the fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the component for releasing further comprises:

a component for releasing the purchase price of the item from the escrow account to the buyer if the payment included the purchase price and the buyer decides to return the item to the seller;

a component for releasing the delivery fee of the item from the escrow account to a delivery system operator if the payment included the delivery fee; and

a component for releasing a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services of the item from the escrow account to the delivery system operator if the payment included the fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

21. The system of claim 13, wherein the communications system comprises at least one of the following media:

regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response system.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the item comprises at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein the tracking indicia comprises at least one of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

24. The system of claim 18, wherein the tracking indicia comprises at least one of the following:

a bar code and a PLANET code.

25. A method for providing item sales and delivery service, comprising:

arranging over a communications system a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer;

providing by the buyer over the communications system a delivery address for the item;

authorizing the creation of delivery shipping labels, the authorizing performed by the seller over the communications system upon verification of a payment by the buyer over the communications system; and

transferring the item by the seller to a delivery system operator for association of the delivery shipping label with the item.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the arranging stage further comprises:

receiving authorization from the buyer to transfer the payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item;

debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment; and

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment.

27. The method of claim 26 further comprising debiting the buyer account by at least one of the following:

billing the buyer, debiting buyer'"'"'s checking account, debiting buyer'"'"'s credit card account, debiting buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and receiving cash from the buyer.

28. The method of claim 25, wherein the arranging stage further comprises:

sending to the buyer a receipt identifying the sales transaction and the payment amount; and

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment when the buyer pays the amount of the payment at a retail unit.

29. The method of claim 25 further comprising utilizing in the communications system at least one of the following media:

regular mail, email, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response method.

30. The method of claim 25 further comprising placing the item in at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

31. The method of claim 25 further comprising processing the payment comprising at least one of the following:

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprising delivering the item by the delivery system operator to the buyer.

33. A system for providing item sales and delivery service, comprising:

a component for arranging over a communications system a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer;

a component for providing by the buyer over the communications system a delivery address for the item;

a component for authorizing the creation of delivery shipping labels, the authorizing performed by the seller over the communications system upon verification of a payment by the buyer over the communications system; and

a component for transferring the item by the seller to a delivery system operator for association of the delivery shipping label with the item.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the component for arranging further comprises:

a component for receiving authorization from the buyer to transfer the payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item;

a component for debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment; and

a component for crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the buyer account comprises at least one of the following:

billing the buyer, a buyer'"'"'s checking account, a buyer'"'"'s credit card account, a buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and cash from the buyer.

36. The system of claim 33, wherein the component for arranging further comprises:

a component for sending to the buyer a receipt identifying the sales transaction and the payment amount; and

a component for crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment when the buyer pays the amount of the payment at a retail unit.

37. The system of claim 33, wherein the communications system utilizes at least one of the following media:

regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response method.

38. The system of claim 33, wherein the item is placed in at least one of the following:

a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package.

39. The system of claim 33, wherein the payment comprises at least one of the following:

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

40. The system of claim 33 further comprising a component for delivering the item by the delivery system operator to the buyer.

41. A method for providing item sales and delivery service, comprising:

arranging over a communication system a sales transaction of an item between a seller and a buyer, the communications system comprising at least one of the following media;

regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response system, the item comprising at least one of the following;

a mailpiece, a United States Postal Service Priority Mail package, and a United States Postal Service Express Mail Package;

receiving an authorization from the buyer to transfer a payment from a buyer account for the purchase of the item, the buyer account comprising at least one of the following;

a bill sent to the buyer, a buyer'"'"'s checking account, a buyer'"'"'s credit card account, a buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and cash from the buyer, the payment comprising at least one of the following;

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services;

debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment;

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment;

generating a tracking indicia identifying the sales transaction when a notice is received by the seller over the communications system that the sales transaction has been arranged, the tracking indicia comprising at least one of the following;

a bar code and a PLANET code;

placing the item in a delivery system directed toward the buyer, the tracking indicia attached to the item;

reading the tracking indicia when the item is delivered to the buyer;

releasing the purchase price of the item from the escrow account to the seller if the payment included the purchase price;

releasing the purchase price of the item from the escrow account to the buyer if the payment included the purchase price and the buyer decides to return the item to the seller;

releasing the delivery fee of the item from the escrow account to a delivery system operator if the payment included the delivery fee; and

releasing a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services of the item from the escrow account to the delivery system operator if the payment included the fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services.

42. A method for providing item sales and delivery service, comprising:

receiving authorization from a buyer over a the communications system to transfer a payment from a buyer account for the purchase of an item, the communications system utilizing at least one of the following media;

regular mail, e-mail, facsimile, internet, and an interactive voice response method, the payment comprising at least on of the following;

a purchase price of the item, a delivery fee, and a fee for any other buyer-selected delivery-related services;

debiting the buyer account in the amount of the payment, debiting the buyer account by at least one of the following;

billing the buyer, debiting buyer'"'"'s checking account, debiting buyer'"'"'s credit card account, debiting buyer'"'"'s debit card account, and receiving cash from the buyer;

crediting an escrow account in the amount of the payment;

providing by the buyer over the communications system a delivery address for the item;

authorizing the creation of delivery shipping labels, the authorizing performed by a seller over the communications system upon verification of the payment by the buyer over the communications system;

transferring the item by the seller to a delivery system operator for association of the delivery shipping label with the item; and

delivering the item by the delivery system operator to the buyer.