Method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser

• US 20040215576A1
• Filed: 05/21/2004
• Published: 10/28/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PrivaCash Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PrivaCash Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutton, David B., Blasiman, Douglas E.
• Application Number:
  US10/851,927
• Publication Number:
  US 20040215576A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

A method is provided for transacting an anonymous purchase over the Internet. The method comprises the steps of: (a) acquiring intermediary credit account information from a purchasing intermediary; (b) providing transactional purchase information, including the intermediary credit account information, to a retailer, where the transactional purchase information is provided by the purchaser using a first computing device of a computer-implemented purchasing system; and (c) transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the intermediary credit account information, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising:

acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name and an account number;

providing purchase transactional information from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the purchase transactional information includes the non-personalized cardholder name and the account number from the purchase card; and

transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the non-personalized cardholder name and the account number, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is embossed on the purchase card.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is further defined as a name for the purchase card provided.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the purchase card further includes an associated address for the purchase card provider, such that the address is provided to the retailer as part of the purchase transaction.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of acquiring a purchase card further comprises purchasing the purchase card from a retail establishment, where the purchase card is provided to the retail establishment by the purchase card provider.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the purchase card is provided by the purchase card provider to the retail establishment on a consignment basis.

21. The method of claim 15 wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit which is not to be exceeded when transacting a purchase and an expiration date by which any purchases must be transacted.

22. The method of claim 15 wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card by the purchase less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.

23. The method of claim 15 further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.

24. The method of claim 15 wherein the retailer being different from the purchase card provider.

25. A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising:

acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name embossed thereon;

providing purchase transactional information from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the purchase transactional information includes the non-personalized cardholder name from the purchase card; and

transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the non-personalized cardholder name, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is further defined as a name for the purchase card provided.

27. The method of claim 25 wherein the purchase card further includes an associated address for the purchase card provider, such that the address is provided to the retailer as part of the purchase transaction.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein the step of acquiring a purchase card further comprises purchasing the purchase card from a retail establishment, where the purchase card is provided to the retail establishment by the purchase card provider.

29. The method of claim 28 wherein the purchase card is provided by the purchase card provider to the retail establishment on a consignment basis.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit which is not to be exceeded when transacting a purchase and an expiration date by which any purchases must be transacted.

31. The method of claim 25 wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card by the purchase less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.

32. The method of claim 25 further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.

33. The method of claim 25 wherein the retailer being different from the purchase card provider.

34. A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising:

acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name and an associated address for the purchase card provider;

providing purchase transactional information from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the purchase transactional information includes the non-personalized cardholder name and the address from the purchase card; and

transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the non-personalized cardholder name and the address, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.

35. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is embossed on the purchase card.

36. The method of claim 34 wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is further defined as a name for the purchase card provided.

37. The method of claim 34 wherein the step of acquiring a purchase card further comprises purchasing the purchase card from a retail establishment, where the purchase card is provided to the retail establishment by the purchase card provider.

38. The method of claim 37 wherein the purchase card is provided by the purchase card provider to the retail establishment on a consignment basis.

39. The method of claim 34 wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit which is not to be exceeded when transacting a purchase and an expiration date by which any purchases must be transacted.

40. The method of claim 34 wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card by the purchase less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.

41. The method of claim 34 further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.

42. The method of claim 34 wherein the retailer being different from the purchase card provider.

43. A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising:

acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name, an account number, an expiration date and an associated address for the purchase card provider;

providing information relating to the purchase card from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the information consisting of the non-personalized cardholder name, the account number, the expiration date and the associated address; and

transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using said information, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.