System and Method for Using Credit and Quality Testing for the Procurement and Payment of Goods and Services
First Claim
1. A method for managing the procurement of goods or services by a buyer, the method comprising:
- forming an agreement between a provider and the buyer;
performing at least one of a quality or quantity check on the provider'"'"'s goods or services; and
providing a payment to the provider for the goods or services based on the actual quality or quantity of the goods or services delivered to the buyer based on the quality or quantity check.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
The invention relates generally to a method and system for managing the selection, procurement, and payment of goods and services. More specifically, the invention relates to a method for managing procurement and payment of goods and services integrated with both quality assurance services and a payment system to facilitate payment. In an embodiment a merchant and a buyer enter into an order that sets forth an amount and minimum specification of goods or services to be supplied to the buyer, and a price for the amount of goods or service. Goods or services are delivered to the buyer, and a sample is obtained. The sample is tested for at least one factor and test results transmitted to a payment service. Subject to a satisfactory test result the payment service provides payment for the goods or services in accordance with the order and the test results.
26 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method for managing the procurement of goods or services by a buyer, the method comprising:
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forming an agreement between a provider and the buyer; performing at least one of a quality or quantity check on the provider'"'"'s goods or services; and providing a payment to the provider for the goods or services based on the actual quality or quantity of the goods or services delivered to the buyer based on the quality or quantity check. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3)
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4. A method for managing the procurement of goods or services that ensures by third party verification that items purchased meet an agreed quality standard, the method comprising:
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identifying suppliers based on objective previous quality and quantity measures that are appropriate for the goods or services being procured; selecting a supplier based on the objective previous quality and quantity measures; providing a payment service whereby the payment service enters into agreements with the buyer and the supplier and wherein the payment service creates an agreement between the buyer and the supplier by virtue of the buyer and supplier'"'"'s respective agreements with the payment service; ensuring the goods or services supplied to the buyer are to the specified quantity and quality in the agreement between the buyer and the supplier by applying objective tests wherein the objective tests generate actual quality and actual quantity measures; completing the transaction between the buyer and the supplier if the actual quality and actual quantity measures meet the specifications of the agreement between the buyer and the supplier; and providing a resolution process if the actual quality and actual quantity measures do not meet the specifications of the agreement between the buyer and the supplier.
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5. A method for managing fuel procurement and payment services for marine bunkering transactions, the method comprising:
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establishing a bunker order between a fuel merchant and a buyer, said bunker order setting forth an amount of fuel to be supplied to the buyer by the fuel merchant, bunker specifications to be satisfied by the amount of fuel, and a price for the amount of fuel; delivering said amount of fuel set forth in the bunker order from the fuel merchant to the buyer; obtaining a fuel test sample from the amount of fuel delivered to the buyer and transmitting said fuel test sample to a bunker surveyor; testing the fuel test sample, whereby said bunker surveyor measures at least one bunker factor of the fuel test sample and prepares test results indicating whether said at least one bunker factor of the fuel test sample satisfies said bunker specifications; transmitting said test results from said bunker surveyor to a payment service; if said test results indicate satisfaction of said bunker specifications, electronically providing a payment from said payment service to said fuel merchant for delivering the amount of fuel in accordance with the bunker order and billing said buyer for said payment; and if said test results indicate failure to satisfy said bunker specifications, awaiting notification of a successful resolution between said fuel merchant and said buyer prior to electronically providing the payment from said payment service to said fuel merchant and billing said buyer for said payment. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A transaction system for managing fuel procurement and payment services for marine bunkering transactions, the system comprising:
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a fuel merchant; a buyer, said fuel merchant and said buyer being in communication to enter into a bunker order for supplying an amount of fuel meeting predefined bunker specifications to the buyer; and a transaction processing system operatively associated with said fuel supplier and said fuel buyer and adapted to; receive notification of a fuel delivery to the buyer corresponding to said bunker order; receive test results from a bunker surveyor, said test results including a measurement of at least one bunker factor of a fuel test sample taken from the amount of fuel supplied at the fuel delivery to the buyer; if said measurement of said at least one bunker factor satisfies a predetermined criterion defined by said predefined bunker specifications, electronically provide a payment to said fuel merchant for supplying the amount of fuel in accordance with the bunker order and bill said buyer for said payment; and if said measurement of said at least one bunker factor does not satisfy the predetermined criterion defined by said predefined bunker specifications, await notification of a resolution between said fuel merchant and said buyer prior to electronically providing the payment to said fuel merchant and billing said buyer for said payment. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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Specification