System and method for effecting auction item payments through a network portal

• US 20080162347A1
• Filed: 12/27/2006
• Published: 07/03/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Datascape Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Datascape Incorporated
• Inventors: Wagner, Richard H.
• Granted Patent: US 8,577,744 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A merchant/seller portal enables sellers of auction items on Internet auction sites to obtain cash payments from buyers identified only by their buyer pseudonyms. The portal includes an open network interface, a seller database in which data associated with a seller are stored, a buyer manager for verifying auction purchase data received from a merchant terminal, an auction site manager for verifying auction transaction data with an auction site server, and an auction payment manager for communicating data messages with an auction payment server to transfer funds for a verified auction transaction.

Claims

1. An auction payment support portal comprising:

an open network interface;

a seller database in which data associated with a seller are stored;

a buyer manager configured to verify auction purchase data received from a merchant terminal;

an auction site manager configured to verify auction transaction data with an auction server; and

a transaction payment service manager configured to communicate data messages with an auction payment service server to transfer funds for a verified auction transaction.

2. The portal of claim 1, the buyer manager further comprising:

a seller authenticator configured to compare seller data obtained from the auction server with seller data in the seller database and to generate an auction confirmation signal in response to the seller data in the seller database corresponding with the seller data obtained from the auction server; and

the auction site manager communicating with an auction server to verify auction transaction data in response to the auction confirmation signal and generating a transaction approval form in response to the auction transaction data being verified by the auction server.

3. The portal of claim 2, the auction site manager further comprising:

a transaction manager configured to generate an open transaction record in response to receipt of auction transaction data confirmation signal received from the auction server.

4. The portal of claim 3, the transaction payment manager further comprising:

a merchant payment manager configured to generate and communicate electronic messages for effecting funds transfers to a portal operator account from a merchant account; and

an auction payment service manager configured to generate payment instruction messages for transferring funds to the seller through the auction payment service.

5. The portal of claim 4, the buyer manager further comprising:

a payment receipt manager configured to generate payment receipt messages in response to payment acknowledgement messages received from the auction payment service server and for communicating the payment receipt messages to buyers.

6. The portal of claim 5, the payment receipt manager further comprising:

an email message manager for sending payment notification messages to seller email addresses.

7. The portal of claim 4 wherein the merchant payment manager generates and communicates electronic messages for transferring funds to a portal operator account with the auction payment service;

and

the auction payment service manager is further configured to generate and communicate payment instructions for pushing funds from the portal account with the auction payment service to a seller account with the auction payment service.

8. The portal of claim 7 wherein the payment instructions use a MassPay method and the seller account is a PayPal account.

9. A method for operating an auction payment support portal comprising:

storing data associated with a seller in a database;

verifying auction purchase data received from a merchant terminal;

verifying auction transaction data with an auction server; and

communicating data messages with an auction payment service server to transfer funds for a verified auction transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, the auction purchase data verification further comprising:

comparing seller data obtained from the auction server with seller data stored in the seller database;

generating an auction confirmation signal in response to the seller data in the seller database corresponding with the seller data obtained from the auction server; and

generating a transaction approval form in response to an auction transaction data confirmation signal received from the auction server.

11. The method of claim 10 further comprising:

generating an open transaction record in response to receipt of a payment received signal from a merchant terminal.

12. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

generating and communicating electronic messages for transferring funds to a portal account from a merchant account; and

generating and communicating electronic messages for transferring funds to an auction payment service account from the portal account.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising:

generating payment receipt messages in response to payment acknowledgement messages received from the auction payment service server; and

communicating the payment receipt messages to buyers.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

sending payment receipt messages as email messages to buyer email addresses.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the generation and communication of electronic messages for transferring funds to an auction payment service account from the portal account transfers funds to a portal account with the auction payment service;

and

the method further comprises;

generating and communicating payment instructions for pushing funds from the portal account with the auction payment service to a seller account.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the generation and communication of electronic messages for transferring funds to an auction payment service account from the portal account transfers funds to a PayPal portal account with the auction payment service;

and

the method further comprises;

generating and communicating payment instructions for pushing funds using a MassPay method to a PayPal seller account.

17. A system for implementing transactions between a registered terminal at a merchant location and a vendor comprising:

an open network interface;

a registered party interface coupled to the open network interface;

a registered terminal at a location associated with a merchant that is a portal registrant, the registered terminal storing data for verifying registration of the terminal with the portal;

a seller database in which data associated with sellers are stored;

a buyer manager configured to verify auction purchase data received from a merchant terminal;

an auction site manager configured to verify auction transaction data with an auction site server; and

a transaction payment service manager configured to communicate data messages with an auction payment service server to transfer funds for a verified auction transaction.

18. The portal of claim 17, the transaction payment manager further comprising:

a merchant payment manager configured to generate and communicate electronic messages for transferring funds from a merchant account to a portal operator account; and

an auction payment service manager configured to generate and communicate payment instructions for pushing funds from the portal account with the auction payment service to a seller account with the auction payment service.

19. The portal of claim 18 wherein the electronic messages communicated by the merchant payment manager include electronic messages for transferring funds from a portal operator financial account to a portal account with the auction payment service.

20. The portal of claim 19 wherein the payment instructions use a MassPay method to push funds from a PayPal account for the portal operator to a PayPal account for the seller.