Systems and methods for facilitating purchase transactions in a network

• US 20080306831A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 12/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Abraham, Jack Phillip
• Application Number:
  US11/806,989
• Publication Number:
  US 20080306831A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating the purchase of one or more items from one or more vendors on a network through a platform. In one embodiment of the present invention, a method includes receiving at the platform a request from a user for purchase of at least one item from at least one vendor, and transmitting, from the platform, instructions to create a user account at each vendor from whom a purchase is made. An indication is transmitted, from the platform, to each vendor to purchase at least one item through the corresponding user account. The platform receives a corresponding confirmation associated with the user account at each vendor.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating the purchase of items from multiple vendors on a network through a platform, comprising:

receiving at the platform a request from a user for purchase of at least one item from at least one vendor;

transmitting, from the platform, instructions to create a user account at least one vendor;

transmitting, from the platform, an indication to each of the at least one vendor to purchase at least one item through the corresponding user account; and

receiving at the platform a corresponding confirmation associated with the user account at each of the at least one vendor.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising creating a platform account for the user.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein the transmitting instructions to create a user account is based on stored user information associated with the platform account.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the transmitting instructions to create the user account is further based on information obtained from the user after transmitting the indication to at least one vendor.

5. A method in accordance with claims 1 or 2 further comprising, after transmitting the instructions, logging in to each of the corresponding user accounts.

6. The method of claim 2 further comprising:

receiving account update information from the user;

updating the platform account for the user based on the account update information; and

transmitting corresponding user account update instructions to at least one vendor.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein each corresponding confirmation is received at a corresponding e-mail account that is created by the platform and associated with each corresponding user account.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein each corresponding e-mail account is created in response to receiving the request from the user for purchase of at least one item from at least one vendor.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein transmitting the instructions to create a user account comprises transmitting an address for each corresponding e-mail account to each of the at least one vendor.

10. The method of claim 7 further comprising transmitting a platform confirmation e-mail message to an operational e-mail address of the user, wherein the platform confirmation e-mail is based on the corresponding confirmation from each of the at least one vendor.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the platform confirmation e-mail is further based on user information associated with the platform account stored in memory.

39. A modulated data signal carrying computer executable instructions for performing the method of claim 1.

12. A method for facilitating the purchase of items from multiple vendors on a network, comprising:

receiving a request from a user for purchase of a first item from a first vendor, and a second item from a second vendor;

transmitting a first instruction to create a first user account at the first vendor;

transmitting a second instruction to create a second user account at the second vendor;

transmitting a first purchase indication to the first vendor for purchase of the first item through the first user account;

transmitting a second purchase indication to the second vendor for purchase of the second item through the second user account;

receiving a first purchase confirmation from the first vendor; and

receiving a second purchase confirmation from the second vendor.

13. The method of claim 12 further comprising creating a platform account for the user.

14. The method of claim 13 further comprising:

receiving at the platform account update information from the user;

updating the platform account for the user based on the account update information;

transmitting a first update instruction based on the account update information to the first vendor; and

transmitting a second update instruction based on the account update information to the second vendor.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein the first instruction includes a first proxy e-mail address associated with the platform account for the user, and the second instruction includes a second proxy e-mail address associated with the platform account for the user.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the first confirmation is received by the first proxy e-mail address, and the second confirmation is received by the second proxy e-mail address.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising the platform accessing the first confirmation and the second confirmation.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the platform account associates an operational e-mail address with the user.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising transmitting from the platform a confirmation e-mail message to the operational e-mail address, wherein the platform confirmation e-mail is based on the first confirmation and the second confirmation.

20. The method of claim 16 wherein the first proxy e-mail address and the second proxy e-mail address are the same.

21. The method of claim 16 wherein the first proxy e-mail address and the second proxy e-mail address are different.

22. A system for facilitating the purchase of items from multiple vendors on a network, comprising:

a computing device for receiving a request from a user for purchase of a first item from a first vendor and a second item from a second vendor, the computing device transmitting a first instruction to create a first user account on behalf of the user at the first vendor and transmitting a second instruction to create a second user account on behalf of the user at the second vendor, the computing device further transmitting a first purchase indication to the first vendor for purchase of the first item through the first user account and transmitting a second purchase indication to the second vendor for purchase of the second item through the second user account, the computing device further receiving a first confirmation from the first vendor and receiving a second confirmation from the second vendor.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein the computing device creates a platform account for the user.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein the computing device further:

receives account update information from the user;

updates the platform account for the user based on the account update information;

transmits a first update instruction based on the account update information to the first vendor; and

transmits a second update instruction based on the account update information to the second vendor.

25. The system of claim 23 wherein the first instruction includes a first proxy e-mail address associated with the platform account for the user, and the second instruction includes a second proxy e-mail address associated with the platform account for the user.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the first confirmation is received by the first proxy e-mail address, and the second confirmation is received by the second proxy e-mail address.

27. The system of claim 26 wherein the computing device accesses each of the first confirmation and the second confirmation using the first proxy e-mail address and second proxy e-mail address, respectively.

28. The system of claim 27 wherein the platform account associates an operational e-mail address with the user.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the computing device transmits a platform confirmation e-mail message to the operational e-mail address, and the platform confirmation e-mail is based on the first confirmation and the second confirmation.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the first proxy e-mail address and the second proxy e-mail address are the same.

31. The system of claim 25 wherein the first proxy e-mail address and the second proxy e-mail address are different.

32. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium, for use in a computer network environment that facilitates the purchase of items from multiple vendors on a network, the computer program product comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive a request from a user for purchase of a first item from a first vendor, and a second item from a second vendor;

transmit a first instruction to create a first user account at the first vendor;

transmit a second instruction to create a second user account at the second vendor;

transmit a first purchase indication to the first vendor for purchase of the first item through the first user account;

transmit a second purchase indication to the second vendor for purchase of the second item through the second user account;

receive a first purchase confirmation from the first vendor; and

receive a second purchase confirmation from the second vendor.

33. The computer program product of claim 32 further comprising instructions for causing a computer to create a platform account for the user.

34. The computer program product of claim 33 further comprising instructions for causing a computer to:

receive account update information from the user;

update the platform account for the user based on the account update information;

transmit a first update instruction based on the account update information to the first vendor; and

transmit a second update instruction based on the account update information to the second vendor.

35. The computer program product of claim 33 further comprising instructions for causing a computer to associate a first proxy e-mail address with the platform account for the user, and associate a second proxy e-mail address with the platform account for the user.

36. The computer program product of claim 35 further comprising instructions for causing a computer to access each of the first confirmation and the second confirmation using the first proxy e-mail address and second proxy e-mail address, respectively.

37. The computer program product of claim 36 further comprising instructions for causing a computer to enable the platform account to transmit to an operational e-mail address associated with the user.

38. The computer program product of claim 37 further comprising instructions for causing a computer to transmit a platform confirmation e-mail message to the operational e-mail address based on the first confirmation and the second confirmation.