System and method for integrated payment and shipping information

• US 20090164333A1
• Filed: 12/21/2007
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Glyde Corporation
• Original Assignee: Glyde Corporation
• Inventors: Rothman, Simon
• Granted Patent: US 7,899,716 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 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A product distribution module integrated with a payment module. Actions in the distribution module trigger actions in the payment module. For example, a user clicking a “buy” button triggers the creation of a product mailer for a seller, and triggers the payment module to collect and hold the purchase price and shipping costs from the buyer. Acceptance of delivery by the buyer, or the expiration of a time-out period after tracking delivery by the distribution module, triggers release of the purchase price to the seller. A “shared responsibility” return method and system is also provided. The buyer has until a time out period to object to the product. If the buyer objects, in the buyer'"'"'s discretion the product can be returned, but the buyer is required to pay a portion of the return shipping costs subject to an algorithm.

Claims

1. A method for returning a product ordered from a multi-seller website, comprising:

recording a purchase of a product by a buyer from a seller on said website;

charging an account of said buyer for a purchase price of said product and delivery costs;

providing to said seller a mailer with tracking data for delivery of said product to said buyer;

electronically tracking a delivery of said product to said buyer;

initiating a timer for a time-out period upon tracking confirmation of delivery of said product to said buyer;

receiving a communication from said buyer within said time-out period requesting a return of said product to said seller;

providing to said buyer a mailer with tracking data for return of said product;

providing a refund to said buyer for up to said purchase price; and

allocating said delivery costs and return costs between said seller and said buyer according to an allocation algorithm.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending said mailers from an operator of said multi-seller website to said seller and buyer.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing said mailer for return with an address of an operator of said multi-seller website upon a request of said buyer indicating a defect verifiable by said operator.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said allocation algorithm alters the share of delivery costs and return costs allocated to said buyer and seller based upon reputation of said buyer and said seller.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining a privacy preference for said buyer and said seller;

determining a shipping name to be used for said mailers based upon said privacy preference

6. A method for handling payments between buyers and sellers on a multi-seller website, comprising:

establishing a virtual financial account for each user of said website, each user being at least one of a buyer and a seller;

crediting a virtual financial account of a user with virtual cash upon completion of a sale by said user; and

debiting virtual cash from a virtual account of user upon a buy decision by said user, provided there is virtual cash in said user'"'"'s virtual financial account.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising charging a third party payment account of said user for said purchase if there are insufficient funds in said virtual account.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving a communication from a buyer within a time-out period requesting a return of a product to a seller;

providing a credit to a virtual account of said buyer for up to a purchase price; and

allocating a delivery cost and a return cost between said seller and said buyer according to an allocation algorithm, and debiting the virtual accounts of said seller and said buyer; and

charging a third party payment account if there are insufficient funds in said virtual accounts.

9. A method for selling products ordered from a multi-seller website, comprising:

maintaining accounts for both sellers and buyers;

providing shipping mailers for delivery and return; and

electronically tracking delivery and return.

10. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a database configured to store product information for a product to be displayed over the internet;

a server configured to generate images of products using data from said database;

a communication interface configured to provide a link between said server and a browser of a user; and

computer readable media including computer readable code for a software application comprising;

code for displaying said images;

code for recording a purchase of a product by a buyer from a seller on said website;

code for charging an account of said buyer for a purchase price of said product and delivery costs;

code for providing to said seller a mailer with tracking data for delivery of said product to said buyer;

code for electronically tracking a delivery of said product to said buyer;

code for initiating a timer for a time-out period upon tracking confirmation of delivery of said product to said buyer;

code for receiving a communication from said buyer within said time-out period requesting a return of said product to said seller;

code for providing to said buyer a mailer with tracking data for return of said product to said seller;

code for providing a credit to said buyer for up to said purchase price; and

code for allocating said delivery costs and return costs between said seller and said buyer according to an allocation algorithm.

11. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a database configured to store product information for a product to be displayed over the internet;

a server configured to generate representations of products using data from said database;

a communication interface configured to provide a link between said server and a browser of a user; and

computer readable media including computer readable code for a software application comprising;

code for displaying said representations;

code for establishing a virtual account for each user of said website, each user being at least one of a buyer and a seller;

code for crediting a virtual account of a user with virtual cash upon completion of a purchase from said user; and

code for debiting virtual cash from a virtual account of user upon a buy decision by said user, provided there is virtual cash in said user'"'"'s virtual account.

12. A computer-implemented system comprising:

a database configured to store product information for a product to be displayed over the internet;

a server configured to generate representations of products using data from said database;

a communication interface configured to provide a link between said server and a browser of a user; and

computer readable media including computer readable code for a software application comprising;

code for displaying said representations;

code for maintaining accounts for both sellers and buyers;

code for providing shipping mailers for delivery and return; and

code for electronically tracking delivery and return.

13. An integrated payment system comprising:

a database configured to store user accounts and user histories, the user accounts being associated with payment information and user reputation information;

a listing module for providing at least a user interface, the user interface being adapted for listing and facilitating transactions of products on a website, the products being listed by one or more sellers, the listing module being configured to receive a purchase order of a product and to record the purchase order by a buyer from a seller on the website;

a payment module for charging an account of the buyer for a purchase price of the product and delivery costs, the payment module being configured to send a payment to an account of the seller if the buyer does not request a return within a determined time-out period, the payment module further being configured to allocate a return cost between the seller and the buyer if the buyer returns the product;

a delivery module for providing to the seller a first mailer with tracking data for delivery, the delivery module being configured to track a delivery of the product to the buyer, the delivery module further being configured to provide a second mailer with tracking data if the buyer requests a return within a determined time-out period; and

a reputation module for updating the user reputation information based on a transaction between the buyer and the seller for the product.

14. The system of claim 13 wherein the payment module allocates return costs based in part on the user reputation information.

15. The system of claim 13 further comprising a dispute resolution module for allocating the return cost.

16. The system of claim 13 wherein the payment module is configured to store the purchase price of the product in a holding account for the seller.

17. An integrated payment method comprising:

automatically facilitating the shipment of a product from a seller to a buyer in response to a buy indication by said buyer;

electronically tracking the receipt of said product by said buyer with a shipping module;

providing a receipt notification from said shipping module to a payment module upon acceptance of said product by said buyer; and

providing a payment to said seller in response to said receipt notification by said payment module.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein said acceptance is determined from one of a notification from said buyer and a time-out period expiration.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising:

collecting payment by said payment module from said buyer in response to said buy indication; and

putting said payment into a holding account.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein said automatically facilitating the shipment comprises generating a product mailer for delivery of said product, and further comprising:

generating a seller mailer for delivery of said product mailer to said seller;

tracking receipt of said seller mailer by said seller, mailing of said product mailer by said seller, and receipt of said product mailer by said buyer; and

providing tracking data by said shipping module to a seller reputation module.