CONDUCTING COMMERCE BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS

• US 20110087528A1
• Filed: 09/28/2010
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Paul J. Matsuda, Sarah E. Perry, Tracy L. Wilk
• Original Assignee: Paul J. Matsuda, Sarah E. Perry, Tracy L. Wilk
• Inventors: Wilk, Tracy L., Perry, Sarah E., Matsuda, Paul J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,473,353 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.4
• 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• 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 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• 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 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

Receiving payment includes the establishment, at a first server, a transaction record including information identifying a payment amount, a first account to be credited by the payment amount, and a second account to be debited by a debit amount. A financial authorization network performs an authorization analysis on at least the second account. The second account is debited if the authorization analysis is successfully completed, and the first account is directly credited by the payment amount to conclude the transaction. Risk analysis may be performed for each individual. Payment is integrated with shipping.

Claims

1-39. -39. (canceled)

40. A method for facilitating a transfer of payment, comprising:

receiving at a server first identification information associated with a first individual, second identification information associated with a second individual, and transaction information associated with a transaction between the first individual and the second individual, wherein the first identification information, the second identification information, and the transaction information are received from the first individual;

determining by the server whether the second individual is registered with the server;

if the second individual is not registered with the server, sending a registration request to the second individual based on the second identification information;

if the second individual is registered with the server, determining at the server whether the transaction should be approved based on the transaction information, wherein the transaction is associated with a transfer of funds between the first individual and the second individual; and

initiating the transfer of the funds between the first individual and the second individual if the server determines that the transaction should be approved.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein the transaction between the first individual and the second individual includes a payment from the first individual to the second individual, the first individual and the second individual not being qualified merchants to accept payments.

42. The method of claim 41 wherein determining whether the transaction should be approved includes determining whether an account associated with the first individual has sufficient funds.

43. The method of claim 41 wherein transferring the funds includes transferring the funds from a first account of the first individual to a second account of the second individual.

44. The method of claim 40 wherein the transaction between the first individual and the second individual includes a payment from the second individual to the first individual, the first individual and the second individual not being qualified merchants to accept payments.

45. The method of claim 44 wherein determining whether the transaction should be approved includes determining whether an account associated with the second individual has sufficient funds.

46. The method of claim 44 wherein transferring the funds includes transferring the funds from a second account of the second individual to a first account of the first individual.

47. The method of claim 40 wherein receiving the first information from the first individual includes receiving information associated with an account of the first individual on the server.

48. The method of claim 40 wherein receiving the first information from the first individual includes receiving registration information, the server creating an account for the first individual on the server based on the registration information.

49. The method of claim 40 wherein receiving the second information includes receiving an email address of the second individual, the email address being received from the first individual.

50. The method of claim 40 further comprising:

generating at the server a transaction record associated with the transaction; and

notifying the second individual of the transaction record.

51. The method of claim 50 wherein notifying the second individual includes sending a notification email indicating the transaction record to the second individual.

52. The method of claim 40 wherein the transaction is associated with a sale of goods between the first individual and the second individual.

53. The method of claim 52 wherein the sale of goods is negotiated in the physical world.

54. The method of claim 52 wherein the sale of goods is negotiated via an online auction website.

55. The method of claim 40 wherein receiving the transaction information includes receiving shipping information associated with the transaction, wherein the funds include shipping costs.

56. The method of claim 40, further comprising:

managing classified advertisements for a plurality of individuals.

57. A server comprising a computer readable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

receiving at the server first identification information associated with a first individual, second identification information associated with a second individual, and transaction information associated with a transaction between the first individual and the second individual, wherein the first identification information, the second identification information, and the transaction information are received from the first individual;

determining by the server whether the second individual is registered with the server;

if the second individual is not registered with the server, sending a registration request to the second individual based on the second identification information;

if the second individual is registered with the server, determining at the server whether the transaction should be approved based on the transaction information, wherein the transaction is associated with a transfer of funds between the first individual and the second individual; and

initiating the transfer of the funds between the first individual and the second individual if the server determines that the transaction should be approved.

58. The server of claim 57 wherein the transaction between the first individual and the second individual includes a payment from the first individual to the second individual, the first individual and the second individual not being qualified merchants to accept payments.

59. The server of claim 57 wherein the transaction between the first individual and the second individual includes a payment from the second individual to the first individual, the first individual and the second individual not being qualified merchants to accept payments.

60. A method for transferring payment, comprising:

sending to a server first identification information associated with a first individual, second identification information associated with a second individual, and transaction information associated with a transaction between the first individual and the second individual, wherein the first identification information, the second identification information, and the transaction information are sent by the first individual,

wherein the server determines whether the second individual is registered with the server,

wherein a registration request is received by the second individual if the second individual is not registered with the server, and

wherein if the second individual is registered with the server, the server determines whether the transaction should be approved based on the transaction information, the transaction being associated with a transfer of funds between the first individual and the second individual; and

receiving a notification of the transfer of funds between the first individual and the second individual if the server determines that the transaction should be approved.

61. The method of claim 60 wherein the transaction between the first individual and the second individual includes a payment from the first individual to the second individual, the first individual and the second individual not being qualified merchants to accept payments.

62. The method of claim 60 wherein the transaction between the first individual and the second individual includes a payment from the second individual to the first individual, the first individual and the second individual not being qualified merchants to accept payments.