Internet billing method

• US 6,188,994 B1
• Filed: 04/08/1998
• Issued: 02/13/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Netcraft Corporation
• Inventors: Egendorf, Andrew
• Primary Examiner(s): Voeltz, Emanuel Todd
• Assistant Examiner(s): KALINOWSKI, ALEXANDER G
• Application Number:
  US09/057,230
• Time in Patent Office: 1,042 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/42, 705/44, 705/26, 705/27, 709/217, 709/218, 709/219, 709/227, 709/228, 709/229
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

An Internet billing method comprises establishing an agreement between an Internet access provider and a customer, and an agreement between the Internet access provider and a vendor, wherein the Internet access provider agrees with the customer and the vendor to bill the customer and remit to the vendor for products and services purchased over the Internet by the customer from the vendor. The provider creates access to the Internet for the customer. When the customer orders a product or service over the Internet from a vendor, transactional information transmitted between the customer and the vendor is also transmitted to the provider. The provider then bills the transaction amount to the customer and remits a portion of the transaction amount to the vendor, keeping the differential as a fee for providing the service. As a result of this method, there is no need for any customer account numbers or vendor account numbers to be transmitted over the Internet, thereby maintaining the security of that information.

Claims

1. An Internet billing method for a plurality of customers, and a plurality of vendors of products or services, for transactions over the Internet between purchasing customers of the plurality of customers and selling vendors of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each transaction, a transaction amount is charged to a purchasing customer, comprising the steps of:

establishing an agreement between each of the plurality of vendors and a third party to the transactions, to share, for each transaction, the transaction amount;

for each transaction, the third party being advised over the Internet by a selling vendor that a purchasing customer has authorized the purchase of at least one product or service from the selling vendor;

for each transaction, the third party obtaining approval from an Internet access provider to charge the transaction amount to a billing account of the purchasing customer; and

for each transaction, the third party sharing the transaction amount with the selling vendor.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of charging comprises charging a billing account of the purchasing customer with an Internet access provider.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of charging comprises charging a credit card account of the purchasing customer.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of charging comprises delivering a bill to the purchasing customer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the third party shares the transaction amount with an Internet access provider.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sharing takes place before the step of charging.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of charging comprises charging an account of the purchasing customer with a bank.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of charging comprises charging an account of the purchasing customer with a company offering financial services.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of charging comprises charging an account of the purchasing customer with a telephone company.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of charging comprises charging an account of the purchasing customer with a cable television company.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of sharing the transaction amount with the selling vendor comprises remitting only a portion of the transaction amount to the selling vendor and retaining the remainder.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of remitting comprises remitting directly to the selling vendor.

13. The method according to claim 11, wherein the step of remitting comprises remitting to an account of the selling vendor.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the account of the selling vendor is a bank account.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the account of the selling vendor is a credit card merchant account.

16. The method according to claim 13, wherein the account of the selling vendor is an account with a company offering financial services.

17. The method according to claim 13, wherein the account of the selling vendor is an account with a telephone company.

18. The method according to claim 13, wherein the account of the selling vendor is an account with a cable television provider.

19. The method according to claim 13, wherein the account of the selling vendor is an account with an Internet access provider.

20. An Internet billing method for a plurality of customers, and a plurality of vendors of products or services, for transactions over the Internet between purchasing customers of the plurality of customers and selling vendors of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each transaction, a transaction amount is charged to an account of a purchasing customer with an Internet access provider, comprising the steps of:

establishing an agreement between each of the plurality of vendors and a third party to the transactions, to share, for each transaction, the transaction amount;

for each transaction, the third party being advised over the Internet by a selling vendor that a purchasing customer has authorized the purchase of at least one product or service from the selling vendor;

for each transaction, the third party obtaining approval from the Internet access provider to charge the transaction amount to an account of the purchasing customer with the Internet access provider;

for each transaction, the third party sharing the transaction amount with the Internet access provider; and

For each transaction, the third party sharing the transaction amount with the selling vendor by remitting only a portion of the transaction amount by remitting a check to the vendor or by remitting to a bank account of the vendor.