Internet billing method

• US 6,351,739 B1
• Filed: 05/11/2000
• Issued: 02/26/2002
• 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): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): FELTEN, DANIEL S
• Application Number:
  US09/568,925
• Time in Patent Office: 656 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/41, 705/42, 235/380, 235/379, 379/127
• 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 a purchasing customer of the plurality of customers and a selling vendor of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each purchase transaction, a transaction amount is charged to the purchasing customer, and an amount is remitted to the selling vendor, comprising the steps by a third party of:

a) establishing a billing agreement with the purchasing customer, and a remitting agreement with the selling vendor, to bill the purchasing customer, and to remit to the selling vendor, for products and services purchased over the Internet by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor;

b) providing a communications link through equipment of the third party between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor through which the purchasing customer obtains information from the selling vendor with respect to a purchase of a product or service by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor;

c) obtaining at least one billing authorization for the purchase;

d) charging the transaction amount to the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing agreement; and

e) remitting an amount related to the purchase to the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting agreement.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party from a communication sent by the purchasing customer to the third party.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party from a communication sent by the selling vendor to the third party.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party extracting the approval from a communication sent through the equipment of the third party either from the purchasing customer to the selling vendor or from the selling vendor to the purchasing customer.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party monitoring the existence of a communication sent through the equipment of the third party either from the purchasing customer to the selling vendor or from the selling vendor to the purchasing customer without extracting the approval from the communication.

6. The method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5, wherein the third party is an Internet access provider, a cable television company, a telephone company, or a company offering financial services.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein the communications link is over the Internet.

8. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one billing authorization does not include an account number to which to charge the purchasing customer.

9. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained in response to only a single action being performed by the purchasing customer.

10. The method according to claim 6, wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained over the Internet.

11. The method according to claim 6, wherein the product is a book, flowers, software, an electronic publication, or a telecommunications product or service.

12. The method according to claim 6, wherein the product or service is delivered over the Internet.

13. The method according to claim 6, wherein prior to the step of charging, the third party obtaining approval from a party other than the purchasing customer to charge the purchasing customer.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein the party other than the purchasing customer is a credit card company, a bank, a company offering financial services, the third party, or an Internet access provider.

15. The method according to claim 13, wherein the approval is obtained over the Internet.

16. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of charging comprises sending a bill or charging an account with a credit card company, a bank, a company offering financial services, a telephone company, a cable television company, the third party, or an Internet access provider.

17. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of remitting comprises sending a check or crediting an account with a credit card company, a bank, a company offering financial services, a telephone company, a cable television company, the third party, or an Internet access provider.

18. The method according to claim 6, wherein only a portion of the transaction amount is remitted to the selling vendor.

19. The method according to claim 6, wherein at least one of the steps of charging and remitting is done over the Internet.

20. The method according to claim 6, wherein the step of remitting is performed before the step of charging.

21. An Internet billing method for a plurality of customers and a plurality of vendors of products or services for transactions over the Internet between a purchasing customer of the plurality of customers and a selling vendor of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each purchase transaction, a transaction amount is charged to the purchasing customer, and an amount is remitted to the selling vendor, comprising the steps by a third party of:

a) establishing a billing agreement with the purchasing customer, and a remitting agreement with the selling vendor, to bill the purchasing customer, and to remit to the selling vendor, for products and services purchased over the Internet by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor;

b) providing a communications link through equipment of the third party between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor through which the purchasing customer obtains information from the selling vendor with respect to a purchase of a product or service by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor;

c) obtaining over the Internet at least one billing authorization for the purchase, which does not include an account number to which to charge the purchasing customer, from a communication sent by the purchasing customer to the third party in response to only a single action being performed by the purchasing customer;

d) charging the transaction amount to the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing agreement; and

e) remitting an amount related to the purchase to the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting agreement.