Electronic commerce bridge system
DCFirst Claim
1. A method for using an electronic commerce system having a bridge computer to allow a user at a user device to make a product purchase at a purchase price from a given vendor having a web site provided by a vendor computer over a communications network, wherein the vendor is associated with at least one of a plurality of service providers wherein each of the plurality of service providers has a service provider computer, and wherein the user has a user account maintained by at least one of the plurality of service providers, the method comprising:
- debiting the user'"'"'s account by the purchase price when the user purchases the product from the given vendor;
determining from among the plurality of service providers, using the bridge computer, whether the given vendor is associated with the same service provider with which the user'"'"'s account is maintained or is associated with a different service provider; and
if the service provider with which the user'"'"'s account is maintained is the same as the service provider with which the vendor is associated, crediting the given vendor by the purchase price using funds from the user'"'"'s account at that same service provider and, if the service provider with which the user'"'"'s account is maintained is different from the service provider with which the vendor is associated, crediting the given vendor by the purchase price using funds from the service provider with which the vendor is associated and using the bridge computer to reimburse that service provider with the purchase price using funds from the user'"'"'s account.
8 Assignments
Litigations
1 Petition
Accused Products
Abstract
Systems and methods are provided for supporting electronic commerce in an environment in which multiple service providers each have associated vendors and in which a user may maintain an account at a service provider that is different from the service provider associated with the vendor from which a user makes an on-line purchase. Both tangible products and electronic content products may be sold using the system. A bridge computer may be used to facilitate interactions between service providers. The bridge computer may be used to implement service charge fees, to reimburse service providers for credit card transaction fees, to reimburse service providers with appropriate referral fees, and to otherwise support operation of the system.
-
Citations
13 Claims
-
1. A method for using an electronic commerce system having a bridge computer to allow a user at a user device to make a product purchase at a purchase price from a given vendor having a web site provided by a vendor computer over a communications network, wherein the vendor is associated with at least one of a plurality of service providers wherein each of the plurality of service providers has a service provider computer, and wherein the user has a user account maintained by at least one of the plurality of service providers, the method comprising:
-
debiting the user'"'"'s account by the purchase price when the user purchases the product from the given vendor;
determining from among the plurality of service providers, using the bridge computer, whether the given vendor is associated with the same service provider with which the user'"'"'s account is maintained or is associated with a different service provider; and
if the service provider with which the user'"'"'s account is maintained is the same as the service provider with which the vendor is associated, crediting the given vendor by the purchase price using funds from the user'"'"'s account at that same service provider and, if the service provider with which the user'"'"'s account is maintained is different from the service provider with which the vendor is associated, crediting the given vendor by the purchase price using funds from the service provider with which the vendor is associated and using the bridge computer to reimburse that service provider with the purchase price using funds from the user'"'"'s account. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
-
Specification