System and method to automate payment for a commerce transaction
DC CAFCFirst Claim
1. A method for automatically effecting payment for a user of an electronic auction web site maintained by at least one computing device to an operator associated with the electronic auction web site, said method comprising the steps of:
- executing by at least one processor a sequence of events, the sequence of events including the steps of providing the user with an option prior to the conclusion of an electronic auction provided by the electronic auction web site, the option enabling the user to authorize a payment system to execute an automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction, the automatic payment method includes automatically deducting funds from a payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the user;
receiving authorization from the user in response to the provided option and prior to the beginning of the electronic auction to execute the automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction; and
determining whether to execute the automatic payment method for the user after the conclusion of the electronic auction based on whether the user has provided authorization to execute the automatic payment method in response to the provided option; and
executing by the at least one processor the automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction, if it is determined by the at least one processor to execute the automatic payment method and the user has provided authorization for executing the automatic payment method in response to the provided option, the executing step comprising the steps of;
automatically deducting funds from the funds stored in the payment account corresponding to the user of the electronic auction web site; and
automatically transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds into an account corresponding to the operator associated with the electronic auction web site.
1 Assignment
Litigations
1 Petition
Reexamination
Accused Products
Abstract
The invention provides a computerized electronic auction payment system and method for effecting a real-time payment for an item won in an electronic auction by setting up and maintaining electronic auction payment accounts for prospective bidders and sellers. The prospective bidders provide funds to their electronic auction payment accounts maintained by the computerized electronic auction payment system, prior to being deemed as winning bidders, via direct deposit, using a credit card, or sending a check, money order, or other financial document to an operator of the computerized electronic auction payment system. In one embodiment, upon being deemed as a winning bidder, the winning bidder accesses a payment page, enters the total amount of funds to be transferred to the seller, and authorizes the computerized electronic auction payment system to effect a real-time payment by debiting his, i.e., the winning bidder'"'"'s, respective electronic auction payment account and crediting the electronic auction payment account of the seller, and/or another account specified by the seller. In an alternate embodiment, the prospective bidder authorizes the computerized electronic auction payment system to effect a real-time payment to the seller upon the prospective bidder being deemed the winning bidder (i.e., immediately following the conclusion of the auction). That is, without the winning bidder having to access the payment page.
-
Citations
22 Claims
-
1. A method for automatically effecting payment for a user of an electronic auction web site maintained by at least one computing device to an operator associated with the electronic auction web site, said method comprising the steps of:
-
executing by at least one processor a sequence of events, the sequence of events including the steps of providing the user with an option prior to the conclusion of an electronic auction provided by the electronic auction web site, the option enabling the user to authorize a payment system to execute an automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction, the automatic payment method includes automatically deducting funds from a payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the user;
receiving authorization from the user in response to the provided option and prior to the beginning of the electronic auction to execute the automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction; and
determining whether to execute the automatic payment method for the user after the conclusion of the electronic auction based on whether the user has provided authorization to execute the automatic payment method in response to the provided option; andexecuting by the at least one processor the automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction, if it is determined by the at least one processor to execute the automatic payment method and the user has provided authorization for executing the automatic payment method in response to the provided option, the executing step comprising the steps of; automatically deducting funds from the funds stored in the payment account corresponding to the user of the electronic auction web site; and automatically transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds into an account corresponding to the operator associated with the electronic auction web site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
-
-
7. A method for automatically effecting payment for a user of an electronic commerce web site, said method comprising the steps of:
-
setting up an electronic payment account by at least one processor for the user, said payment account storing funds therein for use in effecting payment for network-based commerce transactions; automatically deducting funds stored within the electronic payment account due to at least one network-based commerce transaction without receiving a request from the user to deduct funds following a termination event of the at least one network-based commerce transaction; and automatically transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds to an account associated with an operator of the electronic commerce web site, the electronic payment account storing funds therein and the electronic commerce web site are maintained by an electronic commerce and payment computing architecture, said computing architecture having computing devices for maintaining the electronic payment account storing funds therein and the electronic commerce web site, said computing devices being in operative communication with each other via at least one non-Internet connection. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9)
-
-
10. A network-based commerce system for automatically effecting payment for a user of a network-based commerce web site maintained by at least one computing device to an operator associated with the network-based commerce web site, said network-based commerce system comprising:
-
an automatic payment service module; and means for executing a sequence of events, the sequence of events including the steps of; providing the user with an option to enable an automatic payment service prior to the termination event of a network-based commerce transaction, the option enabling the user to authorize the automatic payment service module to execute an automatic payment method after the termination of the network-based commerce transaction, the automatic payment method includes automatically deducting funds from a payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the user; receiving authorization from the user in response to the provided option and prior to the termination event of the network-based commerce transaction to execute the automatic payment method after the termination event of the network-based commerce transaction; and determining whether to execute the automatic payment method for the user after the termination event of the network-based commerce transaction based on whether the user has provided authorization to execute the automatic payment method in response to the provided option; wherein the automatic payment service module executes the automatic payment method after the conclusion of the network-based commerce transaction, if it is determined to execute the automatic payment method and the user has provided authorization for executing the automatic payment method in response to the provided option, the automatic payment method comprising the steps of; automatically deducting funds from the funds stored in the payment account corresponding to the user of the network-based commerce transaction; and automatically transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds into an account corresponding to the operator associated with the network-based commerce web site. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
-
-
19. A payment system for automatically effecting payment for a user of an electronic commerce web site, said payment system comprising:
-
means for setting up a payment account for the user, said payment account storing funds therein for use in effecting payment for network-based commerce transactions; means for automatically deducting funds stored within the payment account due to at least one network-based commerce transaction without receiving a request from the user to deduct funds following a termination event of the at least one network-based commerce transaction; and means for automatically transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds to an account associated with an operator of the electronic commerce web site, the payment account storing funds therein and the electronic commerce web site are maintained by an electronic commerce and payment computing architecture, said computing architecture having computing devices for maintaining the payment account storing funds therein and the electronic commerce web site, said computing devices being in operative communication with each other via at least one non-Internet connection. - View Dependent Claims (20, 21, 22)
-
Specification