Rating e-commerce transactions

• US 7,860,755 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2008
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Go Daddy Operating Company LLC (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Go Daddy Group Incorporated (GoDaddy, Inc.)
• Inventors: Warner, Neil
• Primary Examiner(s): DUNHAM, JASON B
• Application Number:
  US12/033,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20080140441A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26, 705/27, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/26.8
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/00 Administration; Management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Methods of the present invention allow for rating eCommerce transactions. An exemplary method for rating an eCommerce transaction may comprise the steps of identifying a plurality of data indicating the trustworthiness of a Hosting Provider, a Merchant, and/or a Customer, collecting the data, and generating a Transaction Trust Rating for an eCommerce transaction, with the Transaction Trust Rating being based upon the collected data. The Transaction Trust Rating may be stored in a Repository accessible to Internet users. A Transaction Trust Rating Indicator (indicative of the Transaction Trust Rating) also may be provided to the Hosting Provider, Merchant, and/or Customer and may take the form of a certificate for display on a webpage, a change in color of an address bar on a browser, and/or an alphanumeric ranking.

Claims

1. A method, comprising the steps of:

a) identifying, by at least one server computer, a plurality of data indicating the trustworthiness of a Hosting Provider hosting a Merchant'"'"'s website, said Merchant, and a Customer engaging in an eCommerce transaction via said Merchant'"'"'s website, wherein said Hosting Provider comprises a hosting company that provides website hosting services;

b) collecting, by at least one of said at least one server computer, said plurality of data;

c) generating, by at least one of said server computer, a Transaction Trust Rating for said eCommerce transaction, said Transaction Trust Rating being based upon said plurality of data, said plurality of data indicating;

i) whether said Hosting Provider satisfies the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard;

ii) the security of a system operated by said Hosting Provider;

iii) the reputation of a domain name registered to said Merchant;

iv) the reputation of a website operated by said Merchant;

v) whether a website operated by said Merchant is SSL-certified;

vi) said Customer'"'"'s purchase history;

vii) whether said Customer is authorized to use a credit card; and

viii) said Customer'"'"'s eCommerce reputation;

d) storing, by at least one of said at least one server computer, said Transaction Trust Rating and/or said plurality of data in a Trust Rating Database accessible to a plurality of Internet Users via the Internet;

e) providing, by at least one of said at least one server computer, a Transaction Trust Rating Indicator to said Hosting Provider, said Merchant, and/or said Customer, said Transaction Trust Rating Indicator indicating the Transaction Trust Rating and comprising a certificate for display on a webpage, a change in color of an address bar on a browser, and/or an alphanumeric ranking; and

f) approving, by at least one of said at least one server computer, said eCommerce transaction responsive to said Transaction Trust Rating exceeding a pre-determined value.