Vendor comparison, advertising and switching

• US 7,870,025 B2
• Filed: 09/20/2001
• Issued: 01/11/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 09/20/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: English, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Carlson; Jeffrey D
• Application Number:
  US09/957,643
• Publication Number:
  US 20030055723A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,400 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.49, 705/14.6, 705/14.19, 705/347
• US Class Current: 705/14.49
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0251 Targeted advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0263 based upon Internet or website rating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method for switching vendors, including sending an invitation to a user to rate a first vendor in response to the user designating the first vendor as a payee, receiving a rating assigned to the first vendor, determining a second vendor as an alternative to the first vendor based on the rating being below a predefined threshold, sending information associated with the second vendor to the user, receiving a request from the user to switch from the first vendor to the second vendor, sending a cancellation notice to the first vendor in response to receiving the request, transmitting user information to a computer of the second vendor for setting up a new account, and charging the second vendor a fee for sending the information associated with the second vendor to the user.

Claims

1. A method for switching vendors comprising:

sending, using a processor of a computer, an invitation to a user to rate a first vendor in response to the user designating the first vendor as a payee while paying a bill from the first vendor using a financial management application (FMA) executing on the processor;

receiving, by the FMA, a rating assigned to the first vendor by the user in response to the invitation;

determining, using the processor of the computer, a second vendor based on the rating being below a predefined threshold, wherein the second vendor is an alternative to the first vendor;

sending, by the FMA, information associated with the second vendor to the user;

receiving, by the FMA, a request from the user to switch from the first vendor to the second vendor in response to sending the information associated with the second vendor;

sending, by the FMA, a cancellation notice to the first vendor in response to receiving the request;

transmitting user information from the FMA to a computer of the second vendor for setting up a new account in response to receiving the request; and

charging the second vendor a fee for sending the information associated with the second vendor to the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the information associated with the second vendor to the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the rating is a binary satisfaction rating.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the information associated with the second vendor comprises a service provided by the second vendor, wherein the service provided by the second vendor is a substitute for a service provided by the first vendor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein switching the user from the first vendor to the second vendor comprises:

sending a notification to the first vendor to terminate a service provided by the first vendor to the user; and

sending a request to the second vendor to initiate a service provided by the second vendor to the user.

6. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions to switch vendors, the instructions when executed by a processor of a computer comprising functionality to:

send an invitation to a user to rate a first vendor in response to the user designating the first vendor as a payee while paying a bill from the first vendor using a financial management application (FMA) executing on the processor;

receive a rating assigned to the first vendor by the user in response to the invitation;

determine a second vendor based on the rating being below a predefined threshold, wherein the second vendor is an alternative to the first vendor;

send information associated with the second vendor to the user;

receive a request from the user to switch from the first vendor to the second vendor in response to sending the information associated with the second vendor;

send a cancellation notice to the first vendor in response to receiving the request;

transmit user information from the FMA to a computer of the second vendor for setting up a new account in response to receiving the request; and

charge the second vendor a fee for sending the information associated with the second vendor to the user.

7. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, the instructions when executed by the processor further comprising functionality to:

display the information associated with the second vendor to the user.

8. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the rating is a binary satisfaction rating.

9. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the information associated with the second vendor comprises a service provided by the second vendor, and wherein the service provided by the second vendor is a substitute for a service provided by the first vendor.

10. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 6, wherein the instructions for switching the user from the first vendor to the second vendor further comprise functionality to:

send a notification to the first vendor to terminate a service provided by the first vendor to the user; and

send a request to the second vendor to initiate a service provided by the second vendor to the user.

11. A system for switching vendors, comprising:

a vendor database storing a first vendor a second vendor, wherein the second vendor is an alternative to the first vendor;

a referral software product executable on a processor of a computer and configured to;

send an invitation to a user to rate the first vendor in response to the user designating the first vendor as a payee while paying a bill from the first vendor using a financial management application (FMA) executing on the processor;

receive a rating assigned to the first vendor by the user in response to the invitation;

determine a second vendor based on the rating being below a predefined threshold, wherein the second vendor is an alternative to the first vendor; and

send information associated with the second vendor to the user; and

an interface executing on the processor and configured to;

receive a request from the user to switch from the first vendor to the second vendor in response to sending the information associated with the second vendor;

send a cancellation notice to the first vendor in response to receiving the request;

transmit user information from the FMA to a computer of the second vendor for setting up a new account in response to receiving the request; and

charge the second vendor a fee for sending the information associated with the second vendor to the user.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the rating is a binary satisfaction rating.