Method and system to automate payment for a commerce transaction

• US 8,364,556 B2
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Issued: 01/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Nguyen, Ngan-Ha D., Herman, Jeffrey A., Gentry, Rene
• Primary Examiner(s): Refai, Ramsey
• Application Number:
  US13/411,006
• Publication Number:
  US 20120166340A1
• Time in Patent Office: 333 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 269, 705/27.1, 705/27.2, 705/75
• US Class Current: 705/26.35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• 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 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions

Abstract

A method and system to automate payment for a network-based commerce transaction provide a buyer an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein automatic payment service automatically provides payment to a seller upon a termination event of a network-based commerce transaction. Payment information of the buyer is provided to a network-based payment system upon the occurrence of the termination event.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

interfacing with a network-based commerce system configured to interact with a network-based payment system via a data network;

receiving, at the network-based commerce system by use of a data processor, payment information related in part to a first electronic payment account associated with a first party, the first electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system, the payment information including information related to a second electronic payment account associated with a second party, the second electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system;

receiving, at the network-based commerce system by use of the data processor, a request to complete a network-based commerce transaction upon occurrence of a termination event at the network-based commerce system, the termination event and a particular listing corresponding to the network-based commerce transaction;

determining if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system;

determining if the second party has disabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing while enabling automatic payment for transactions corresponding to different listings;

determining if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address; and

automatically sending, by use of the data processor, the payment information to the network-based payment system in a data network communication upon the occurrence of the termination event, if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system, if the second party has enabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing, and if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address, the sending of the payment information causing a transfer of funds at the network-based payment system from the first electronic payment account to the second electronic payment account.

2. The method of claim 1, further including enabling the first party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information, edit the payment information, and edit a shipping address.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the network-based commerce transaction is one or more of a network-based auction, a fixed-price sale of an item from a private individual a fixed-price sale of an item from an network-based store, and an on-line barter transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment information is selected from a group including a credit card number, a checking account number, a shipping address and an e-mail address.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the second party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving the payment information prior to the termination event.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing the payment information for future network-based commerce transactions.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the first party an option to always use the payment information for future network-based commerce transactions.

9. A system comprising:

means for interfacing with network-based commerce system configured to interact with a network-based payment system via a data network;

means for receiving, at the network-based commerce system by use of a data processor, payment information related in part to a first electronic payment account associated with a first party, the first electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system, the payment information including information related to a second electronic payment account associated with a second party, the second electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system;

means for receiving, at the network-based commerce system by use of the data processor, a request to complete a network-based commerce transaction upon occurence of a termination event at the network-based commerce system, the termination event and a particular listing corresponding to the network-based commerce transaction;

means for determining if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system;

means for determining if the second party has disabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing while enabling automatic payment for transactions corresponding to different listings;

means for determining if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address; and

means for automatically sending, by use of the data processor, the payment information to the network-based payment system in a data network communication upon the occurrence of the termination event, if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system, if the second party has enabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing, and if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address, the sending of the payment information causing a transfer of funds at the network-based payment system from the first electronic payment account to the second electronic payment account.

10. The system of claim 9, being further configured to enable the first party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information, edit the payment information, and edit a shipping address.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the network-based commerce transaction is one or more of a network-based auction, a fixed-price sale of an item from a private individual, a fixed-price sale of an item from an network-based store, and an on-line barter transaction.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the payment information is selected from a group including a credit card number, a checking account number, a shipping address and an e-mail address.

13. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for enabling the second party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for receiving the payment information prior to the termination event.

15. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for saving the payment information for future network-based commerce transactions.

16. The system of claim 9, further comprising means for providing the first party an option to always use the payment information for future network-based commerce transactions.

17. A network-based system comprising:

a marketplace machine configured to receive data from a data network and to send data to the data network, the marketplace machine including;

a data processor having access to the data network,

a database engine server, and

an automatic payment service module;

wherein the marketplace machine interfaces with a network-based commerce system configured to interact with a network-based payment system via the data network, the marketplace machine further to receive payment information related in part to a first electronic payment account associated with a first party, the first electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system, the payment information including information related to a second electronic payment account associated with a second party, the second electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system, the marketplace machine further to receive a request to complete a network-based commerce transaction upon occurrence of a termination event at the network-based commerce system, the termination event and a particular listing corresponding to the network-based commerce transaction, the marketplace machine further to determine if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system, determine if the second party has disabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing while enabling automatic payment for transactions corresponding to different listings, and determine if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address, and the marketplace machine further to automatically send the payment information to the network-based payment system in a data network communication upon the occurrence of the termination event, if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system, if the second party has enabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing, and if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address, the sending of the payment information causing a transfer of funds at the network-based payment system from the first electronic payment account to the second electronic payment account.

18. The network-based system of claim 17, being further configured to enable the first party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information, edit the payment information, and edit a shipping address.

19. The network-based system of claim 17, wherein the network-based commerce transaction is one or more of a network-based auction, a fixed-price sale of an item from a private individual, a fixed-price sale of an item from an network-based store, and an on-time barter transaction.

20. The network-based system of claim 17, wherein the payment information is selected from a group including a credit card number, a checking account number, a shipping address and an e-mail address.

21. The network-based system of claim 17, wherein the marketplace machine is configured to enable the second party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information.

22. The network-based system of claim 17, wherein the marketplace machine is configured to receive the payment information prior to the termination event.

23. The network-based system of claim 17, wherein the database engine server saves payment information for future network-based commerce transactions.

24. The network-based system of claim 17, wherein the marketplace machine provides the first party an option to always use the payment information for future network-based commerce transactions.

25. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium for storing a sequence of instructions that, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

interface with a network-based commerce system configured to interact with a network-based payment system via a data network;

receive, at the network-based commerce system, payment information related in part to a first electronic payment account associated with a first party, the first electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system, the payment information including information related to a second electronic payment account associated with a second party, the second electronic payment account having been previously established at the network-based payment system;

receive, at the network-based commerce system, a request to complete a network-based commerce transaction upon occurrence of a termination event at the network-based commerce system, the termination event and a particular listing corresponding to the network-based commerce transaction;

determine if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system;

determine if the second party has disabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing while enabling automatic payment for transactions corresponding to different listings;

determine if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address; and

automatically send the payment information to the network-based payment system in a data network communication upon the occurrence of the termination event, if the first party is registered with the network-based payment system, if the second party has enabled automatic payment for transactions corresponding to the particular listing, and if information provided by the first party can be confirmed based on a provided address, the sending of the payment information causing a transfer of funds at the network-based payment system from the first electronic payment account to the second electronic payment account.

26. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the sequence of instructions being further configured to cause the machine to enable the first party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information, edit the payment information, and edit a shipping address.

27. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the network-based commerce transaction is one or more of a network-based auction, a fixed-price sale of an item from a private individual, a fixed-price sale of an item from an network-based store, and an on-line barter transaction;

and wherein the payment information is selected form a group including a credit card number, a checking account number, a shipping address and an e-mail address.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the sequence of instructions being further configured to cause the machine to:

enable the second party to disable the automatic sending of the payment information; and

receive the payment information prior to the termination event.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 25, wherein the sequence of instructions being further configured to cause the machine to:

save the payment information for future network-based commerce transactions; and

provide the first party an option to always use the payment information for future network-based commerce transactions.