Marketplace payments
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A system comprising:
- a market maker computer to facilitate an internet-accessible virtual market for goods via which seller-participants, using a client computer, can post goods to be offered for sale, and buyer-participants can, using a client computer, search or browse the goods having been posted to the virtual market hosted at the market maker computer;
the market maker computer including a transaction processor for processing a transaction involving the sale of a good from a seller-participant to a buyer-participant, the transaction processor to interface with one or more external payment systems to facilitate payments between buyer-participants and seller-participants by transferring funds between accounts and by debiting and crediting accounts; and
the market maker computer including an accounts database to store information concerning cash balances for participant accounts and to facilitate investments in highly liquid, safe assets for funds of any positive cash balance in a participant account, thereby providing an interest bearing account for use in transactions entered into via the virtual market.
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Abstract
Described herein is a virtual marketplace via which buyers and sellers can conclude transactions for the sale of goods and services. To facilitate payments for goods and services, and to encourage use of the marketplace, the system facilitates the establishment of interest bearing accounts, via which a buyer can fund transactions.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A system comprising:
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a market maker computer to facilitate an internet-accessible virtual market for goods via which seller-participants, using a client computer, can post goods to be offered for sale, and buyer-participants can, using a client computer, search or browse the goods having been posted to the virtual market hosted at the market maker computer; the market maker computer including a transaction processor for processing a transaction involving the sale of a good from a seller-participant to a buyer-participant, the transaction processor to interface with one or more external payment systems to facilitate payments between buyer-participants and seller-participants by transferring funds between accounts and by debiting and crediting accounts; and the market maker computer including an accounts database to store information concerning cash balances for participant accounts and to facilitate investments in highly liquid, safe assets for funds of any positive cash balance in a participant account, thereby providing an interest bearing account for use in transactions entered into via the virtual market. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A machine-readable storage medium storing instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor of a market maker computer, cause the computer to:
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facilitate an internet-accessible virtual market for goods via which seller-participants, using a client computer, can post goods to be offered for sale, and buyer-participants can, using a client computer, search or browse the goods having been posted to the virtual market hosted at the market maker computer; and process a transaction involving the sale of a good from a seller-participant to a buyer-participant, the processing of the transaction involving an interface with one or more external payment systems to facilitate payments between buyer-participants and seller-participants by transferring funds between accounts and by debiting and crediting accounts; store information concerning cash balances for participant accounts in an accounts database; and facilitating investments in highly liquid, safe assets for funds of any positive cash balance in a participant account, thereby providing an interest bearing account for use in transactions entered into via the virtual market. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. A method comprising:
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with a market maker computer, facilitating an internet-accessible virtual market for goods via which seller-participants, using a client computer, can post goods to be offered for sale, and buyer-participants can, using a client computer, search or browse the goods having been posted to the virtual market hosted at the market maker computer; and with the market maker computer, processing a transaction involving the sale of a good from a seller-participant to a buyer-participant, the processing of the transaction involving an interface with one or more external payment systems to facilitate payments between buyer-participants and seller-participants by transferring funds between accounts and by debiting and crediting accounts; storing information concerning cash balances for participant accounts in an accounts database; and facilitating investments in highly liquid, safe assets for funds of any positive cash balance in a participant account, thereby providing an interest bearing account for use in transactions entered into via the virtual market. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15, 16, 17, 18)
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Specification