System to provide a posting payment amount as a credit for purchases

• US 8,510,175 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/08/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Van Luchene, Andrew S., O'Shea, Deirdre, Gelman, Geoffrey M., Alderucci, Dean P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott
• Assistant Examiner(s): CRAWLEY, TALIA F
• Application Number:
  US13/434,253
• Publication Number:
  US 20120185313A1
• Time in Patent Office: 502 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.3, 705/26.3
• US Class Current: 705/26.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• 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 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0217 involving input on products or services in exchange for incentives or rewards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0275 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• 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 30/0641 : Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 : Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Products and processes are provided in which information is received for a post relating to an item to be sold via a posting site. A posting payment amount relating to the post is determined. The posting amount is provided as a credit for purchases. For example, the credit may be a credit that is usable for purchases via the posting site.

Claims

1. Apparatus, comprising:

a processor;

a communication port coupled to the processor; and

a storage device operatively coupled to the processor and containing instructions configured to direct the processor to;

receive posting information for a post relating to an item to be sold via a posting site;

determine a posting payment amount relating to the post including determining the posting payment amount—

in response to receiving the posting information; and

provide the posting payment amount in exchange for the posting information, the posting payment amount being provided as a credit for purchases.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit for purchases is a credit usable for purchases via the posting site.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the credit for purchases is a coupon redeemable for merchandise from a particular merchant.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the credit is deposited into an account usable for purchases via the posting site.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the posting information includes account information identifying the account usable for purchases by the posting site.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, including instructions configured to direct the processor to validate the account information.

7. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the account information identifies an account of a seller of the item.

8. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the account information identifies an account of a party other than a seller of the item.

9. The apparatus of claim 5, including instructions configured to direct the processor to provide the posting payment amount using the account information.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the posting payment amount is responsive to the post for the item being posted.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the posting payment amount is responsive to the item being sold.

12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the posting payment amount is responsive to a bid being received for the item.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the posting payment amount is a positive amount that is paid to an entity from which the posting information about the post is received.

14. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the posting payment amount is a negative amount that is paid from an entity, from which the posting information about a post is received, to a posting site.

15. A method comprising:

receiving posting information for a post relating to an item to be sold via a posting site;

using at least one processor, determining a posting payment amount relating to the post including determining the posting payment amount—

in response to receiving the posting information; and

providing the posting payment amount in exchange for the posting information, the posting payment amount being provided as a credit for purchases.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the credit for purchases is a credit usable for purchases via the posting site.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the credit for purchases is a coupon redeemable for merchandise from a particular merchant.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the credit is deposited into an account usable for purchases via the posting site.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the posting information includes account information identifying the account usable for purchases by the posting site.

20. The method of claim 19, including validating the account information.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the account information comprises at least one of the debit and credit card information.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the account information identifies an account of a seller of the item.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the account information identifies an account of a party other than a seller of the item.

24. The method of claim 19, including providing the posting payment amount using the account information.

25. The method of claim 15, wherein the posting payment amount is responsive to the post for the item being posted.

26. The method of claim 15, wherein the posting payment amount is responsive to the item being sold.

27. The method of claim 15, wherein the posting payment amount is responsive to a bid being received for the item.

28. The method of claim 15, wherein the posting payment amount is a positive amount that is paid to an entity from which the posting information about the post is received.

29. The method of claim 15, wherein the posting payment amount is a negative amount that is paid from an entity, from which the posting information about a post is received, to a posting site.

30. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to direct a processor to:

receive posting information for a post relating to an item to be sold via a posting site;

determine a posting payment amount relating to the post including determining the posting payment amount—

in response to receiving the posting information; and

provide the posting payment amount in exchange for the posting information, the posting payment amount being provided as a credit for purchases.