Method and system to automatically qualify a party to participate within a network-based commerce transaction

• US 9,053,504 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Taylor, Jeffrey, Morin, Noel, Goodwine, Annette, Sze, Vicky, Cooney, Kevin W., Hsin, James, Fung, Elaine, Shaviv, Vered, Maltzman, Reed
• Primary Examiner(s): Cheung, Mary
• Application Number:
  US13/104,561
• Publication Number:
  US 20120123902A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,491 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14.71, 705/26, 705/35, 705/37, 707705-718, 707/763, 707768-772, 707/779, 715/210
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 30/0641 Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/08 Auctions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A system to facilitate computer-based commerce includes receiving information relating to an item to be transacted via a computer-based commerce system from a first party. Criterion information specifying at least one criterion to be satisfied by a second party in order for the second party to be qualified to transact for the item via the computer-based commerce system is received from the first party. An automatic determination is made as to whether the second party satisfies the at least one criterion and if so, then the second party is automatically qualified to transact for the item via the computer-based commerce system.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

transmitting display information received from a device of a first party and relating to an item to be transacted in a transaction process via a computer-based commerce system;

receiving, from a second party, a request to be qualified to transact for the item in the transaction process via the computer-based commerce system, the receiving the request from the second party including receiving a first hypertext transfer protocol put (HTTP) request from the second party;

responsive to the request, automatically assembling financial information corresponding to the second party, the financial information including a credit score;

transmitting, to the first party, an automatically generated communication comprising the request and the financial information, the financial information including the credit score;

receiving, from the first party, a qualification response corresponding to the automatically generated communication, the receiving the qualification response from the first party including receiving a second HTTP request from the first party, the qualification response comprising an affirmation of qualification for the second party; and

responsive to receiving the qualification response, automatically performing an authorization process corresponding to a content of the qualification response.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the authorization process comprises;

authorizing the second party to transact in the transaction process when the qualification response affirms qualification of the second party.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the financial information further comprises at least one of bankruptcy filing information, a record of timeliness in payment history, a credit card brand name, a payment service brand name, and further financial information regarding the second party being provided by a third party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically generated communication further comprises a number of bid retractions initiated by the second party in the computer-based commerce system and the qualification response comprises a denial of qualification of the second party to transact in the transaction process when the number of bid retractions exceeds a predetermined threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the qualification response comprises an affirmation of qualification for the second party to transact in the transaction process via the computer-based commerce system during a predetermined period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the qualification response comprises an affirmation of qualification for the second party to transact via the computer-based commerce system while at least one criterion is met by the second party during the transaction process for the item.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically generated communication further comprises a history of a number of rule violations within the computer-based commerce system initiated by the second party, and wherein the qualification response comprises a denial of qualification of the second party to transact in the transaction process when the number of rule violations exceeds a predetermined amount.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically generated communication further comprises an amount of time that the second party has been registered with the computer-based commerce system, and wherein the qualification response comprises an affirmation of qualification for the second party to transact in the transaction process when the amount of time the second party has been registered exceeds a predetermined amount.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the automatically generated communication further comprises a relationship among a plurality of criteria, expressed with Boolean operators, and relating each of the criterion so as to define a criterion function.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-based commerce system comprises one of a network-based auction system and a fixed-priced transaction system.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, from a device of a first party, item information relating to an item to be offered for sale in a transaction process via a computer-based commerce system;

receiving, from the first party, criterion information specifying at least one criterion to be satisfied by a second party in order for the second party to be qualified to transact for purchase of the item via the computer-based commerce system, the at least one criterion comprising a financial criterion relating to information about the second party available to the computer-based commerce system, the financial criterion comprising a credit score;

automatically making a qualification determination as to whether the second party satisfies the at least one criterion, including the credit score, and is qualified to transact for the item in the transaction process via the computer-based commerce system; and

responsive to the qualification determination, automatically performing an authorization process corresponding to the qualification determination.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein

the qualification determination comprises one of:

an affirmation of qualification of the second party and a denial of qualification of the second party; and

the authorization process comprises;

authorizing the second party to transact in the transaction process when the qualification determination affirms qualification of the second party, and

denying authorization of the second party to transact in the transaction process when the qualification determination denies qualification of the second party.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the financial criterion comprises financial information relating to the second party comprising at least one of bankruptcy filing information, a record of timeliness in payment history, a credit card brand name, a payment service brand name, and further financial information regarding the second party being provided by a third party.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the information about the second party available to the computer-based commerce system comprises a number of bid retractions initiated by the second party and the qualification determination comprises a denial of qualification of the second party to transact in the transaction process when the number of bid retractions exceeds a predetermined threshold.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the qualification determination comprises an affirmation of qualification for the second party to transact in the transaction process via the computer-based commerce system during a predetermined period of time.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the qualification determination comprises an affirmation of qualification for the second party to transact via the computer-based commerce system while at least one criterion is met by the second party during the transaction process for the item.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the information about the second party available to the computer-based commerce system comprises a history of a number of rule violations initiated by the second party, and wherein the qualification determination comprises a denial of qualification of the second party to transact in the transaction process when the number of rule violations exceeds a predetermined amount.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the information about the second party available to the computer-based commerce system comprises an amount of time that the second party has been registered with the computer-based commerce system, and wherein the qualification determination comprises an affirmation of qualification for the second party to transact in the transaction process when the amount of time the second party has been registered exceeds a predetermined amount.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the information about the second party available to the computer-based commerce system comprises a relationship among the plurality of criteria, expressed with Boolean operators, and relating each of the criterion so as to define a criterion function.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the computer-based commerce system comprises one of a network-based auction system and a fixed-priced transaction system.