Method of transacting a purchase

• US 20050010489A1
• Filed: 04/08/2004
• Published: 01/13/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PrivaCash Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PrivaCash Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutton, David B., Blasiman, Douglas E.
• Application Number:
  US10/821,158
• Publication Number:
  US 20050010489A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

A method is provided for transacting an anonymous purchase over the Internet. The method comprises the steps of: (a) acquiring intermediary credit account information from a purchasing intermediary; (b) providing transactional purchase information, including the intermediary credit account information, to a retailer, where the transactional purchase information is provided by the purchaser using a first computing device of a computer-implemented purchasing system; and (c) transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the intermediary credit account information, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.

Claims

1-14. -14. cancel

15. A method of transacting a purchase, comprising:

acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card is a bearer instrument having an associated account number, but does not identify the person who acquired the purchase card;

providing purchase transactional information, including the account number associated with the purchase card, to a retailer, the retailer being different from the purchase card provider; and

transacting a purchase with the retailer based on the account number associated with the purchase card.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the purchase card having indicia of a card issuer, indicia of an interchange association, and indicia for at least one other entity associated with distribution of the purchase cards.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the indicia for at least one other entity is further defined as the name of the purchase card provider.

18. The method of claim 15 wherein the purchase card is selected from a plurality of purchase cards acquired by the purchase card provider, where each of the plurality of purchase cards embodies a different account number but having the same cardholder name.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of acquiring a purchase card further comprises purchasing the purchase card from a retail establishment, where the purchase card is provided to the retail establishment by the purchase card provider.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the purchase card is provided by the purchase card provider to the retail establishment on a consignment basis.

21. The method of claim 19 wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.

22. The method of claim 15 further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.

23. The method of claim 22 wherein contact information for the purchase card provider is provided on the purchase card.

24. The method of claim 22 wherein the consumer contacts the purchase card provider over a network connection using a software-implemented application.

25. The method of claim 15 wherein the step of transacting a purchase with the retailer further comprises authorizing the purchase by way of an authorization system of an interchange association.

26. A method of transacting a purchase, comprising:

acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having an associated account number, but does not identify the person who acquired the purchase card;

providing purchase transactional information, including the account number associated with the purchase card, to a retailer, the retailer being different from the purchase card provider;

activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase, wherein contact information for the purchase card provider is provided on the purchase card; and

transacting a purchase with the retailer based on the account number associated with the purchase card.

27. A method of transacting a purchase, comprising:

acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having an associated account number, but does not identify the person who acquired the purchase card, and the purchase card being is selected from a plurality of purchase cards acquired by the purchase card provider, where each of the plurality of purchase cards embodies a different account number but having the same cardholder name

providing purchase transactional information, including the account number associated with the purchase card, to a retailer, the retailer being different from the purchase card provider; and

transacting a purchase with the retailer based on the account number associated with the purchase card.