Method and system for facilitating payment of an online auction transaction

• US 20070136192A1
• Filed: 02/12/2007
• Published: 06/14/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Golub, Matt, Duncan, John, Tsuei, Henry, Morea, Dominic, German, Dan
• Granted Patent: US 7,765,148 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method for enabling two individual consumers to complete a transaction that includes payment from one consumer (the payor, or buyer) to another consumer (the payee, or seller). An intermediary typically operates the service over a computer network of nodes, such as the Internet. The buyer has the convenience of paying through a variety of different payment instruments. Likewise, the seller has the convenience of receiving payment through a variety of different disbursement instruments. For a fee, the intermediary collects the payment from the buyer and pays the seller. Although the intermediary may receive payment from the buyer before the intermediary transfers the payment to the seller, the intermediary may choose to pay the seller before receiving payment from the buyer. In this case, the intermediary assumes the risk of nonpayment by the buyer. Alternatively, the intermediary may pay a third party that specializes in processing transactions for the payment instrument chosen by the buyer to assume the risk of nonpayment by the buyer. In this case, the intermediary receives a promise of payment from the third party before the intermediary pays the seller. Such a promise of payment from the third party is referred to as an authorization.

Claims

1-31. -31. (canceled)

32. For use in connection with an online auction system including a buyer computer operated by a buyer, a seller computer operated by a seller, and a transaction facilitator comprising a network-accessible auction transaction computer that facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers, a method for facilitating a payment from a buyer to a seller in connection with an online transaction utilizing a payment enabling system operated by a payment enabler, comprising the computer-implemented steps of:

receiving online redirection of a party registered with the transaction facilitator in connection with operations of the transaction facilitator;

displaying information corresponding to a plurality of selectable payment instrument types to a first party as a buyer via a buyer computer;

receiving from the buyer computer information corresponding to registration by the first party as a buyer of a payment instrument comprising a selection of one of the plurality of payment instrument types as to define a registered payment instrument;

receiving from a second party as a seller via a seller computer information corresponding to registration by the seller of a disbursement instrument;

either before or after registration of a payment instrument, and either before or after registration of a disbursement instrument, receiving a command from the transaction computer for a transfer of a predetermined amount of money from a buyer to a seller as in connection with a transaction resulting from an auction process conducted by the transaction facilitator;

effecting a transfer of at least the predetermined amount of money from the buyer through a selected registered payment instrument associated with the buyer; and

effecting a transfer of a disbursement amount of money through the registered disbursement instrument associated with the seller to the seller.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the steps of displaying selectable payment instrument information and receiving payment instrument registration information occur prior to the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a static registration process.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the steps of displaying selectable payment instrument information and receiving payment instrument registration information occur after the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a dynamic registration process.

35. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of receiving disbursement instrument registration information occurs before the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a static registration process.

36. The method of claim 32, wherein the step of receiving disbursement instrument registration information occurs after the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a dynamic registration process.

37. The method of claim 32, wherein the auction transaction computer assigns unique user IDs to parties permitted to participate in the auction, and further comprising the step of receiving the unique user ID of the parties to a transaction upon redirection.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein the auction transaction computer assigns a transaction ID to a transaction between a buyer and a seller, and wherein the command for transfer of money includes a buyer'"'"'s user ID, a seller'"'"'s user ID, and the transaction ID.

39. The method of claim 32, wherein the redirection is effected in response to a party choosing of a menu option that appears when the party logs onto a web site associated with the auction transaction facilitator.

40. The method of claim 32, wherein the redirection is effected in response to the activation by a party of a hyperlink in an email.

41. The method of claim 32, wherein the steps of displaying information and receiving information are effected through a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein the web page provided by the payment enabling system is branded identically with a web page provided by the auction transaction facilitator.

43. The method of claim 32, wherein a party'"'"'s unique user ID is passed to the payment enabling system from the auction transaction computer upon redirection.

44. The method of claim 32, further comprising the step of generating an electronic invoice in connection with the transaction through a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein the electronic invoice includes information selected from the group:

bid price, shipping charges, handling charges, total price, fees charged by the payment enabler.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein the buyer reviews the electronic invoice by use of a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein the buyer is informed of the existence of an electronic invoice by access to the buyer'"'"'s account with the transaction facilitator or by email.

48. The method of claim 44, further comprising the step of providing a web page for a buyer to negotiate terms of an invoice via email or via a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

49. The method of claim 32, wherein the buyer provides information to the transaction facilitator indicative of a desire to pay on a transaction via the services of the payment enabler, and further comprising the step of receiving and storing transaction details information from the transaction computer.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the redirection occurs in response to the provision of the information from the buyer to the transaction facilitator indicative of the desire to pay on the transaction.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the transaction facilitator assists the buyer in requesting that the seller register with the payment enabler.

52. The method of claim 32, wherein the plurality of payment instrument types are selected from the group including:

flash cash deposit, credit card, electronic fund transaction, virtual private payment account, and paper check.

53. The method of claim 32, wherein the predetermined amount of money from the buyer includes an amount to cover the cost of the payment service provided by the payment enabler, and the disbursement amount of money to the seller comprises an amount of money from the buyer less the cost of the payment service.

54. The method of claim 32, wherein the steps of displaying information corresponding to a plurality of selectable payment instrument types to the first party as a buyer and receiving from the buyer computer information corresponding to selection and registration of a payment instrument is effected through an online cash register on behalf of the seller.

55. The method of claim 54, further comprising the step of displaying to the buyer via the online cash register information corresponding to the transaction including the specified price, any additional charges, and the total price.

56. A system for facilitating a payment from a buyer to a seller in connection with an online transaction utilizing a payment enabling system operated by a payment enabler, for use in connection with an online auction system including a buyer computer operated by a buyer, a seller computer operated by a seller, and a transaction facilitator comprising a network-accessible auction transaction computer that facilitates transactions between buyers and sellers, comprising:

a payment enabling system;

an interface for data communications with the buyer computer;

an interface for data communications with the seller computer;

an interface for data communications with the transaction computer;

the payment enabling system receiving online redirection of a party registered with the transaction facilitator in connection with operations of the transaction facilitator;

the payment enabling system displaying information corresponding to a plurality of selectable payment instrument types to a first party as a buyer via a buyer computer;

the payment enabling system receiving from the buyer computer information corresponding to registration by the first party as a buyer of a payment instrument comprising a selection of one of the plurality of payment instrument types as to define a registered payment instrument;

the payment enabling system receiving from a second party as a seller via a seller computer information corresponding to registration by the seller of a disbursement instrument;

the payment enabling system, either before or after registration of a payment instrument, and either before or after registration of a disbursement instrument, receiving a command from the transaction computer for a transfer of a predetermined amount of money from a buyer to a seller as in connection with a transaction resulting from an auction process conducted by the transaction facilitator;

the payment enabling system effecting a transfer of at least the predetermined amount of money from the buyer through a selected registered payment instrument associated with the buyer; and

the payment enabling system effecting a transfer of a disbursement amount of money through the registered disbursement instrument associated with the seller to the seller.

57. The system of claim 56, the payment enabling system displaying selectable payment instrument information and receiving payment instrument registration information prior to the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a static registration process.

58. The system of claim 56, the payment enabling system displaying selectable payment instrument information and receiving payment instrument registration information after the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a dynamic registration process.

59. The system of claim 56, the payment enabling system receiving disbursement instrument registration information prior to the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a static registration process.

60. The system of claim 56, the payment enabling system receiving disbursement instrument registration information after the transaction between the buyer and the seller in a dynamic registration process.

61. The system of claim 56, wherein the auction transaction computer assigns unique user IDs to parties permitted to participate in the auction, and wherein the payment enabling system receives the unique user ID of the parties to a transaction upon redirection.

62. The system of claim 61, wherein the auction transaction computer assigns a transaction ID to a transaction between a buyer and a seller, and wherein the command for transfer of money includes a buyer'"'"'s user ID, a seller'"'"'s user ID, and the transaction ID.

63. The system of claim 56, wherein the redirection is effected in response to a party choosing of a menu option that appears when the party logs onto a web site associated with the auction transaction facilitator.

64. The system of claim 56, wherein the redirection is effected in response to the activation by a party of a hyperlink in an email.

65. The system of claim 56, wherein the displaying of information and receiving information are effected through a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

66. The system of claim 65, wherein the web page provided by the payment enabling system is branded identically with a web page provided by the auction transaction facilitator.

67. The system of claim 56, wherein a party'"'"'s unique user ID is passed to the payment enabling system from the auction transaction computer upon redirection.

68. The system of claim 56, the payment enabling system further generating an electronic invoice in connection with the transaction through a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

69. The system of claim 68, wherein the electronic invoice includes information selected from the group:

bid price, shipping charges, handling charges, total price, fees charged by the payment enabler.

70. The system of claim 68, wherein the buyer reviews the electronic invoice by use of a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

71. The system of claim 68, wherein the buyer is informed of the existence of an electronic invoice by access to the buyer'"'"'s account with the transaction facilitator or by email.

72. The system of claim 68, further comprising the step of providing a web page for a buyer to negotiate terms of an invoice via email or via a web page provided by the payment enabling system.

73. The system of claim 56, wherein the buyer provides information to the transaction facilitator indicative of a desire to pay on a transaction via the services of the payment enabler, and further comprising the step of receiving and storing transaction details information from the transaction computer.

74. The system of claim 73, wherein the redirection occurs in response to the provision of the information from the buyer to the transaction facilitator indicative of the desire to pay on the transaction.

75. The system of claim 73, wherein the transaction facilitator assists the buyer in requesting that the seller register with the payment enabler.

76. The system of claim 56, wherein the plurality of payment instrument types are selected from the group including:

flash cash deposit, credit card, electronic fund transaction, virtual private payment account, and paper check.

77. The system of claim 56, wherein the predetermined amount of money from the buyer includes an amount to cover the cost of the payment service provided by the payment enabler, and the disbursement amount of money to the seller comprises an amount of money from the buyer less the cost of the payment service.

78. The system of claim 56, the payment enabling system displaying information corresponding to a plurality of selectable payment instrument types to the first party as a buyer and receiving from the buyer computer information corresponding to selection and registration of a payment instrument through an online cash register provided on behalf of the seller.

79. The system of claim 78, the payment enabling system displaying to the buyer via the online cash register information corresponding to the transaction including the specified price, any additional charges, and the total price.