DELIVERY AND REFERRAL SERVICE TRIAL PERIOD

• US 20080195531A1
• Filed: 02/09/2007
• Published: 08/14/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Original Assignee: CFPH LLC (Cantor Fitzgerald, L.P.)
• Inventors: Lutnick, Howard W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,680,698 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification

Abstract

Disclosure includes receiving an indication of an order, receiving an indication of a payment for the order, transmitting the indication of the order to a merchant, and allocating at least a merchant portion of the payment to the merchant based, at least in part, on a trial status of the merchant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

selecting a merchant from a plurality of merchants;

enabling a trial mode for the merchant;

during the trial mode, receiving an indication of a first order for the merchant, the first order including an order for at least one product;

forwarding the indication of the first order to the merchant; and

allocating a first payment for the first order to the merchant.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

initiating delivery of the product from the merchant to at least one customer.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting an indication of a request to deliver the product from the merchant to at least one customer.

4. The method of claim 3, in which the indication of the request is transmitted to at least one delivery agent.

5. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an order for at least one product;

receiving an indication of a payment for the order;

transmitting the indication of the order to a merchant; and

allocating at least a merchant portion of the payment to the merchant based, at least in part, on a trial status of the merchant.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

delivering the product from the merchant to at least one customer.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

transmitting, to at least one delivery agent, an indication of a request to deliver the product.

8. The method of claim 5, in which the trial status including one of a trial mode and a non-trial mode.

9. The method of claim 8, in which the payment includes the merchant portion and a fee portion.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

collecting the fee portion if the trial status includes the non-trial mode.

11. The method of claim 8, in which the trial status includes the trial mode for at least one of a predetermined amount of time, a predetermined number of total orders transmitted to the merchant, and a predetermined total sales amount made for the merchant.

12. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an order for at least one product of a merchant;

determining a trial status of the merchant; and

determining an allocation of a payment for the order based, at least in part, on the trial status.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

delivering the product from the merchant to at least one customer.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

transmitting, to at least one delivery agent, an indication of a request to deliver to product.

15. The method of claim 12, in which the trial status including one of a trial mode and a non-trial mode.

16. The method of claim 15, in which the allocation of the payment indicates that the entire payment is allocated to the merchant if the trial status includes the trial mode.

17. The method of claim 15, in which the payment includes a merchant portion and a fee portion.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

collecting the fee portion if the trial status includes the non-trial mode.

19. The method of claim 15, in which the trial status includes the trial mode for at least one of a predetermined amount of time, a predetermined number of total orders transmitted to the merchant, and a predetermined total sales amount made for the merchant.