PAYMENT DURING TRIAL PERIOD OF REFERRAL SERVICE

• US 20080195538A1
• 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 7,689,470 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0214 Referral reward systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0635 Processing of requisition or of purchase orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Disclosure includes 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, forwarding the indication of the first order to the merchant, allocating a first payment for the first order to the merchant, requesting an acceptance of a membership status from the merchant, and receiving an indication of the payment for the first order.

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;

forwarding the indication of the first order to the merchant;

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

requesting an acceptance of a membership status from the merchant; and

receiving an indication of the payment for the first order.

2. The method of claim 1, in which receiving the indication of the payment for the first order includes receiving at least one electronic message.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the indication of the payment for the first order is received from a financial institution.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the indication of the first payment includes information identifying a transfer of money to a desired location.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving the money at the desired location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving the first payment.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

providing the first payment to the merchant.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a first element configured to receive an indication of a first order for a merchant during a trial mode, forward the indication of the first order to the merchant, request an acceptance of a membership status from the merchant, and receive an indication of the payment for the first order; and

a second element configured to select the merchant from a plurality of merchants, enable the trial mode for the merchant, and allocate a first payment for the first order to the merchant.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, in which the indication of the payment for the first order includes at least one electronic message.

10. The apparatus of claim 8, in which first element is configured to receive the indication of the payment for the first order from a financial institution.

11. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an order;

receiving an indication of a payment for the order, the indication of the payment including information related to a transfer of money;

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.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the payment; and

providing the allocated at least the merchant portion to the merchant.

13. A method comprising:

receiving an indication of an order for a merchant;

determining a trial status of the merchant;

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

receiving an indication of the payment for the order.

14. The method of claim 13, in which the indication of the payment includes information identifying a transfer of money to a desired location.

15. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

receiving the payment.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

providing an allocated merchant portion of the payment to the merchant.