Systems and methods for facilitating commercial transactions between parties residing at remote locations

• US 7,707,107 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2007
• Issued: 04/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Madhineni, Madhukar, Armes, David, Barrett, Michael R, Gebb, Lucas, Bishop, Fred, McKay, Joshua B, Krishnan, Vilayanur Parameswaran, Wojciechowski, Lee A
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US11/695,168
• Publication Number:
  US 20070168281A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,121 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38, 705/39, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• 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 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability. The invention also provides remote purchasers with means for making a secure, confidential transfer of funds; means for immediate initiation of shipment by a seller; means for releasing funds to a seller only after approval of the goods, services, or other value; means for demonstrating proof of payment; and means for having some level of recourse against a remote seller.

Claims

1. A method for a financial account issuer server to facilitate a transaction for an intermediary, the method comprising:

issuing, by the financial account issuer server, a first financial account having a first identifier;

receiving, by the financial account issuer server, a request from the intermediary to register the first financial account with the financial account issuer server, wherein the request comprises first transaction management information relating to facilitating transaction management between the first financial account and a second financial account, wherein the first transaction management information associates with the first financial account at least one of debiting routines, crediting routines, fraud analysis routines and settlement routines, and wherein the first transaction management information includes account information associated with the first financial account and the second financial account;

performing, by the financial account issuer server, an eligibility determination and credit worthiness determination for the first financial account based upon the first transaction management information and at least a first amount deposited in the first financial account at the financial account issuer server and recorded in a first database;

registering, by the financial account issuer server, the first financial account for the transaction management based on the outcome of the eligibility determination and credit worthiness determination, wherein the registering includes indicating that the first financial account and the first identifier qualify to participate in the transaction management;

receiving, by the financial account issuer server, a request from the intermediary to register the second financial account with the financial account issuer server, wherein the request comprises second transaction management information relating to facilitating the transaction management between the first financial account and a second financial account, wherein the second transaction management information associates with the second financial account at least one of debiting routines, crediting routines, fraud analysis routines and settlement routines, and wherein the second transaction management information includes account information associated with the first financial account and the second financial account;

performing, by the financial account issuer server, an eligibility determination and credit worthiness determination for the second financial account based upon the second transaction management information and at least a second amount deposited in the second financial account at the financial account issuer server and recorded in a second database;

registering, by the financial account issuer server, the second financial account for the transaction management based on the outcome of the eligibility determination and credit worthiness determination, wherein the registering includes indicating that the second financial account and the second identifier qualify to participate in the transaction management;

receiving, from the intermediary and by the financial account issuer server, a request associated with the transaction management to debit the first amount from the first financial account;

receiving, from the intermediary and by the financial account issuer server, a request associated with the transaction management to credit at least a portion of the first amount to the second financial account having a second identifier associated with the second financial account;

determining, by the financial account issuer server, if the request to debit the first financial account and the request to credit the second financial account are fraudulent, wherein the request to debit or the request to credit are fraudulent if the requests include at least one of an inaccurate identifier or an inappropriate amount;

debiting, by the financial account issuer server, the first amount from the first financial account by sending a request to adjust a balance of the first amount in the first database, if the request to debit the first financial account is not fraudulent; and

crediting, by the financial account issuer server, at least a portion of the first amount to the second financial account by sending a request to adjust a balance of the second amount in the second database, if the request to credit the second financial account is not fraudulent.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to debit is associated with an item, and wherein the intermediary facilitates, in response to receiving notification from the financial account issuer server of the debiting and the crediting, the exchange of the item between a first party associated with the first financial account and a second party associated with the second financial account, wherein the item was identified through at least one of classified advertisement, auction, internet posting, or internet auction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to debit is associated with an item, and wherein in response to at least one of a first party and a second party receiving notification from the financial account issuer server of the debiting and the crediting, the item is exchanged between the first party associated with the first financial account and the second party associated with the second financial account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request to debit is associated with an item, and wherein in response to at least one of a first party and a second party receiving notification from the financial account issuer server of the debiting and the crediting, the item is exchanged between the first party associated with the first financial account and the second party associated with the second financial account, wherein the item comprises at least one of a good, service, information, experience, access, or entertainment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving notification, at the financial account issuer server and in response to the debiting, that an item associated with the first amount has been shipped by a second party associated with the second financial account, prior to crediting at least a portion of the first amount to the second financial account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving notification, at the financial account issuer server and in response to the debiting, that an item associated with the first amount has been at least one of received or approved by a first party associated with the first financial account, prior to crediting at least a portion of the first amount to the second financial account.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving notification, at the financial account issuer server and in response to the debiting, that an item associated with the first amount has been shipped by a second party associated with the second financial account, prior to crediting at least a portion of the first amount to the second financial account.