Integrated e-commerce sales and use tax exchange system and method

• US 8,700,504 B2
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Exactor, Inc. (Intuit, Inc.)
• Inventors: Barsade, Jonathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Erb, Nathan
• Application Number:
  US12/476,407
• Publication Number:
  US 20090240610A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,778 Days
• Field of Search: 705/31
• US Class Current: 705/31
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/123 Tax preparation or submission

Abstract

The invention provides a system and method for calculating, collecting and/or disbursing one or more third party payments owed to one or more third parties resulting from one or more electronic transactions occurring over a wide area network (WAN) between a customer and a merchant.

Claims

1. A client logic engine-based system for handling calculation and payment of one or more third party fees due to a third party as part of one or more wide area network transactions between a first party and a second party, wherein the first, second and third parties are users of distinct first, second and third nodes, respectively, of the wide area network, the system comprising:

a. a wide area network comprising;

     1) a first node of a first party, which is a consumer;

     2) a second node of a second party, which is a merchant;

     3) a third node distinct from and at a different locale than the first and second nodes, the third node comprising a third party financial service node of a financial payment service provider; and

     4) a third party fee system comprising;

i) a fourth node distinct from and at a different locale than the first, second and third nodes, the fourth node comprising a transaction client logic engine;

ii) a fifth node distinct from and at a different locale than the first, second and third nodes, the fifth node comprising a third party fee calculation client logic engine; and

iii) a sixth node distinct from and at a different locale than the first, second and third nodes, the sixth node comprising a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine;

wherein;

a) at each occurrence, a node comprises a program storage device readable by a computer, storing a computer program or instructions executable by the computer to perform the respective functions of the node;

b) the third party financial service node is on a node different than the nodes of transaction client logic engine, the third party fee calculation client logic engine, and the third party fee fulfillment client logic engine;

b. the third party financial service node of a financial payment service provider, residing on a node within the wide area network distinct from and at a different locale than the nodes of the first and the second party, being configured to;

transmit, via a transaction client agent, to a transaction client logic engine one or more transaction data information packets related to one or more wide area network transactions between the first and the second party;

receive, via a transaction client agent, from the transaction client logic engine or a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine one or more information data packets comprising authorization and fulfillment data for the transfer of funds; and

transmit to a financial network the one or more information data packets comprising authorization and fulfillment data for the transfer of funds;

c. the transaction client logic engine, residing on a node within the wide area network distinct from and at a different locale than the nodes of the first and the second party, being configured to;

include rules of logic for the determination of what action is required on transaction data information packets;

receive, via a transaction client agent, from the third party financial payment service node, of the provider, one or more transaction data information packets related to one or more wide area network transactions between the first and the second party;

determine what action is required on received transaction data information packets; and

based upon said determination, transmit the information packets;

between a third party fee calculation client logic engine and itself, between a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine and itself, or, via a transaction client agent, between the third party financial service node and itself;

d. the third party fee calculation client logic engine, residing on a node within the wide area network distinct from the nodes of the first and the second party, being configured to;

include rules of logic for the determination of fees owed to a third party on one or more transactions between the first and the second party;

receive one or more information packets from a transaction client logic engine;

calculate the third party fees owed on the transaction between the first and the second party; and

transmit to the transaction client logic engine, to a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine or, via a transaction client agent, to the third party financial service node, a transaction data information packet including said third party fees owed; and

e. the third party fee fulfillment client logic engine, residing on a node within the wide area network distinct from the nodes of the first and the second party, being configured to;

include rules of logic for the determination of fees owed to one or more third parties on one or more transactions between the first and the second party;

receive from the transaction client logic engine, or the third party fee calculation logic engine, one or more information packets containing data for the transfer of transaction funds between the first and the second party;

determine the third party fees owed on the transaction between the first and the second party;

provide authorization and fulfillment data for the third party fees owed on the transaction between the first and the second party; and

transmit to the third party financial service node, via a transaction client agent, or to the transaction client logic engine one or more information data packets comprising authorization and fulfillment data for the transfer of funds;

wherein the system causes the deduction of the third party fees owing from funds transferred between the first and the second party; and

causes the transfer of the third party fees to said one or more third parties;

f. wherein at each occurrence, a node is selected from a computer, server or gateway;

the first party is a consumer and the second party is a merchant; and

at least one node is a computer; and

g. wherein the transaction client agent;

i) intercepts transaction information transmitted by the third party financial service node to the transaction client logic engine;

ii) determines whether or not the transaction is of the type to undergo processing by the third party fee system, and, if not, then returns the transaction information to the third party financial service node, and, if so, iii) determines whether or not transaction information includes information added by the third party fee system, and, if so, returns the transaction information to the third party financial service node, and, if not, forwards the transaction information to the third party fee system and, after processing by the third party fee system, returns one or more transaction information data packets to the third party financial service node.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the financial payment service provider is selected from the group consisting of a payment processing gateway, a payment processor, merchant bank, association, issuer bank, credit card association, and a combination thereof.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second party comprises two distinct and separately located nodes within the wide area network:

a merchant shopping cart node and a distinct merchant non-shopping cart node at a locale different than the merchant shopping cart node, wherein the merchant non-shopping cart node is adapted to receive, directly or indirectly, from the transaction client logic engine one or more transaction data information packets including said third party fees owed, and the merchant non-shopping cart node comprises merchant accounting, billing or ledger software.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein each logic engine present is located at a node distinct from the other logic engines present.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wide area network is the Internet.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the merchant is an on-line merchant having a website resident on a node of the wide area network, the transaction is an on-line electronic transaction conducted over the wide area network, and the consumer is obtaining a good and/or service from the merchant.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the electronic transaction is selected from the group consisting of a credit card transaction, electronic payment transaction, and an e-commerce payment transaction.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein at least one of the third parties is a government agency and at least one of the third party fees is selected from the group consisting of a use tax, sales tax and value added tax.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein at least one of the third parties is a logic engine service provider that controls the system and provides for calculation and/or payment of at least one third party fee to the government agency.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein at least one of the third party fees is a fee due to the logic engine service provider.

11. The system of claim 10 further comprising a logic protocol that calculates the amount of third party fee due to the logic engine service provider.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a logic protocol that affects payment of a third party fee to the logic engine service provider.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising a logic protocol that determines if a transaction data information packet is to be transmitted to the third party fee calculation client logic engine, the third party fee fulfillment client logic engine and/or another node of the wide area network.

14. The system of claim 1 further comprising a logic protocol that determines if third party payment data is to be added to the transaction data information packet, and, if so, adds the payment data, and, if not, does not add the payment data.

15. The system of claim 1 further comprising an authorization and capture client agent.

16. The system of claim 1 further comprising a service provider fee logic engine, residing on a node within the wide area network, that at least one of:

receives one or more information packets from a transaction client logic engine;

includes rules of logic for the determination of a third party fee owed to a service provider of the system;

calculates the amount of third party fee due to the service provider; and

transmits to a transaction client agent a transaction data information packet including said third party fees owed to the service provider.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the third party fee due to the service provider is a fixed fee.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the third party fee due to the service provider is a prorated or incremental fee.

19. The system of claim 1, wherein the transaction client logic engine is configured to receive from a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine one or more information data packets comprising authorization and fulfillment data for the transfer of funds and to transmit, via a transaction client agent, said one or more information data packets to the third party financial service node.

20. One or more computer program storage devices readable by one or more computers, storing one or more computer programs or instructions executable by the one or more computers to perform a method for providing a transaction client logic engine, residing on a node within a wide area network, said method comprising:

a. through a transaction client agent, receiving at a transaction client logic engine, which is part of a third party fee system, one or more transaction data information packets from a third party financial payment service network provider related to one or more wide area network transactions between a first party and a second party;

b. determining at the transaction client logic engine what action is required on received transaction data information packets; and

c. based upon said determination;

transmitting the information packets between a third party fee calculation client logic engine, if present, and itself;

transmitting the information packets between a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine, if present, and itself;

transmitting, via a transaction client agent, the information packets between the third party financial payment service network provider and itself;

or transmitting the information packets to merchant accounting, billing or ledger software located at a merchant node distinct from a merchant shopping cart node;

wherein the transaction client logic engine;

resides on a node of a wide area network and at a different locale than the first party and second party;

comprises rules of logic for the determination of what action is required on transaction data information packets; and

is adapted to receive from a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine one or more information data packets comprising authorization and fulfillment data for the transfer of funds and to transmit said one or more information data packets to the third party financial payment service network provider; and

wherein the transaction client agent;

i) intercepts transaction information transmitted by the third party financial payment service network provider to the transaction client logic engine;

ii) determines whether or not the transaction is of the type to undergo processing by the third party fee system, and, if not, then returns the transaction information to the third party financial payment service network provider, and, if so, iii) determines whether or not transaction information includes information added by the third party fee system, and, if so, returns the transaction information to the third party financial payment service network provider, and, if not, forwards the transaction information to the transaction client logic engine and, after processing by the third party fee system, returns one or more transaction information data packets to the third party financial payment service network provider.

21. One or more computer program storage devices readable by one or more computers, storing one or more computer programs or instructions executable by the one or more computers to perform a method for providing a third party fee calculation client logic engine, residing on a node within a wide area network distinct from the nodes of a first party and a second party, the method comprising;

a. receiving at a 3rd party fee calculation client logic engine one or more information packets from a transaction client logic engine, said one or more information packets from the transaction client logic engine having been transmitted to the transaction client logic engine by a third party financial payment service network provider via a transaction client agent;

b. calculating at the 3rd party fee calculation client logic engine third party fees owed on a transaction between the first and the second party; and

c. transmitting from the 3rd party fee calculation client logic engine to the transaction client logic engine, to a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine, or, via a transaction client agent, to the third party financial payment service network provider a transaction data information packet including said third party fees owed;

wherein;

the third party fee calculation client logic engine and the transaction client logic engine are part of a third party fee system;

the third party fee calculation client logic engine;

resides on a node within a wide area network distinct from and at a different locale than the nodes of a first party and a second party;

comprises rules of logic for the determination of fees owed to a third party on one or more transactions between the first and the second party; and

the transaction client agent;

i) intercepts transaction information transmitted by the third party financial payment service network provider to the transaction client logic engine;

ii) determines whether or not the transaction is of the type to undergo processing by the third party fee system, and, if not, then returns the transaction information to the third party financial payment service network provider, and, if so, iii) determines whether or not transaction information includes information added by the third party fee system, and, if so, returns the transaction information to the third party financial payment service network provider, and, if not, forwards the transaction information to the transaction client logic engine and, after processing by the third party fee system, returns one or more transaction information data packets to the third party financial payment service network provider.

22. One or more computer program storage devices readable by one or more computers, storing one or more computer programs or instructions executable by the one or more computers to perform a method for providing a third party fee fulfillment client logic engine, residing on a node within a wide area network distinct from the nodes of a first party and a second party, the method comprising:

a. receiving from a transaction client logic engine or a third party fee calculation client logic engine one or more information packets containing data for the transfer of transaction funds between the first and the second party;

b. determining third party fees owed on a transaction between the first and the second party;

c. providing authorization and fulfillment data for the third party fees owed on the transaction between the first and the second party; and

d. transmitting, via a transaction client agent, to a third party financial payment service network provider or transmitting to the transaction client logic engine one or more information data packets comprising authorization and fulfillment data for the transfer of funds;

wherein;

the third party fee fulfillment client logic engine, the third party fee calculation client logic engine and the transaction client logic engine are part of a third party fee system;

the third party fee fulfillment client logic engine;

causes the deduction of the third party fees owing from funds transferred between the first and the second party;

causes the transfer of the third party fees to one or more third parties;

resides on a node within a wide area network distinct from and at a different locale than the nodes of a first party and a second party; and

comprises rules of logic for the determination of fees owed to one or more third parties on one or more transactions between the first and the second party; and

the transaction client agent;

i) intercepts transaction information transmitted by the third party financial payment service network provider to the transaction client logic engine;

ii) determines whether or not the transaction is of the type to undergo processing by the third party fee system, and, if not, then returns the transaction information to the third party financial payment service network provider, and, if so, iii) determines whether or not transaction information includes information added by the third party fee system, and, if so, returns the transaction information to the third party financial payment service network provider, and, if not, forwards the transaction information to the transaction client logic engine and, after processing by the third party fee system, returns one or more transaction information data packets to the third party financial payment service network provider.