Patent ID: 6976008
Filing Date: 2005-12-13
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. An Internet billing method for a plurality of customers and a plurality of vendors of products or services for transactions over the Internet between a purchasing customer of the plurality of customers and a selling vendor of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each purchase transaction of a product or service between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor, a first amount is charged to the purchasing customer and a second amount is remitted to the selling vendor, the method comprising the steps by a third party to the purchase transaction of: a) establishing a billing agreement with the purchasing customer to permit the third party to charge the purchasing customer and to remit to a selling vendor for a purchase transaction; b) establishing a remitting agreement with the selling vendor to permit the third party to charge a purchasing customer and to remit to the selling vendor for a purchase transaction; c) providing a communications link through equipment of the third party between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor to permit the purchasing customer to communicate over the Internet with the selling vendor concerning the purchase transaction; d) receiving authorization over the Internet from the purchasing customer to charge the first amount to the purchasing customer without previously receiving a request from the selling vendor to charge the first amount to the purchasing customer; e) charging the first amount to the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing agreement; and f) remitting the second amount to the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting agreement, wherein after establishing the billing agreement the third party does not transfer ownership of the product or service from the selling vendor to the purchasing customer.