Patent ID: 8965802
Filing Date: 2015-02-24
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: receiving, using a computer system, a purchase inquiry for a cloud computing service from a consumer, where the purchase inquiry specifies a first currency and a first transaction vehicle; pricing-out, using the computer system, the cloud computing service from a provider in accordance with the purchase inquiry, where a price, from the pricing-out, for the cloud computing service is provided in a second currency and requires a second transaction vehicle, the second transaction vehicle being different than the first transaction vehicle; reconciling, using the computer system, the price of the cloud computing service in the second currency using the second transaction vehicle with the purchase inquiry specifying the first currency and the first transaction vehicle; receiving a second purchase inquiry from each of one or more second consumers for the cloud computing service; grouping the consumer and the one or more second consumers into a consumer block; and charging each consumer in the consumer block for actual use of the cloud computing service; the charging including dividing an overhead cost among the consumers in the consumer block based on each customer's actual use of the cloud computing service, the overhead cost being a value of an unused portion of the cloud computing service purchased from the provider.