Patent ID: 6351739
Filing Date: 2002-02-26
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
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, a transaction amount is charged to the purchasing customer, and an amount is remitted to the selling vendor, comprising the steps by a third party of:a) establishing a billing agreement with the purchasing customer, and a remitting agreement with the selling vendor, to bill the purchasing customer, and to remit to the selling vendor, for products and services purchased over the Internet by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; b) providing a communications link through equipment of the third party between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor through which the purchasing customer obtains information from the selling vendor with respect to a purchase of a product or service by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; c) obtaining at least one billing authorization for the purchase; d) charging the transaction amount to the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing agreement; and e) remitting an amount related to the purchase to the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting agreement.