Patent ID: 7542943
Filing Date: 2009-06-02
Classification: G06Q,G07F

Abstract:
1. A computer system that provides a network-based payment service, the computer system comprising: an electronic data repository that stores account data associated with each of the following: (a) a plurality of users that are registered to make payments via the payment service, (b) a content provider that is registered to use the payment service to collect payments from the registered users for accessing content provided by the content provider, and (c) a web site operator that hosts, on a web site, a payment link that is selectable by the registered users to pay for and access the content provided by the content provider; and a server system coupled to the electronic data repository, the server system operated by a payment service provider that is separate from the content provider and the web site operator, the server system being separate from the web site, and being responsive to selection by a registered user of the payment link on said web site by charging the registered user a fee for accessing the content and by redirecting a web browser of the registered user to the content; wherein the payment link points to the server system such that selection of the payment link by a user causes a browser of the user to send a request message to the server system, and wherein the server system divides the fee between at least the web site operator and the content provider, such that the web site operator and the content provider each receive a portion of the fee; wherein the server system includes a web-based payment link generation tool that generates and outputs link coding for adding payment links to web sites that are external to the server system, said payment links including information used by the server system to process payment transactions initiated by users from said external web sites.