Patent ID: 7689470
Filing Date: 2010-03-30
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method comprising: selecting, by a computer system of a delivery service, a merchant from a plurality of merchants based on an expansion plan for the delivery service, in which each of the plurality of merchants offer for sale at least one good, and wherein the selected merchant did not request to be selected; enabling, by a processor of the computer system, a trial mode of the delivery service for the selected merchant; during the trial mode, receiving by the computer system, an indication of a first order for the at least one good from a remote device of a customer; forwarding, by the computer system, the indication of the first order to the selected merchant; transmitting, by the computer system, a request to deliver the at least one good from the selected merchant to the customer; receiving, by the computer system, an indication of receipt of a first payment for the first order; allocating, by the computer system, at least a first part of the first payment for the first order to the selected merchant based on the trial mode of the selected merchant; and requesting, by the computer system, an acceptance of a membership mode from the selected merchant, in which the membership mode ends the trial mode.