Patent ID: 7295997
Filing Date: 2007-11-13
Classification: G06Q

Abstract:
1. A method of sending a package to a customer while preserving customer privacy using a system that includes a merchant computer, a shipping computer, and a payment computer, comprising: receiving, from the customer at the merchant computer, a purchase request for a product; providing, from the customer to the merchant computer, an electronic token obtained from the shipping computer; sending, from the merchant computer to the payment computer, the electronic token corresponding to a customer account and a purchase amount corresponding to the purchase request; sending, from the payment computer to the shipping computer, a validation request to verify whether the electronic token is valid; verifying, at the shipping computer, the electronic token, wherein the verification comprises at least determining whether the electronic token has expired due to being used a predetermined number of times; converting, by the shipping computer after verification, the electronic token into shipping label information, wherein the shipping label information identifies neither a name nor a physical address of the customer; sending, from the shipping computer to the payment computer, a verification that the token is valid and the shipping label information; sending, from the payment computer to the merchant computer, the shipping label information; printing, at the merchant computer, a first label with the shipping label information; affixing the first label to the package containing the product; sending the package to a shipper; retrieving the name and the physical address of the customer using the shipping label information; and delivering the package to the customer.