Patent ID: 8401881

Claim:
An Internet-enabled rental vehicle reservation management system, the system comprising: a server for communication via the Internet, wherein the server is configured to provide a plurality of graphical user interface (GUI) menus to an authorized purchaser computer for display thereon, wherein at least one of the GUI menus is configured to accept a selection by a user of the authorized purchaser computer as to which one of a plurality of competitive rental vehicle service providers that a rental vehicle reservation is to be booked with, and wherein at least one of the GUI menus is configured to accept input from the user for defining the rental vehicle reservation, wherein the server is further configured to communicate the rental vehicle reservation to the selected one of the competitive rental vehicle service providers via the Internet; a computer system for operation by a selected competitive rental vehicle service provider, the computer system for communication with the server via the Internet, the computer system configured to execute a rental vehicle software program, wherein the rental vehicle software program is configured to (1) automatically book the communicated rental vehicle reservation with the selected competitive rental vehicle service provider operating the computer system without human intervention on the part of personnel of the selected competitive rental vehicle service provider operating the computer system and (2) manage the booked rental vehicle reservation in response to further input from the user.