Patent ID: 7698183

Claim:
A computer implemented method comprising: receiving, by a computer and from an information provider, a first price bid for priority of presenting the information provider, and a second price to charge users for services of the information provider, the first price bid to be paid by the information provider for being prioritized in presentation in response to a qualified selection of the information provider from presentations prioritized at least based on the first price bid; receiving from a user a first request for a type of information provider; identifying a set of identified information providers that satisfy the first request; prioritizing, using the computer, the set of identified information providers in accordance with at least the first price bid for priority of presenting the information provider and in accordance with availability of the set of identified information providers, to generate a prioritized set of information providers; providing the prioritized set of information providers for presentation to the user; receiving a second request from the user to select the information provider as a selected information provider from the prioritized set of information providers; in response to the second request, providing a connection for real time communications between the user and the selected information provider; in response to the second request determining whether to charge the selected information provider according to the first price bid based on determining whether the second request is a qualified selection; and monitoring a length of time of the connection, to charge the user according to the second price of the selected information provider.