Patent ID: 7620580

Claim:
A method for interfacing with a financial institution using a computer interface, the method comprising the steps of: (a) receiving a customer's interface request at the financial institution; (b) sending a first content to the customer wherein said first content is presented to the customer and wherein said first content includes a list comprising one or more products; (c) receiving at the financial institution a first input from the customer wherein said first input is based at least on said first content and includes a choice of one or more of said products; (d) determining if the customer is a current online client of the financial institution; (e) if the customer is a current online client, receiving from the customer a first set of information and if said first set of information is verified by the financial institution, sending a second content to the customer; (f) if the customer is not a current online client or if said first set of information is not verified by the financial institution, requesting a second set of information from the customer and determining a status of the customer, comprising: (i) receiving at the financial institution the second set of information from the customer; (ii) determining if the customer is an offline client of the financial institution based at least on the second set of information and if the customer is an offline client, sending the second content to the customer; and (iii) determining an identification of the customer if the second information has been received and the customer has been determined to be an offline client, or flagging the customer as a pending customer if an identification of the customer cannot be determined; (g) performing a suitability check on the customer or pending customer based on at least the first input; (h) approving the customer or pending customer for the chosen product based at least on the suitability check or flagging the customer as a pending customer if not approved for the chosen product based at least on the suitability check; and (i) sending a third content to the customer or pending customer based at least on a set of qualification criteria wherein said third content includes a list comprising one or more cross-sell products.