Patent ID: 7606731

Claim:
A computer implemented method for guaranteeing a consumer a best price on an item or service purchased from a vendor in a first transaction at a first time at a first price, the first price paid by the consumer at the first time, the method comprising: storing in a first database at a computer data for a first price on an item or service at a first time and information identifying a consumer, receiving at the computer at least one second price for the item or service, the at least one second price comprising a price for the item or service at a time later than the first time, determining, during a predetermined time period following the first time, any price of the at least one second price lower than the first price for the item, comparing the first price to the at least one second price and calculating a money-value difference between the first price and the price of the at least one second price lower than the first price, determining a refund amount equal to the money-value difference, and posting the refund amount as a credit to an account of the consumer, wherein only prices for the item or service purchased from the vendor involved in the first transaction are taken into account in the step of determining any price of the at least one second price lower than the first price for the item.