Patent ID: 8032426

Claim:
A computer-based online system for managing a plurality of recurring purchase accounts, comprising: a memory that stores at least the following: a contribution manager that causes the computer-based online system to process a first request to contribute a specified amount to a recurring purchase account selected from the plurality of purchase; accounts, the first request including a category of baby care products to apply the specified amount; and a balance manager that causes the computer-based online system to receive a second request from a user associated with the recurring purchase account to apply at least a portion of an amount available in the recurring purchase account toward a purchase of a specified item, wherein the balance manager further causes the computer-based online system to determine whether the specified item is a product in the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account, and wherein only in response to determining that the specified item is a product in the category of baby care products associated with the recurring purchase account, the balance manager causes the computer-based online system to grant the second request, wherein each of the plurality of recurring purchase accounts is associated with a respective one of a plurality of users, and wherein each of the plurality of recurring purchase accounts is for use with a particular category of baby care products.