Patent ID: 7177836

Claim:
In an online commerce system including a buyer computer operated by a buyer, a seller computer operated by a seller, and a transaction facilitator comprising a network-accessible transaction computer that facilitates commercial transactions between buyers and sellers, a method for effecting a cash payment from the buyer to the seller in connection with an online transaction utilizing a payment enabling system operated by a payment enabler, comprising the computer-implemented steps of: receiving transaction information from the transaction computer in response to a proposed transaction between the buyer and the seller facilitated by the transaction facilitator, the transaction information including a transaction amount; communicating information to the buyer computer system for displaying the transaction information and enabling the selection by the buyer of a prearranged cash deposit payment instrument for use in effecting payment in connection with the transaction, the prearranged cash deposit payment instrument issued by a cash deposit payment instrument processor; receiving cash deposit payment instrument information input by the buyer via the buyer computer, the cash deposit payment instrument information including buyer information; determining a required deposit amount including at least the transaction amount and corresponding to the amount of cash that the buyer must deposit with the cash deposit payment instrument processor to find the prearranged cash deposit payment instrument; storing a cash deposit payment instrument registration record in a memory associated with the payment enabling system, the registration record storing the buyer information, the required deposit amount, and a data field indicating whether the required cash deposit has been received by the cash deposit payment instrument processor; communicating information to the cash deposit payment instrument processor comprising the required deposit amount and buyer information; in response to receipt of information from the cash deposit payment instrument processor that the required deposit amount has been received at a deposit location registered with the cash deposit payment instrument processor, updating the data field in the registration record indicating that the required deposit amount has been received by the cash deposit payment instrument processor; and in response to updating of the data field in the registration record indicating that the required deposit amount has been received by the cash deposit payment instrument processor, effecting completion of the transaction by making payment to the seller.