Patent ID: 7765148

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for facilitating a payment from a buyer operating a buyer computer to a seller operating a seller computer in connection with an online auction transaction utilizing a payment enabling system operated by a payment enabler, wherein the transaction is facilitated by a transaction facilitator comprising a network-accessible auction transaction computer, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by the payment enabling system, online redirection of the buyer as a party registered with the transaction facilitator in connection with an online auction completed by the transaction facilitator; communicating, by the payment enabling system to the buyer computer for display to the buyer and following the redirection, information corresponding to a plurality of selectable payment instrument types; receiving, by the payment enabling system from the buyer computer, information corresponding to a buyer selection of one of the plurality of payment instrument types; registering, by the payment enabling system on behalf of the buyer, a payment instrument associated with the selected payment instrument type; receiving, by the payment enabling system from the seller computer in response to a request for the seller to register with the payment enabler, information corresponding to a seller selection of a disbursement instrument type that facilitates payment to the seller by the payment enabling system on behalf of the buyer, wherein the request to register is communicated to the seller computer by the transaction facilitator subsequent to the completion of the online auction; registering, by the payment enabling system on behalf of the seller and subsequent to the completion of the online auction and the redirection to the payment enabling system, a disbursement instrument associated with the selected disbursement instrument type; receiving, by the payment enabling system from the transaction computer, a command for a transfer of a predetermined amount of money from the buyer to the seller in connection with a transaction of resulting from the online auction conducted by the transaction facilitator; effecting, by the payment enabling system, a transfer of at least the predetermined amount of money from the buyer through the registered payment instrument associated with the buyer; and effecting, by the payment enabling system to the seller, a transfer of a disbursement amount of money through the registered disbursement instrument associated with the seller.