Patent ID: 7599881

Claim:
An electronic commerce method comprising: offering a user of an electronic commerce web site via a graphical user interface an incentive to use funds stored in a payment account corresponding to the user to effect payment for an electronic commerce transaction; receiving authorization from the user by at least one processor to use funds stored in the payment account corresponding to the user to effect payment for the electronic commerce transaction; and rewarding by the at least one processor the user for responding to the incentive for using funds stored in the payment account corresponding to the user to effect payment for the electronic commerce transaction, wherein the incentive is not rewarded by the at least one processor if the user uses a payment source other than the Payment account to effect payment for the electronic commerce transaction, wherein the payment account is maintained by a database maintaining a plurality of payment accounts each corresponding to a respective user of a plurality of users, including the user, of said electronic commerce web site, each of said plurality of payment accounts storing funds therein and each being used for electronic commerce transactions, wherein at least one payment source is used to obtain funds for storing within the payment account corresponding to the user prior to using hinds stored in the payment account corresponding to the user to effect payment for the electronic commerce transaction, wherein the at least one payment source is selected from the group comprising: a bank account and a credit card account.