Patent ID: 8346662

Claim:
A method comprising: sending, from a client, one or more transmissions including: a request for an installation of a desktop application, the desktop application implemented at least in part with computer-executable instructions; and information about an account issued by an issuer to an account holder; receiving data for the installation of the desktop application on the client, the data including the computer-executable instructions; installing the desktop application using the data for the installation such that the desktop application is linked to the account at least at the time of installation and the computer-executable instructions of the desktop application are executable by the client; receiving, at the client, an alert including data for a financial transaction on the account that was previously conducted with a merchant, wherein: the desktop of the client has rendered thereon a user interface, the user interface rendered at least in part by the desktop application installed on the client; and the account was issued by the issuer to the account holder to conduct a plurality of said financial transactions on the account with a plurality of said merchants, the issuer being distinct from the account holder and each merchant; if the alert has been received during a time period when a user of the client was not on line, storing the alert for future delivery to the desktop of the client; and responsive to receiving the alert including the data for the financial transaction, at least: initiating a real-time chat session with an executable agent incorporating artificial intelligence and representing the issuer; and providing, to the executable agent through the real-time chat session, a written request for an investigation by the issuer of the financial transaction with respect to authorization of the financial transaction by the account holder, the written request comprising at least a reference to the financial transaction associated with the alert.