Patent ID: 8543451

Claim:
A method comprising: transmitting, by a web server to a customer, an indication of at least one item; transmitting, by the web server to the customer, an indication of a first cost to the customer for the at least one item; receiving, by the web server, an indication that the customer is ready to purchase the at least one item from a first merchant; determining, by the web server, in response to the received indication and before the at least one item is purchased by the customer, a second cost to the customer for the at least one item based on a reduction amount, the second cost being less than the first cost; transmitting, by the web server, in response to the received indication and before the at least one item is purchased by the customer, an offer of a second merchant to reduce the first cost to the second cost in exchange for the customer agreeing to sign up for a service with the second merchant, the offer including an indication of the second cost and the reduction amount; receiving, by the web server, an indication that the customer accepts the offer of the second merchant and agrees to sign up for a service with the second merchant; selling the at least one item to the customer for the second cost; determining by the web server that the customer did not sign up for a service with the second merchant as the customer agreed to; and in response to determining that the customer for the second cost did not sign up for a service with the second merchant as the customer agreed to, assessing by the web server a penalty against the customer in exchange for the reduces associated total cost.