Patent ID: 7334260

Claim:
An information processing apparatus connected to a plurality of information terminals by way of a network, comprising: storing means for storing user information; authenticating means for authenticating a user; recording means for recording one or more non-binding requests for an offer to sell goods transmitted by a first customer, the first customer authenticated by said authenticating means; supplying means for supplying a service list of the non-binding requests recorded by said recording means to one or more shops, the shops being authenticated by said authenticating means; recording means for recording submitted offers to sell goods, the submitted offers transmitted by the shops in response to the non-binding requests in said service list; searching means for searching for the submitted offers to sell goods, in response to a demand from the first customer; and transferring means for transferring, to the first customer, a submitted requests list of the non-binding requests transmitted by the first customer; wherein the searching means, in response to a demand from a second customer, allows the second customer to search the non-binding requests for an offer to sell goods submitted by the first customer, and wherein the transferring means transfers contents of first customer's non-binding requests to the second customer, and the second customer views and checks the contents of the first customer's non-binding requests before making a purchase.