Patent ID: 8583506

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for an online purchase transaction computer to enable a user to execute an online purchase transaction over a networked computer system comprising the steps of: a. an online purchase transaction computer providing to a user device an option to cause payment to be made to a merchant computer for a product selected for purchase by the user device at least partially by reducing rewards from a designated user reward account stored on behalf of the user on a reward server computer that is different from the merchant computer; b. the online purchase transaction computer receiving from the user device a payment request to pay for the selected product, said payment request comprising an election of the option to cause payment to be made to the merchant computer for the selected product at least partially by reducing rewards from a designated user reward account stored on behalf of the user on a reward server computer that is different from the merchant computer; and c. in response to receiving from the user device the payment request comprising the election of the option to cause payment to be made to the merchant computer, the online purchase transaction computer communicating with the reward server computer to arrange for the reduction of rewards from the designated user reward account in order to at least partially pay for the selected product by (i) requesting the reward server computer to reduce the rewards in the designated user reward account by a designated amount; and (ii) receiving from the reward server computer consideration corresponding to the rewards reduced in the designated user reward account; and d. the online purchase transaction computer conveying consideration to the merchant computer to at least partially pay the merchant computer for the selected product.