Patent ID: 7516089

Claim:
A processor-implemented allocation method in a buyer-driven system in which conditional purchase offers are received and considered by or on behalf of a plurality of sellers, the conditional purchase offers each including: (1) a buyer-specified price for a good or service (2) a payment identifier specifying a financial account to be used to pay for said good or service upon acceptance of a conditional purchase offer by a seller and (3) authorization to charge said payment identifier for said good or service upon acceptance of a conditional purchase offer, comprising: determining, by a processor, which of at least two sellers of the plurality of sellers have the ability to provide the good or service and satisfy the conditional purchase offer; determining a priority schedule for the at least two sellers from at least one processor-implemented priority metric and at least one seller criterion; identifying one of the at least two sellers as a priority seller based on the priority schedule; and after receiving said buyer-specified price, payment identifier and authorization, providing the priority seller with a first look opportunity to satisfy a conditional purchase offer.