Patent ID: 6850901

Claim:
A computer system for automated order processing permitting a plurality of customers who have already provided a customer information set to the system to order one or more products from a plurality of products offered by one of a plurality of participating merchants, said system comprising: a first database including a variable length order number assigned to each of the plurality of products, each order number identifying a unique one of said plurality of products and the one of said plurality of participating merchants offering the product; a customer database including the customer information set corresponding to each of the plurality of system customers, said information set including a customer identification, a customer address, and a method of payment; means for receiving an incoming product order number representing one of the plurality of products offered from one of the plurality of customers; means for matching the incoming product order number to the one of the customer information sets corresponding to the one of the plurality of customers; means for matching the incoming product order to the one of said plurality of participating merchants that offers the one of the plurality of products; means for communicating the receipt of the product order number to the one of said plurality of participating merchants; and security means for confirming the identity of the one of the plurality of customers placing the order.