Patent ID: 7424435

Claim:
A method for a supplier to manage shipping charges for transportation of items by a shipping entity to customers of the supplier, comprising the computer-implemented steps of: providing a first shipping charge corresponding to an actual charge by the shipping entity to the supplier for transportation of items by the shipping entity from one or more actual supplier locations to a customer location; providing a second shipping charge corresponding to a shipping charge by the supplier to the customer and calculated by reference to charges applicable to shipment of the items to the customer from one or more virtual supplier locations that are different from the one or more actual supplier locations, said shipping charge by the supplier to the customer being determined without reference to said actual charge by the shipping entity to the supplier for transportation of said items to the customer location; computing a difference between the first shipping charge and the second shipping charge; and utilizing the computed difference, after said second shipping charge has been billed to the customer, to account for unbilled shipping costs in a predetermined period of time.