Patent ID: 7917437

Claim:
A computer-implemented method having steps which are accomplished on digital computers or mobile phones connected to an electronic communications network, for conducting online payment operations between a user who is paying an amount to obtain content or products or services, a primary payment system, and potential receivers comprising one or more vendors and an intermediary payment system, said method comprising: (a) maintaining, by said intermediary payment system comprising a data processor and a memory, records of unpaid amounts for said potential receivers, wherein said records of said unpaid amounts representing credit for underpaid potential receivers and debit for overpaid potential receivers, and wherein said unpaid amounts representing amounts that were not paid to some receivers but that were paid to other receivers; (b) choosing by using a calculation rule, by said intermediary payment system, at least one of said potential receivers and less than the total number of said potential receivers to become effective receivers of a nominal amount, even when said nominal amount is sufficient to pay all said potential receivers, and without needing further intervention from said user; (c) tending to minimize, by using said calculation rule, an absolute value of said unpaid amount for each of said potential receivers, or tending to minimize the time it takes for said unpaid amount to be paid for each of said potential receivers; (d) transferring, by said primary payment system, said amount from said user and transferring said nominal amount to said effective receivers, wherein said nominal amount comprising an amount that said potential receivers should receive and wherein said effective receivers include at least one of said potential receivers and less than the total number of said potential receivers; (e) recording for each of said effective receivers, by said intermediary payment system, said records of said unpaid amounts by recording as debit the part of said nominal amount received by said effective receiver; and (f) recording for each of said potential receivers, by said intermediary payment system, said records of said unpaid amounts by recording as credit the part of said nominal amount that said potential receiver should receive.