Patent ID: 8160937

Claim:
A method for generating an order for a product, comprising: receiving requests to order a product from a customer that include a product code that identifies the product; receiving financial authorization from a third party regarding customer payment for the product; retrieving information for the product, wherein retrieving the information comprises: retrieving a product price for the product; and retrieving at least two distributor-specific mark-ups for the product, wherein the at least two distributor-specific mark-ups are associated with at least two different distributors of the product; calculating, using a processor, a customer price associated with each of the at least two distributor-specific mark-ups; displaying simultaneously the customer price associated with each of the at least two distributor-specific mark-ups; receiving a selection of at least one customer price that is being displayed; placing an order from the manufacturer of the product based upon the at least one customer price that was selected; and completing a purchase of the product in accordance with the order, including arranging for shipping by the manufacturer and payment of a portion of the at least one customer price to a distributor of the at least two different distributors that is associated with the at least one customer price, even though the order is originated, received and fulfilled in a manner independent of the distributor.