Patent ID: 7376613

Claim:
A computer-implemented method of doing business on a network comprising: providing a user with access to a first online store through one or more networks and via an on-screen display, the first online store having one or more products, each with a product description and a price, the product description and price being provided to the user via the on-screen display; receiving one or more selection requests for said one or more products from the user via the on-screen display, wherein one of the products is a selected product; providing a fixed shopping mode, via the on-screen display, where said user conducts a product purchase transaction for said selected product via the first online store; and providing a dynamic price shopping mode, via the on-screen display, where the user initiates an auction in real-time for generating bids for the selected product from different online stores, other than the first online store; wherein the on-screen display allows the user to begin shopping in the fixed shopping mode, then initiate the auction in the dynamic shopping mode, then elect to return to shopping in the fixed shopping mode without being obligated to accept any of the bids provided in the dynamic shopping mode, but having a choice to select any of the bids provided in the dynamic shopping mode.