Patent ID: 7606760

Claim:
A method for purchasing a product from a merchant server using a virtual payment account, the merchant server storing a product database containing information regarding tangible items offered for sale, the method comprising: in association with a merchant server receiving an order from a consumer computer to purchase a tangible product from the merchant server using a virtual payment account, transmitting an authentication request via a secure link to a commerce gateway that serves a plurality of merchant servers, including the merchant server; in response to the commerce gateway receiving the authentication request, determining whether a valid virtual payment account maintained by the commerce gateway is associated with the consumer computer; in response to the commerce gateway determining that a valid virtual payment account is associated with the consumer computer, returning an account identifier to the consumer computer; in response to the merchant server receiving the order to purchase the tangible product and the account identifier from the consumer computer, obtaining a valid transaction authorization from the commerce gateway; and in response to the merchant server receiving the valid transaction authorization, completing the purchase of the tangible product.