Patent ID: 8271394

Claim:
An Internet-based computer system for confirming that a local marketplace transaction has been consummated, said Internet-based computer system comprising at least one server computer programmed to: in response to a buyer request to purchase an item featured for sale by a seller, generate an identifier of a proposed transaction for a proposed sale by the seller of the item; store in a computer-accessible memory a record comprising a relationship between the identifier of the proposed transaction, an identification of the buyer, and an identification of the seller; communicate the identifier of the proposed transaction to the buyer; receive from the seller a communication of a transaction identifier in combination with a seller identification; and respond to said receiving from said seller of said communication of said transaction identifier by performing steps comprising: determining whether the transaction identifier comprises the identifier of the proposed transaction, and for the transaction identifier that comprises the identifier of the proposed transaction, determining whether the seller identification matches the identification of the seller saved in said relationship with the identifier of the proposed transaction, and for the transaction identifier that comprises the identifier of the proposed transaction, and for the seller identification that matches the identification of the seller saved in said relationship with the identifier of the proposed transaction, charging an account associated with the buyer for an amount associated with the proposed sale of the item.