Patent ID: 7512563

Claim:
A method for automatically effecting payment for a user of an electronic auction web site maintained by at least one computing device to an operator associated with the electronic auction web site, said method comprising the steps of: executing by at least one processor a sequence of events, the sequence of events including the steps of providing the user with an option prior to the conclusion of an electronic auction provided by the electronic auction web site, the option enabling the user to authorize a payment system to execute an automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction, the automatic payment method includes automatically deducting funds from a payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the user; receiving authorization from the user in response to the provided option and prior to the beginning of the electronic auction to execute the automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction; and determining whether to execute the automatic payment method for the user after the conclusion of the electronic auction based on whether the user has provided authorization to execute the automatic payment method in response to the provided option; and executing by the at least one processor the automatic payment method after the conclusion of the electronic auction, if it is determined by the at least one processor to execute the automatic payment method and the user has provided authorization for executing the automatic payment method in response to the provided option, the executing step comprising the steps of: automatically deducting funds from the funds stored in the payment account corresponding to the user of the electronic auction web site; and automatically transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds into an account corresponding to the operator associated with the electronic auction web site.