Patent ID: 8626655

Claim:
A method for enabling completion of purchase transactions on a data processing system, the method comprising: the data processing system receiving a first credential that is linked to a customer account containing one or more pre-established electronic payment mechanisms; and responsive to the data processing system authenticating the first credential, the data processing system: accessing the customer account; identifying a financial transaction; in response to identifying the financial transaction, analyzing and comparing a plurality of ordered factors for each of the one or more pre-established electronic payment mechanisms, wherein each of the plurality of ordered factors for each pre-established electronic payment mechanism are ordered from most important to least important, and wherein the plurality of ordered factors include one or more of: an interest rate, a credit limit, an available credit, an amount of reward points, a current account balance, a credit type of account, a debit type of account, a discount account associated with the retail environment; dynamically and automatically selecting one of the one or more pre-established electronic payment mechanisms as a best payment mechanism for providing an electronic payment for the financial transaction, wherein the best mechanism is selected based on a retail environment associated with the financial transaction and the analysis and comparison of the plurality of ordered factors for each of the one or more pre-established electronic payment mechanisms; in response to determining a discount for the financial transaction is available by applying a discount card associated with the retail environment from a plurality of discount cards associated with the customer account, applying the discount card associated with the retail environment to the financial transaction, wherein the discount card is separate from the best payment mechanism; and outputting the selected best payment mechanism for use in completing an electronic payment for the financial transaction.