Patent ID: 7403912

Claim:
A method for placing an order for image-related goods and/or services from a remote service provider over a communication network from a subscriber computer, said service provider maintaining an account balance of said subscriber which includes an amount of credit available to the subscriber for placement of said orders with said service provider, comprising the steps of: providing a preprogrammed software program for use on said subscriber computer for accessing said subscriber's personal digital image file collection on said subscriber computer, and allowing said subscriber to prepare said order while said subscriber computer is not connected to a computer server of said remote service provider over said communications network; said subscriber creating said order using said preprogrammed software on said subscriber computer, said preprogrammed software displaying said subscriber's account balance to said subscriber after preparing said order but prior to connecting to said remote service provider over said communications network; and said subscriber computer forwarding said order for image-related goods and/or services to said remote service provider over said communications network wherein said status of said subscriber account balance on said subscriber computer is updated when said subscriber computer is connected to said computer server of said remote service provider.