Patent ID: 7698217

Claim:
A computing device implemented method comprising: operating with one or more computing devices a billing service independent of one or more billing data issuing sources; obtaining by the one or more computing devices of the billing service a first and a second billing data from said one or more billing data issuing sources, the first and second billing data being separate and distinct billing data; providing by the one or more computing devices of the billing service the first billing data to a client, in response to a request received by the billing service for the first billing data, for use by a user to conduct transactions with a first web site, said first billing data being associated with the first web site by said billing service or said first billing data having been associated with the first web site by the user and said billing service receiving notification of such association, said billing service receiving notification of usage of the first billing data after the first billing data has been used to conduct a transaction, said notification of usage of the first billing data including identification of a first entity with which the first billing data was used and facilitating verification by said billing service of validity of the usage of the first billing data; determining by the one or more computing devices of the billing service whether use of the first billing data is valid, including determining whether the first billing data was used with the first web site by comparing identity of the first entity against identity of the first web site; providing by the one or more computing devices of the billing service the second billing data to the client, in response to a request received by the billing service for the second billing data, for use by said user to conduct transactions with a second web site, said second billing data being associated with the second web site by said billing service or said second billing data having been associated with the second web site by the user and said billing service receiving notification of such association, said billing service receiving notification of usage of the second billing data after the second billing data has been used to conduct a transaction, said notification of usage of the second billing data including identification of a second entity with which the second billing data was used and facilitating verification by said billing service of validity of the usage of the second billing data; and determining by the one or more computing devices of the billing service whether use of the second billing data is valid, including determining whether the second billing data was used with the second web site by comparing identity of the second entity against identity of the second web site.