Patent Document ID: 8374956
Application ID: 12589645
Patent Flag: 1

Claim One:
1. An internet-centric electronic transaction system for facilitating automated retail sale of products from distributors to customers via a web-site, the system comprising: a database having stored therein product data for a plurality of products and customer data, the product data comprising data electronically transmitted from a plurality of distributors of the plurality of products, the data corresponding to similar products for sale by more than one of the distributors, and the customer data comprising personal information about customers; a catalog builder for generating electronic catalogs having user-specific product offerings for the plurality of product, the catalog builder dynamically placing the user-specific product offerings in electronic catalogs based on at least in part the personal information; a communication interface for permitting customers to access the electronic catalogs, to view the user-specific product offerings via a communications network, and to place purchase orders for one or more of the products; a payment authorization processor for determining whether to accept the purchase orders for fulfillment based on at least in part information stored in the database; a distributor authorization processor for authorizing the one or more distributors to directly ship the one or more products according to the purchase orders provided the purchase orders deemed accepted by the payment authorization processor; and a customer service sub-system for sending automated messages to the one or more customers with information about the accepted purchase orders.