Tiered key communication system and method in support of controlled vendor message processing

A computer-implemented system in furtherance of providing a demand-based referral exchange between a particular subscriber and a provider on the basis of trusted relationships between subscribers and providers, comprising:

• an electronic message portal comprising a machine having a processor and a memory and a communication link and configured to i) transmit encrypted messages including content between subscribers and providers and ii) establish one or more trusted relationships between the subscribers and the providers based on the transmitting of encrypted messages therebetween, the encrypted messages including publicly inspectable metadata;
• a subscriber database under control of the electronic message portal and having a plurality of subscriber addresses and one or more supplemental addresses associated with each of a plurality of subscribers, wherein routing of encrypted messages from the content provider is defined by the subscriber database and is to:
• a) one of the subscriber addresses, b) at least one of the one or more supplemental addresses associated with the subscriber, or both a) and b), the subscriber database further identifying subscribers' trusted relationships with respective providers;
• wherein, for each of the plurality of encrypted messages, the processor is further configured by executing code and operative to:
• receive a particular encrypted message;
• obtain publicly inspectable metadata associated with the particular encrypted message and that identifies a respective provider and a respective subscriber;
• retrieve, from the subscriber database, routing information for the particular encrypted message on the basis of the obtained metadata;
• depending on whether a valid subscription agreement exists between the respective provider and the respective subscriber, either:
• cause the particular encrypted message to be routed to the respective subscriber in accordance with the routing information, or
• otherwise, in the event that a valid subscription agreement does not exist, notify the respective provider of a transaction exception;
• record, in the database, the respective subscriber's trusted relationship with the respective provider, wherein the trusted relationship is determined based on the routing of the encrypted message between the respective subscriber and the respective provider
• wherein, the processor is further configured to:
• respond, through a communication link connectable to a device of a particular subscriber, to a request that identifies a vendor service of interest to the particular subscriber;
• obtain a subscriber location of the particular subscriber;
• determine a set of providers that provide the vendor service of interest and that are identified in the subscriber database as having at least one trusted relationship with at least one other subscriber having a location proximate to the obtained subscriber location, the at least one other subscriber being different from the particular subscriber;
• identify a particular provider within the set of providers;
• and
• cause an ad of the particular provider to be served to the particular subscriber's device in reply to the request.

A computer-implemented system in furtherance of providing a demand-based referral exchange between a particular subscriber and a provider on the basis of trusted relationships between subscribers and providers, comprising:

• an electronic message portal comprising a machine having a processor and a memory and a communication link and configured to i) transmit encrypted messages including content between subscribers and providers and ii) establish one or more trusted relationships between the subscribers and the providers based on the routing of encrypted messages therebetween, the encrypted messages including publicly inspectable metadata;
• at least one database accessible to the electronic message portal and having a plurality of subscriber addresses and one or more supplemental addresses associated with each of a plurality of subscribers, wherein routing of encrypted messages from providers is defined by the at least one database and is to:
• a) one of the subscriber addresses, or b) at least one of the one or more supplemental addresses associated with the subscriber, or both a) and b), the at least one database further identifying subscribers' trusted relationships with respective providers;
• wherein the processor configured by executing code is further operative to:
• (1) monitor the routing of encrypted messages by the electronic message portal;
• (2) identify encrypted messages having metadata indicative of a transaction between a respective provider and a respective subscriber, and
• (3) for each identified encrypted message, record, in the at least one database, at least the identity of the respective provider in association with the identity of the respective subscriber, thereby recording the trusted relationship therebetween;
• and
• wherein, the processor is further configured to:
• respond, through a communication link connectable to a device of a particular subscriber, to a request that identifies a vendor service of interest to the particular subscriber;
• obtain a subscriber location of the particular subscriber;
• determine a set of providers that provide the vendor service of interest and that are within a predefined distance from the obtained subscriber location and that are identified in the at least one database as having at least one trusted relationship with at least one other subscriber, the at least one other subscriber being different from the particular subscriber;
• identify a particular provider within the set of providers;
• and
• cause an ad of the particular provider to be served to the particular subscriber's device in reply to the request.