Method and apparatus of providing secure transactions on a network

A method of conducting a secured purchasing transaction on the Internet comprising:

• providing a unique identification code in a set top box browser for use with a television receiver at a customer's location;
• storing the unique identification code on a first server connected to the Internet along with customer billing and/or financial information prior to conducting any purchase transactions;
• connecting the customer to a selected location on the Internet to conduct a purchase transaction;
• transmitting the identification code of the set top box browser to a second server connected to the Internet;
• providing the second server with access to the customer billing and or/financial information in a secured manner;
• conducting a purchase transaction at the desired location on the Internet;
• and
• billing the customer independently of the transaction at the selected location.

An apparatus for performing secure business transactions on a network comprising:

• a customer input device having a unique identification code;
• means for storing customer specific billing information on a first server connected to the network along with the unique identification code prior to any transactions;
• means for locating a desired site on the network to conduct a business transaction;
• means for transmitting the identification code to a second server connected to the network;
• means for providing the second server with secure access to the customer specific information on the first server;
• means for conducting a transaction at a desired location;
• and
• means for billing the customer independently of the transaction.

A method of conducting a secured transaction on the Internet comprising the steps of:

• embedding a unique identification in a customer input device;
• performing a transaction at a shopping server through a second server having access to the unique identification of the input device;
• storing customer billing information on the first server;
• communicating between the second server and a first server over a secured line that a transaction has taken place.