Methods and sytem for a distributed transaction control system in enhanced directory assistance services

A method of generating a distributed business transaction in response to a directory assistance request from a telephone customer using a computer network comprising:

• maintaining a database including a plurality of directory listings, wherein each listing is associated with a referral phone number, at least one keyword and a bid amount a directory listing owner is willing to pay for a single telephone referral;
• receiving a directory assistance request in the form of a keyword from the customer;
• identifying the directory listings having keyword terms generating a match with the request;
• ordering the identified directory listings into a phone number result list in accordance with the values of the bid amounts for the identified directory listings;
• selecting one of the directory listings;
• generating a paid referral business transaction and associating it with the listing owner's advertising account;
• generating one or a plurality of derivative business transactions to execute the business processes involved in the referral transaction.