# US 2007/0168281 A1 · Systems and methods for facilitating commercial transactions between parties residing at remote locations > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2007/0168281 A1 - Document ID: US20070168281A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 11/695,168 - Filed: 2007-04-02 - Published: 2007-07-19 - Earliest claimed: 1999-11-05 - Assignees: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. - Inventors: Fred Bishop; Michael Barrett; David Armes; Lee Wojciechowski; Madhukar Madhineni; Vilayanur Krishnan; Joshua McKay; Lucas Gebb - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20070168281A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/06: Buying, selling or leasing transactions - G06Q 20/02: involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP] - G06Q 20/04: Payment circuits - G06Q 20/10: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems - G06Q 20/102: {Bill distribution or payments} - G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems - G06Q 20/403: {Solvency checks} - G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping] - G06Q 30/0633: {Managing shopping lists, e.g. compiling or processing purchase lists (shipping orders G06Q10/083; order filling G06Q10/087)} - G06Q 40/00: Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes - G06Q 40/03: Credit; Loans; Processing thereof - G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR ## Abstract The present invention provides a system and method for facilitating commercial transactions involving the exchange of monetary value for goods, services, or other value between remote individuals, as in the case of transactions between users of a distributed computer network such as the Internet. Remote individuals are provided with a convenient, cost-efficient, and secure means for engaging in commercial transactions with one another. The invention provides remote sellers with an irrevocable means of receiving funds from a remote purchaser; means for improving purchaser willingness to transact with an unknown party; transaction tracking; and rapid funds availability. The invention also provides remote purchasers with means for making a secure, confidential transfer of funds; means for immediate initiation of shipment by a seller; means for releasing funds to a seller only after approval of the goods, services, or other value; means for demonstrating proof of payment; and means for having some level of recourse against a remote seller. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of facilitating commercial transactions, said method comprising the steps of: receiving, at said transaction mechanism, a request to debit said first financial account to effectuate a purchase transaction between said first party and a second party; providing an intermediary to facilitate said transaction between said first party and said second party, wherein said intermediary is selected from the group consisting of an online auction, an online classified ad site, and an online merchant; receiving, at said transaction mechanism, transaction information relating to said purchase transaction between said first party and said second party; comparing, at said transaction mechanism, said transaction information with previous transaction information to determine whether said request to debit said first financial account is fraudulent; determining, at said transaction mechanism, whether said purchase transaction is acceptable based upon at least one of said transaction information, said request to debit said first financial account, and said determination whether said request to debit said first financial account is fraudulent; debiting, at said transaction mechanism, funds from said first financial account in the amount of a sales price of said item when said request to debit said first financial account is not fraudulent; and, disbursing, at said transaction mechanism, said funds to a second financial account associated with said second party, wherein said funds are credited to said second financial account. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising performing at least one of a credit risk analysis and a fraud risk analysis based upon at least one of said transaction information, said request to debit said first financial account, and said determination of whether said request to debit said first financial account is fraudulent. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether said purchase transaction is acceptable comprises deeming said transaction unacceptable when a potential risk associated with said transaction is unacceptable. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a shipping agent associated with said transaction mechanism. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a shipping agent associated with said transaction mechanism, said shipping agent performing the steps of: receiving an item from said second party; and, causing said item to be delivered to said first party after said funds are credited to said second financial account. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating a registration of a first party with a transaction mechanism having a financial account identifier for identifying a first financial account associated with said first party. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating a registration of a first party with said transaction mechanism having a financial account identifier for identifying said first financial account by receiving a financial account identifier selected from the group consisting of a card number and a demand deposit account number. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating a registration of said second party by providing said transaction mechanism with said financial account identifier for identifying said second financial account. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step of debiting funds from said first financial account further comprises holding said funds in an escrow account until an escrow release event has transpired, and releasing said funds from said escrow account prior to the step of disbursing said funds to said second financial account. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step of debiting funds from said first financial account further comprises holding said funds in an escrow account until an occurrence of at least one of: a receipt by said first party of said item and other value from a shipping agent, and a lapse of a predefined period of time within which said first party may evaluate said item received from said shipping agent. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving a request, at said transaction mechanism, to debit said first financial account comprises receiving a request to debit said first financial account selected from the group consisting of a transaction card account, a demand deposit account, a credit line, and a money market account. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the step of disbursing said funds to said second financial account comprises disbursing said funds to said second financial account selected from the group consisting of a transaction card account, a demand deposit account, a credit line, a digital cash account, and a money market account. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing said transaction mechanism with said financial account identifier for identifying said second financial account comprises providing said financial account identifier selected from the group consisting of a card number and a demand deposit account number. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein said step of receiving, at said transaction mechanism, transaction information relating to said purchase transaction between said first party and said second party comprises at least one of receiving said financial account identifier associated with said first financial account and receiving said financial account identifier associated with said second financial account. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving notification, by said transaction mechanism from a shipping agent, that said first party has received said item from said shipping agent. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising interfacing with a shipping agent associated with said transaction mechanism by maintaining at least one of identity and address of said first party and said second party in confidence with respect to at least one of said first party and said second party. ### Claim 17 A system for transferring financial tender from a first financial account associated with a first party to a second financial account associated with a second party, comprising: a transaction mechanism configured to communicate with said first party, said second party, said first financial account and said second financial account; and to receive registration information from said first party and said second party, said registration information including a financial account identifier to identify said first financial account and said second financial account; an intermediary in communication with at least one of said transaction mechanism, said first party, and said second party; in response to a purchase request for an item from at least one of said first party and said second party, said transaction mechanism is configured to debit funds from said first financial account and disburse said funds to said second financial account, wherein said purchase request includes transaction information relating to a transfer of funds between said first party and said second party, and wherein said transaction mechanism authenticates at least one of said first party and said second party based upon said transaction information; and said transaction mechanism is configured to provide a shipping agent configured to receive said item from said second party and cause said item to be delivered to said first party. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, wherein said intermediary is selected from the group consisting of an online auction, an online classified ad site, and an online merchant. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The system of claim 17, further comprising a shipping agent in communication with at least one of said transaction mechanism, said first party, and said second party. ### Claim 20 A computer-readable storage medium encoded with processing instructions for implementing a method performed by a transaction mechanism for transferring financial tender from a financial account associated with a first party to a financial account associated with a second party, said processing instructions directing a computer to perform the steps of: receiving, at said transaction mechanism, a request to debit said first financial account to effectuate a purchase transaction between said first party and a second party; providing an intermediary to facilitate said transaction between said first party and said second party, wherein said intermediary is selected from the group consisting of an online auction, an online classified ad site, and an online merchant; receiving, at said transaction mechanism, transaction information relating to said purchase transaction between said first party and said second party; comparing, at said transaction mechanism, said transaction information with previous transaction information to determine whether said request to debit said first financial account is fraudulent; determining, at said transaction mechanism, whether said purchase transaction is acceptable based upon at least one of said transaction information, said request to debit said first financial account, and said determination whether said request to debit said first financial account is fraudulent; debiting, at said transaction mechanism, funds from said first financial account in the amount of a sales price of said item when said request to debit said first financial account is not fraudulent; and, disbursing, at said transaction mechanism, said funds to a second financial account associated with said second party, wherein said funds are credited to said second financial account.