Examples of delivery and/or referral services

An apparatus comprising:

• a computing device configured to control:
• opening a first account for a first merchant with a delivery/referral service;
• opening a second account for a second merchant with the delivery/referral service
• receiving, over a communication network, from the first merchant an indication of a first plurality of orders for which respective first customers have requested delivery;
• in response to receiving a first order of the first plurality of orders,
• determining an unavailability result, by determining whether at least one first item of the first order is unavailable for delivery based on a condition on delivery of the at least one first item using location information received in substantially real time, via the communication network, from substantially real time tracking of location of a mobile device of at least one mobile delivery agent, and
• communicating, via the communication network, to populate a graphical user interface of a point of sale system of the first merchant with an indication whether the at least one first item is determined to be unavailable for delivery based on the unavailability result;
• facilitating respective delivery of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers;
• receiving, over the communication network, from the second merchant an indication of a second plurality of orders for which respective second customers have requested delivery;
• in response to receiving a second order of the second plurality of orders, communicating, over the communication network, to a point of sale system of the second merchant that at least one second item is unavailable based on the second order;
• facilitating respective delivery of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers;
• paying respective delivery agents for performing the respective first and second deliveries of the first and second plurality of orders to the respective first and second customers;
• recording a respective delivery cost for each of the plurality of orders;
• determining a first consolidated bill for the first merchant for the respective deliveries of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers based on the recorded costs;
• and
• determining a second consolidated bill for the second merchant for the respective deliveries of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers based on the recorded costs.

A method comprising:

• controlling, by at least one processor:
• opening a first account for a first merchant with a delivery/referral service;
• opening a second account for a second merchant with the delivery/referral service receiving, over a communication network, from the first merchant an indication of a first plurality of orders for which respective first customers have requested delivery;
• in response to receiving a first order of the first plurality of orders,
• determining an unavailability result, by determining whether at least one first item of the first order is unavailable for delivery based on a condition on delivery of the at least one first item using location information received in substantially real time, via the communication network, from substantially real time tracking of location of a mobile device of at least one mobile delivery agent, and
• communicating, via the communication network, to populate a graphical user interface of a point of sale system of the first merchant with an indication whether the at least one first item is determined to be unavailable for delivery based on the unavailability result;
• facilitating respective delivery of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers;
• receiving from the second merchant an indication of a second plurality of orders for which respective second customers have requested delivery;
• in response to receiving a second order of the second plurality of orders, communicating to a point of sale system of the second merchant that at least one second item is unavailable based on the second order;
• facilitating respective delivery of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers;
• paying respective delivery agents for performing the respective first and second deliveries of the first and second plurality of orders to the respective first and second customers;
• recording a respective delivery cost for each of the plurality of orders;
• determining a first consolidated bill for the first merchant for the respective deliveries of the first plurality of orders to the respective first customers based on the recorded costs;
• and
• determining a second consolidated bill for the second merchant for the respective deliveries of the second plurality of orders to the respective second customers based on the recorded costs.