System and method for effecting payment for an item offered for an electronic auction sale

A method for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale by a seller and purchased by a buyer via an electronic auction web site, where the electronic auction web site is accessible by a plurality of users and maintained by an electronic auction system, the method comprising:

• receiving informational data from the plurality of users via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of the electronic auction web site;
• creating and maintaining a plurality of payment accounts configured for storing funds therein and corresponding to the plurality of users of the electronic auction web site using the informational data received via the at least one web page accessible via the at least one web page of the electronic auction web site, wherein funds stored within the plurality of payment accounts can be used by said plurality of users for effecting payment for network transactions associated with said electronic auction web site;
• providing the plurality of users an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with the network transactions;
• linking said plurality of payment accounts to at least one computing device of the electronic auction system;
• displaying a link on the electronic auction web site for providing said plurality of users which includes the buyer access to their respective payment accounts for viewing the amount of funds stored therein;
• determining the identity of the buyer by the electronic auction system;
• and
• interacting with said buyer by the electronic auction system by performing the steps of:
• sending an e-mail by the electronic auction system to the buyer of the at least one item;
• receiving, via one of the electronic auction web site and the e-mail, at least one input from the buyer indicating an initiation to effect payment to the seller;
• providing a payment page to the buyer after receiving the at least one input from the buyer;
• receiving, via the payment page, authorization from the buyer to effect payment to the seller of the at least one item;
• and
• effecting payment to at least the seller of the at least one item by transferring funds to one of the plurality of payment accounts corresponding to the seller.

A method for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale by a seller and purchased by a buyer via an electronic auction web site, where the electronic auction web site is accessible by a plurality of users and maintained by an electronic auction system, the method comprising:

• maintaining a payment account configured for storing funds therein and corresponding to the seller, said payment account being created by receiving informational data via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of the electronic auction web site and said informational data having been transmitted from the seller via the at least one web page accessible via the at least one web page of the electronic auction web site;
• providing an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with at least one electronic auction-related transaction;
• receiving, via one of the electronic auction web site and an e-mail transmitted by the electronic auction system, at least one input from the buyer indicating an initiation to effect payment;
• and
• initiating and effecting payment to the seller after receiving the at least one input by deducting funds from a payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the buyer and transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds to the payment account corresponding to the seller, wherein the method for effecting payment does not require any interaction between the buyer and the seller, and wherein both payment accounts are created by receiving informational data via the at least one web page accessible via the at least one web page of the electronic auction web site and both payment accounts are configured for storing funds therein for use in effecting payment for network transactions associated with the electronic auction web site.

A method for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale by a seller and purchased by a buyer via an electronic auction web site, where the electronic auction web site is accessible by a plurality of users and maintained by an electronic auction system, the method comprising:

• maintaining a plurality of payment accounts by an operator of the electronic auction system, each of the plurality of payment accounts configured for storing funds therein and each capable of being used for effecting payment for network transactions associated with said electronic auction web site, one of the plurality of payment accounts corresponds to the buyer and is accessible by the buyer via the electronic auction web site for changing at least one payment source used for funding said payment account and for authorizing the loaning of funds to said buyer, wherein the loaning of funds to the buyer does not include charging a credit card associated with the buyer;
• providing an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with the network transactions;
• receiving at least one input from the buyer to initiate a payment method;
• and
• initiating the payment method, wherein the payment method is at least one of deducting funds from the payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the buyer and loaning funds to the buyer for effecting payment, wherein the method for effecting payment does not require any interaction between the buyer and the seller.

An integrated electronic commerce and electronic payment platform for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale via an electronic commerce web site by a seller and purchased by a buyer, where the electronic commerce web site is accessible by a plurality of users for listing items for sale and purchasing listed items, the electronic commerce web site being maintained by an electronic commerce system, the integrated electronic commerce and electronic payment computer platform having application software for performing a method comprising:

• providing an incentive offer to the plurality of users;
• maintaining a plurality of payment accounts of said integrated platform, each of said plurality of payment accounts configured for storing funds therein and each capable of being used for effecting payment for network transactions associated with said electronic commerce web site and for complying to said incentive offer, said incentive offer being based on using a payment account of said plurality of payment accounts and corresponding to a user of said plurality of users for effecting payment for the at least one item, wherein said incentive offer provides for the user of said plurality of users to perform an activity via said electronic commerce web site which will cause a change in the amount of funds stored in a payment account corresponding to the user in exchange for an incentive provided by the incentive offer;
• receiving at least one input from the buyer indicating an initiation to effect payment;
• providing at least one payment page to the buyer after receiving the at least one input from the buyer;
• receiving, via the at least one payment page, authorization from the buyer to use a particular payment method to effect payment to the seller;
• automatically determining in accordance with the particular payment method at least one payment account from the plurality of payment accounts which corresponds to the buyer for deducting funds therefrom;
• deducting funds from the at least one payment account corresponding to the buyer;
• and
• transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds to at least one payment account from the plurality of payment accounts which corresponds to the seller to effect payment to the seller, wherein the at least one payment account corresponding to the buyer and the at least one payment account corresponding to the seller are stored within a database system of the integrated platform, and wherein data stored within the database system are accessible by the plurality of users via a link of the electronic commerce web site.

A method for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale via an electronic commerce web site by a seller and purchased by a buyer, where the electronic commerce web site is accessible by a plurality of users for listing items for sale and purchasing listed items, the electronic commerce web site being maintained by an electronic commerce system, the method comprising:

• receiving inputs via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of the electronic commerce web site;
• creating a plurality of payment accounts corresponding to the plurality of users using the inputs received via the at least one web page accessible via the at least one web page of the electronic commerce web sire, each of said plurality of payment accounts configured for storing funds therein and each capable of being used by said plurality of users for effecting payment for network transactions associated with said electronic commerce web site;
• providing the plurality of users an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with the network transactions;
• sending an e-mail by the electronic commerce system to the buyer of the at least one item;
• receiving, via one of the electronic commerce web site and the e-mail, at least one input from the buyer indicating an initiation to effect payment;
• providing at least one payment page to the buyer after receiving the at least one input from the buyer;
• receiving, via the at least one payment page, authorization from the buyer to effect payment to the seller of the at least one item;
• and
• effecting payment to at least the seller of the at least one item by transferring funds to one of the plurality of payment accounts corresponding to the seller.

A method for effecting an immediate payment for at least one item offered for auction sale by a seller and purchased by a buyer via an electronic commerce web site prior to the conclusion of the auction sale, where the electronic commerce web site is accessible by a plurality of users and maintained by an electronic commerce system, the method comprising:

• providing an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with at least one electronic commerce web site-related transaction;
• receiving via the electronic commerce web site at least one input from the buyer indicating an initiation to purchase the at least one item offered for auction sale prior to said electronic commerce system receiving any bids for said at least one item;
• providing at least one payment page to the buyer after receiving the at least one input from the buyer;
• receiving, via the at least one payment page, authorization from the buyer to transfer funds from at least one payment account corresponding to the buyer to at least one payment account corresponding to the seller;
• transferring funds from the at least one payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the buyer to the at least one payment account corresponding to the seller in real-time to effect the immediate payment, wherein the at least one payment account corresponding to the buyer and the at least one payment account corresponding to the seller are configured for storing funds therein, wherein said at least one payment account corresponding to the buyer and said at least one payment account corresponding to the seller have been created using informational data respectively received from the buyer and the seller via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of the electronic auction web site, and wherein the method for effecting the immediate payment does not require any interaction between the buyer and the seller;
• terminating the auction sale by the electronic commerce system;
• and
• notifying said plurality of users, including the seller, that a buyer purchased the at least one item prior to any bids being received by the electronic commerce system.

A method for effecting payment to an electronic commerce merchant, said method comprising:

• providing an option via a first web page to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with at least one electronic commerce-related transaction;
• receiving instructions from an electronic commerce customer via a second web page to authorize payment to said electronic commerce merchant;
• determining whether the instructions include an authorization to use funds associated with a financial system and which are not owned by the electronic commerce customer to effect payment to said electronic commerce merchant;
• instructing said financial system to use funds associated with said financial system if the instructions include an authorization to use funds associated with the financial system for effecting payment to said electronic commerce merchant;
• and
• facilitating the transfer of funds associated with said financial system to a payment account associated with said electronic commerce merchant to effect payment to said electronic commerce merchant, wherein said method for effecting payment does not require the disclosure of credit card information corresponding to said electronic commerce customer to said financial system.

An electronic commerce payment method for effecting payment for an electronic commerce transaction, the method comprising:

• providing an option via a first web page to enable a first payment service, wherein the first payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with at least one electronic commerce-related transaction;
• displaying a graphical user interface associated with a second web page and corresponding to an electronic commerce web site, said graphical user interface having a payment icon;
• receiving an input indicating user selection of said payment icon;
• displaying a graphical user interface corresponding to a second payment service provided by a payment web site independent of the electronic commerce web site;
• receiving authorization via user selection of an icon displayed by the graphical user interface corresponding to the second payment service to effect payment for the electronic commerce transaction using the second payment service;
• and
• effecting payment for the electronic commerce transaction using the second payment service.

An online electronic funds transfer and management platform comprising:

• a database having a plurality of payment accounts configured for storing funds therein and for use in effecting payment for electronic commerce transactions, said plurality of payment accounts having been created using informational data received from a plurality of users via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of an electronic commerce web site;
• a computing device in operative communication via a network for receiving funds transferred by a plurality of users from a plurality of accounts;
• a processor for allocating received funds to at least one of the plurality of payment accounts;
• and
• application software configured for execution by said processor for providing an option to said plurality of users to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with at least one electronic commerce transaction.

An integrated system for performing an online auction and effecting payment for a winning bidder, said system comprising:

• a database storing a plurality of payment accounts corresponding to potential bidders of the online auction and configured for storing funds therein;
• an auction server executing application software for listing an item for sale via the online auction and determining the winning bidder of the online auction at the conclusion of the online auction;
• and
• a payment server in operative communication with the auction server and the database for identifying a payment account from the plurality of payment accounts corresponding to the winning bidder, and effecting payment for the winning bidder by deducting funds from the identified payment account and transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds to at least one payment account, wherein the plurality of payment accounts are created by receiving informational data from the plurality of potential bidders via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of an online auction web site, wherein the payment server includes application software for performing an automatic payment method following the conclusion of the online auction, wherein the automatic payment method does not require for the winning bidder to interact with a graphical user interface of the integrated system following the conclusion of the online auction.

A method for effecting payment for at least one item offered for auction sale by a seller via an electronic auction web site and won by a winning bidder, where the electronic auction web site is accessible by a plurality of users and maintained by an electronic auction system, the method comprising:

• providing the plurality of users an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with the auction sale;
• determining the conclusion of the auction sale by the electronic auction system;
• sending an e-mail by the electronic auction system to the winning bidder;
• receiving, via one of an icon displayed by the electronic auction web site and the e-mail, at least one input from the winning bidder indicating an initiation to effect payment to the seller;
• providing a payment page to the winning bidder after receiving the at least one input from the winning bidder;
• receiving, via the payment page, authorization from the winning bidder to proceed with effecting payment to the seller;
• effecting payment to at least the seller comprising:
• deducting funds from a payment account storing funds therein and corresponding to the winning bidder, the payment account having been created prior to the conclusion of the auction sale using informational data received via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of the electronic auction web site;
• and
• transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds to at least one payment account corresponding to at least the seller;
• and
• enabling performance of at least one payment account management function via access to the payment account corresponding to the winning bidder via a link displayed on a graphical user interface of the electronic auction web site, said at least one payment account management function including changing a source for use in obtaining funds for transferring to the payment account;
• wherein the method for effecting payment does not require any interaction between the winning bidder and the seller following the conclusion of the auction sale.

An integrated electronic commerce and electronic payment platform for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale via an electronic commerce web site by a seller and purchased by a buyer, where the electronic commerce web site is accessible by a plurality of users for listing items for sale and purchasing listed items, the electronic commerce web site being maintained by an electronic commerce system, the integrated electronic commerce and electronic payment computer platform having application software for performing a payment method comprising:

• providing the plurality of users an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with a network transaction;
• receiving at least one input from the buyer indicating an initiation to effect payment;
• providing at least one payment page to the buyer after receiving the at least one input from the buyer;
• receiving, via the at least one payment page, authorization from the buyer to use a particular payment method to effect payment to the seller;
• automatically determining in accordance with the particular payment method at least one payment account from a plurality of payment accounts which corresponds to the buyer for deducting funds therefrom, the plurality of payment accounts having been created using informational data received from the plurality of users via at least one web page accessible via at least one web page of the electronic commerce web site;
• deducting funds from the at least one payment account corresponding to the buyer;
• and
• transferring at least a portion of the deducted funds to at least one payment account from the plurality of payment accounts which corresponds to the seller to effect payment to the seller, wherein the at least one payment account corresponding to the buyer and the at least one payment account corresponding to the seller are stored within a database system of the integrated platform, and wherein data stored within the database system are accessible by the plurality of users via a link displayed by the electronic commerce web site for performing at least one payment account management function including changing a source for use in obtaining funds for transferring to the at least one payment account.

An electronic commerce method for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale by a seller and purchased by a buyer via an electronic commerce web site, where the electronic commerce web site is accessible by a plurality of users for listing items for sale and purchasing listed items for sale, and where the electronic commerce web site is maintained by an electronic commerce system, the method comprising:

• providing the plurality of users an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with a network transaction;
• receiving an input from the buyer via selection of an icon displayed by a graphical user interface of the electronic commerce web site, said electronic commerce web site being maintained by at least one computing device;
• displaying a payment page by a payment web site maintained by a payment system and being independent of the electronic commerce web site for effecting payment for the at least one item offered for sale by the seller via the electronic commerce web site following receipt of said input, said payment system being in operative communication with the electronic commerce system for receiving descriptive information and payment information corresponding to the at least one item from the electronic commerce system and displaying said received information on said payment page;
• receiving an input from the buyer via selection of an icon displayed by the payment page indicating authorization to effect payment for the at least one item to the seller;
• and
• effecting payment for the at least one item comprising the step of deducting funds from at least one payment account storing funds therein.

A method for effecting payment for at least one item offered for sale by a seller and purchased by a buyer via an electronic auction web site, where the electronic auction web site is accessible by a plurality of users and maintained by an electronic auction system, the method comprising the steps of:

• providing the plurality of users an option to enable an automatic payment service, wherein the automatic payment service automatically effects payment after occurrence of a termination event associated with a network transaction;
• sending an e-mail by the electronic auction system to the buyer of the at least one item;
• receiving, via one of the electronic auction web site and the e-mail, at least one input from the buyer indicating an initiation to effect payment;
• providing a payment page to the buyer after receiving the at least one input from the buyer;
• receiving, via the payment page, authorization from the buyer to at least one of deduct funds from a payment account corresponding to the buyer and loaning funds if the payment account has insufficient funds;
• deducting funds from the payment account corresponding to the buyer if the payment account has sufficient funds, loaning funds if the payment account has zero funds, or deducting funds and loaning funds if the payment account has greater than zero funds and less than a total amount of funds required to satisfy payment;
• and
• using at least a portion of the deducted funds to effect payment to at least the seller, wherein the method for effecting payment does not require any interaction between the buyer and the seller.