Method and apparatus for prioritizing a listing of information providers

A storage medium storing instructions which, when read and executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method, the method comprising:

• receiving by the computer
• a priority bid of a first service provider and
• a service price of the first service provider;
• prioritizing by the computer a list of service providers to generate a prioritized list of the service providers, based at least on the priority bid of the first service provider;
• responsive to a selection of the first service provider, selected by a user from the prioritized list, determining by the computer whether the selection satisfies at least one of the criteria (1) the computer has provided a connection between the first service provider and the user within a predetermined period of time prior to the selection of the first service provider, (2) the user has made more than a predetermined number of selections of a service provider prior to the selection of the first service provider, and (3) the user has made more than a predetermined number of selections of the first service provider prior to the selection of the first service provider, and charging the first service provider according to the priority bid of the first service provider unless the selection satisfies at least one of the criteria;
• and
• responsive to the selection by the user, providing by the computer a connection between the first service provider and the user, and charging the user on behalf of the first service provider based on a duration of the connection and the service price of the first service provider.

A computer-based system, comprising:

• a memory storing a database of service providers;
• at least one processor coupled with the memory configured to:
• prioritize a subset of the service providers to generate a prioritized list of service providers, based at least on a priority bid of a first service provider, and
• responsive to a selection of the first service provider, selected by a user from the prioritized list,
• determine whether the selection satisfies at least one of the criteria (1) the computer has provided a connection between the first service provider and the user within a predetermined period of time prior to the selection of the first service provider, (2) the user has made more than a predetermined number of selections of a service provider prior to the selection of the first service provider, and (3) the user has made more than a predetermined number of selections of the first service provider prior to the selection of the first service provider,
• charge the first service provider according to the priority bid of the first service provider unless the selection satisfies at least one of the criteria,
• provide a telephonic connection between the first service provider and the user, and
• charge the user on behalf of the first service provider based on a duration of the connection and a service price of the first service provider.