Multi-merchant payment system

A network computing device, comprising:

• (a) a storage device useable to store a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• (b) a processor that is programmed to enable access to the storage device and to perform actions, comprising:
• enabling a gift card giver to interactively purchase a gift card for a gift card recipient, entitling the gift card recipient to redeem the gift card for items up to a specified spending limit;
• electronically transferring the money used to purchase the gift card into a card funding account that is used to pay for purchases by the gift card recipient;
• enabling the gift card recipient to interactively select one or more items from the merchandise database, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• issuing orders to each merchant in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant, said orders including means of payment information that enables each merchant to obtain payment for the amount of their respective order from the card funding account.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing an e-commerce server:

• (a) to maintain a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• (b) to enable a gift card giver to interactively purchase a gift card for a gift card recipient, entitling the gift card recipient to redeem the gift card for items up to a specified spending limit;
• (c) to electronically transfer the money used to purchase the gift card into a card funding account that is used to pay for purchases by the gift card recipient;
• (d) to enable the gift card recipient to interactively select one or more items from the merchandise database, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• (e) to issue orders to each merchant in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant;
• and
• (f) to pay each merchant the amount of their respective order from the card funding account.

A computer-processor based method of payment for mufti-vendor gift cards, comprising:

• (a) maintaining, by an e-commerce server, a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• (b) enabling, by an e-commerce server, a gift card giver to interactively purchase a gift card for a gift card recipient, entitling the gift card recipient to redeem the gift card for items up to a specified spending limit;
• (c) creating, by an e-commerce server, a virtual credit card account for said gift card to enable payment for the items redeemed by the gift card recipient;
• (d) enabling, by the e-commerce server, the gift card recipient to interactively select one or more items from the merchandise database, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• (e) issuing orders, by the e-commerce server, to each merchant in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant;
• and
• (f) providing information about the virtual credit card, by the e-commerce server, to each merchant for obtaining payment for the orders issued to the merchant.

A network computing device for e-commerce, comprising:

• (a) a storage device useable to store a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• (b) a processor that is programmed to enable access to the storage device and to perform actions, comprising:
• enabling a gift card giver to interactively purchase a gift card for a gift card recipient, entitling the gift card recipient to redeem the gift card for items up to a specified spending limit;
• creating a virtual credit card account for said gift card to enable payment for the items redeemed by the gift card recipient;
• enabling the gift card recipient to interactively select one or more items from the merchandise database, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• and
• issuing orders to each merchant in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant, said orders including virtual credit card information that enables each merchant to obtain payment for the amount of their respective order.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computing device:

• (a) to maintain a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• (b) to enable a gift card giver to interactively purchase a gift card for a gift card recipient, entitling the gift card recipient to redeem the gift card for items up to a specified spending limit;
• (c) to create a virtual credit card account for said gift card to enable payment for the items redeemed by the gift card recipient;
• (d) to enable the gift card recipient to interactively select one or more items of merchandise and services from the merchandise database, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• (e) to issue orders to each merchant in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant;
• and
• (f) to provide information about the virtual credit card to each merchant for obtaining payment for the orders issued to the merchant.

A computer-processor based method of electronic payment, comprising:

• (a) maintaining, by an e-commerce server, a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• (b) enabling, by the e-commerce server, a shopper to interactively create a shopper account that enables the shopper to purchase merchandise and services recorded in said merchandise database;
• (c) maintaining-a purchase database, by the e-commerce server, comprising records for shopper accounts, each record including (i) a unique shopper identifier, (ii) a shopper name, and (iii) a shopper account balance that keeps track of the amount of money available to said shopper;
• (d) creating-a virtual credit card account for said shopper account, by the e-commerce server, to enable payment for merchandise and services selected by the shopper;
• (e) enabling the shopper to interactively select one or more items from the merchandise database, by the e-commerce server, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• (f) issuing orders-to each merchant, by the e-commerce server, in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant;
• and
• (g) providing information about the virtual credit card to each merchant, by the e-commerce server, for obtaining payment for the orders issued to the merchant.

A network computing device, comprising:

• (a) a storage device useable to store:
• (1) a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• and a purchase database comprising records for shopper accounts, each record including (i) a unique shopper identifier, (ii) a shopper name, and (iii) a shopper account balance that keeps track of the amount of money available to said shopper;
• (b) a processor that is programmed to enable access to the storage device and to perform actions, comprising:
• enabling a shopper to interactively create a shopper account that enables the shopper to purchase merchandise and services recorded in said merchandise database;
• creating a virtual credit card account for said shopper account to enable payment for merchandise and services selected by the shopper;
• enabling the shopper to interactively select one or more items from the merchandise database, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• and
• issuing orders to each merchant in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant, said orders including virtual credit card information that enables each merchant to obtain payment for the amount of their respective order.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computing device:

• (a) to maintain a merchandise database comprising records for merchandise and services for a plurality of merchants, each record including (i) a stock keeping unit (SKU) for an item of merchandise or service, (ii) a description of the item, (iii) a price of the item, and (iv) the merchant for the item;
• (b) to enable a shopper to interactively create a shopper account that enables the shopper to purchase merchandise and services recorded in said merchandise database;
• (c) to maintain a purchase database comprising records for shopper accounts, each record including (i) a unique shopper identifier, (ii) a shopper name, and (iii) a shopper account balance that keeps track of the amount of money available to said shopper;
• (d) to create a virtual credit card account for said shopper account to enable payment for merchandise and services selected by the shopper;
• (e) to enable the shopper to interactively select one or more items from the merchandise database, thereby generating an aggregated selection of items for each merchant;
• (f) to issue orders to each merchant in accordance with the aggregated selected items corresponding to each merchant;
• and
• (g) to provide information about the virtual credit card to each merchant for obtaining payment for the orders issued to the merchant.

A computer-processor based method of electronic payment, comprising:

• (a) enabling, by a payment server, a shopper to interactively create a shopper account;
• (b) maintaining a purchase database, by the payment server, comprising records for shopper accounts, each record including (i) a unique shopper identifier, (ii) a shopper name, and (iii) a shopper account balance that keeps track of the amount of money available to said shopper and comprising records for merchants;
• (c) enabling the shopper to interactively select one or more items from a plurality of-merchants' e-commerce websites;
• and
• (d) enabling, by the payment server, the shopper to provide said unique shopper identifier as a means of payment to the merchants' e-commerce websites.

A system of electronic payment, comprising:

• (a) a payment server comprising:
• a storage device useable to store a purchase database comprising records for shopper accounts, each record including (i) a unique shopper identifier, (ii) a shopper name, and (iii) a shopper account balance that keeps track of the amount of money available to said shopper and comprising records for merchants;
• and
• a processor that is programmed to enable access to the storage device and to perform actions, comprising:
• enabling a shopper to interactively create a shopper account;
• (b) a plurality of merchant's e-commerce websites, each merchant's e-commerce website (i) enabling the shopper to interactively select one or more items, and (ii)
• enabling the shopper to provide said unique shopper identifier as a means of payment;
• and (iii) transmitting said unique shopper identifier to the payment server for redemption.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing program code for causing a computing device:

• (a) to enable a shopper to interactively create a shopper account;
• (b) to maintain a purchase database, by a payment server, comprising records for shopper accounts, each record including (i) a unique shopper identifier, (ii) a shopper name, and (iii) a shopper account balance that keeps track of the amount of money available to said shopper and comprising records for merchants;
• (c) to enable the shopper to interactively select one or more items from a plurality of merchants' e-commerce websites;
• and
• (d) to enable the shopper to provide said unique shopper identifier as a means of payment to the merchants' e-commerce websites.