Echarge Corporation

Cria Inc.

Stripe, Inc.

Iain M Begg

Robin B Hutchison

David Griffiths

David Birch

Robert J Llewellyn

Andre F Viljoen

George A Fleming

Denis N Heinrichs

P Carl Linkletter

Darren W Hagman

Roberto Dominguez

Jun Huang

Michael T G Maydaniuk

Michael Tg Maydaniuk

A virtual payment system for paying for goods, services and content ordered over an internetwork is disclosed. The virtual payment system includes a commerce gateway. Buyers and sellers becomes registered participants by applying for virtual payment buyer and seller accounts. Once an account is established with the commerce gateway, a digital certificate is stored on the registered participant's computer. A buyer can then order a product, i.e., goods, services or content from a seller and charge it to the virtual payment account. When the product is shipped, the seller notifies the commerce gateway, which applies the charges to the buyer's virtual payment account. The buyer can settle the charges using a prepaid account, a credit account, or by using reward points earned through use of the virtual payment account. A buyer may create sub-accounts.

Method and apparatus for ordering goods, services and content over an internetwork using a virtual payment account

A virtual payment system for paying for goods, services and content ordered over an internetwork comprising a commerce gateway component and a credit processing server component () is disclosed. Buyers and sellers becomes registered participants by applying for virtual payment buyer and seller accounts. Once an account is established, a digital certificate is stored on the registered participant's computer. A buyer can then order a product, i.e., goods, services or content from a seller and charge it to the virtual payment account. When the product is shipped, the seller notifies the commerce gateway component, which in turn notifies the credit processing server, which applies the charges to the buyer's virtual payment account. The buyer can settle the charges using a prepaid account, a credit account, or by using reward points earned through use of the virtual payment card. A buyer may create sub-accounts.

A secure, closed virtual payment system comprising registered buyers and sellers for ordering and paying for goods, services, and content over an internetwork is disclosed. A buyer becomes registered by applying for a virtual payment account. A seller becomes registered by applying for a seller account. A credit processing component () immediately evaluates the buyer's application and assigns a credit limit to the account. Once an account is established, a digital certificate is stored on the registered participant's computer. The buyer can then order goods, services, or content from a seller and charge it to the virtual payment account. When the product is shipped, the seller notifies a commerce gateway component (), which, in turn, notifies the credit processing server, which applies the charges to the buyer's virtual payment account.

Method and apparatus for ordering goods, services, and content over an internetwork using a virtual payment account

A billing system that allows a consumer to order products from computers connected to the Internet, wherein the consumer is automatically billed for the ordered good or service by its telephone service provider. When a consumer orders a product over the Internet, a plug-in component of the consumer's computer establishes an Internet connection to a billing server. A billing server component transfers an encrypted version of the product to the plug-in component. The plug-in component then disconnects from the Internet and establishes a point-to-point (PPP) connection with the billing server. During the PPP connection, the billing server component transfers an access key assigned to the order to the plug-in component so that the plug-in component may decrypt the product. The consumer is charged a unit rate or 'drop-charge' for the product by the telephone service provider when the PPP connection is established using a premium telephone number assigned and administered by the telephone service provider.

Method and apparatus for ordering goods, services and content over an internetwork

A billing system that allows a consumer to order products from computers connected to the Internet, wherein the consumer is automatically billed for the ordered product by its telephone service provider. When a product is ordered over the Internet, a plug-in component of the consumer's computer establishes an Internet connection to a billing server. A billing server component transfers an encrypted version of the product to the plug-in component. The plug-in component then disconnects from the Internet and establishes a point-to-point (PPP) connection with the billing server. During the PPP connection, the billing server component transfers an access key assigned to the order to the plug-in component so that the plug-in component may decrypt the product. The consumer is charged a unit rate or 'drop-charge' for the product by the telephone service provider using a premium telephone number assigned and administered by the telephone service provider.

A virtual payment system for ordering and paying for goods, services and content over an internetwork is disclosed. The virtual payment system comprises a commerce gateway component () and a credit processing server component (). The virtual payment system is a secure, closed system comprising registered sellers and buyers. A buyer becomes a registered participant by applying for a virtual payment account. Likewise, a seller becomes registered by applying for a seller account. A buyer can instantly open an account on-line. That is, the credit processing component () immediately evaluates the buyer's virtual payment card application and assigns a credit limit to the account. Once an account is established, a digital certificate is stored on the registered participant's computer. The buyer can then order a product, i.e., goods, services or content from a seller and charge it to the virtual payment account. When the product is shipped, the seller notifies the commerce gateway component (), which in turn notifies the credit processing server that applies the charges to the buyer's virtual payment account. The buyer can settle the charges using a prepaid account, a credit account, or by using reward points earned through use of the virtual payment card. A buyer may create sub-accounts.

A billing system that allows a consumer to order products from computers connected to the Internet, wherein the consumer is automatically billed for the ordered good or service by its telephone service provider. When a consumer orders a product over the Internet, a plug-in component of the consumer's computer establishes an Internet connection to a billing server. A billing server component transfers an encrypted version of the product to the plug-in component. The plug-in component then disconnects from the Internet and establishes a point-to-point (PPP) connection with the billing server. During the PPP connection, the billing server component transfers an access key assigned to the order to the plug-in component so that the plug-in component may decrypt the product. The consumer is charged a unit rate or 'drop-charge' for the product by the telephone service provider when the PPP connection is established using a premium-rate telephone number assigned and administered by the telephone service provider.

A billing system is provided that allows a consumer to order products from computers connected to the Internet, wherein the consumer is automatically billed for the ordered good or service by its telephone service provider. The billing system comprises a plug-in component (), a billing server component (), and in some embodiments, a merchant session gateway component (). When a consumer orders a product over the Internet (), the plug-in component () of the consumer's computer () establishes an Internet connection to a billing server () located elsewhere on the Internet () to order the product. In a first embodiment, the billing server component () of the billing server () transfers an encrypted version of the product to the plug-in component (). The plug-in component () then disconnects from the Internet () and establishes a point-to-point (PPP) connection with the billing server (). During the PPP connection, the billing server component () transfers an access key assigned to the order to the plug-in component () so that the plug-in component () may decrypt the product. The consumer is charged a unit rate or 'drop-charge' for the product by the telephone service provider when the PPP connection is established using a premium telephone number assigned and administered by the telephone service provider. In a second embodiment, the consumer is charged a per minute rate for his or her time spent accessing the product, rather than a drop-charge. In the second embodiment, the billing server component () transfers a premium telephone number associated with the ordered product to the plug-in component() rather than an encrypted version of the product. The plug-in component () then establishes a PPP connection with the billing server () using the premium telephone number during which the consumer's computer () downloads the ordered product from a merchant server () located elsewhere in the Internet (). The consumer is then billed for the ordered product based on the duration of the PPP connection established using the premium telephone number. Prior to downloading the ordered product, the merchant session gateway component () provides the plug-in component () with the information necessary for locating and accessing the ordered product.

A virtual payment system for ordering and paying for goods, services and content over an internetwork is disclosed. The virtual payment system comprises a commerce gateway component () and a credit processing server component (). The virtual payment system is a secure, closed system comprising registered sellers and buyers. A buyer becomes a registered participant by applying for a virtual payment account. Likewise, a seller becomes registered by applying for a seller account. A buyer can instantly open an account on-line. That is, the credit processing component () immediately evaluates the buyer's virtual payment card application and assigns a credit limit to the account. Once an account is established, a digital certificate is stored on the registered participant's computer. The buyer can then order a product, i.e., goods, services or content from a seller and charge it to the virtual payment account. When the product is shipped, the seller notifies the commerce gateway component (), which in turn notifies the credit processing server that applies the charges to the buyer's virtual payment account. The buyer can settle the charges using a prepaid account, a credit account, or by using reward points earned through use of the virtual payment card. A buyer may create sub-accounts that have additional limitations imposed on the owners of the sub-accounts.

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Vancouver, Canada

Iain M Begg