Method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser

Abstract

A method is provided for transacting an anonymous purchase over the Internet. The method comprises the steps of: (a) acquiring intermediary credit account information from a purchasing intermediary; (b) providing transactional purchase information, including the intermediary credit account information, to a retailer, where the transactional purchase information is provided by the purchaser using a first computing device of a computer-implemented purchasing system; and (c) transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the intermediary credit account information, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
     
     
         15 . A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising: 
 acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name and an account number;    providing purchase transactional information from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the purchase transactional information includes the non-personalized cardholder name and the account number from the purchase card; and    transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the non-personalized cardholder name and the account number, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is embossed on the purchase card.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is further defined as a name for the purchase card provided.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the purchase card further includes an associated address for the purchase card provider, such that the address is provided to the retailer as part of the purchase transaction.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of acquiring a purchase card further comprises purchasing the purchase card from a retail establishment, where the purchase card is provided to the retail establishment by the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the purchase card is provided by the purchase card provider to the retail establishment on a consignment basis.  
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit which is not to be exceeded when transacting a purchase and an expiration date by which any purchases must be transacted.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card by the purchase less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 15  further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the retailer being different from the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         25 . A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising: 
 acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name embossed thereon; 
 providing purchase transactional information from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the purchase transactional information includes the non-personalized cardholder name from the purchase card; and  
 transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the non-personalized cardholder name, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.  
   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is further defined as a name for the purchase card provided.  
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the purchase card further includes an associated address for the purchase card provider, such that the address is provided to the retailer as part of the purchase transaction.  
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the step of acquiring a purchase card further comprises purchasing the purchase card from a retail establishment, where the purchase card is provided to the retail establishment by the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28  wherein the purchase card is provided by the purchase card provider to the retail establishment on a consignment basis.  
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit which is not to be exceeded when transacting a purchase and an expiration date by which any purchases must be transacted.  
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card by the purchase less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 25  further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.  
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 25  wherein the retailer being different from the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         34 . A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising: 
 acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name and an associated address for the purchase card provider; 
 providing purchase transactional information from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the purchase transactional information includes the non-personalized cardholder name and the address from the purchase card; and  
 transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using the non-personalized cardholder name and the address, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.  
   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is embossed on the purchase card.  
     
     
         36 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the non-personalized cardholder name is further defined as a name for the purchase card provided.  
     
     
         37 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the step of acquiring a purchase card further comprises purchasing the purchase card from a retail establishment, where the purchase card is provided to the retail establishment by the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         38 . The method of  claim 37  wherein the purchase card is provided by the purchase card provider to the retail establishment on a consignment basis.  
     
     
         39 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit which is not to be exceeded when transacting a purchase and an expiration date by which any purchases must be transacted.  
     
     
         40 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card by the purchase less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         41 . The method of  claim 34  further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.  
     
     
         42 . The method of  claim 34  wherein the retailer being different from the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         43 . A method for maintaining anonymity of a purchaser during a purchase transaction, comprising: 
 acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having a non-personalized cardholder name, an account number, an expiration date and an associated address for the purchase card provider; 
 providing information relating to the purchase card from the purchaser to a retailer, wherein the information consisting of the non-personalized cardholder name, the account number, the expiration date and the associated address; and  
 transacting a purchase between the purchaser and the retailer using said information, thereby maintaining the anonymity of the purchaser.