Method, apparatus and system for marketing , delivering , and collecting payment for information

Abstract

A method, apparatus and system for marketing, delivering, and collecting payment for information is described. In one embodiment, the invention is a method of providing electronic mail for payment. The invention includes sending an electronic mail message including provided information and a price to a customer, the provided information having an inaccessible portion of information. The invention further includes transferring a payment from the customer, and rendering the inaccessible portion of information accessible to the customer.

1 . A method implemented in a computer system, the method comprising:
 receiving a first electronic mail message for a user in a central database, the first electronic mail message including a first portion and a price to access the first portion;   providing a list of messages, including the first electronic mail message, from the central database for presentation to the user, the list including a subject field for each of the messages in the list and the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message;   in response to a request from the user to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message, charging an account of the user according to the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message using the computer system; and   rendering the first portion of the first electronic mail message accessible to the user, in response to completion of charging the account of the user according to the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the inaccessible portion comprises a body of the electronic mail message. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein a subject of the first electronic mail message is accessible to the user without a payment. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the list is provided to the user via an electronic mail system hosted on a web site. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the first portion of the first electronic mail message is rendered accessible to the user in the electronic mail system hosted on the web site, in response to the completion of charging the account of the user according to the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the account of the user is associated with an address of the user for electronic email messages. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 presenting a user interface to compose a second electronic mail message from the user via the web site, the user interface including a field to specify a recipient, a field to specify a second portion of the second electronic mail message, a field to specify a price payable to the user to render the second portion of the second electronic mail message accessible to the recipient.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 charging a surcharge for sending the second electronic mail message.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 maintaining status information corresponding to sending, receiving and rendering of each of electronic mail messages of the user.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 responsive to receiving from the user a refusal of payment for the first electronic mail message, discarding the first electronic mail message to prevent the first electronic mail message from being subsequently listed for the user.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 transferring an initial request for information from the user to a service provider;   wherein the first electronic mail message is from the service provider in response to the initial request from the user.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request from the user to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message includes an authorization to debit the account of the user. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request from the user to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message includes authorization to charge a credit card of the user. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transferring to a service provider a portion of a payment charged according to the price to render first portion of the first electronic mail message accessible to the user.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 charging a surcharge for rendering the first portion of the first electronic mail message accessible to the user.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 charging a surcharge for receiving a payment charged according to the price to render the first portion of the first electronic mail message accessible to the user.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first electronic mail message includes a second portion accessible to the user without a payment. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining account balances for a service provider and the user and adjusting the account balances to reflect a payment charged according to the price to render the first portion of the first electronic mail message accessible to the user.   
     
     
         19 . A machine readable media storing instructions which, when executed on a computer system, cause the computer system to perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving a first electronic mail message for a user in a central database, the first electronic mail message including a first portion and a price to access the first portion;   providing a list of messages, including the first electronic mail message, from the central database for presentation to the user, the list including a subject field for each of the messages in the list and the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message;   in response to a request from the user to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message, charging an account of the user according to the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message using the computer system; and   rendering the first portion of the first electronic mail message accessible to the user, in response to completion of charging the account of the user according to the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message.   
     
     
         20 . A computer system, comprising:
 a means for receiving a first electronic mail message for a user in a central database, the first electronic mail message including a first portion and a price to access the first portion;   a means for providing a list of messages, including the first electronic mail message, from the central database for presentation to the user, the list including a subject field for each of the messages in the list and the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message;   a means for charging an account of the user according to the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message using the computer system, in response to a request from the user to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message; and   a means for rendering the first portion of the first electronic mail message accessible to the user, in response to completion of charging the account of the user according to the price to access the first portion of the first electronic mail message.