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

Abstract

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 ( 53 ) 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 ( 52 ), which, in turn, notifies the credit processing server, which applies the charges to the buyer's virtual payment account.

1 . A method for purchasing a product from a seller computer using a virtual payment account associated with a buyer computer, the method comprising:
 in response to receiving a purchase request from a buyer computer to purchase a product from a seller computer, the purchase request identifying a virtual payment account as a payment source for said products, transmitting an authentication request from the buyer computer to a commerce gateway;   determining at the commerce gateway whether the virtual payment account is associated with the buyer computer;   transmitting an account identification container to the buyer computer in response to determining that the buyer computer is associated with a valid virtual payment account;   transmitting the purchase request, including the account identification container, from the buyer computer to the seller computer;   transmitting the purchase request from the seller computer to the commerce gateway;   receiving the purchase request at the commerce gateway and determining whether said virtual payment account may be used to pay for the product;   in response to determining that the virtual payment account may be used to pay for the product, transmitting a valid transaction authorization from the commerce gateway to the seller computer and the buyer computer;   charging the virtual payment account for a cost associated with the product; and   providing the product to a buyer associated with the buyer computer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual payment account comprises a credit account. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the virtual payment account comprises a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining whether the virtual payment account may be used to pay for the product comprises determining whether a spending limit has been exceeded. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the virtual payment account comprises a credit account. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the virtual payment account comprises a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said virtual payment account comprises a main account and at least one sub-account. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a credit account. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining whether the virtual payment account may be used to pay for the product comprises determining whether a spending limit set for the at least one sub-account has been exceeded. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a credit account. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein charging said virtual payment account for a cost associated with said product comprises charging said at least one sub-account for a cost associated with said product. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a credit account. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining whether the virtual payment account may be used to pay for said product comprises determining whether a spending limit set for the at least one sub-account has been exceeded. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a credit account. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one sub-account comprises a pre-paid account. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 determining whether said sub-account is authorized to receive a charge from the seller computer; and   charging said sub-account for a cost associated with said product in response to determining that said sub-account is authorized to receive a charge from the seller computer.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein determining whether the virtual payment account may be used to pay for said product comprises determining whether a spending limit set for the at least one sub-account has been exceeded.