Method to Provide Liquid Funds in the Online Auction and Marketplace Environment

Abstract

A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to implement a lending system for use with electronic commerce web sites such as auction sites. A seller may receive a cash loan for items placed for sale but not yet purchased by a buyer. The seller can be required to pay back the loan after a predetermined amount of time or as soon as the item for sale is sold and payment is received from the buyer. The lender would charge interest or commission for the loan. In this manner, sellers can receive cash for items listed on auction sites before those items are actually sold, generating additional cash flow for the seller.

1 . A system to transfer a loan amount of a loan to a seller who lists an item for sale on an e-commerce web site, the system comprising:
 a lending server to communicate with an e-commerce server hosting the e-commerce web site, the e-commerce web site comprising web pages that allows sellers to list goods for sale and allows buyers to bid on or purchase the goods for sale; and   the lending server being in communication with a financial processing application to initiate transfer of the loan from a cash provider to the seller on the e-commerce web site using a computer communications network,   wherein an investor transfers investment money to a lending account owned by the cash provider in return for repayment of the investment money with a profit, wherein the investment money is used to fund the loan.   
     
     
         2 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the investor is another seller on the e-commerce web site. 
     
     
         3 . The system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein when the seller receives a payment from a purchaser, the payment is paid directly to the cash provider. 
     
     
         4 . The system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein when the seller receives a payment from a purchaser, the payment is paid directly to the cash provider.