Internet billing method

Claim 2

An Internet billing method for a plurality of customers and a plurality of vendors of products or services for transactions over the Internet between a purchasing customer of the plurality of customers and a selling vendor of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each purchase transaction, a transaction amount is charged to the purchasing customer, and an amount is remitted to the selling vendor, comprising the steps by a third party of: a) establishing a billing agreement with the purchasing customer, and a remitting agreement with the selling vendor, to bill the purchasing customer, and to remit to the selling vendor, for products and services purchased over the Internet by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; b) providing a communications link through equipment of the third party between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor through which the purchasing customer obtains information from the selling vendor with respect to a purchase of a product or service by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; c) obtaining at least one billing authorization for the purchase; d) charging the transaction amount to the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing agreement; and e) remitting an amount related to the purchase to the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting agreement.

Claim 3

The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party from a communication sent by the purchasing customer to the third party.

Claim 4

The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party from a communication sent by the selling vendor to the third party.

Claim 5

The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party extracting the approval from a communication sent through the equipment of the third party either from the purchasing customer to the selling vendor or from the selling vendor to the purchasing customer.

Claim 6

The method according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained by the third party monitoring the existence of a communication sent through the equipment of the third party either from the purchasing customer to the selling vendor or from the selling vendor to the purchasing customer without extracting the approval from the communication.

Claim 7

The method according to claim 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , or 5 , wherein the third party is an Internet access provider, a cable television company, a telephone company, or a company offering financial services.

Claim 8

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the communications link is over the Internet.

Claim 9

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one billing authorization does not include an account number to which to charge the purchasing customer.

Claim 10

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained in response to only a single action being performed by the purchasing customer.

Claim 11

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one billing authorization is obtained over the Internet.

Claim 12

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the product is a book, flowers, software, an electronic publication, or a telecommunications product or service.

Claim 13

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the product or service is delivered over the Internet.

Claim 14

The method according to claim 6 , wherein prior to the step of charging, the third party obtaining approval from a party other than the purchasing customer to charge the purchasing customer.

Claim 15

The method according to claim 13 , wherein the party other than the purchasing customer is a credit card company, a bank, a company offering financial services, the third party, or an Internet access provider.

Claim 16

The method according to claim 13 , wherein the approval is obtained over the Internet.

Claim 17

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of charging comprises sending a bill or charging an account with a credit card company, a bank, a company offering financial services, a telephone company, a cable television company, the third party, or an Internet access provider.

Claim 18

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of remitting comprises sending a check or crediting an account with a credit card company, a bank, a company offering financial services, a telephone company, a cable television company, the third party, or an Internet access provider.

Claim 19

The method according to claim 6 , wherein only a portion of the transaction amount is remitted to the selling vendor.

Claim 20

The method according to claim 6 , wherein at least one of the steps of charging and remitting is done over the Internet.

Claim 21

The method according to claim 6 , wherein the step of remitting is performed before the step of charging.

Claim 22

An Internet billing method for a plurality of customers and a plurality of vendors of products or services for transactions over the Internet between a purchasing customer of the plurality of customers and a selling vendor of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each purchase transaction, a transaction amount is charged to the purchasing customer, and an amount is remitted to the selling vendor, comprising the steps by a third party of: a) establishing a billing agreement with the purchasing customer, and a remitting agreement with the selling vendor, to bill the purchasing customer, and to remit to the selling vendor, for products and services purchased over the Internet by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; b) providing a communications link through equipment of the third party between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor through which the purchasing customer obtains information from the selling vendor with respect to a purchase of a product or service by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; c) obtaining over the Internet at least one billing authorization for the purchase, which does not include an account number to which to charge the purchasing customer, from a communication sent by the purchasing customer to the third party in response to only a single action being performed by the purchasing customer; d) charging the transaction amount to the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing agreement; and e) remitting an amount related to the purchase to the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting agreement.

Claim 23

An Internet billing method for a plurality of customers and a plurality of vendors of products or services for transactions over the Internet between a purchasing customer of the plurality of customers and a selling vendor of the plurality of vendors, wherein, for each purchase transaction, a transaction amount is charged to the purchasing customer, and an amount is remitted to the selling vendor, comprising the steps by a third party of: a) establishing a billing agreement with the purchasing customer, and a remitting agreement with the selling vendor, to bill the purchasing customer, and to remit to the selling vendor, for products and services purchased over the Internet by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; b) providing a communications link through equipment of the third party between the purchasing customer and the selling vendor through which the purchasing customer obtains information from the selling vendor with respect to a purchase of a product or service by the purchasing customer from the selling vendor; c) obtaining over the Internet at least one billing authorization for the purchase, which does not include an account number to which to charge the purchasing customer, from a communication sent by the purchasing customer to the third party in response to only a single action being performed by the purchasing customer; d) charging the transaction amount to the purchasing customer in accordance with the billing agreement; and e) remitting an amount related to the purchase to the selling vendor in accordance with the remitting agreement.