Method of transacting a purchase

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 . cancel  
     
     
         15 . A method of transacting a purchase, comprising: 
 acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card is a bearer instrument having an associated account number, but does not identify the person who acquired the purchase card;    providing purchase transactional information, including the account number associated with the purchase card, to a retailer, the retailer being different from the purchase card provider; and    transacting a purchase with the retailer based on the account number associated with the purchase card.    
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the purchase card having indicia of a card issuer, indicia of an interchange association, and indicia for at least one other entity associated with distribution of the purchase cards.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16  wherein the indicia for at least one other entity is further defined as the name of the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the purchase card is selected from a plurality of purchase cards acquired by the purchase card provider, where each of the plurality of purchase cards embodies a different account number but having the same cardholder name.  
     
     
         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 19  wherein the purchase card having a purchase limit equal to an amount paid for the purchase card less a service fee assessed by the purchase card provider.  
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15  further comprises activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase.  
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22  wherein contact information for the purchase card provider is provided on the purchase card.  
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22  wherein the consumer contacts the purchase card provider over a network connection using a software-implemented application.  
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 15  wherein the step of transacting a purchase with the retailer further comprises authorizing the purchase by way of an authorization system of an interchange association.  
     
     
         26 . A method of transacting a purchase, comprising: 
 acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having an associated account number, but does not identify the person who acquired the purchase card;    providing purchase transactional information, including the account number associated with the purchase card, to a retailer, the retailer being different from the purchase card provider;    activating the purchasing card by contacting the purchase card provider prior to transacting a purchase, wherein contact information for the purchase card provider is provided on the purchase card; and    transacting a purchase with the retailer based on the account number associated with the purchase card.    
     
     
         27 . A method of transacting a purchase, comprising: 
 acquiring a purchase card from a purchase card provider, the purchase card having an associated account number, but does not identify the person who acquired the purchase card, and the purchase card being is selected from a plurality of purchase cards acquired by the purchase card provider, where each of the plurality of purchase cards embodies a different account number but having the same cardholder name    providing purchase transactional information, including the account number associated with the purchase card, to a retailer, the retailer being different from the purchase card provider; and    transacting a purchase with the retailer based on the account number associated with the purchase card.