Systems and methods to facilitate payment for shipped goods

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for managing a transaction for a sale of goods between a customer and a merchant. A communication relating to the transaction is received by a provider that is affiliated with several offices, the communication including at least an indication of the cost for the goods. The cost is collected from the customer in accordance with the communication. The cost is paid to the merchant after the merchant delivers the goods.

1 - 24 . (canceled)  
     
     
         25 . A method for managing a transaction for a sale of goods between a customer located in a first country and a merchant having the goods in a second country, the method comprising: 
 receiving, by a provider, a communication relating to the transaction that includes a cost for the goods;    determining a shipment of the goods from the second country to the first country as part of an aggregate shipment, wherein the aggregate shipment contains goods associated with a plurality of sales of goods;    collecting, by the provider, a cost of the goods from the customer in accordance with the communication; and    paying, by the provider, the cost to the merchant after the merchant delivers the goods.    
     
     
         26 . The method recited in  claim 25 , wherein the provider is different than the merchant.  
     
     
         27 . The method recited in  claim 25 , wherein collecting the cost from the customer comprises collecting an entirety of the cost plus a service charge before the merchant delivers the goods.  
     
     
         28 . The method recited in  claim 25 , wherein collecting the cost of the goods from the customer comprises: 
 collecting a portion of the cost plus a service charge before the merchant delivers the goods; and    collecting a remainder of the cost plus the service change after the merchant delivers the goods.    
     
     
         29 . The method recited in  claim 25 , wherein the customer and the merchant are located in different countries.  
     
     
         30 . The method recited in  claim 25 , wherein receiving the communication relating to the transaction comprises receiving a communication over the Internet.  
     
     
         31 . The method recited in  claim 25 , wherein the goods are delivered by the merchant to the customer.  
     
     
         32 . The method recited in  claim 25 , wherein the goods are delivered by the merchant to the provider.  
     
     
         33 . The method recited in  claim 32 , further comprising delivering, by the provider, the goods to the customer.  
     
     
         34 . The method recited in  claim 25 , further comprising providing, by the provider, a hyperlink to a web site of the merchant.  
     
     
         35 . A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a computer system for a provider, the computer system including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the computer system to manage a transaction for a sale of goods between a customer located in a first country and an merchant having the goods in a second country in accordance with the following: 
 receiving a communication, with the communications system, over a communications link between the merchant and the computer system, the communication relating to the transaction and including a cost for the goods;    determining, with the processor, a shipment of the goods from the second country to the first country as part of an aggregate shipment, wherein the aggregate shipment contains goods associated with a plurality of sales of goods;    recording, on the storage device, whether the cost has been collected from the customer in accordance with the communication and whether the merchant delivers the goods; and    authorizing payment of the cost, by the provider, to the merchant with the processor.    
     
     
         36 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 35 , wherein the communications system comprises an Internet connection and the communication is received over the Internet.  
     
     
         37 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 35 , wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for providing a hyperlink to a web site of the merchant.  
     
     
         38 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 35 , wherein recording whether the cost has been collected from the customer in accordance with the communication comprises: 
 indicating that a portion of the cost plus a service change has been collected before the merchant delivers the goods; and    indicating that a remainder of the cost plus a service charge has been collected after the merchant delivers the goods.    
     
     
         39 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 35 , wherein recording whether the cost has been collected from the customer in accordance with the communication comprises indicating that an entirety of the cost plus a service charge has been collected before the merchant delivers the goods.  
     
     
         40 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 35 , wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for authorizing release of the goods to the customer from the provider after collecting the cost from the customer.  
     
     
         41 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 35 , wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for calculating a service charge to be charged to the customer.  
     
     
         42 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 41 , wherein the service charge includes shipping and insurance costs for delivering the goods.  
     
     
         43 . The computer-readable storage medium recited in  claim 35  wherein the computer-readable program further includes instruction for performing a currency exchange of the cost.  
     
     
         44 . A computer system comprising: 
 a communications system;    a storage device;    a processor in communication with the communications system and the storage device; and    a memory coupled with the processor, the memory comprising a computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of the computer system for a provider to manage a transaction for a sale of goods between a customer located in a first country and an Internet merchant having the goods in a second country, the computer-readable program including: 
 instructions for receiving a communication with the communications system, the communication relating to the transaction and including a cost for the goods;  
 instructions for determining a shipment of the goods from the second country to the first country as part of an aggregate shipment, wherein the aggregate shipment contains goods associated with a plurality of sales of goods;  
 instructions for recording on the storage device whether the cost has been collected from the customer in accordance with the communication; and  
 instructions for authorizing payment of the cost to the merchant by the provider with the processor.  
   
     
     
         45 . The computer system recited in  claim 44 , wherein the communications system comprises an Internet connection and the communication is received over the Internet.