Distributed system for commerce

Abstract

A distributed system for commerce including a merchant system with a communication system for receiving, processing and transmitting data. The system further includes an intermediate server system in communication with the merchant system, and this intermediate server system includes a data storage system for storing data transmitted thereto, as well as a communication system for receiving, processing and transmitting data.

1 . A distributed system for commerce, comprising:
 (a) at least one merchant system, including a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof; and   (b) at least one intermediate server system in communication with the at least one merchant system and configured to receive data therefrom, the at least one intermediate server system including: (i) a data storage system configured to store the data transmitted to the system; and (ii) a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one merchant system further comprises a network interface configured to: present content to a user, interact with the user, accept input data from the user or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content presented to the user comprises: terms relating to a credit product; conditions relating to a credit product; account agreement data; credit product offer data; credit issuer data; application data; credit issuer description data; credit product description data; explanation data; advertisement data; promotional data; banner data; hyperlink data; transactional data; checkout data; user data; credit issuer data; merchant data; authorization data; permission data; payment data; transaction-specific data; identification data; network data; processing data; settlement data payment data; or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content is transmitted from the intermediate server system to the merchant system, and served and presented to the user by the merchant system. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the content is transmitted on a periodic basis, a dynamic basis, a request basis or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the content is stored on the merchant system. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the content stored on the merchant system is updated, modified, certified, deleted, monitored or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content is referenced by the merchant system at the intermediate server system, and served by the intermediate server system to the user. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the user is redirected to an intermediate server system interface configured to present content to the user, interact with the user, accept input data from the user or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content is stored in the data storage system of the intermediate server system, and the content is updated on a periodic basis, dynamic basis, request basis or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content is displayed in response to a user-selected hyperlink presented on a page of a merchant online location. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content is presented to the user prior to a transaction, during the transaction or after the transaction. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content is presented to the user in the form of a web page, an electronic document, a window, a pop-up window or any combination thereof, which displays at least one data field to the user. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content is presented to the user as an interactive interface configured to display at least one data field to the user and accept the user input. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content comprises interest rate data, credit limit data, purchase data, charge data, cost data, expense data, annual fee data, interest accrual data, statement data, account data, fund advancement data, transfer data, delinquency data, payment term data, account review data, credit product data, credit issuer data, contract data, liability data, certification data, privacy data, personal information use data, collected information data, consent data, foreign data, access data, online service data, phone service data, liability data, representation data, warranty data, termination data, indemnity data, term variation data, communication data, assignment data, rights data, governing law data, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the input data comprises a user identification, a PIN, a name, a consumer key, a consumer identification, an account number, an address, a city, a state, a zip code, a country, a telephone number, an e-mail address, a social security number, a date of birth, the merchant's name, an identification, an order number, an authorization number, an authorization time, an authorization amount, a ship-to address, a bill-to address, a transaction amount, a consumer purchase demographic, a transaction date, a transaction type, a product identification, a service identification, shipping costs, delivery type, consumer type, a company identity, a merchant identity, previous transaction data, geographical data, credit account data, bankcard balance data, delinquency data, credit segment data, previous transaction data, time between transactions data, previous transaction amount, previous transaction approval status, previous transaction time stamp data, a response code, consumer payment method, consumer payment history, consumer account history, consumer credit account balance, income data, family data, employment data, relationship data, expense data, application data, acknowledgement data, selection data, choice data, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein at least a portion of the content presented to the user is pre-populated with data. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the content comprises an offer of at least one credit product to the user and the input data comprises data directed to the offer, wherein the user is presented with (i) terms of the credit product; (ii) conditions of the credit product; (iv) an account agreement; (v) explanation data; (vi) promotional data, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the input data further comprises acknowledgement data from the user, and further content presented to the user is a credit product application. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the user provides application input data, which is transmitted to the intermediate server system, a credit issuer system or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the intermediate server system, a credit issuer, a payment company, an electronic payment company or any combination thereof, is configured to approve or deny an application by the user for the credit product based at least in part upon the application input data; wherein, if approved, an account is opened and established for the user for the credit product of the credit issuer; and, if denied, denial data is transmitted to the user. 
     
     
         22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein consumer risk data is determined based at least in part on: (i) input data; (ii) the acknowledgement data; (iii) application input data, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         23 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant system transmits transactional data to the intermediate server system, the intermediate server system configured to receive, process and/or transmit the transactional data. 
     
     
         24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the transactional data comprises user data, credit issuer data, merchant data, authorization data, permission data, payment data, transaction-specific data, identification data, network data, processing data, settlement data or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a payment processor system configured to receive, process and/or transmit data, the intermediate server system in communication with the payment processor system and configured to transmit transactional data to the payment processor system. 
     
     
         26 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the transactional data comprises input data, user data, credit issuer data, merchant data, authorization data, permission data, payment data, transaction-specific data, identification data, network data, processing data, settlement data or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         27 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the transactional data comprises a common feature data set and a variable feature data set. 
     
     
         28 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the intermediate server system is configured to transmit at least a portion of the common feature data set to the payment processor and at least a portion of the variable feature data set to a credit issuer, a payment company, an electronic payment company or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         29 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the intermediate server system is configured to transmit a portion of the transactional data to the payment processor system. 
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the portion of the transactional data is formatted in a predetermined manner prior to transmission to the payment processor system. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 25 , wherein the payment processor system is configured to transmit transactional data to the intermediate server system, the merchant system, a credit issuer, a payment company, an electronic payment company or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a credit issuer system configured to receive, process and/or transmit data, wherein the intermediate server system is in communication with the credit issuer system and configured to transmit transactional data to the credit issuer system. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the transactional data comprises input data, user data, credit issuer data, merchant data, authorization data, payment data, transaction-specific data, identification data, network data, processing data, settlement data or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the intermediate server system, a payment processor system configured to receive, process and/or transmit data, or any combination thereof, is configured to communicate with the credit issuer system. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the credit issuer system, the intermediate server system or any combination thereof, is further configured to match, combine and/or append transmitted transactional data. 
     
     
         36 . The system of  claim 32 , wherein the credit issuer system, the intermediate server system or any combination thereof is configured to: (i) authenticate the user; (ii) verify the user; (iii) approve or deny a user application; (iv) verify a transaction; (v) process user data; (vi) process merchant data; (vii) process credit issuer data; (viii) process transactional data; (ix) process credit product data, or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the merchant system comprises a merchant online location, a merchant web page, a merchant call center, a merchant settlement system or any combination thereof, which is in communication with the intermediate server system, a payment processor system, a credit issuer, a payment company, an electronic payment company or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 37 , wherein the merchant system is in communication with the payment processor system, the credit issuer, the payment company, the electronic payment company or any combination thereof, the communication comprising transactional data, user data, credit issuer data, merchant data, authorization data, payment data, transaction-specific data, identification data, network data, processing data, settlement data or any combination thereof. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the intermediate server system comprises a plurality of discrete servers in a networked environment. 
     
     
         40 . A distributed system for commerce, comprising:
 (a) at least one merchant system, including:
 (i) a network interface configured to: present content to a user, interact with the user, accept input data from the user or any combination thereof; and 
 (ii) a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof; 
   (b) at least one payment processor system, including:
 (i) a processing system configured to process credit-based transactions; and 
 (ii) a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof; and 
   (c) at least one intermediate server system in communication with the at least one merchant system and the at least one payment processor system, the at least one intermediate server system including:
 (i) a data storage system configured to store data transmitted to the system; and 
 (ii) a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof. 
   
     
     
         41 . A distributed system for commerce, comprising:
 (a) at least one merchant system, including:
 (i) a network interface configured to: present content to a user, interact with the user, accept input data from the user or any combination thereof; and 
 (ii) a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof; 
   (b) at least one credit issuer system, including:
 (i) a processing system configured to process credit data directed to at least one credit product; and 
 (ii) a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof; and 
   (c) at least one intermediate server system in communication with the at least one merchant system and the at least one credit issuer system, the at least one intermediate server system including:
 (i) a data storage system configured to store data transmitted to the system; and 
 (ii) a communications system configured to receive data, process data, transmit data or any combination thereof.