Multiple party on-line transactions

Abstract

A role associated with one or more parties involved with a purchase transaction is received. A routing rule associated with the purchase transaction is also received, the routing rule defining how the purchase transaction is routed among the one or more parties. The purchase transaction is processed based on the role of each party and the routing rule.

1 - 20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . A computer-implemented method for processing multi-party transactions, comprising:
 receiving, by one or more computing devices, one or more rules associated with a purchase transaction, the one or more rules defining how the purchase transaction is routed among one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction;   receiving, by the one or more computing devices, an indication to proceed to checkout from a first party of the one or more parties of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction, wherein the indication to proceed to checkout comprises a request to complete the purchase transaction;   in response to the one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, a payment request to a second party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction, wherein the payment request comprises a request that the second party of the one or more parties approves the purchase transaction;   receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a payment authorization, wherein the payment authorization comprises an approval of the purchase transaction from the second party of the one or more parties; and   completing, by the one or more computing device, the purchase transaction.   
     
     
         22 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the role of the first party of the one or more parties of the one or more parties is one or more of a buyer and a suggestor. 
     
     
         23 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the roles associated with the purchase transaction define a responsibility of each party of the one or more parties of the one or more parties for approving the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         24 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 in response to the one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, transmitting, by the one or more computing devices, a second payment request to a third party of the one or more parties of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction, wherein the second payment request comprises a request that the third party of the one or more parties of the one or more parties approves the purchase transaction; and   receiving, by the one or more computing devices, a second payment authorization, wherein the second payment authorization comprises a second approval of the purchase transaction from the third party of the one or more parties.   
     
     
         25 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 24 , wherein the first payment request further comprises a first partial amount of the purchase transaction and first payment account information and the second payment request further comprises a second partial amount of the purchase transaction and second payment account information. 
     
     
         26 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the second party of the one or more parties approves the purchase transaction if a spending limit is not exceeded by the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         27 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the payment request is transmitted to the second party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction based on a rule associated with the purchase transaction specifying that the second party of the one or more parties is responsible for paying for the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         28 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 21 , wherein the payment request further comprises an amount of the purchase transaction and payment account information. 
     
     
         29 . A system for processing multi-party transactions, the system comprising:
 a storage medium; and   a processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage medium and that case the system to:
 receive one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, the one or more rules defining how the purchase transaction is routed among one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction; 
 receive an indication to proceed to checkout from a first party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction, wherein the indication to proceed to checkout comprises a request to complete the purchase transaction; 
 in response to the one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, transmit a request to a second party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction; 
 receive an authorization, wherein the authorization comprises an approval of the purchase transaction from the second party of the one or more parties; and 
 complete the purchase transaction. 
   
     
     
         30 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the roles associated with the purchase transaction define a responsibility of each party of the one or more parties for approving the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         31 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the processor is further configured to execute computer-executable instructions stored in the storage medium to cause the system to:
 in response to the one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, transmit a second request to a third party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction; and   receive a second authorization, wherein the second authorization comprises a second approval of the purchase transaction from the third party of the one or more parties.   
     
     
         32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the first request comprises a first indication of a first partial amount of the purchase transaction and first payment account information and the second request comprises a second indication of a second partial amount of the purchase transaction and second payment account information. 
     
     
         33 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the second party of the one or more parties approves the purchase transaction if a spending limit is not exceeded by the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the request comprises an amount of the purchase transaction and payment account information. 
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 29 , wherein the request is transmitted to the second party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction based on a rule associated with the purchase transaction specifying that the second party of the one or more parties is responsible for paying for the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         36 . A computer program product, comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-readable program instructions embodied therein that when executed by a computer cause the computer to process multi-party transactions, the computer-readable program instructions comprising:   computer-readable program instructions for receiving one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, the one or more rules defining how the purchase transaction is routed among one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction;   computer-readable program instructions for receiving an indication to proceed to checkout from a first party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction;   in response to the one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, computer-readable program instructions for transmitting a request to a second party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction; and   computer-readable program instructions for receiving an authorization, wherein the authorization comprises an approval of the purchase transaction from the second party of the one or more parties.   
     
     
         37 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , wherein the roles associated with the purchase transaction define a responsibility of each party of the one or more parties for approving the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         38 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 in response to the one or more rules associated with the purchase transaction, computer-readable program instructions for transmitting a second request to a third party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction; and   computer-readable program instructions for receiving a second payment authorization, wherein the second authorization comprises a second approval of the purchase transaction from the third party of the one or more parties.   
     
     
         39 . The computer program product of  claim 38 , wherein the first request comprises a first indication of a first partial amount of the purchase transaction and first payment account information and the second request comprises a second indication of a second partial amount of the purchase transaction and second payment account information. 
     
     
         40 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , wherein the second party of the one or more parties approves the purchase transaction if a spending limit is not exceeded by the purchase transaction. 
     
     
         41 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , wherein the request comprises an amount of the purchase transaction and payment account information. 
     
     
         42 . The computer program product of  claim 36 , wherein the request is transmitted to the second party of the one or more parties involved with the purchase transaction based on a rule associated with the purchase transaction specifying that the second party of the one or more parties is responsible for paying for the purchase transaction.