Systems and methods for processing payments to a provider for jointly rendered advertising

Abstract

An apparatus including a central system, a transaction processor, a database storing a set of business rules, and a point-of-sale computer system. The central system in operable communication with the transaction processor, the database, and the point-of-sale computer system. The central system is configured to receive a primary transaction data in response to a primary transaction being initiated between a first entity and a second entity. The second entity is associated with the point-of-sale computer system. The central system is configured to obtain from the primary transaction data at least one of: (i) a primary transaction value, (ii) one or more products purchased in the primary transaction, (iii) a location of purchase, and (iv) an account identifier and determine, based on the primary transaction data, a supplemental transaction value associated with a supplemental transaction based on a first business rule of the set of business rules stored in the database.

1 . An apparatus for improving efficiency and security in initiating a payment from a provider to a third party, wherein the provider provides advertising to a user using a website portal configured to concurrently render a web page by both the provider and the third party, the apparatus comprising:
 a database; and   a central system being in operable communication with the database, and configured to:
 receive a primary transaction data for a first transfer of advertising funds from a merchant/business to the provider to facilitate the provider providing an advertisement to the user; and 
 further to the provider filtering the user's use of the website portal based upon a prior financial transaction entered into by the user, automatically initiating a second transfer of funds that includes the payment; 
   wherein the first transfer of funds is a separate transaction from the second transfer of funds.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the prior financial transaction comprises a prior purchase. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the provider is further configured to increase relevance to the user by offering an additional layer of filtering based upon a demographic of the user. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the demographic comprises inclusion of the user in an online community where users can share information or rate products. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the payment comprises a micropayment to the third party in lieu of being paid directly for providing content. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the central system is further configured to base an amount of the payment at least partially upon delivering the user to a merchant/business website. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the central system is further configured to base an amount of the payment at least partially upon keyword advertising. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the central system is further configured to base an amount of the payment at least partially upon a number of clicks. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the provider controls the timing of the payment to the third party. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the third party controls the timing of the payment to the third party. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further including a merchant/business interface configured to manage at least a portion of a relationship between the merchant/business and the provider. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the provider is configured to provide a spending history of the user to the merchant/business. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the provider controls the central system. 
     
     
         14 . An improved method of initiating a payment from a provider to a third party, wherein the provider provides advertising to a user using a website portal configured to concurrently render a web page by both the provider and the third party, the improvement comprising:
 receiving a primary transaction data for a first transfer of advertising funds from a merchant/business to the provider to facilitate the provider providing an advertisement to the user; and
 further to the provider filtering the user's use of the website portal based upon a prior financial transaction entered into by the user, automatically initiating a second transfer of funds that includes the payment; 
 wherein the first transfer of funds is a separate transaction from the second transfer of funds. 
   
     
     
         15 . The improved method of  claim 14 , wherein the prior financial transaction comprises a prior purchase. 
     
     
         16 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising offering an additional layer of filtering based upon a demographic of the user. 
     
     
         17 . The improved method of  claim 16 , wherein the demographic comprises inclusion of the user in an online community where users can share information or rate products. 
     
     
         18 . The improved method of  claim 14 , wherein the payment comprises a micropayment to the third party in lieu of being paid directly for providing content. 
     
     
         19 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising basing an amount of the payment at least partially upon delivering the user to a merchant/business website. 
     
     
         20 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising basing an amount of the payment at least partially upon keyword advertising. 
     
     
         21 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising basing an amount of the payment at least partially upon a number of clicks. 
     
     
         22 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising the provider controlling the timing of the payment to the third party. 
     
     
         23 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising the third party controlling the timing of the payment to the third party. 
     
     
         24 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising the provider providing a merchant/business interface through which the merchant/business can manage at least a portion of a relationship between the provider and the merchant/business. 
     
     
         25 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising the provider providing a spending history of the user to the merchant/business. 
     
     
         26 . The improved method of  claim 14 , wherein the merchant/business comprises an advertiser. 
     
     
         27 . The improved method of  claim 14 , wherein the website portal comprises a search engine. 
     
     
         28 . The improved method of  claim 14 , wherein the website portal comprises a browser. 
     
     
         29 . The improved method of  claim 14 , further comprising the provider controlling the central system. 
     
     
         30 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the payment comprises a commission or fee and the second transfer of funds includes an amount of a second commission or fee from the provider to the third party.