Abstract: Various computer-implemented services are disclosed for assisting users in selecting items from an electronic catalog, and for selecting merchants with which to conduct transactions. One such service enables users to share information about their respective purchases with other users. Another service enables users to share information regarding the merchants with which they have conducted transactions.

Abstract: A facility for assessing product replenishment is described. The facility determines that a purchasing entity possesses an item, determines an expiration time for the item, and schedules, for a time preceding the expiration, a unilateral communication to the purchasing entity indicating that the item should be replenished. The facility can also manage automatic item replenishment, including determining a target date for replenishment of the item, transmitting to the purchaser in advance of the target date (when the purchaser is not engaged in an electronic shopping activity) a replenishment proposal, and ordering a replacement for the item. In some cases, the facility places an order within a predetermined tolerance of the target date without intervention by the consumer. The facility can also establish and test a condition for suggesting replenishment, can raise an event when the condition is satisfied, and can unilaterally make the replenishment suggestion when the event is raised.

Abstract: Various computer-implemented services are disclosed for assisting users in selecting items from an electronic catalog, and for selecting merchants with which to conduct transactions. One such service enables users to share information about their respective purchases with other users. Another service enables users to share information regarding the merchants with which they have conducted transactions.

Abstract: A method and system for authenticating users while conducting an auction via a computer system. The system can automatically authenticate users who have previously registered with the auction system and who have enabled automatic authentication. When a user is registered, the system may store authentication information in a cookie on the user's computer. When the user decides to perform a transaction (e.g., list item auction or place a bid for an item) that requires authentication, the system retrieves the stored authentication information. If automatic authentication is enabled, then the system allows the transaction to proceed without manual authentication. If, however, automatic authentication is not enabled or the system does not recognize the stored authentication information, then the system requests manual authentication. The use of automatic authentication allows a user to enter information relating to a transaction without manually entering any identification information.

Abstract: A system for implementing a referral program includes a referral tracking system capable of tracking referrals of users from participant sites to a merchant site, and capable of determining whether such referrals result in purchases. The referral program participants may select particular catalog items to recommend, and may provide encoded links on their sites to the corresponding catalog pages of the merchant site. The system may include a report generation system that provides the participants with activity reports regarding the referral and purchase activity attributable to such links.

Abstract: Various computer-implemented services are disclosed for assisting users in selecting items from an electronic catalog, and for selecting merchants with which to conduct transactions. One such service enables users to share information about their respective purchases with other users. Another service enables users to share information regarding the merchants with which they have conducted transactions.

Abstract: A system for implementing a performance-based customer referral program includes a referral tracking system capable of tracking referrals of users from participant sites to a retail site, and capable of determining whether such referrals result in purchases on the retail site. The tracked referral activity may, for example, be used to determine performance-based commissions to pay to the participants. The system may also include an enrollment system that partially or fully automates the task of enrolling new participants and their sites in the referral program. In addition, the system may include a report generation system that provides the participants with activity reports regarding the referral and purchase activity attributable to their sites.

Abstract: A method and system for authenticating users while conducting an auction via a computer system. The system can automatically authenticate users who have previously registered with the auction system and who have enabled automatic authentication. When a user is registered, the system may store authentication information in a cookie on the user's computer. When the user decides to perform a transaction (e.g., list item auction or place a bid for an item) that requires authentication, the system retrieves the stored authentication information. If automatic authentication is enabled, then the system allows the transaction to proceed without manual authentication. If, however, automatic authentication is not enabled or the system does not recognize the stored authentication information, then the system requests manual authentication. The use of automatic authentication allows a user to enter information relating to a transaction without manually entering any identification information.

Abstract: Various processes are disclosed for discovering item relationships between particular items, such as products represented in an electronic catalog, based on monitored user behaviors (e.g., item viewing activities, item purchases, shopping cart activities, etc.). The discovered item relationships may, for example, be used to generate personalized item recommendations for users, and/or to supplement item detail pages of an electronic catalog with lists of related items. Also disclosed are processes for generating personalized item recommendations based on users' search activities and browse node visits.

Abstract: In a system in which documents are generated dynamically in response to user requests, historical data is collected regarding data retrieval subtasks, such as service requests, that are performed to generate such documents. This data is used to predict the specific subtasks that will be performed to respond to specific document requests, such that these subtasks may be initiated preemptively at or near the outset of the associated document generation task. In one embodiment, the historical data is included within, or is used to generate, a mapping table that maps document generation tasks (which may correspond to specific URLs) to the data retrieval subtasks that are frequently performed within such tasks.

Abstract: A method and system for placing an order to purchase an item via the Internet. The order is placed by a user at a client system and received by a server system. The client system can display information identifying the item and, for each of multiple procurement options having information related to ordering the identified item, can display an indication of the procurement option such that selection of the displayed indication represents an ordering of the identified item using the information of the procurement option. In response to selection of a displayed indication, the client system can send to a server computer a request to order the identified item using the information of the procurement option for the selected indication.

Abstract: A computer-implemented service integrates with merchant sites to enable registered users of the service to perform purchase transactions on the merchant sites. In one embodiment, a merchant can incorporate a reference to a display object served by the service into coding of a page of the merchant's site. When the page is loaded by a user's browser, the reference causes the browser to request the display object from the service for display on the page. If the user is recognized by the service, the service may return a personalized display object that includes functionality for the user to perform a purchase transaction using the service. Also disclosed are embodiments that enable users to initiate transfers of personal account information to the merchant sites.

Abstract: Various processes are disclosed for discovering item relationships between particular items, such as products represented in an electronic catalog, based on monitored user behaviors (e.g., item viewing activities, item purchases, shopping cart activities, etc.). The discovered item relationships may, for example, be used to generate personalized item recommendations for users, and/or to supplement item detail pages of an electronic catalog with lists of related items. Also disclosed are processes for generating personalized item recommendations based on users' search activities and browse node visits.

Abstract: A network-based payment service and site provides various features for facilitating payments. One such feature enables users of the payment service to create pay boxes, or other types of payment objects, that can be incorporated into externally hosted web pages and used to make payments. In some embodiments, the payment objects enable users to make payments directly from the externally hosted web pages.

Abstract: In a system in which documents are generated dynamically in response to user requests, historical data is collected regarding data retrieval subtasks, such as service requests, that are performed to generate such documents. This data is used to predict the specific subtasks that will be performed to respond to specific document requests, such that these subtasks may be initiated preemptively at or near the outset of the associated document generation task. A subtask that would ordinarily be postponed pending the outcome of a prior subtask can thereby be performed in parallel with the prior subtask, reducing document generation times. In one embodiment, the historical data is included within, or is used to generate, a mapping table that maps document generation tasks (which may correspond to specific URLs) to the data retrieval subtasks that are frequently performed within such tasks.

Abstract: A network-based transaction processing system allows users to flexibly and efficiently make payments using a combination of different payment instruments. The system includes a user interface through which a user can define one or more payment plans, each of which may specify a plurality of payment instruments and associated rules for dividing payment amounts among these payment instruments. These rules may be non-transaction-specific, such that a user can re-use a payment plan over time to complete multiple transactions. When placing an order or otherwise initiating a payment transaction, the user can select a payment plan for use in completing the transaction.

Abstract: A computer-implemented service recommends digital works (and/or creators of works) to a user based on works currently or previously played or downloaded by the user on a player device or based on playlists stored on the player device. The works may be, for example, music files, video files, electronic books, or other digital content for playing by users. A user may thus obtain personalized recommendations that are based on works obtained from sources (web sites, physical CDs, etc.) that are independent of the recommendations system. In one embodiment, the service identifies pairs of works (and/or work creators) that are similar to each other by virtue of the relatively high frequency with which they co-occur on playlists or within play histories of users. The resulting mappings are used to provide recommendations to users.

Abstract: A method and system for placing an order to purchase an item via the Internet. The order is placed by a user at a client system and received by a server system. The client system can display information identifying the item and, for each of multiple procurement options having information related to ordering the identified item, can display an indication of the procurement option such that selection of the displayed indication represents an ordering of the identified item using the information of the procurement option. In response to selection of a displayed indication, the client system can send to a server computer a request to order the identified item using the information of the procurement option for the selected indication.

Abstract: Various processes are disclosed for discovering item relationships between particular items, such as products represented in an electronic catalog, based on monitored user behaviors (e.g., item viewing activities, item purchases, shopping cart activities, etc.). The discovered item relationships may, for example, be used to generate personalized item recommendations for users, and/or to supplement item detail pages of an electronic catalog with lists of related items. Also disclosed are processes for generating personalized item recommendations based on users' search activities and browse node visits.

Abstract: An Internet-based customer referral system enables individuals and other business entities (“associates”) to market products sold on a merchant web site in return for commissions. Following registration, the associate sets up a web site (or other information dissemination system) to distribute hypertextual catalog documents that include marketing information (product reviews, recommendations, etc.) about selected products of the merchant. In association with each such product, the catalog document includes a hypertextual “referral link” that allows a user/customer to access the merchant web site and purchase the product. When a customer selects a referral link, the customer's computer transmits unique IDs of the selected product and of the associate to the merchant's site, allowing the merchant to identify the product and the referring associate. If the customer subsequently purchases a product from the merchant's site, a commission is automatically credited to an account of the referring associate.