Abstract: A payment system for enabling a first Internet user to make a payment to a second Internet user, typically for the purchase of an information product deliverable over the Internet. The payment system provides cardholder accounts for the first and second Internet users. When the second user sends the information product to the first user over the Internet, the second user also makes a request over the Internet to a front end portion of the payment system requesting payment from the first user. The front end portion of the payment system queries the first user over the Internet whether to proceed with payment to the second user. If the first user replies affirmatively, a charge to the first user is processed off the Internet; however if the first user replies negatively, the first user is not charged for the information product. The payment system informs the second user regarding whether the first user's decision and pays the second user upon collection of the charge from the first user.

Abstract: A method and system for use on a quasi-public network, such as the Internet, to enable users of the network to conduct commercial transactions involving a payment of funds by one user to another user of the network. The method includes operating a computer system for sending and receiving messages from users over the network. Upon receiving a message over the network from a qualified user-seller, a message is sent over the network to the user-buyer that was identified in the message from the user-seller. The message to the user-buyer requests confirmation of a transaction identified in the message received from the user-seller. Upon receiving a confirmation over the network from the user-buyer, payment information is sent by secure channels off the network to an agent of the user-seller. The user-seller's agent may be a separate entity or the function of the user-seller's agent may be performed by the transaction enabling system.