Abstract: One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method to collect information about potentially suspect addresses across many members of a commerce platform or a fraudulent address database system, thus reducing the chance of exposure to fraudulent charges for merchants providing services as members.

Abstract: Systems and methods to present travel options in response to a search request. In one aspect, after a computer system receives a search request from a user, the computer system determines a plurality of travel options in response to the search request. The computer system then presents the travel options using a chart having a dimension graphically representing travel times of the travel options, such as in a Gantt chart with a graphical timescale, which may have a representation of an analog clock.

Abstract: Systems and methods to consolidate user preferences for a service and make suggestions for options related to the service. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method includes: storing preferences of a plurality of users for a service; storing past options that have been previously selected for the service; in response to a request for the service for a subset of the users, combining the preferences of the subset of the users to generate a preference set for the subset of the users, based on a set of predetermined rules, using a computer; and selecting an option based on the preference set generated for the subset of users and the past options that have been previously selected for the service, using the computer.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method that can be performed on a system, is provided for predictive booking or reservations based on historical aggregation and events. In one embodiment, the method comprises surveying prices paid for traveler purchases or reservations to identify price increases for travel purchases or reservations, wherein the price increases include a increase in a price of a travel purchase during an identified period of time; identifying a correlation between identified price increases for travel purchases or reservations and identified events; predicting of future price increases in select travel bookings based on the identified correlation between the identified price increases for travel purchases or reservations and identified events; and determining whether to purchase or reserve a set of travel bookings based on the predicting of the future price increases.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method that can be performed on a system, is provided for view of transactions with dynamic updates. In one embodiment, the method comprises a portal assigned to a user, receiving one or more syndication feeds; the portal receiving one or more events, the events being non-syndication feeds; a syndication engine filtering the events and syndication feeds based on predetermined set of rules; and the syndication engine presenting at the portal to the user, the events and syndication feeds as syndication feeds in a syndication format.

Abstract: A system and method for providing an enhanced, automated qualifying process that can do an automated or partially automated evaluation of new supplier and provide different levels of certification as a result. In another embodiment, the system and method can supply a collaboration toolkit for the supplier to interact in an automated way with the service supplier and its customers. Furthermore, in another embodiment, the support functions in the portal may be used to simplify or automate interactions, in particular with small, independent contractors that do not have a large in-house Information Technology department.

Abstract: Method and system for testing policies to determine cost savings, which in one embodiment comprises receiving identities of a set of one or more persons associated within an organization, the one or more person's travel related expenditures are to be governed by at least a first and second policy; from the set of one or more persons, identifying a first group governed by the first policy and identifying a second group governed by the second policy; identifying the travel costs incurred by the first group and costs incurred by the second group; and following the passage of a predetermined period of time, in view of the respective separate policies, performing a cost analysis on travel costs incurred by the first group during the predetermined period of time and the travel costs incurred by the second group during the predetermined period of time.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method that can be performed on a system, is provided for preferred vender pre-transaction bidding. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing to a user one or more offers for sale of an item or service, the offers matching criteria pre-determined by one of a separate user or entity; receiving a selection of at least one offer from the user; comparing the selected offer to a set of pre-determined preferences of the user and generating and transmitting a request to one or more vendors for a counter-offer based on the set of pre-determined preferences of the user; in response to receiving one or more counter-offers, comparing the one or more counter offers to the criteria pre-determined by the separate user or entity; and providing to the user one or more of the counter-offers matching the criteria pre-determined by the separate user or entity.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method that can be performed on a system, is provided for preferred vender pre-transaction bidding. In one embodiment, the method comprises providing to a user one or more offers for sale of an item or service, the offers matching criteria pre-determined by one of a separate user or entity; receiving a selection of at least one offer from the user; comparing the selected offer to a set of pre-determined preferences of the user and generating and transmitting a request to one or more vendors for a counter-offer based on the set of pre-determined preferences of the user; in response to receiving one or more counter-offers, comparing the one or more counter offers to the criteria pre-determined by the separate user or entity; and providing to the user one or more of the counter-offers matching the criteria pre-determined by the separate user or entity.

Abstract: A system and method to one-click service status tracking and updates. In one embodiment, in response to activation of a mobile device, providing GPS location information of the mobile device; the mobile device registering with a server to identify a user of the mobile device with a service and a service provider of the service; and the mobile device providing to the user real-time status information related to the service. In one embodiment, at least one of the service provider and user are in transit. In one embodiment, the information received from the server includes one of the service provider ID and contact info for the user to contact the service provider directly. In one embodiment, the activation includes a single click of a feature on the mobile device.

Abstract: A method, that may be implemented on a system, for improved treatment of error conditions in transactions systems, is described. One embodiment includes providing a transaction form to a user in response to receiving a user requests for a transaction form; in response to receiving a form at least partially completed by the user, storing on a data storage unit data entered on the form; informing the user of an error associated with submission of the form; providing the user with a first option of retrying to submit the form; and in response to the user opting to retry submission of the form, reposting from the data storage unit the data from the user previously entered on the form.

Abstract: A system and method provides an advertiser access to a plurality of utilities that allow users to electronically manage trip items in a trip itinerary. An interactive tool allows the advertiser to create an advertisement related to the trip items. An identification of utilities in the plurality of utilities in which the advertisement will appear is received from the advertiser. The advertisement is inserted in the identified utilities.

Abstract: A method and system to for optimization of cost management that allows implementation of such controls and rules. In one embodiment, the system and method are integrated into an existing service procurement system.

Abstract: System and method for availability based on limited-time offerings and transactions. One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method that, based on a set of known preferences and historic transactions with customers, culls from a customer database those customers most likely to close a transaction in a short time. The selected customers are notified of the offer, and the system processes the customers responses in a timely manner, and thus allow fleeting inventories to be sold off before they expire.

Abstract: System and method for availability based on limited-time offerings and transactions. One embodiment of the present invention provides a system and method that, based on a set of known preferences and historic transactions with customers, culls from a customer database those customers most likely to close a transaction in a short time. The selected customers are notified of the offer, and the system processes the customers responses in a timely manner, and thus allow fleeting inventories to be sold off before they expire.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a method, that may be implemented on a system, for providing the travel schedule of traveler's contacts. One embodiment of the method comprises receiving a travel itinerary for a traveler; identifying at least one travel segment option corresponding to the travel itinerary of the traveler; identifying from one or more of the traveler's sets of contacts, one or more contacts that have selected the travel segment option identified for the traveler; and presenting for selection the travel segment option for the traveler, and presenting the one or more contacts that have selected the travel segment option identified for the traveler.

Abstract: A method and system are described for flexible handling of rules and regulations in labor hiring, comprising of receiving a requisition form from a computing device, at least partially completed by a requestor; automatically performing a rules check on the requisition form; in response to a field entry on the form violating a predefined rule, returning the requisition form to the requester to correct or providing the requisition form to a supervisor to override a field entry violating a predefined rule; and in response to no field entry on the form violating a predefined rule, transmitting the form to a service provider.

Abstract: One embodiment provides a method, that may be implemented on a system, for obtaining a starting point and a destination point for a traveler; identifying multiple options of transportation modes to travel from the starting point to the destination point, and identifying a costs and travel time associated respectively with each transportation mode to travel from a departure terminal to an arrival terminal; identifying respectively for each transportation mode, a costs and travel time associated with local transportation from the starting point to a departure terminal, and identifying a costs and travel time associated with local transportation from an arrival terminal to the destination point; presenting to the traveler for selection, the multiple options of transportation modes to travel from the starting point to the destination point, including costs and travel time associated respectively with each option of transportation mode, including local transportation from the starting point to the departure termin

Abstract: Described herein is a method and system to provide optimizing shipping costs that can help arbitrate between a precise solution at an unreasonable cost and a reasonable solution at a very reasonable cost.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system, that may be executed as a method, is provided for managing the booking of event tickets inside a single system, regardless of the source of the tickets and how the system of each ticket provider actually works.