Abstract: A system for providing an open-ended subscription to commodity items normally available on a term basis includes a central agent that serves as the front-end for commodity suppliers. This central agent maintains databases containing information associated with a group of commodity items and their sales. Using these databases, the central agent produces subscription records to provide open-ended subscription services to its customers, while supporting the term-based subscriptions of the commodity suppliers.

Abstract: There are provided methods and systems enabling a customer to order products from an audio advertisement, for example from a radio advertisement heard in an automobile, using only a standard audio receiver and mobile telephone. Pre-registration by the retailer advertising the product enables the storing of pertinent product information by a fulfillment center. Pre-approval of mobile telephone service(s) enables billing to be performed through a customer's mobile telephone account. The actual customer order is completed by simply dialing the telephone number transmitted in the advertisement. The remainder of the fulfillment and billing process is substantially automated. More specifically, the fulfillment center uses the dialed telephone number to determine the ordered product and the calling telephone number to determine delivery information.

Abstract: A system for providing an open-ended subscription to commodity items normally available on a term basis includes a central agent that serves as the front-end for commodity suppliers. This central agent maintains databases containing information associated with a group of commodity items and their sales. Using these databases, the central agent produces subscription records to provide open-ended subscription services to its customers, while supporting the term-based subscriptions of the commodity suppliers.

Abstract: A system and method have been developed to accelerate the delivery of the first issue(s) of a publication as required to fill a new subscription order. The system and method collect the information on a new subscription order and based on the date when an order is received, determine the availability at the printing houses of a current issue of the magazine subscribed to and instructs the printing house with an available current issue to accelerate the delivery of the current issue to the subscriber. The system and method further tracks the delivery of issues in response to a new subscription order to ensure that delivery of currently available issues is continued until the new subscription enters the regular fulfillment schedule. This ensures early and continuous delivery to fulfill the new subscription order. The system and method can also track the number of issues delivered under the accelerated delivery system and adjust the number of issues to be delivered for the full term of the subscription order.

Abstract: A system and a method, operable on a computer, accelerates delivery of at least one issue of a new publication subscription. Subscription information is received from a subscriber for a new subscription to a publication. A printing house is selected to provide a first issue of the new subscription to the subscriber. The subscription information and a request to effectuate delivery of the first issue of the new subscription to the subscriber is communicated electronically to the printing house. The subscription information is communicated to a fulfillment center for fulfillment of the remaining issues of the subscription.

Abstract: A method and system for providing free subscriptions to magazines, based on a universal questionnaire. Questions of the universal questionnaire are presented to consumers, and, based on the consumer response to these questions, a supplier order for a free subscription to a magazine is generated and sent to a supplier of the magazine.

Abstract: A system for providing an open-ended subscription to commodity items normally available on a term basis includes a central agent that serves as the front-end for commodity suppliers. This central agent maintains databases containing information associated with a group of commodity items and their sales. Using these databases, the central agent produces subscription records to provide open-ended subscription services to its customers, while supporting the term-based subscriptions of the commodity suppliers.

Abstract: A method and system for organizing magazine subscription information. The method including collecting subscription information from one or more fulfillment houses and organizing or associating the subscription information by household. In one embodiment, the subscription information organized by household is made available to a consumer of a particular household so that the consumer may make changes to all subscription information associated with the household. In one embodiment, the consumer associates a credit card or other account with the household subscription information; the account is charged as payment for the household subscriptions.