Abstract: This concerns a method and system for using virtual trading stamps to conduct commerce on public data networks such as the Internet. Virtual trading stamp offers are distributed through the network to network users. These offers are presented on viewable pages of material and may have ancillary or no relevance to other information presented on the same pages. Offers may be presented in the form of icons having the appearance of trading stamps. Sponsors of such offers arrange for their distribution with hosts of what are termed cool sites on the networks (e.g. operators of popular or frequently “surfed” sites). A page transmitted from a cool site may contain plural offers from one or more sponsors. Each offer/icon is linked to a program applet designed to establish network contact with a stamp server when the respective icon is selected (“clicked on”) by a viewer.