Abstract: A payment holding computer system is provided to take payment from a buyer using a computer on a network and hold that for a time, paying it out to a seller on the network when the buyer indicates. The payment holding computer system also verifies the identity of the parties to the sale. The seller may instruct the payment holding computer to return the payment.

Abstract: An online store referral system is provided that includes an online store server comprising records of items for sale, a referral service server, a primary referrer, and a secondary referrer able to receive from the primary referrer a link to an item for sale in the online store. A shopper computer system, of a shopper, is operative to receive from the secondary referrer the link to an item for sale in the online store and to follow that link to make a purchase from the online store of the item for sale. The online store server is operative to inform the referral service server of the purchase of an item for sale following on from the link for that item being followed by a shopper that received the link from the secondary referrer. The referral service server is operative to credit the primary referrer with a commission in respect of the sale of the item.

Abstract: An online store referral system is provided that includes an online store server comprising records of items for sale, a referral service server, separate from the online store server, and a primary referrer. A shopper computer system, of a shopper, is operative to receive from the primary referrer a link to an item for sale in the online store and to follow that link to make a purchase from the online store of the item for sale. The online store server is operative to inform the referral service server of a purchase of an item for sale following on from the link for that item being followed. The referral service server is operative to credit the primary referrer with a commission in respect of the sale of the item.