Abstract: Crowd sourced delivery assistance. Receiving a submission comprising a geolocation and at least one of an image and an annotation. The received submission associated with a submitting courier. Publishing the received submission via a communications network accessible by a plurality of courier devices. Receiving a selection of a published submission. The selection associated with one of the plurality of courier devices. Transmitting the selected submission to the selecting courier device for display. Crediting a courier score of the submitting courier.

Abstract: The invention provides a computer-implemented method for using social network connections to recommend merchants and products. The method comprises receiving a set of transaction data from a plurality of transactions, the transaction data comprising an identity of one or more customers and information relating to the experience of the customer with the transaction; categorizing the transaction data; storing the transaction data in a database; receiving a request from a user network device associated with a user, the request comprising the identity of a merchant or a product associated with a website; searching the social graph of the user for instances of the one or more customers; identifying one or more contacts in the social graph of the user that are in the database; and communicating the experiences of the contacts in the social graph of the user that are in the database to the user network device.

Abstract: An online catalog system and method provide customers with a way to place online orders with local merchants, while providing local merchants with the ability to receive payment on an order for order basis prior to shipping the order to the customer. A local merchant's inventory and pricing information is hosted on an online catalog system. An order processing device in communication with the online catalog system is provided to the local merchant. The order processing device receives online order requests and payment information from customers via the online catalog system. The order processing devices generates a payment article at the local store comprising payment information that is then processed at the local merchant's point of sale device.

Abstract: An online catalog system and method provide customers with a way to place online orders with local merchants, while providing local merchants with the ability to receive payment on an order for order basis prior to shipping the order to the customer. A local merchant's inventory and pricing information is hosted on an online catalog system. An order processing device in communication with the online catalog system is provided to the local merchant. The order processing device receives online order requests and payment information from customers via the online catalog system. The order processing devices generates a payment article at the local store comprising payment information that is then processed at the local merchant's point of sale device.

Abstract: Merchants are classified according to their reliability in shipping products when promised and ability to resolve complaints. A merchant trustworthiness evaluator (MTE) automatically gathers data from users about purchases online from a merchant, including an order identifier and an estimated ship date. In one embodiment, the MTE collects data from customers about their purchases through the use of a conversion pixel, transmitted to the customer by the merchant at the time of purchase. The MTE obtains shipment information from the merchant or shipment carrier once an order has been shipped. The MTE correlates the shipment data with the order data and compares for each order the estimated or promised and actual shipment dates. The MTE scores merchants and classifies each merchant based on its score. Merchant classifications can then be provided to prospective customers.

Abstract: A shipment origin location for a product purchased by a customer is predicted. A merchant evaluator receives information from a user about a purchase transaction completed by the user with a merchant for a product, including the user's location. When the product is shipped, the merchant evaluator receives tracking information about the shipment. The merchant evaluator determines from the tracking information a point of origin for the shipment and updates its records to reflect the shipment origin point for that merchant and product, given the user's location. As the merchant evaluator compiles similar data for many products shipped by many merchants to many destinations, the merchant evaluator develops a searchable index, enabling a prediction to be made about a shipment origin point for a particular product from a particular merchant, given the location of the user ordering the product. A time-in-transit prediction can also be made.

Abstract: Merchants are classified according to their reliability in shipping purchased products when promised. A merchant trustworthiness evaluator (MTE) automatically gathers data from users about purchases online from a merchant, including an order identifier and an estimated ship date. In one embodiment, the MTE collects data from customers about their purchases through the use of a conversion pixel, transmitted to the customer by the merchant at the time of purchase. The MTE obtains shipment information from the merchant or shipment carrier once an order has been shipped. The MTE correlates the shipment data with the order data and compares for each order the estimated or promised and actual shipment dates. The MTE scores merchants and classifies each merchant based on its score. Merchant classifications can then be provided to prospective customers.

Abstract: Merchants are classified according to their reliability in shipping purchased products when promised. A merchant trustworthiness evaluator (MTE) automatically gathers data from users about purchases online from a merchant, including an order identifier and an estimated ship date. In one embodiment, the MTE collects data from customers about their purchases through the use of a conversion pixel, transmitted to the customer by the merchant at the time of purchase. The MTE obtains shipment information from the merchant or shipment carrier once an order has been shipped. The MTE correlates the shipment data with the order data and compares for each order the estimated or promised and actual shipment dates. The MTE scores merchants and classifies each merchant based on its score. Merchant classifications can then be provided to prospective customers.