초록 ▼

A system for determining and accounting for the costs of transactions. The system is particularly suited for determining and accounting the costs of shipping goods. The system includes an input device which is located at the shipper\s (or other buyer\s) premises and a central data processing facilit

A system for determining and accounting for the costs of transactions. The system is particularly suited for determining and accounting the costs of shipping goods. The system includes an input device which is located at the shipper\s (or other buyer\s) premises and a central data processing facility. The input device receives information defining a shipment sufficiently so that the cost of that shipment may be determined in accordance with the rates of a carrier (or other seller), and uploads the information to the central data processing facility. Preferably, the input device includes rate information and software for determining shipment costs locally. The central data processing facility maintains accounts for a shippers and carriers, appropriately debits and credits costs for each shipment and periodically issues statements of their accounts to all shippers and carriers. In a preferred embodiment, shippers may maintain a payment account with a trustee bank and the system may from time to time issue instruction to the trustee bank to make appropriate payments to each carrier. In another embodiment, carriers may from time to time enter new rate information into the system.

대표청구항 ▼

A system for accounting for Transaction costs comprising: (a) input means for inputting Item Information and for producing Transaction Information in accordance with said Item Information, said input means being located at the premises of a buyer; (b) data processing means responsive to said Transac

A system for accounting for Transaction costs comprising: (a) input means for inputting Item Information and for producing Transaction Information in accordance with said Item Information, said input means being located at the premises of a buyer; (b) data processing means responsive to said Transaction Information for: (b1) maintaining accounts for said buyer and a group of sellers consisting of at least one seller; (b2) determining Transaction costs and identifying a seller from said group in accordance with said Transaction Information; (b3) debiting said account of said buyer for the amount of said Transaction costs and crediting said account of said identified seller with said amount; (b4) generating statements of their account for said buyer and said group of sellers; and, (b5) after debiting said buyer\s account said data processing system determining if additional funds are needed to cover said Transaction costs and, if so, generating an output to said buyer advising said buyer of the need for additional funds; and, (c) communications means for transmitting said Transaction Information from said input means to said data processing means.