Processing Transactions in Connection with a Physical Supply Chain

摘要

A method for processing a transaction includes receiving a notification of a change in status of physical goods or other event in a physical supply chain, and automatically transferring funds in response to the notification. The automatic transfer of funds may be performed according to a stored rule for automatically transferring the funds in response to the notification. Typically, the goods and the event are related to the party to which the funds are transferred. If the funds are a portion of an agreed-upon payment, one or more additional notifications may be received for one or more additional changes in status of the goods or other events in the physical supply chain, and additional portions of the payment are transferred in response to each additional notification.

主权项

1. A computer-assisted method comprising:
storing, in memory, a first rule and a second rule for automatic transfer of funds in response to receiving notification of at least a first event and a second event in a physical supply chain, at least one of the first and second events being selected from a limited list of different events, wherein the funds comprise at least a first portion and a second portion of an agreed-upon payment to a party for sale of physical goods in a financial transaction related to the party; receiving, by a computing device in communication with the memory, a first notification of the first event in the physical supply chain, wherein the first event comprises a first change in physical status of a unit of physical goods along the physical supply chain; automatically transferring the first portion of the agreed-upon payment to the party, by the computing device, in response to the first notification, according to the first rule; receiving, by the computing device, a second notification of the second event in the physical supply chain, wherein the second event comprises a second change in physical status of the unit of physical goods along the physical supply chain; and automatically transferring the second portion of the agreed-upon payment to the party, by the computing device, in response to the second notification, according to the second rule.