| 摘要 |
Disclosed is an electronic quantity purchasing system which is a host computer that a user may access to pre-purchase quantities of goods or services for later redemption. The preferred communication means employed is via secure, high-speed Internet access. Data storage is electronic. Users employ the system to make an instant purchase of a small or large quantity of a commodity, such as gasoline at the current market price. The quantity purchased is credited to the user's account, and the account balance or reserve is established in quantity units (e.g. gallons of fuel). Users can redeem all or part of their balance for real product at a retail location over time. The redemption will draw down the user's account balance. The transaction is carried out in quantity units, so the user is able to circumvent the market price in effect at the time of redemption.
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