Method and system for transaction communication

1. A method for facilitating communication between parties to transactions, the method comprising:

identifying, with one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, a user accessing a database as a first party to a transaction having transaction data stored in the database, the user identified as the first party to the transaction in response to the user accessing a portion of the transaction data stored in the database, wherein the transaction data includes instant messaging contact information for the first party to the transaction and one or more second parties to the transaction, the first party and the one or more second parties being at least one of a buyer or seller in the transaction;

determining, with the one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, instant messaging contact information for the first party to the transaction based on the transaction data stored in the database;

determining, with the one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, instant messaging contact information for at least one second party to the transaction based on the transaction data stored in the database;

generating, with the one or more processors associated with one or more computer systems, an invoice information page that directly integrates both invoice data details of the transaction and an instant message chat interface that supports instant message sessions between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction directly within the invoice information page while the first party to the transaction is viewing the invoice data details of the transaction on the invoice information page such that contents of the instant messaging sessions are added to the transaction data stored in the database for the transaction;

initiating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, an instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface; and

updating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the transaction data stored in the database with content of the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction data stored in the database includes role information for the at least one second party.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the role information is used in identifying the second party to the first party on the generated page.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, presence of the at least one second party to the transaction in response to querying an instant messaging server; and

generating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, an option on the page to communicate via instant messaging with the at least one second party to the transaction when the presence of the at least one second party to the transaction indicates that the at least one second party is available to instant message.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface comprises initiating the instant messaging session through an instant messaging service of a transaction system.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface comprises initiating the instant messaging session through an external instant messaging service.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein initiating, with the one or more processors associated with the one or more computer systems, the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface comprises:

prompting the first party to install an instant messaging client if the instant messaging client is not installed;

starting the instant messaging client if the instant messaging client has not been started; and

prompting the first party to login to the instant messaging client if the first party is not already logged in to the instant messaging client.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable code for facilitating communication between parties to transactions, the non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising:

code for identifying a user accessing a database as a first party to a transaction having transaction data stored in the database, the user identified as the first party to the transaction in response to the user accessing a portion of the transaction data stored in the database, wherein the transaction data includes instant messaging contact information for the first party to the transaction and one or more second parties to the transaction, the first party and the one or more second parties being at least one of a buyer or seller in the transaction;

code for determining instant messaging contact information for the first party to the transaction based on the transaction data stored in the database;

code for determining instant messaging contact information for at least one second party to the transaction based on the transaction data stored in the database;

code for generating an invoice information page that directly integrates both invoice data details of the transaction and an instant message chat interface that supports instant message sessions between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction directly within the invoice information page while the first party to the transaction is viewing the invoice data details of the transaction on the invoice information page such that contents of the instant messaging sessions are added to the transaction data stored in the database for the transaction;

code for initiating an instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface; and

code for updating the transaction data stored in the database with content of the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the transaction data stored in the database includes role information for the at least one second party.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9 , wherein the role information is used in identifying the second party to the first party on the generated page.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , further comprising:

code for determining presence of the at least one second party to the transaction in response to querying an instant messaging server; and

code for generating an option on the page to communicate via instant messaging with the at least one second party to the transaction when the presence of the at least one second party to the transaction indicates that the at least one second party is available to instant message.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the code for initiating the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface comprises code for initiating the instant messaging session through an instant messaging service of a transaction system.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the code for initiating the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface comprises code for initiating the instant messaging session through an external instant messaging service.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 8 , wherein the code for initiating the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface comprises:

code for prompting the first party to install an instant messaging client if the instant messaging client is not installed;

code for starting the instant messaging client if the instant messaging client has not been started; and

code for prompting the first party to login to the instant messaging client if the first party is not already logged in to the instant messaging client.

15. A system for facilitating communication between parties to transactions, the system comprising:

a database server computer system configured to store transaction data associated with a transaction; and

one or more computer systems configured to:

identify a user accessing the database as a first party to the transaction, the user identified as the first party to the transaction in response to the user accessing a portion of the transaction data stored in the database, wherein the transaction data includes instant messaging contact information for the first party to the transaction and one or more second parties to the transaction, the first party and the one or more second parties being at least one of a buyer or seller in the transaction;

determine instant messaging contact information for the first party to the transaction based on the transaction data stored in the database;

determine instant messaging contact information for at least one second party to the transaction based on the transaction data stored in the database;

generate an invoice information page that directly integrates both invoice data details of the transaction and an instant message chat interface that supports instant message sessions between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction directly within the invoice information page while the first party to the transaction is viewing the invoice data details of the transaction on the invoice information page such that contents of the instant messaging sessions are added to the transaction data stored in the database for the transaction;

initiate an instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface; and

update the transaction data stored in the database with content of the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more computer systems are further configured to:

determine presence of the at least one second party to the transaction in response to querying an instant messaging server; and

generate an option on the page to communicate via instant messaging with the at least one second party to the transaction when the presence of the at least one second party to the transaction indicates that the at least one second party is available to instant message.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein to initiate the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface the one or more computer systems are configured to initiate the instant messaging session through an instant messaging service associated with the one or more computer systems.

18. The system of claim 15 , wherein to initiate the instant messaging session between the first party to the transaction and the at least one second party to the transaction in response to the first party interacting with the instant message chat interface the one or more computer systems are configured to initiate the instant messaging session through an external instant messaging service.