Approach for processing electronic orders

1. A computer-implemented method of processing electronic orders, comprising:

receiving from a mobile device first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile device;

comparing the received first order data to stored information that specifies the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order;

retrieving, based upon the comparison and the device identification data, at least one data item that is not included in the first order data, but that is required by the merchant to completely process the order;

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order; and

providing the second order data to the merchant for processing.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving user authentication data for a user associated with the mobile device; and

authenticating the user using the user authentication data.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the user authentication data includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the user, the method further comprising:

authenticating the user using the PIN.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first order data includes user identification data that identifies a user, the method further comprising:

retrieving, based upon the user identification data, order fulfillment information associated with the user; and

wherein generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes billing information for the user;

wherein retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the user includes retrieving billing information for the user; and

wherein generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the billing information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes shipping information for the user; and

wherein retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the user includes retrieving shipping information for the user.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data in a format required by the merchant to completely process the order.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

retrieving product information based upon the first order data; and

wherein generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the product information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

providing the second order data to a second merchant for processing when a determination is made that the merchant cannot completely process the order.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process an order for a second product or service when the order is for a particular product or service that cannot be completely processed by the merchant.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first order data and the device identification data are received from the mobile device over a wireless communications link.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone and the device identification data is a telephone number for the mobile telephone.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile personal computer.

15. A computer-readable medium carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving from a mobile device first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile device;

comparing the received first order data to stored information that specifies the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order;

retrieving, based upon the comparison and the device identification data, at least one data item that is not included in the first order data, but that is required by the merchant to completely process the order;

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order; and

providing the second order data to the merchant for processing.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving user authentication data for a user associated with the mobile device; and

authenticating the user using the user authentication data.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein the user authentication data includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the user, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

authenticating the user using the PIN.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first order data includes user identification data that identifies a user, and wherein the computer-readable medium further comprises one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

retrieving, based upon the user identification data, order fulfillment information associated with the user; and

wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

19. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes billing information for the user;

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the user includes retrieving billing information for the user; and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the billing information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

20. The computer-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes shipping information for the user; and

wherein the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the user includes retrieving shipping information for the user.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data in a format required by the merchant to completely process the order.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

retrieving product information based upon the first order data; and

wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the product information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , further comprising one or more additional sequences of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

providing the second order data to a second merchant for processing when a determination is made that the merchant cannot completely process the order.

24. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, the second order data includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process an order for a second product or service when the order is for a particular product or service that cannot be completely processed by the merchant.

25. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the first order data and the device identification data are received from the mobile device over a wireless communications link.

26. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone and the device identification data is a telephone number for the mobile telephone.

27. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device is a personal digital assistant.

28. The computer-readable medium of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile personal computer.

29. A computer system for processing electronic orders, comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory communicatively coupled to the one or more processors, wherein the memory includes one or more sequences of one more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving from a mobile device first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile device;

comparing the received first order data to stored information that specifies the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order;

retrieving, based upon the comparison and the device identification data, at least one data item that is not included in the first order data, but that is required by the merchant to completely process the order;

generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order; and

providing the second order data to the merchant for processing.

30. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the steps of:

receiving user authentication data for a user associated with the mobile device; and

authenticating the user using the user authentication data.

31. The computer system of claim 30 , wherein the user authentication data includes a Personal Identification Number (PIN) for the user, and wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

authenticating the user using the PIN.

32. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the first order data includes user identification data that identifies a user, and wherein the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

retrieving, based upon the user identification data, order fulfillment information associated with the user; and

wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

33. The computer system of claim 32 , wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes billing information for the user;

the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the user includes retrieving billing information for the user; and

the step of generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the order fulfillment information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the billing information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

34. The computer system of claim 32 , wherein:

the order fulfillment information includes shipping information for the user; and

wherein the step of retrieving order fulfillment information associated with the user includes retrieving shipping information for the user.

35. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data in a format required by the merchant to completely process the order.

36. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein:

the memory includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

retrieving product information based upon the first order data; and

wherein the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order includes generating, based upon the first order data, the at least one data item and the product information, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order.

37. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the memory further includes one or more additional sequences of one or more instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform the step of:

providing the second order data to a second merchant for processing when a determination is made that the merchant cannot completely process the order.

38. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein

the step of generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, the second order data includes generating, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process an order for a second product or service when the order is for a particular product or service that cannot be completely processed by the merchant.

39. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the first order data and the device identification data are received from the mobile device over a wireless communications link.

40. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile telephone and the device identification data is a telephone number for the mobile telephone.

41. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the mobile customer device is a personal digital assistant.

42. The computer system of claim 29 , wherein the mobile device is a mobile personal computer.

43. An apparatus for processing electronic orders, comprising:

an information repository; and

a transaction facilitator communicatively coupled to the information repository, wherein the transaction facilitator is configured to:

receive from a mobile device over a wireless communications link first order data for an order and device identification data, wherein the first order data includes less than a minimum set of data required by a merchant to completely process the order and the device identification data identifies the mobile device;

compare the received first order data to stored information that specifies the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order;

retrieve from the information repository, based upon the comparison and the device identification data, at least one data item that is not included in the first order data, but that is required by the merchant to completely process the order;

generate, based upon the first order data and the at least one data item, second order data that includes the minimum set of data required by the merchant to completely process the order, and

provide the second order data to the merchant for processing.

44. The apparatus of claim 43 , wherein:

the merchant is configured with a web-based order interface; and

the second order data is provided directly to the merchant, circumventing the web-based order interface.