SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DELAYED BILLING FOR ON-DEMAND PRODUCTS

1 . A method comprising:

on an identity-product provision system comprising at least one server computer, receiving a binding request for an on-demand identity product from a consumer;

the identity-product provision system providing the on-demand identity product;

the identity-product provision system ascertaining delayed-billing settings that are applicable to the on-demand identity product; and

the identity-product provision system delaying billing of the on-demand identity until it can be confirmed that the identity-product provision system has complied with the delayed-billing settings.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the delaying comprises:

determining, based on the delayed-billing settings, whether consumer authentication needs to be performed;

responsive to a determination that consumer authentication needs to be performed, performing consumer authentication;

responsive to a determination that any consumer authentication is successful, determining whether the delayed-billing settings require product-delivery verification;

responsive to a determination that the delayed-billing settings require product-delivery verification, determining whether delivery of the on-demand identify product was successful;

responsive to a determination that the delivery of the on-demand identity product was not successful, delaying billing the consumer for the on-demand product; and

responsive to a determination that the delivery of the on-demand identity product was successful, billing the consumer.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the delayed-billing settings comprise consumer-authentication criteria.

4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the consumer authentication criteria require that at least a portion of the consumer's personally identifying information be verified as correct prior to billing.

5 . The method of claim 3 , wherein the consumer authentication criteria require that the consumer be authenticated as owner of a set of personally identifying information prior to billing.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the delayed-billing settings comprise delivery-verification criteria.

7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein:

the delivery-verification criteria comprise one or more product-delivery factors; and

the determining of whether delivery was successful comprises evaluating the one or more product-delivery factors.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the one or more product-delivery factors are varied depending on whether the on-demand identity product is a credit product or a non-credit product.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-demand identity product comprises a credit product.

10 . The method of claim 9 , wherein the one or more product-delivery factors require receipt of an acknowledgement from at least one credit bureau prior to billing.

11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the on-demand identity product comprises a non-credit product.

12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more product-delivery factors require that the consumer be successfully added to receive a service prior to billing.

13 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the billing comprises authorizing a third party to charge the consumer.

14 . An identity-product provision system comprising:

at least one server computer, wherein the at least one server computer is operable to perform a method comprising:

receiving a binding request for an on-demand identity product from a consumer;

providing the on-demand identity product;

ascertaining delayed-billing settings that are applicable to the on-demand identity product; and

delaying billing of the on-demand identity product until it can be confirmed that the identity-product provision system has complied with the delayed-billing settings.

15 . The identity-product provision system of claim 14 , wherein the delaying comprises:

determining, based on the delayed-billing settings, whether consumer authentication needs to be performed;

responsive to a determination that consumer authentication needs to be performed, performing consumer authentication;

responsive to a determination that any consumer authentication is successful, determining whether the delayed-billing settings require product-delivery verification;

responsive to a determination that the delayed-billing settings require product-delivery verification, determining whether delivery of the on-demand identify product was successful;

responsive to a determination that the delivery of the on-demand identity product was not successful, delaying billing the consumer for the on-demand product; and

responsive to a determination that the delivery of the on-demand identity product was successful, billing the consumer.

16 . The identity-product provision system of claim 15 , wherein the delayed-billing settings comprise consumer-authentication criteria.

17 . The identity-product provision system of claim 15 , wherein the delayed-billing settings comprise delivery-verification criteria.

18 . The identity-product provision system of claim 17 , wherein:

the delivery-verification criteria comprise one or more product-delivery factors; and

the determining of whether delivery was successful comprises evaluating the one or more product-delivery factors.

19 . The identity-product provision system of claim 18 , wherein the one or more product-delivery factors are varied depending on whether the on-demand identity product is a credit product or a non-credit product.

20 . A computer-program product comprising a computer-usable medium having computer-readable program code embodied therein, the computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method comprising:

receiving a binding request for an on-demand identity product from a consumer;

providing the on-demand identity product;

ascertaining delayed-billing settings that are applicable to the on-demand identity product; and

delaying billing of the on-demand identity product until it can be confirmed that the identity-product provision system has complied with the delayed-billing settings.