US Patent 7483852 Total value bidding

A method and system of evaluating values of different payment or delivery terms in online auctions, including obtaining an interest rate and a period from a buyer for a lot, the lot having a predetermined value, receiving a first bid from a first bidder and a second bid from a second bidder on the lot, the first and second bids each having a payment time and a rebate and transforming the first bid into a first value and the second bid into a second value using the interest rate, the period, and the predetermined value from the buyer, and the payment times and rebates from the first and second bidders.