A medium, which is accessed by a reproducing/recording apparatus, having a
read-only area in which commodity catalog information provided by a
vendor is written and where only a read operation is allowed, and a
writeable area in which predetermined commodity catalog information
provided by a server is updated and where a write operation of user
information for later retrieval is allowed. Using the medium, consumers
can easily access the latest commodity catalog information at any time,
and make secure purchases using identity verification methods using the
latest commodity catalog information. The use of the medium and system
accelerates the purchasing system so as to increase sales, files a
purchase record on the consumer side, which provides a guarantee
mechanism for refund or exchange in the future. Further, since the
commodity catalog information is distributed online, labor and financial
waste can be reduced.