A system and method for providing warranties that financially guarantee
one or more facts associated with an electronic transaction. In a
preferred embodiment, warranties issued to the present system comprise a
contract between a first party and a second party in which the first
party: (1) warrants one or more warranted facts (2) for damages up to a
warranted amount (3) if claimed by a relying customer within a claim
period. The warranty is preferably issued by a participant in response to
a request received from a customer that specifies a desired warranted
amount and claim period. The participant and root entity evaluate the
request in light of a plurality of factors and determine whether or not
the warranty should be issued. In a preferred embodiment, the warranty
comprises a contract between the buyer and its issuing participant. The
seller is preferably a third-party beneficiary of this contract.