A method and system for reserving future purchases of goods or services. A
server network device provides to a client network device via a computer
network, a list of available goods or services including plural
electronic options with associated option fees for the goods or services.
The plural electronic options include electronic option terms established
by one or more suppliers who can supply the goods or services. An option
fee is associated with a reservation price to purchase desired goods or
services at a desired future. Electronic option terms for a selected good
or service for a desired supplier who can supply the selected good or
service are provided. A purchase of an electronic option for an option
fee for a desired good or service for a desired supplier is accepted on
the server network device. The purchase of the electronic option is
accepted according to electronic option terms established by the desired
supplier. A type of electronic option used with Method 26 is governed by
the option terms established by an individual supplier. The option terms
may vary greatly among the individual suppliers and no two suppliers may
use the same option terms. Use of variable option terms may provide
significant flexibility for use of the electronic options by suppliers.
The method and system may also allow a purchaser to risk a small amount
of money to use an electronic option to reserve a price to purchase
desired goods or services at a desired future time. The methods and
systems described herein may be used to provide electronic options for
business-to-business ("b2b"), business-to-consumer ("b2c"),
consumer-to-consumer, ("c2c") or other types of transactions.