A virtual
payment card
system for ordering and paying for goods, services and content over an internetwork is disclosed. The virtual
payment card
system comprises a commerce gateway component (52) and a credit
processing server component (53). The virtual
payment card
system is a secure
closed system comprising registered merchants and consumers. A
consumer becomes a registered participant by applying for a virtual
payment card. Likewise, a merchant becomes registered by applying for a
merchant account. A
consumer can instantly open an account on-line. That is, the credit
processing component (53) immediately evaluates the
consumer's virtual
payment card application and assigns a
credit limit to the account. Once an account is established, a digital
certificate is stored on the registered participant's computer. The consumer can then order a product, i.e., goods, services or content from a merchant and charge it to the virtual
payment card. When the product is shipped, the merchant notifies the commerce gateway component (52), which in turn notifies the credit
processing server which applies the charges to the consumer's virtual card account. The consumer can settle the charges using a prepaid account, a
credit card, or by using reward points earned through use of the virtual payment card. A consumer may create sub-account that have additional limitations imposed on the owner of the sub-account.