A system for conducting commerce across a distributed network includes a remote consumer computer. A merchant server communicates with the remote consumer computer across an open network to enable purchasing of a product from the remote consumer computer. A financial clearing house server is located within a secured closed network and communicates with the remote consumer computer and the merchant server across the secured closed network. The merchant server creates a merchant ID, receipt ID and transaction total corresponding to a consumer transaction and sends the merchant ID, receipt ID, and transaction ID to the financial clearing house server and the remote consumer computer. The financial clearing house server arranges payment of the transaction in response to a matching merchant ID, receipt ID, and transaction total from the remote consumer computer.