Abstract
We develop an efficient recursive method to evaluate the tachyon potential using the relevant universal subalgebra of the open string star algebra. This method, using off-shell versions of Virasoro Ward identities, avoids explicit computation of conformal transformations of operators and does not require a choice of background. We illustrate the procedure with a pedagogic computation of the level six tachyon potential in an arbitrary gauge, and the evaluation of a few simple star products. We give a background independent construction of the so-called identity of the star algebra, and show how it fits into family of string fields generating a commutative subalgebra.