Electronic identifier payment system and methods

• US 20020143706A1
• Filed: 12/10/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Diveley, Keith W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,158,955 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/64
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/6254 by anonymising data, e.g. decorrelating personal data from the owner's identification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 : Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 : Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 : using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 : Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 : Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 : Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 : Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 : Anonymizing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 : Shopping interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 : by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 : by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A payment service method and system involve a payment service provider, a customer/payor and a consumer provider/payee. The customer/payor enrolls in the service and is provided a unique identifier that enables the customer to conduct transactions with the payment service provider. The customer/payor interfaces with the payment service provider through various forms of communication, and can facilitate payments to the consumer providers/payees through the payment service provider while remaining anonymous.

Claims

1. A method for prepaying for goods or services, the method comprising:

receiving a set of identifiers from a consumer provider that are associated with a good or a service of the consumer provider;

receiving a request to pay for the good or service, wherein the request includes one of the identifiers and a payment;

creating an electronic record of the payment; and

electronically sending the payment record to the consumer provider.

2. A method as in claim 1, further comprising electronically transferring the payment to a bank account of the consumer provider.

3. A method as in claim 1, further comprising sending information from the payment record to a switch that is configured to add minutes to a cell phone based on the information.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the request is entered into a terminal having a processor, and wherein the payment record is transferred electronically from the terminal to a host computer.

5. A method as in claim 4, wherein the payment record is further transmitted from the host computer to the consumer provider.

6. A method as in claim 4, wherein the set of identifiers are associated with enrollment information obtained from consumers enrolling with the consumer provider, and further comprising electronically sending enrollment information from the consumer provider to the host computer.

7. A method as in claim 6, further comprising periodically receiving updated enrollment information at the host computer.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the identifiers are associated with stored value cards, wherein the request to pay for the service comprises a request to pay for one of the cards, and wherein receipt of the electronic payment record is used to activate the stored value card.

9. A method as in claim 8, wherein the stored value card includes phone time.

10. A method as in claim 1, wherein at least some of the identifiers are associated with a payment amount as determined by the consumer provider.

11. A method as in claim 10, wherein the payment amount is for a good offered by a consumer provider over the television.

13. A system as in claim 12, further comprising at least one terminal having a processor that is capable of communicating with the host computer, and wherein the terminal is configured to receive the identifier and payment information and to transmit the payment information to the host computer.

14. A system as in claim 12, further comprising a switch in communication with the host computer, wherein the switch is configured to add phone time to a phone upon receipt of the payment information from the host computer.

15. A system as in claim 13, further comprising a printer coupled to the terminal to print a receipt showing the payment.

17. A method as in claim 16, further comprising entering information on the payment into a terminal having a processor and that contains a record of the associated identifier.

18. A method as in claim 17, further comprising sending the payment information and the associated identifier from the terminal to a host computer.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising sending the payment information and the associated identifier from the host computer to the consumer service provider.

20. A method as in claim 16, wherein each identifier is associated with a fixed payment amount.

21. A method as in claim 16, wherein the receipt comprises a sheet of paper having the identifier printed thereon.

22. A method as in claim 16, further comprising sending the payment to a bank account of the consumer service provider, and sending payment information along with the associated identifier to the consumer service provider.

23. A method as in claim 16, wherein the service comprises phone service, and further comprising adding time to the phone upon presentment of the identifier to the consumer service provider.

26. A method as in claim 26, further comprising sending the payment information and the associated identifier to a host computer.

27. A method as in claim 27, further comprising sending the payment information and the associated identifier from the host computer to the consumer service provider.

28. A method as in claim 26, wherein the identifier is issued on a receipt comprising a sheet of paper having the identifier printed thereon.

29. A method as in claim 26, further comprising sending the payment to a bank account of the consumer service provider, and sending payment information along with the associated identifier to the consumer service provider.

30. A method as in claim 26, wherein the service comprises phone service, and further comprising activating a phone upon presentment of the identifier to the consumer service provider.

12. A payment system, comprising:

a host computer; and

a database associated with the host computer, the database having a record of a set of identifiers that are associated with a consumer provider;

wherein the host computer is configured to receive a record containing one of the identifiers along with information on a payment, to send information from the record to the consumer provider, and to electronically facilitate the sending of the payment to a bank of the consumer provider.

16. A method for prepaying for a service, the method comprising:

receiving a set of identifiers from a consumer service provider that are presentable to the consumer service provider to receive a service from the consumer service provider;

receiving a request to pay for the service along with a payment;

associating the payment with one of the identifiers;

creating an electronic record of the payment along with the associated identifier; and

issuing a receipt that includes the identifier, wherein the identifier is presentable to the consumer service provider to receive the service.

24. A system to facilitate the prepayment of services, the system comprising:

a terminal having an input device and a printer;

a host computer having a record of identifiers that are associated with a service;

wherein the terminal is capable of communicating with the host computer to receive the identifiers, of receiving payment information using the input device, of associating one of the identifiers with the payment information, and to send payment information and the associated identifier back to the host computer, and wherein the terminal is configured to print a receipt with the identifier.

25. A method for activating a service, the method comprising:

electronically receiving account information from a consumer service provider, the account information including a required payment for service activation;

receiving a request to make the required payment along with the payment;

entering payment information into a terminal and creating an electronic record of the payment; and

issuing an identifier that is presentable to the consumer service provider to activate the service.

31. A system to facilitate the activation of services, the system comprising:

a terminal having an input device and a printer;

a host computer having a service activation account information and an associated identifier;

wherein the terminal is capable of communicating with the host computer to receive the service account information and the associated identifier, of receiving payment information using the input device, of associating the identifier with the payment information, and to send payment information and the associated identifier back to the host computer, and wherein the terminal is configured to print a receipt with the identifier; and

wherein the identifier is presentable to the consumer service provider to activate the service.

32. A payment method, comprising:

receiving a request from a payor to pay a payee a payment, wherein the request includes the location of the payee;

entering the request into a terminal;

calculating a tax that is associated with the payment;

receiving the payment and the associated tax from the payor and entering payment information into the terminal;

electronically sending the payment and the tax to a bank account of the payee from the terminal.

33. A method as in claim 33, further comprising sending an electronic report to the payor showing the amount of payment and the tax.

34. A method as in claim 33, further comprising establishing a communication link between the terminal and a host computer, and wherein the host computer is configured to calculate the tax based on the location of the payee.

35. A method as in claim 33, further comprising displaying the amount of the tax at the terminal.

36. A method as in claim 33, further comprising producing a receipt having an identifier that indicates payment has been made.

37. A payment system, comprising:

a terminal having an input device and a printer;

a host computer that is configured to communicate with the terminal; and

a database associated with the host computer;

wherein the terminal is configured to receive payment information along with a location of a payor, wherein the host computer is configured to obtain tax information from the database based on the location of the payor and to transmit the tax information to the terminal, wherein the terminal is configured to display the tax information and to transmit payment information to the host, and wherein the host computer is configured to transmit the payment information to a payee and to facilitate an electronic transfer of the payment and the tax to a bank account of the payee.