Method and system for buyer centric dispute resolution in electronic payment system

• US 20030220843A1
• Filed: 05/24/2002
• Published: 11/27/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 05/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: McRae, Xuan (Sunny), Lam, Duc, Wyman, Celeste
• Granted Patent: US 7,437,327 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• 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 20/10 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 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/407 Cancellation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution

Abstract

Method of facilitating resolution of a dispute between a buyer and a seller in an electronic payment system. An electronic payment system is also described. An invoice is received from the seller and is electronically routed to the individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization. Indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization are received from a set of two or more individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization. An indication that the invoice is disputed, corrections to the invoice and comments for the seller are forwarded to the seller without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization. A response to the buyer'"'"'s indication that the invoice is disputed is received from the seller. The response includes an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer. Payment is withheld for the invoice until an indication from the buyer has been received that the buyer has determined that the invoice has been paid. The indication, corrections and comments to the seller may be forwarded to the seller in an electronic mail message.

Claims

1. A method of facilitating resolution of a dispute between a buyer and a seller in an electronic payment system, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic invoice from the seller;

electronically routing the invoice to individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

receiving from a set of two or more of the individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization regarding the invoice;

forwarding to the seller an indication that the invoice is disputed, the corrections to the invoice and the comments for the seller without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

receiving from the seller a response to the buyer'"'"'s indication that the invoice is disputed, the response including an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer; and

withholding payment for the invoice until an indication from the buyer has been received that the buyer has determined that the invoice may be paid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication from the buyer that the buyer has determined that the invoice may be paid includes an information indicating that payment shall be different from that requested by the seller in the seller'"'"'s response.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication from the buyer that the buyer has determined that the invoice may be paid includes an indication indicating that payment shall be that payment which is requested by the seller in the seller'"'"'s response.

4. The method of claim 1, including automatically generating a correction memo in response to instruction from the buyer to end the dispute.

5. The method of claim 1, including receiving an approval of the invoice by at least an individual in the buyer'"'"'s organization before receiving the indications from individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization that the invoice is disputed.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the forwarding to the seller does not include informing the seller of the particular individuals that provided indications that the invoice is disputed.

7. The method of claim 1, including receiving instructions from the buyer to make payment for a portion of the invoice that is not disputed by the buyer and in response, making payment for the portion of the invoice and not for at least one other portion of the invoice that is disputed.

8. The method of claim 1, including forwarding the indication, corrections and comments to the seller in an electronic mail message.

9. A method of facilitating resolution of a dispute between a buyer and a seller in an electronic payment system, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic invoice from the seller;

electronically routing the invoice to individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

receiving from a set of two or more of the individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to disputed portions of the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the disputed portions of the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization regarding the invoice;

forwarding to the seller an indication that the invoice is disputed, the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice and the comments for the seller without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

receiving from the seller a response to the buyer'"'"'s indication that the invoice is disputed, the response including an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer; and

withholding payment for the invoice until an indication from the buyer has been received that the buyer has determined that the invoice may be paid.

10. The method of claim 9, including forwarding to the seller, in response to selection by the buyer, a code identifying the reason for the dispute, the reason including:

price exceeds order;

quantity exceeds order;

tax is not applicable;

a respective item was not ordered;

or

goods ordered are unsatisfactory.

11. The method of claim 9, including displaying a history of the dispute to individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization, this history including:

indication of users who entered dispute data;

date dispute data was entered; and

date dispute was sent or received.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to a line item of the invoice.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to the tax in the invoice.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to the freight in the invoice.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to the unit price in the invoice.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice include correction to the quantity in the invoice.

17. The method of claim 9, including forwarding corrections to the seller, in response to selection by the buyer, to

a line item of the invoice;

total tax in the invoice;

tax for a line item in the invoice;

freight charge in the invoice;

quantity in the invoice;

unit price in the invoice;

or

SKU identified in the invoice.

18. A method of facilitating resolution of a dispute between a buyer and a seller in an electronic payment system, the method comprising:

receiving an electronic invoice from the seller;

electronically routing the invoice to individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

receiving from a set of two or more of the individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to disputed portions of the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the disputed portions of the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization regarding the invoice;

forwarding to the seller an indication that the invoice is disputed, the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice and the comments for the seller without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

receiving from the seller a response to the buyer'"'"'s indication that the invoice is disputed, the response including an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer;

automatically forwarding information regarding the dispute to another individual if the individual responsible for responding to a notice regarding the dispute has not responded within a particular time; and

withholding payment for the invoice until an indication from the buyer has been received that the buyer has determined that the invoice may be paid.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the another individual includes an individual in the buyer'"'"'s organization.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the another individual includes an individual in the seller'"'"'s organization.

21. The method of claim 18, including selecting the another individual based on a directory of employees.

22. The method of claim 21, including selecting the another individual based on a human resource management system (HRMS) database.

23. An electronic payment system including:

a server associated with a buyer, the server associated with the buyer including

logic that receives an electronic invoice from a seller;

logic that electronically routs the invoice to individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

logic that receives from a set of two or more of the individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization indications that the invoice is disputed, corrections to disputed portions of the invoice, comments for the seller regarding the disputed portions of the invoice and comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization regarding the invoice; and

logic that forwards to a sever associated with the seller an indication that the invoice is disputed, the corrections to the disputed portions of the invoice and the comments for the seller, without forwarding the comments for other individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization;

a server associated with a seller, the server associated with the seller including,

logic that receives from the server associated with the buyer the indication, the corrections and the comments;

logic that receives a response from the seller the response including an acceptance of changes suggested by the buyer or an indication that the seller disputes the changes suggested by the buyer; and

logic that forwards the response from to the server associated with the buyer; and

logic that withholds payment for the invoice until an indication from the buyer has been received that the buyer has determined that the invoice may be paid.

24. The system of claim 23, the system associated with the buyer including logic that, in response to selection by the buyer, forwards to the server associated with the seller a code identifying the reason for the dispute, the reason including:

price exceeds order;

quantity exceeds order;

tax is not applicable;

a respective item was not ordered;

or

goods ordered are unsatisfactory.

25. The system of claim 23, the server associated with the buyer including

a data structure regarding a history of the dispute to individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization, the history including:

indication of users who entered dispute data;

date dispute data was entered;

date dispute was sent or received; and

logic to display the history to individuals in the buyer'"'"'s organization on request.

26. The method of claim 23, including forwarding corrections to the seller, in response to selection by the buyer, to

a line item of the invoice;

total tax in the invoice;

tax for a line item in the invoice;

freight charge in the invoice;

quantity in the invoice;

unit price in the invoice;

or

SKU identified in the invoice.

27. The system of claim 23, including

logic that facilitates a chat session between the server associated with the buyer and the server associated with the seller.