Techinque for accessing an electronic payee database

• US 20040019605A1
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Published: 01/29/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moenickheim, Peter, Baulch, Howard, Koltnow, Adam, Keown, Blake
• Granted Patent: US 7,251,656 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 707/104.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

A technique for accessing a database which identifies payees who receive electronic payments is provided. The technique includes receiving information which identifies a payee and then identifying a unique payee identifier based upon that received information. The unique identifier is an identifier that is assigned to the payee only after the payee has requested to receive electronic payments. The request is a response to an invitation to receive electronic payments. The invitation is associated with a paper payment made to the payee. Utilizing this unique payee identifier, information related to the payee stored in the database is accessed.

Claims

1. A method for accessing a database identifying electronic payees, comprising:

receiving first information identifying a payee;

processing the received first information to identify a unique payee identifier associated with the payee, the unique payee identifier assigned to the payee subsequent to receiving a request from the payee to receive electronic payments, the request received responsive to an invitation to receive electronic payments, the invitation being associated with a paper payment to the payee; and

accessing information associated with the payee contained in a database of electronic payees based upon the identified unique payee identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the payee is a first payee, and further comprising:

receiving second information identifying a second payee, the second payee not associated with a unique payee identifier; and

accessing information associated with the second payee contained in the database based upon the received second information.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein:

the first information is publicly available information identifying the first payee; and

the second information is publicly available information identifying the second payee.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the unique payee identifier identifies a demand deposit account belonging to the payee to which electronic payments to the payee should be directed.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

the unique payee identifier identifies the demand deposit account and a remittance location to which remittance information should be directed; and

the remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the invitation to receive electronic payments is an invitation to receive electronic payments from the payor; and

the unique payee identifier identifies an association between the payee and only the payor.

7. A database for storing information identifying payees capable of receiving electronic payment, comprising:

first data associated with a payee capable of receiving electronic payment; and

second data stored in association with the first data, the second data including a unique payee identifier identifying the payee, the unique payee identifier assigned to the payee subsequent to receiving a request from the payee to receive electronic payments, the request received responsive to an invitation to receive electronic payments, the invitation being associated with a paper payment to the payee.

8. The database of claim 7, wherein the payee is a first payee, and further comprising:

third data associated with a second payee capable of receiving electronic payment;

wherein the second payee is not associated with a unique payee identifier.

9. A method for making a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor, comprising:

receiving, via a network, a payment request to make a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor;

processing the received payment request to identify a unique payee identifier associated with the payee, the unique payee identifier assigned to the payee subsequent to receiving a request from the payee to receive electronic payments, the request received responsive to an invitation to receive electronic payments, the invitation being associated with a paper payment to the payee; and

directing an electronic payment to the payee based upon the identified unique payee identifier.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the unique payee identifier identifies a demand deposit account belonging to the payee to which electronic payments to the payee should be directed.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein:

the unique payee identifier identifies the demand deposit account and a remittance location to which remittance information should be directed; and

the remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the unique payee identifier is not based upon publicly available information identifying the payee.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the unique payee identifier is stored in a database of payees capable of receiving electronic payments, and further comprising:

retrieving information necessary to direct the electronic payment to the payee from the database based upon the identified unique payee identifier prior to directing the electronic payment to the payee.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the payor is a first payor, the payment request is a first payment request, the unique payee identifier is a first unique payee identifier, the invitation is an invitation to receive electronic payments from the first payor, and the electronic payment directed to the payee is a first electronic payment directed to a first demand deposit account and further comprising:

receiving, via the network, a second payment request to make a payment to the payee on behalf of a second payor;

accessing information associated with the second payor to identify a second unique payee identifier associated with the payee, the second unique identifier assigned to the payee subsequent to receiving a request from the payee to receive electronic payments from the second payor; and

directing a second electronic payment to a second demand deposit account based upon the identified second unique payee identifier;

wherein the second unique payee identifier is one of different than the first unique payee identifier and the same as the first unique payee identifier;

wherein if the second unique payee identifier is the same as the first unique payee identifier, the second demand deposit account is the same as the first demand deposit account; and

wherein if the second unique payee identifier is different than the first unique payee identifier, the second demand deposit account is different than the first demand deposit account.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein:

remittance advice associated with the first electronic payment is directed to a first remittance location;

remittance advice associated with the second electronic payment is directed to a second remittance location;

if the second unique payee identifier is the same as the first unique payee identifier, the second remittance location is the same as the first remittance location;

if the second unique payee identifier is different than the first unique payee identifier, the second remittance location is different than the first remittance location;

the first remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location; and

the second remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein the payment request is a first payment request, the payee is a first payee, and the electronic payment is a first electronic payment, and further comprising:

receiving, via the network, a second payment request to make a payment to a second payee on behalf of the payor, the second payee being different than the first payee;

processing the received second payment request to identify a unique payee identifier associated with the second payee;

determining that the second payee is not associated with a unique payee identifier;

retrieving information necessary to direct a second electronic payment to the second payee from a database of payees capable of receiving electronic payments, the retrieval based upon publicly available information identifying the second payee; and

directing the second electronic payment to the second payee based upon the retrieved information necessary to make the second electronic payment.

17. The method of claim 9, further comprising;

transmitting to the payee, via the network, a notice indicating that the electronic payment has been directed;

wherein the notice includes one of information indicating that remittance information associated with the payment is available and remittance information associated with the payment.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the notice includes a hyperlink to view the remittance information.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein processing the received payment request to identify the unique payee identifier includes accessing stored information associated with the payor to retrieve the unique payee identifier.

20. The method of claim 9, wherein:

the invitation to receive electronic payments is an invitation to receive electronic payments from the payor; and

the unique payee identifier identifies an association between the payee and only the payor.

21. A system for accessing a database identifying electronic payees, comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive first information identifying a payee;

a database identifying electronic payees; and

a processor configured to process the received first information to identify a unique payee identifier associated with the payee, the unique payee identifier assigned to the payee subsequent to receiving a request from the payee to receive electronic payments, the request received responsive to an invitation to receive electronic payments, the invitation being associated with a paper payment to the payee, and to access information associated with the payee contained in the database of electronic payees based upon the identified unique payee identifier.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the payee is a first payee;

the communications interface is further configured to receive information identifying a second payee, the second payee not associated with a unique payee identifier; and

the processor is further configured to access information associated with the second payee contained in the database based upon the received second information.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein:

the first information is publicly available information identifying the first payee; and

the second information is publicly available information identifying the second payee.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the unique payee identifier identifies a demand deposit account belonging to the payee to which electronic payments to the payee should be directed.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein:

the unique payee identifier identifies the demand deposit account and a remittance location to which remittance information should be directed; and

the remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the invitation to receive electronic payments is an invitation to receive electronic payments from the payor; and

the unique payee identifier identifies an association between the payee and only the payor.

27. A system for making a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor, comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive from a payor, a payment request to make a payment to a payee on behalf of the payor; and

a processor configured to process the received payment request to identify a unique payee identifier associated with the payee, the unique payee identifier assigned to the payee subsequent to receiving a request from the payee to receive electronic payments, the request received responsive to an invitation to receive electronic payments, the invitation being associated with a paper payment to the payee, and to direct an electronic payment to the payee based upon the identified unique payee identifier.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the unique payee identifier is not based upon publicly available information identifying the payee.

29. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a database configured to store information identifying payees capable of receiving electronic payments, the information identifying payees including the unique payee identifier;

wherein the processor is further configured to retrieve information necessary to direct the electronic payment to the payee from the database based upon the identified unique payee identifier prior to directing the electronic payment to the payee.

30. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the payor is a first payor;

the payment request is a first payment request;

the unique payee identifier is a first unique payee identifier;

the invitation is an invitation to receive electronic payments from the first payor;

the electronic payment directed to the payee is a first electronic payment directed to a first demand deposit account;

the communications interface is further configured to receive a second payment request to make a payment to the payee on behalf of a second payor;

the processor is further configured to access information associated with the second payor to identify a second unique payee identifier associated with the payee, the second unique payee identifier assigned to the payee subsequent to receiving a request from the payee to receive electronic payments from the second payor, and to direct a second electronic payment to a second demand deposit account based upon the identified second unique payee identifier;

wherein the second unique payee identifier is one of different than the first unique payee identifier and the same as the first unique payee identifier;

wherein if the second unique payee identifier is the same as the first unique payee identifier, the second demand deposit account is the same as the first demand deposit account; and

wherein if the second unique payee identifier is different than the first unique payee identifier, the second demand deposit account is different than the first demand deposit account.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein:

remittance advice associated with the first electronic payment is directed to a first remittance location;

remittance advice associated with the second electronic payment is directed to a second remittance location;

if the second unique payee identifier is the same as the first unique payee identifier, the second remittance location is the same as the first remittance location;

if the second unique payee identifier is different than the first unique payee identifier, the second remittance location is different than the first remittance location;

the first remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location; and

the second remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location.

32. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a database configured to stored information identifying payees capable of receiving electronic payment;

wherein the payment request is a first payment request;

wherein the payee is a first payee;

wherein the electronic payment is a first electronic payment;

wherein the communications interface is further configured to receive from the payor a second payment request to make a payment to a second payee on behalf of the payor, the second payee being different than the first payee; and

wherein the processor is further configured to process the received payment request to identify a unique payee identifier associated with the second payee, determine that the second payee is not associated with a unique payee identifier, retrieve information necessary to direct a second electronic payment to the second payee from the database, the retrieval based upon publicly available information identifying the payee, and direct the second electronic payment to the second payee based upon the retrieved information necessary to make the second electronic payment.

33. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the processor is further configured to transmit to the payee a notice indicating that the electronic payment has been directed; and

the notice includes one of information indicating that remittance information associated with the payment is available and remittance information associated with the payment.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the notice includes a hyperlink to view the remittance information.

35. The system of claim 27, wherein processing the received payment request to identify the unique payee identifier includes accessing stored information associated with the payor to retrieve the unique payee identifier.

36. The system of claim 27, wherein the unique payee identifier identifies a demand deposit account belonging to the payee to which payments to the payee should be directed.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein:

the unique payee identifier identifies the demand deposit account and a remittance location to which remittance information should be directed; and

the remittance location is one of an electronic location and a physical location.

38. The system of claim 27, wherein:

the invitation to receive electronic payments is an invitation to receive electronic payments from the payor; and

the unique payee identifier identifies an association between the payee and only the payor.