Method and apparatus for paying bills online
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A method for paying bills online comprising:
- sending by a first financial institution a first bill payee list to a second financial institution;
receiving a second bill payee list from the second financial institution;
receiving for a customer bill payment information including a bill payee;
searching the first and the second bill payee list to determine if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list; and
debiting the customer'"'"'s account at least an amount owed on the bill if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus for paying bills online comprising a plurality of financial institutions exchanging bill payee lists to form a master bill payee list. A first financial institution receiving a bill for its customer, the bill including a bill payee and an amount owed the bill payee by the customer. The first financial institution searching the master bill payee list to determine if the bill payee is on the master bill payee list. Debiting the customer'"'"'s account if the bill payee is on the master bill payee list, and sending the amount owed to the bill payee'"'"'s financial institution for depositing in the bill payee'"'"'s account.
68 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method for paying bills online comprising:
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sending by a first financial institution a first bill payee list to a second financial institution;
receiving a second bill payee list from the second financial institution;
receiving for a customer bill payment information including a bill payee;
searching the first and the second bill payee list to determine if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list; and
debiting the customer'"'"'s account at least an amount owed on the bill if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method for paying bills online comprising:
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exchanging bill payee lists between a plurality of financial institutions to form a master bill payee list;
receiving by a financial institution in the plurality of financial institutions the master bill payee list;
receiving by the financial institution from a customer of the financial institution bill payment information including a bill payee;
searching by the financial institution the master bill payee list to determine if the bill payee is on the master bill payee list; and
debiting the customer'"'"'s account, by the financial institution, at least an amount owed on the bill if the bill payee is on the master bill payee list. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11, 12)
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13. An apparatus comprising:
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a network device to send a first bill payee list to a second financial institution, to receive a second bill payee list from the second financial institution, and to receive from a customer bill payment information, said bill payment information including a bill payee;
a processor coupled to the network device to search the first and the second bill payee list to determine if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list, and said processor to debit the customer'"'"'s account at least an amount owed on the bill if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list. - View Dependent Claims (14, 15)
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16. An article of manufacture comprising:
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a machine-accessible medium including instructions that, when executed by a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising sending by a first financial institution a first bill payee list to a second financial institution;
receiving a second bill payee list from the second financial institution;
receiving for a customer bill payment information including a bill payee;
searching the first and the second bill payee list to determine if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list; and
debiting the customer'"'"'s account at least an amount owed on the bill if the bill payee is on at least one of the first bill payee list and the second bill payee list. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification