Electronic reimbursement of customs broker

• US 20050060259A1
• Filed: 05/25/2004
• Published: 03/17/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Potts, Tom, Peach, Laurie, Holmes, Frederic, Halterman, Matt, Swirt, Mark, Thorn, Denise, Uy, Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 8,121,928 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/083 Shipping
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0831 Overseas transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/944 Business related
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99942 Manipulating data structure, e.g. compression, compaction, compilation
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing

Abstract

Disclosed herein are methods of automatically reimbursing a customs broker for payments made to a customs agency on behalf of an importer. The methods include procedures for balancing broker payments and for automatically verifying that data provided by the broker coincides with data provided with shipments of imported goods. The methods further include procedures for adjusting broker payments where deviations are detected in the verification processes.

Claims

1. A method of reimbursing a customs broker for payments made to a customs agency on behalf of an importer, the method comprising:

receiving electronic customs data from the customs broker and storing it in a computer system, the customs data including information reported by the customs broker to a customs agency about shipments of imported goods from one or more sellers;

receiving an electronic reimbursement request from the customs broker and storing it in a computer system, the reimbursement request including a request for reimbursement of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency as a duty on some of the shipments of imported goods;

establishing a logical link within the computer system between the reimbursement request and a portion of the customs data that corresponds to the shipments of imported goods for which the reimbursement request has been submitted;

comparing information within the reimbursement request to the portion of the customs data that has been logically linked to the reimbursement request; and

determining, as a function of the comparison, whether the customs broker should be reimbursed according to the reimbursement request.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the stored customs data from the computer system;

activating the link; and

in response to the activation, retrieving the stored reimbursement request from the computer system.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

retrieving the stored reimbursement request from the computer system;

activating the link; and

in response to the activation, retrieving the stored customs data from the computer system.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information provided by the customs broker to the customs agency includes the amount of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the logical link comprises a first logical link and the comparison comprises a first comparison, the method further comprising:

receiving invoice data from the one or more sellers and storing it in the computer system;

establishing a second logical link between the reimbursement request and a portion of the stored invoice data;

performing a second comparison of information within the reimbursement request to information within the portion of the stored invoice data that has been linked to the reimbursement request; and

wherein the determining whether the customs broker should be reimbursed according to the reimbursement request is also performed as a function of the second comparison.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an electronic approval for reimbursing the customs broker; and

causing the customs broker to be reimbursed in accordance with the electronic approval.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the customs data comprise a form having a format promulgated by the customs agency and containing information relating to the imported goods.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the customs data comprise a commercial invoice relating to the imported goods.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the commercial invoice specifies the amount of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency as a duty on the imported goods.

10. Computer-readable media embodying a program of instructions executable by a computer to perform a method of reimbursing a customs broker for payments made to a customs agency on behalf of an importer, the method comprising:

receiving electronic customs data from the customs broker and storing it in a computer system, the customs data including information reported by the customs broker to a customs agency about shipments of imported goods from one or more sellers;

receiving an electronic reimbursement request from the customs broker and storing it in a computer system, the reimbursement request including a request for reimbursement of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency as a duty on some of the shipments of imported goods;

establishing a logical link within the computer system between the reimbursement request and a portion of the customs data that corresponds to the shipments of imported goods for which the reimbursement request has been submitted;

comparing information within the reimbursement request to the portion of the customs data that has been logically linked to the reimbursement request; and

determining, as a function of the comparison, whether the customs broker should be reimbursed according to the reimbursement request.

11. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

retrieving the stored customs data from the computer system;

activating the link; and

in response to the activation, retrieving the stored reimbursement request from the computer system.

12. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

retrieving the stored reimbursement request from the computer system;

activating the link; and

in response to the activation, retrieving the stored customs data from the computer system.

13. The computer-readable media of claim 10 wherein the information provided by the customs broker to the customs agency includes the amount of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency.

14. The computer-readable media of claim 10 wherein the logical link comprises a first logical link and the comparison comprises a first comparison, and wherein the method further comprises:

receiving invoice data from the one or more sellers and storing it in the computer system;

establishing a second logical link between the reimbursement request and a portion of the stored invoice data;

performing a second comparison of information within the reimbursement request to information within the portion of the stored invoice data that has been linked to the reimbursement request; and

wherein the determining whether the customs broker should be reimbursed according to the reimbursement request is also performed as a function of the second comparison.

15. The computer-readable media of claim 10, wherein the method further comprises:

generating an electronic approval for reimbursing the customs broker; and

causing the customs broker to be reimbursed in accordance with the electronic approval.

16. The computer-readable media of claim 10 wherein the customs data comprise a form having a format promulgated by the customs agency and containing information relating to the imported goods.

17. The computer-readable media of claim 10 wherein the customs data comprise a commercial invoice relating to the imported goods.

18. The computer-readable media of claim 10 wherein the commercial invoice specifies the amount of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency as a duty on the imported goods.

19. A computer system configured to perform a method of reimbursing a customs broker for payments made to a customs agency on behalf of an importer, comprising:

an input configured to receive electronic customs data from the customs broker;

a memory device configured to store the received electronic customs data, the customs data including information reported by the customs broker to a customs agency about shipments of imported goods from one or more sellers;

the input further configured to receive an electronic reimbursement request from the customs broker;

the memory device further configured to store the electronic reimbursement request, the reimbursement request including a request for reimbursement of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency as a duty on some of the shipments of imported goods;

a processor configured to establish a logical link within the computer system between the reimbursement request and a portion of the customs data that corresponds to the shipments of imported goods for which the reimbursement request has been submitted;

the processor further configured to compare information within the reimbursement request to the portion of the customs data that has been logically linked to the reimbursement request; and

the processor further configured to determine, as a function of the comparison, whether the customs broker should be reimbursed according to the reimbursement request.

20. The computer system of claim 19, wherein:

the processor is further configured to retrieve the stored customs data from the memory device;

a user input device configured to activate the link; and

the processor is further configured to, in response to the activation, retrieve the stored reimbursement request from the memory device.

21. The computer system of claim 19, wherein:

the processor is further configured to retrieve the stored customs data from the memory device;

a user input device configured to activate the link; and

the processor is further configured to, in response to the activation, retrieve the stored customs data from the computer system.

22. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the information provided by the customs broker to the customs agency includes the amount of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency.

23. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the logical link comprises a first logical link and the comparison comprises a first comparison, and wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive invoice data from the one or more sellers and storing it in the computer system;

establish a second logical link between the reimbursement request and a portion of the stored invoice data;

perform a second comparison of information within the reimbursement request to information within the portion of the stored invoice data that has been linked to the reimbursement request; and

wherein the determining whether the customs broker should be reimbursed according to the reimbursement request is also performed as a function of the second comparison.

24. The computer system of claim 19, further wherein:

the processor is further configured to generate an electronic approval for reimbursing the customs broker; and

the processor is further configured to cause the customs broker to be reimbursed in accordance with the electronic approval.

25. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the customs data comprise a form having a format promulgated by the customs agency and containing information relating to the imported goods.

26. The computer system of claim 19 wherein the customs data comprise a commercial invoice relating to the imported goods.

27. The computer system of claim 26 wherein the commercial invoice specifies the amount of money paid by the customs broker to the customs agency as a duty on the imported goods.