System and method for registering a user with an electronic bill payment system

• US 20050177505A1
• Filed: 11/24/2004
• Published: 08/11/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 11/24/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: America Online Inc. (Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc.)
• Inventors: White, Billy Gene, Gaitten, Steve, McAllister, Warren Denis, Keeling, John Ernest
• Application Number:
  US10/995,556
• Publication Number:
  US 20050177505A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 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 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 2463/102 applying security measure for e-commerce
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/00 User-to-user messaging in packet-switching networks, transmitted according to store-and-forward or real-time protocols, e.g. e-mail
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0281 Proxies
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/126 the source of the received data

Abstract

An intermediary host may enroll a user in a messaging-based transaction system. In particular, an intermediary host interfaces with a partner data store and compares a partner data store with an internal store. As a result, a user common to both the partner data store and the internal store may be identified. The user may be prompted to enroll in a messaging-based transaction system; or when the user already is enrolled in a messaging-based transaction system, receive a trusted transaction message to pay a bill for the partner using the messaging-based transaction system.

Claims

1. A method of registering a vendor with a subscriber account within an electronic bill payment system with which a subscriber is registered, comprising:

discovering at least one vendor with whom the electronic bill payment system subscriber has a vendor account;

generating a first message configured to identify the vendor to the subscriber, and to enable the subscriber to permit or deny registration of the vendor with the subscriber account within the electronic bill payment system;

configuring the first message to include identification of at least the vendor with whom the user was discovered to have had the vendor account; and

configuring the first message to include a selectable object configured to trigger, upon selection by the subscriber, registration of the vendor with the subscriber account within the electronic bill payment system.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein discovering the at least one vendor includes:

discovering the vendor via comparison of a customer list for the vendor to a bill payment system subscriber list to identify one or more vendor accounts that are not registered with the electronic bill payment system, and

generating and delivering the message to at least one of the customers with a vendor account not registered with the electronic bill payment system.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein discovering the at least one vendor includes discovering the vendor via comparison of a customer list for the vendor to a subscriber list for a messaging service provider.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the messaging service provider offers the electronic bill payment system.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein discovering the vendor includes comparing a user name against a customer list for the vendor.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein discovering the vendor via the comparison includes initiating the comparison in response to the subscriber becoming a customer of the vendor.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein discovering the vendor via the comparison includes initiating the comparison in response to registration by the vendor with the bill payment system.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein discovering the vendor via the comparison includes:

comparing a partner data store with an internal data store; and

identifying a user common to both the partner data store and the internal data store.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein identifying the user common to both the partner data store and the internal data store includes performing a separate and distinct verification operation to verify that records determined likely to represent one identity actually represent one identity.

10. The method of claim 1 further comprising subsequently generating a second message indicating the outstanding balance maintained by the vendor for the subscriber.

11. The method of claim 1 further comprising subsequently configuring the first message to include a selectable object configured to trigger, upon selection by the registrant, a financial transfer of funds from the financial account to the trusted source in satisfaction of the transaction amount.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

configuring the first message to reflect a trusted status afforded to the trusted source; and

transmitting the first message to the registrant such that the trusted status and selectable object are perceivable to the registrant, and such that the selectable object is accessible for selection by the registrant.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising subsequently generating a third message indicating the outstanding balance maintained by the vendor for the subscriber;

configuring the third message to include a selectable object configured to trigger, upon selection by the subscriber, a financial transfer of funds from the financial account to the trusted source in satisfaction of the transaction amount;

configuring the third message to reflect a trusted status afforded to the trusted source; and

transmitting the third message to the registrant such that the trusted status and selectable object are perceivable to the subscriber, and such that the selectable object is accessible for selection by the registrant.

14. A. system configured to register a vendor with a subscriber account within an electronic bill payment system with which a subscriber is registered, comprising:

a discovering code segment structured and arranged to discover at least one vendor with whom the electronic bill payment system subscriber has a vendor account;

a generation code segment structured and arranged to generate a first message configured to identify the vendor to the subscriber, and to enable the subscriber to permit or deny registration of the vendor with the subscriber account within the electronic bill payment system;

a first configuration code segment structured and arranged to configure the first message to include identification of at least the vendor with whom the user was discovered to have had the vendor account; and

a second configuration code segment structured and arranged to configure the first message to include a selectable object configured to trigger, upon selection by the subscriber, registration of the vendor with the subscriber account within the electronic bill payment system.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the discovering code segment is structured and arranged to:

discover the vendor via comparison of a customer list for the vendor to a bill payment system subscriber list to identify one or more vendor accounts that are not registered with the electronic bill payment system, and

generate and deliver the message to at least one of the customers with a vendor account not registered with the electronic bill payment system.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the discovering code segment is structured and arranged to discover the vendor via comparison of a customer list for the vendor to a subscriber list for a messaging service provider.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the discovering code segment is structured and arranged to compare a user name against a customer list for the vendor.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein the discovering code segment is structured and arranged to initiate the comparison in response to the subscriber becoming a customer of the vendor.

19. The system of claim 17 wherein the discovering code segment is structured and arranged to initiate the comparison in response to registration by the vendor with the bill payment system.

20. The system of claim 14 wherein the discovering code segment is structured and arranged to:

compare a partner data store with an internal data store; and

identify a user common to both the partner data store and the internal data store.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the discovering code segment is structured and arranged to perform a separate and distinct verification operation to verify that records determined likely to represent one identity actually represent one identity.

22. The system of claim 14 further comprising a messaging code segment structured and arranged to subsequently configure the first message to include a selectable object configured to trigger, upon selection by the registrant, a financial transfer of funds from the financial account to the trusted source in satisfaction of the transaction amount.

23. The system of claim 14 further comprising a transmission code segment structured and arranged to:

configure the first message to reflect a trusted status afforded to the trusted source; and

transmit the first message to the registrant such that the trusted status and selectable object are perceivable to the registrant, and such that the selectable object is accessible for selection by the registrant.