Facilitating electronic payment on behalf of a customer of electronic presented bills
First Claim
1. A method for facilitating electronic presentment of a bill of a biller for a customer and payment of the presented bill on behalf of the customer via a communications network, comprising:
- receiving a request for billing information at a first network site associated with a bill payment entity from a second network site associated with a customer, via a first communications link over a communications network; and
responsive to the received request for billing information, presenting to the second network site via the first communications link, a bill availability indicator indicative of availability of a bill of the biller for the customer and having a first linking function, the presented bill availability indicator being selectable at the second network site to activate the first linking function and thereby establish a second communications link over the communications network for presentment of the bill of the biller and an associated pay bill indicator having a second linking function by a third network site associated with a bill presentment entity to the second network site, the presented pay bill indicator being selectable at the second network site to activate the second linking function and thereby establish a third communications link over the communications network for transmitting a request to pay the presented bill of the biller on behalf of the customer from the second network site to the first network site.
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Accused Products
Abstract
To facilitate electronic presentment of a bill of a biller for a customer and payment of the presented bill on behalf of the customer via a communications network, a first network site associated with a bill payment entity receives a request for billing information from a second network site associated with a customer via a first communications link over a communications network. In response, a bill availability indicator indicative of an availability of a bill of the biller for the customer and having a first linking function, is presented to the second network site via the first communications link. The presented bill availability indicator is selectable at the second network site to activate the first linking function and thereby establish a second communications link over the communications network to a third network site associated with a bill presentment entity for presentment by the third network site to the second network site of a bill of the biller and an associated pay bill indicator having a second linking function to the first network site. The presented pay bill indicator is selectable at the second network site to activate the second linking function and thereby establish a third communications link over the communications network to the first network site for requesting payment of the presented bill of the biller.
90 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method for facilitating electronic presentment of a bill of a biller for a customer and payment of the presented bill on behalf of the customer via a communications network, comprising:
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receiving a request for billing information at a first network site associated with a bill payment entity from a second network site associated with a customer, via a first communications link over a communications network; and
responsive to the received request for billing information, presenting to the second network site via the first communications link, a bill availability indicator indicative of availability of a bill of the biller for the customer and having a first linking function, the presented bill availability indicator being selectable at the second network site to activate the first linking function and thereby establish a second communications link over the communications network for presentment of the bill of the biller and an associated pay bill indicator having a second linking function by a third network site associated with a bill presentment entity to the second network site, the presented pay bill indicator being selectable at the second network site to activate the second linking function and thereby establish a third communications link over the communications network for transmitting a request to pay the presented bill of the biller on behalf of the customer from the second network site to the first network site. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
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10. A bill payment system for facilitating electronic presentment of a bill of a biller for a customer and payment of the presented bill on behalf of the customer via a communications network, comprising:
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an interface for receiving, via a first communications link over a communications network, a request of a customer for billing information; and
a processor for issuing, responsive to the received request for billing information, a directive to transmit a bill availability indicator indicative of availability of a bill of a biller for the customer and having a first linking function, the transmitted bill availability indicator being selectable by the customer to activate the first linking function and thereby establish a second communications link over the communications network for presentment of the bill of the biller and an associated pay bill indicator having a second linking function by a bill presentment entity to the customer, the presented pay bill indicator being selectable by the customer to activate the second linking function and thereby establish a third communications link over the communications network for transmitting a request to pay the presented bill of the biller on behalf of the customer from the customer to the bill payment entity;
wherein, responsive to the issued directive, the interface transmits the bill availability indicator to the customer via the first communications link. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for facilitating electronic presentment of a bill of a biller for a customer and payment of the presented bill on behalf of the customer, comprising:
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receiving, from a first network site associated with a customer via a first communications link, a request for billing information; and
responsive to the received request for billing information, presenting a first linking function for establishing a second communications link for presentation, by a second network site associated with a bill presentment entity to the first network site, of a bill of the biller and an associated second linking function, the second linking function for establishing a third communications link for transmission, from the first network site to a third network site associated with a bill payment entity, a request to pay the presented bill of the biller on behalf of the customer. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification