Electronic Transaction Apparatus and Method

• US 20070282743A1
• Filed: 05/22/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Krikorian, Shari, Cavallaro, Alicia, Kramer, Julie, Damianov, George, Lemma, Beza, Singh, Vimal, Lovelett, John, Downs, Edward
• Granted Patent: US 8,732,044 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

One inventive step includes facilitating obtaining a payment file associated with a buyer (for example, directly from the buyer, or from a third party partner). The file includes data specifying a first form of payment from the buyer to a first biller and data specifying a second form of payment, different than the first form of payment, from the buyer to a second biller. Other inventive steps include facilitating appending first stored data to the data specifying the first form of payment to the first biller, to effectuate payment to the first biller by the first form of payment; and facilitating appending second stored data to the data specifying the second form of payment to the second biller, to effectuate payment to the second biller by the second form of payment.

Claims

1. A method for electronic payment, comprising the steps of:

facilitating obtaining a payment file associated with a buyer, said file comprising data specifying a first form of payment from said buyer to a first biller and data specifying a second form of payment, different than said first form of payment, from said buyer to a second biller;

facilitating appending first stored data to said data specifying said first form of payment to said first biller, to effectuate payment to said first biller by said first form of payment; and

facilitating appending second stored data to said data specifying said second form of payment to said second biller, to effectuate payment to said second biller by said second form of payment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the additional step of facilitating generating remittance information associated with said payment to said first biller and said payment to said second biller.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said payment file is obtained from said buyer.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of said payment file originates in a payables system of said buyer.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein:

said payment to said first biller is associated with a first account payable between said first biller and said buyer;

said payment to said second biller is associated with a second account payable between said second biller and said buyer; and

said portion of said payment file is formed, at least in part, from data in said payables system associated with said first account payable and said second account payable.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein said payment file is obtained from a third party provider who has received purchase order data from said buyer, first invoice data from said first biller, and second invoice data from said second biller.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein said remittance information comprises first remittance information associated with said payment to said fast biller and second remittance information associated with said payment to said second biller, further comprising the additional steps of:

facilitating dispatching said first remittance information associated with said payment to a destination associated with said first biller; and

facilitating dispatching said second remittance information associated with said payment to a destination associated with said second biller.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said destination associated with said first biller comprises a third party representative of said first biller and said destination associated with said second biller comprises said second biller.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein said dispatching said first remittance comprises e-mailing a remittance file.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein said dispatching said first remittance comprises posting a remittance file.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein:

said second form of payment comprises a card-based technique; and

said first form of payment comprises an electronic funds transfer (EFT) technique.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said card-based technique is carried out via an acquirer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said EFT technique is carried out via an originator.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said data specifying said first form of payment comprises:

an identification of said buyer;

an identification of said first biller;

an amount of said first payment; and

reference data associated with an underlying transaction for said first payment.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said obtaining and appending steps are performed by a payment service operator and wherein said identification of said first biller is assigned by a party other than said payment service operator.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said identification of said first biller is assigned by said buyer.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said data specifying said first form of payment further comprises an identification of a debit account of said buyer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said first stored data comprises routing and account number information for a bank associated with said first biller.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said data specifying said first form of payment further comprises an explicit indication that said EFT technique is to be used.

20. The method of claim 14, further comprising the additional step of determining that said EFT technique is to be used based on said identification of said first biller.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein said data specifying said second form of payment comprises:

an identification of said buyer;

an identification of said second biller;

an amount of said second payment; and

reference data associated with an underlying transaction for said second payment.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said obtaining and appending steps are performed by a payment service operator and wherein said identification of said second biller is assigned by a party other than said payment service operator.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said identification of said second biller is assigned by said buyer.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said second stored data comprises:

a card account number and expiration date of a payment card account of said buyer; and

an acquiring merchant ID of said second biller.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said second stored data comprises a card account number and expiration date of a payment card account of said buyer, and wherein said effectuating payment to said second biller comprises making said card account number and said expiration date of said payment card account of said buyer available to said second biller, so that said second biller can initiate a second-biller-initiated transaction.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said data specifying said second form of payment further comprises an explicit indication that said card-based technique is to be used.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising the additional step of determining that said card-based technique is to be used based on said identification of said second biller.

28. The method of claim 11, wherein said payment to said second biller comprises:

an authorization step; and

a settlement step.

29. The method of claim 2, wherein said payment file comprises a first payment file, said buyer comprises a first buyer, and said remittance information comprises first buyer remittance information, further comprising the additional steps of:

facilitating obtaining a second payment file associated with a second buyer, said file comprising data specifying said first form of payment from said second buyer to a third biller and data specifying said second form of payment from said second buyer to a fourth biller;

facilitating appending third stored data to said data specifying said first form of payment to said third biller, to effectuate payment to said third biller by said first form of payment;

facilitating appending fourth stored data to said data specifying said second form of payment to said fourth biller, to effectuate payment to said fourth biller by said second form of payment; and

facilitating generating second buyer remittance information associated with said payment to said third biller and said payment to said fourth biller.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said first payment file and said second payment file are in a uniform format.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein said first payment file and said second payment file are in different formats.

32. The method of claim 2, further comprising the additional step of facilitating pre-registration of said buyer, said first biller, and said second biller to obtain said first stored data and said second stored data.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein said step of facilitating pre-registration comprises the sub-steps of:

facilitating receiving a master vendor file from said buyer, said master vendor file including name and address information for said first biller and said second biller;

appending payment-related information for said first biller to said name and address information for said first biller to obtain augmented first biller information;

appending payment-related information for said second biller to said name and address information for said second biller to obtain augmented second biller information;

facilitating prompting said first biller and said second biller to perform at least one of verifying and updating said augmented first biller information and said augmented second biller information, respectively; and

facilitating storing said augmented first biller information and said augmented second biller information in a supplier registry database.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising the additional steps of:

facilitating obtaining of buyer profile, payment card and electronic fund transfer information; and

facilitating storing said buyer profile, payment card and electronic fund transfer information in a buyer registry database.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising the additional step of repeating (i) said pre-registration sub-steps, (ii) said step of facilitating obtaining of buyer profile, payment card and electronic fund transfer information, and (iii) said step of facilitating storing said buyer profile, payment card and electronic fund transfer information in a buyer registry database, for a plurality of additional buyers and additional billers.

36. The method of claim 33, wherein said step of facilitating pre-registration further comprises the additional sub-step of facilitating said buyer updating a payable system of said buyer, based at least in part on said at least one of verifying and updating said augmented first biller information and said augmented second biller information.

37. The method of claim 33, further comprising the additional steps of:

matching selected fields from said master vendor file against data in a data warehouse; and

based on said matching of said selected fields, providing biller-enablement recommendations to said buyer.

38. A computer program product comprising a computer useable medium including computer usable program code for electronic payment, said computer program product including:

computer usable program code for facilitating obtaining a payment file associated with a buyer, said file comprising data specifying a first form of payment from said buyer to a first biller and data specifying a second form of payment, different than said first form of payment, from said buyer to a second biller;

computer usable program code for facilitating appending first stored data to said data specifying said first form of payment to said first biller, to effectuate payment to said first biller by said first form of payment; and

computer usable program code for facilitating appending second stored data to said data specifying said second form of payment to said second biller, to effectuate payment to said second biller by said second form of payment.

39. An apparatus for electronic payment, said apparatus comprising:

a memory; and

at least one processor coupled to said memory, said processor being operative to;

facilitate obtaining a payment file associated with a buyer, said file comprising data specifying a first form of payment from said buyer to a first biller and data specifying a second form of payment, different than said first form of payment, from said buyer to a second biller;

facilitate appending first stored data to said data specifying said first form of payment to said first biller, to effectuate payment to said first biller by said first form of payment; and

facilitate appending second stored data to said data specifying said second form of payment to said second biller, to effectuate payment to said second biller by said second form of payment.

40. An apparatus for electronic payment, said apparatus comprising:

means for facilitating obtaining a payment file associated with a buyer, said file comprising data specifying a first form of payment from said buyer to a first biller and data specifying a second form of payment, different than said first form of payment, from said buyer to a second biller;

means for facilitating appending first stored data to said data specifying said first form of payment to said first biller, to effectuate payment to said first biller by said first form of payment; and

means for facilitating appending second stored data to said data specifying said second form of payment to said second biller, to effectuate payment to said second biller by said second form of payment.

41. A method for electronic payment, comprising the steps of:

facilitating obtaining payment instructions associated with a buyer, said instructions comprising data specifying payment from said buyer to at least one of a plurality of billers, said data including an identification of said at least one biller; and

facilitating appending first stored data to said data specifying said payment to said at least one biller, to effectuate payment to said at least one biller;

wherein said obtaining and appending steps are performed by a payment service operator and wherein said identification of said at least one biller is assigned by a party other than said payment service operator.

42. The method of claim 41, wherein said identification of said at least one biller is assigned by said buyer.