ELECTRONIC IDENTIFIER PAYMENT SYSTEMS AND METHODS

• US 20080140531A1
• Filed: 11/30/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt, Diveley, Keith W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,716,128 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• 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 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/351 Virtual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 : Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 : Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 : using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 : Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 : Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 : based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 : Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 : Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 : Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 : by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 : by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A payment service method and system involve a payment service provider, a customer/payor and a consumer provider/payee. The customer/payor enrolls in the service and is provided a unique identifier that enables the customer to conduct transactions with the payment service provider. The customer/payor interfaces with the payment service provider through various forms of communication, and can facilitate payments to the consumer providers/payees through the payment service provider while remaining anonymous.

Claims

1-20. -20. (canceled)

21. A method for prepaying for a stored value account in order for an unbanked customer to purchase goods or services from a consumer provider using the stored value account rather than a bank account of the customer, the method comprising:

receiving at a host computer of a payment service provider a set of identifiers that are associated with a stored value account, wherein the identifiers comprise routing numbers recognized by an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer system;

at a terminal system, calculating a payment amount that comprises at least one of a stored value amount, a service fee and a tax;

entering into the terminal system payment information that includes the payment amount and transmitting the payment information to the host computer;

at the host computer, associating the payment information with one of the identifiers;

transmitting from the host computer to the terminal system the identifier;

printing a receipt having at least some of the payment information and at least some of the identifier;

electronically transmitting from the host computer to the consumer provider the payment information;

performing an ACH transfer request from the host computer to electronically deposit at least some of the payment amount in a bank account of the consumer provider; and

debiting the stored value account based on presentment of the identifier to the consumer provider.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the receipt further includes a coupon for redemption by the customer, and wherein the method further comprises providing the receipt with the coupon to the customer.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the coupon is for use by the customer in making purchases from the consumer provider, and wherein the method further comprises

collecting customer data from the redemption of the coupon.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein collection of coupon redemption data is made from redemption of multiple coupons and wherein the collected data is reported to the consumer provider.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the collection of coupon redemption data is performed at the host system, and wherein the consumer provider pays the payment service provider for the collection of coupon redemption data.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the purchased goods or services are taken from a group consisting of prepaid dialtone, prepaid cellular, prepaid internet access, and insurance.

27. The method of claim 21, wherein the payment amount is determined by the consumer provider.

28. A payment system for a customer to purchase goods or services from a consumer provider using a stored value account rather than using a customer bank account, comprising:

a host computer;

a database associated with the host computer, the database having a record of a set of identifiers that are associated with stored value accounts, wherein identifiers comprise routing numbers recognized by an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer system;

wherein the host computer is configured to receive a record containing one of the identifiers along with information on a payment, to send information from the record to the consumer provider, and to electronically facilitate the sending of the payment to a bank of the consumer provider using an ACH transfer;

at least one terminal having a processor that is capable of communicating with the host computer;

wherein the host computer is further configured to associate the payment information with one of the identifiers, to transmit the identifier to the terminal, to electronically transmit to the consumer provider the payment information, and to perform an ACH transfer request to electronically transmit at least some of the payment amount in a bank account of the consumer provider; and

a printer coupled to the terminal to print a receipt showing the payment.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the receipt further includes a coupon for redemption by the customer.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the coupon is for use by the customer in making purchases from the consumer provider, and wherein the host computer is further configured to collect customer data from the redemption of the coupon.

31. A method for prepaying for a good or service using a stored value account, in order for an unbanked customer to purchase goods or services from a consumer provider using the stored value account rather than a bank account of the customer, the method comprising:

receiving a set of identifiers that are associated with a stored value account, that are presentable to the consumer provider, that are used to add value to a stored value account, and that comprise routing numbers recognized by an Automated Clearing House (ACH) transfer system;

receiving a request to pay for the good or service along with a payment;

associating the payment with one of the identifiers;

performing an ACH transfer request to electronically transmit at least some of the payment amount into a bank account of the consumer provider;

creating an electronic record of the payment along with the associated identifier; and

issuing a receipt that includes a code, wherein the code is presentable by the customer to the consumer provider to receive the good or service.

32. The method of claim 31, further comprising entering information on the payment into a terminal system having a processor and that contains a record of the associated identifier.

33. The method of claim 32, further comprising electronically sending the payment information and the associated identifier from the terminal system to a host computer.

34. The method of claim 33, further comprising sending the payment information and the associated identifier from the host computer to the consumer provider.

35. The method of claim 31, wherein each identifier is associated with a fixed payment amount.

36. The method of claim 31, wherein the receipt comprises a sheet of paper having the identifier printed thereon.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the receipt further comprises a coupon on the sheet of paper.