Apparatus and Method for Bill Payment Card Enrollment

• US 20100100480A1
• Filed: 09/14/2009
• Published: 04/22/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: McLaughlin, Edward, Hall, Gidget, Altman, Theresa
• Granted Patent: US 10,970,777 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A bill payment provider offers to a customer an option to pay a bill from a biller using a payment card account. The offering is carried out via a mechanism of the bill payment provider. The mechanism is of a kind which normally facilitates payments via electronic funds transfer from a demand deposit account of the customer. A request to pay the bill using the payment card account is received via the mechanism. Payment of the bill using the payment card account is facilitated by formatting and dispatching a message from the bill payment provider to an electronic bill payment system. The message is flagged with a flag indicating that the message comprises a non-financial, card payment, message. The message includes an identification of the biller, a card number of the payment card account, and an expiration date of the payment card account. The message is an electronic funds transfer message augmented with the flag, the card number, and the expiration date. An alternative technique using an operator of a payment network is also disclosed, as are corresponding systems.

Claims

1. A method comprising the steps of:

offering, by a bill payment provider to a customer, an option to pay a bill from a biller using a payment card account, said offering being carried out via a mechanism of said bill payment provider, said mechanism being of a kind which normally facilitates payments via electronic funds transfer from a demand deposit account of said customer;

receiving, via said mechanism, a request to pay said bill using said payment card account; and

facilitating payment of said bill using said payment card account by formatting and dispatching a message from said bill payment provider to an electronic bill payment system, said message being flagged with a flag indicating that said message comprises a non-financial, card payment, message, said message comprising an identification of said biller, a card number of said payment card account, and an expiration date of said payment card account, said message being an electronic funds transfer message augmented with said flag, said card number, and said expiration date.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said mechanism comprises an on-line bill paying web site of said bill payment provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said mechanism comprises a call center of said bill payment provider.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising facilitating said customer enrolling for said option to pay said bill using said payment card account, by providing to said customer a list of billers which accept payment card payment, said biller being on said list.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising said bill payment provider receiving said list from an operator of a payment network.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said operator of said payment network also operates said electronic bill payment system.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said bill payment provider is an issuer of said payment card account.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said electronic bill payment system forwarding said message to said biller; and

said biller carrying out normal processing of said bill using said card number and said expiration date.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising said electronic bill payment system routing a rejection message from said biller to said bill payment provider, if said normal processing fails.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said electronic bill payment system forwarding said message to an acquirer; and

said acquirer carrying out normal processing of said bill using said card number and said expiration date.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising said electronic bill payment system routing a rejection message from said acquirer to said bill payment provider, if said normal processing fails.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

said electronic bill payment system forwarding said message to a concentrator;

said concentrator forwarding message to an acquirer associated with said biller; and

said acquirer associated with said biller carrying out normal processing of said bill using said card number and said expiration date.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising said electronic bill payment system routing a rejection message from said acquirer to said bill payment provider, if said normal processing fails.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising said electronic bill payment system validating said identification of said biller in said message against said list.

15. A method comprising the steps of:

offering, by a bill payment provider to a customer, an option to pay a bill from a biller using a payment card account, said offering being carried out via a mechanism which normally facilitates payments via electronic funds transfer from a demand deposit account of said customer;

receiving, via said mechanism, a request to pay said bill using said payment card account; and

facilitating payment of said bill using said payment card account by formatting and dispatching a file from said bill payment provider to said biller, via an operator of a payment network, said file comprising an identification of said biller, a card number of said payment card account, and an expiration date of said payment card account.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said mechanism comprises an on-line bill paying web site of said bill payment provider.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein said mechanism comprises a call center of said bill payment provider.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

said operator of said payment network forwarding said file to said biller; and

said biller carrying out normal processing of said bill using said card number and said expiration date.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein said file is in a format agreed upon by said bill payment provider and said biller and is flagged a bulk file using a bulk file flag recognized by said bill payment provider, said biller, and said operator of said payment network.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein said bill is a first bill, said biller is a first biller, and said file is a first file, further comprising repeating at least said steps of receiving said request and facilitating said payment for at least a second bill of at least a second biller, using at least a second file, wherein said files have different formats.

21. The method of claim 15, wherein said bill is a first bill, and said biller is a first biller, further comprising repeating at least said steps of receiving said request and facilitating said payment for at least a second bill of at least a second biller, using said file.

22. A system comprising:

a bill payment provider server, under control of a bill payment provider, said bill payment provider server in turn comprising;

a bill payment provider memory;

at least one bill payment provider processor coupled to said bill payment provider memory; and

an interface to an electronic bill payment system, said interface being coupled to said bill payment provider processor;

wherein said bill payment provider processor is operative to;

implement a bill payment mechanism of a kind which normally facilitates payments via electronic funds transfer from a demand deposit account of a customer;

offer to said customer, via said mechanism, an option to pay a bill from a biller using a payment card account;

receive, via said mechanism, a request to pay said bill using said payment card account; and

facilitate payment of said bill using said payment card account by formatting and dispatching a message via said electronic bill payment system interface, said message being flagged with a flag indicating that said message comprises a non-financial, card payment, message, said message comprising an identification of said biller, a card number of said payment card account, and an expiration date of said payment card account, said message being an electronic funds transfer message augmented with said flag, said card number, and said expiration date.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein said mechanism comprises at least one of:

an on-line bill paying web site of said bill payment provider; and

a call center of said bill payment provider.

24. A system comprising:

means for offering, by an bill payment provider to a customer, an option to pay a bill from a biller using a payment card account, said offering being carried out via a mechanism of said bill payment provider, said mechanism being of a kind which normally facilitates payments via electronic funds transfer from a demand deposit account of said customer;

means for receiving, via said mechanism, a request to pay said bill using said payment card account; and

means for facilitating payment of said bill using said payment card account by formatting and dispatching a message from said bill payment provider to an electronic bill payment system, said message being flagged with a flag indicating that said message comprises a non-financial, card payment, message, said message comprising an identification of said biller, a card number of said payment card account, and an expiration date of said payment card account, said message being an electronic funds transfer message augmented with said flag, said card number, and said expiration date.

25. A system comprising:

a bill payment provider server, under control of a bill payment provider, said bill payment provider server in turn comprising;

a bill payment provider memory;

at least one bill payment provider processor coupled to said bill payment provider memory; and

an interface to a payment network, said interface being coupled to said bill payment provider processor;

wherein said bill payment provider processor is operative to;

facilitate offering, by said bill payment provider to a customer, an option to pay a bill from a biller using a payment card account, said offering being carried out via a mechanism which normally facilitates payments via electronic funds transfer from a demand deposit account of said customer;

receive, via said mechanism, a request to pay said bill using said payment card account; and

facilitate payment of said bill using said payment card account by formatting and dispatching a file from said bill payment provider to said biller, via said payment network interface, said file comprising an identification of said biller, a card number of said payment card account, and an expiration date of said payment card account.