Loyalty Rewards Optimization Bill Payables and Receivables Service

• US 20110022514A1
• Filed: 10/06/2010
• Published: 01/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chin, Alfred, Lal, Raghav
• Granted Patent: US 9,760,903 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• 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 30/0219 based on funds or budget
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

For several accounts receivable, a reward account is determined as the account that receives the largest deposit to the loyalty reward balance thereof by a payment of the account receivable. For each reward account, a deficient reward account is found if the currency balance for the reward account is not sufficient for the payment of the account payable. For each deficiency reward account, if identified accounts receivables can be deposited such that the currency balance thereof will be sufficient to pay the account payable, then payments are made of: (i) the identified accounts receivables as corresponding deposits to the currency balance of the deficiency reward account such that the currency balance thereof is sufficient for the payment of the account payable; and (ii) the account payable by a withdrawal from the currency balance of the deficiency reward account.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a transaction handler configured to process transactions between issuers and acquirers in response to account identifiers of customers, as issued by the issuers, being submitted by the acquirers, the acquirers to receive payments on behalf of the merchants and the issuers to make the payments on behalf of the customers; and

a web service apparatus coupled with the transaction handler to;

receive an invoice from a payee, the payee having a first account issued by a first issuer;

present the invoice to a payer of the invoice, the payer having a second account issued by a second issuer;

receive a payment request initiated from the invoice presented by the computing device to the payer; and

communicate, using the transaction handler, with the first issuer and the second issuer to charge the second account of the payer and credit the first account of the payee according to the invoice.

2. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, in a computing device via a web service, an invoice from a payee, the payee having a first account issued by a first issuer;

presenting, by the computing device via the web service, the invoice to a payer of the invoice, the payer having a second account issued by a second issuer;

receiving, in the computing device, a payment request initiated from the invoice presented by the computing device to the payer; and

communicating, by the computing device using a transaction handler, with the first issuer and the second issuer to charge the second account of the payer and credit the first account of the payee according to the invoice, wherein the transaction handler is configured to process transactions between issuers and acquirers in response to account identifiers of customers, as issued by the issuers, being submitted by the acquirers, the acquirers to receive payments on behalf of the merchants and the issuers to make the payments on behalf of the customers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first issuer and the second issuer are different issuers.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the payee is to receive a payment according to the invoice without a cost of setting up a Point of Service terminal to process the payment.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the payee is to receive a payment according to the invoice without a cost of setting up an Electronic Commerce (e-Commerce) website to process the payment.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the first account to which a payment applied to the invoice is credited is a credit account.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the first account to which a payment applied to the invoice is credited is a debit account.

8. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

receiving, by the computing device via the web service, layout information from the payee to configure the invoice.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the layout information comprises at least one of:

logo, biller alias, name, address, and phone number.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the invoice is received as one of:

a one-time invoice, a scheduled invoice, and a recurring invoice.

11. The method of claim 2, wherein the invoice presented by the computing device to the payer comprises a navigation link;

and the payment request is initiated via a selection of the navigation link.

12. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting the first account to receive a payment for the invoice according to an input from the payee.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the input comprises at least one rule;

and the first account is selected automatically for the invoice in accordance with the rule.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the rule is based on a balance of the first account.

15. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

selecting the second account to make a payment for the invoice according to an input from the payer.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the input comprises at least one rule;

and the second account is selected automatically for the invoice in accordance with the rule.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the rule is based on a reward program associated with the second account.

18. The method of claim 2, wherein the presenting of the invoice to the payer is via a website of the second issuer.

19. The method of claim 2, wherein the receiving of the invoice from the payee is via a website of the first issuer.

20. A computer-storage medium storing instructions which, when executed on a computer, cause the computer to:

receive, via a web service, an invoice from a payee, the payee having a first account issued by a first issuer;

present, via the web service, the invoice to a payer of the invoice, the payer having a second account issued by a second issuer;

receive a payment request initiated from the invoice presented by the computing device to the payer; and

communicate, using a transaction handler, with the first issuer and the second issuer to charge the second account of the payer and credit the first account of the payee according to the invoice, wherein the transaction handler is configured to process transactions between issuers and acquirers in response to account identifiers of customers, as issued by the issuers, being submitted by the acquirers, the acquirers to receive payments on behalf of the merchants and the issuers to make the payments on behalf of the customers.