SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR GENERATING PAYMENT DUE NOTIFICATIONS

• US 20110145116A1
• Filed: 02/23/2011
• Published: 06/16/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Lawson, Mary Elizabeth, Ward, Cheryl L., Dreyer, Hans
• Granted Patent: US 8,781,959 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0203 Market surveys; Market polls
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Systems and methods for generating payment due notifications are provided. A payor and a payee of the payor may be identified by a payment service provider system. At least one notification control parameter associated with communicating payment due notifications to the payor may be identified. Based at least in part upon evaluating a payment history associated with one or more payments made to the payee on behalf of the payor, a payment frequency pattern may be determined. Based at least in part on a portion of the payment history and the determined payment frequency pattern, a next expected payment date may be calculated. In accordance with the at least one notification control parameter, a payment due notification including an identity of the payee and the next expected payment date may be generated. The payment due notification may be transmitted to the payor.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

identifying, by a payment service provider system comprising one or more computers, a payor and a payee of the payor;

identifying, by the payment service provider system, at least one notification control parameter associated with communicating payment due notifications to the payor;

determining, by the payment service provider system based at least in part upon evaluating a payment history associated with one or more payments made to the payee on behalf of the payor, a payment frequency pattern;

calculating, by the payment service provider system based at least in part on a portion of the payment history and the determined payment frequency pattern, a next expected payment date;

generating, by the payment service provider system in accordance with the at least one notification control parameter, a payment due notification comprising an identity of the payee and the next expected payment date; and

transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the payor, the payment due notification.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying at least one notification control parameter comprises identifying at least one of (i) a parameter associated with a number of times to notify the payor for a projected payment being due, (ii) a parameter associated with a time interval between notifications, (iii) a parameter associated with a period of time in advance of the expected payment date in which to issue the notification, or (iv) a parameter associated with whether the notification will be transmitted via email or based upon the payor accessing a payment application.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the payment service provider, a payment history control parameter associated with a period of payment history to be evaluated; and

identifying the payment history based at least in part on the payment history control parameter.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the payment service provider system from the payor, information associated with establishing one of the at least one notification control parameters; and

establishing, by the payment service provider system based at least in part upon the received information, the one of the at least one notification control parameters.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying at least one notification control parameter comprises identifying at least one of (i) a parameter applicable to the combination of the payor and the payee, (ii) a parameter applicable to a plurality of payees for the payor, (iii) a parameter applicable to a sponsor of the payor, or (iv) a parameter applicable to the payment service provider system.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying at least one notification control parameter comprises identifying a plurality of instances of a notification control parameter, and further comprising:

determining, by the payment service provider system, a precedence ordering for the plurality of instances of the notification control parameter.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining a payment frequency pattern comprises:

determining, by the payment service provider system, that the payment history includes a single payment; and

determining, based at least in part upon the determination that the payment history includes a single payment, a default payment frequency pattern.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a next expected payment date comprises calculating a next expected payment date based at least in part on averaging a plurality of payment dates included in the payment history.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the payment service provider system based at least in part on the payment history, an estimated payment amount,

wherein generating a payment due notification comprises generating a payment due notification comprising the estimated payment amount.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the payment service provider system, one or more pending payment requests associated with the payor; and

determining, by the payment service provider system, that none of the one or more pending payment requests are associated with the payee.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein generating a payment due notification comprises generating a payment due notification comprising a link to a payment interface that facilitates the receipt of a payment request.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting the payment due notification comprises at least one of (i) transmitting the payment due notification via email or (ii) transmitting the payment due notification during a communications session established by the payor accessing a payment application hosted by the payment service provider system.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the payment service provider system, information associated with the payment due notification.

12. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

receiving, by the payment service provider system based at least in part upon a payor selection of the link, a request for the payment interface;

generating, by the payment service provider system in response to the received request, a payment request form; and

transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the payor, the generated payment request form.

13. The method of claim 13, wherein generating a payment request form comprises generating a payment request form pre-populated with at least one of (i) information associated with the payee, (ii) the next expected payment date, or (iii) an estimated payment amount.

16. A system, comprising:

at least one memory configured to store computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions to;

identify a payor and a payee of the payor;

identify at least one notification control parameter associated with communicating payment due notifications to the payor;

determine, based at least in part upon evaluating a payment history associated with one or more payments made to the payee on behalf of the payor, a payment frequency pattern;

calculate, based at least in part on a portion of the payment history and the determined payment frequency pattern, a next expected payment date;

generate, in accordance with the at least one notification control parameter, a payment due notification comprising an identity of the payee and the next expected payment date; and

direct transmission of the payment due notification to the payor.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one notification control parameter comprises at least one of (i) a parameter associated with a number of times to notify the payor for a projected payment being due, (ii) a parameter associated with a time interval between notifications, (iii) a parameter associated with a period of time in advance of the expected payment date in which to issue the notification, or (iv) a parameter associated with whether the notification will be transmitted via email or based upon the payor accessing a payment application.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one notification control parameter comprises at least one of (i) a parameter applicable to the combination of the payor and the payee, (ii) a parameter applicable to a plurality of payees for the payor, (iii) a parameter applicable to a sponsor of the payor, or (iv) a parameter applicable to the payment service provider system.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

determine, based at least in part on the payment history, an estimated payment amount,

wherein the generated payment due notification comprises the estimated payment amount.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the payment due notification is transmitted to the payor by at least one of (i) an email or (ii) a presentation communicated to the payor based upon the payor accessing a payment application.