BILL AVAILABILITY NOTIFICATION AND BILLING INFORMATION REQUEST

• US 20110202458A1
• Filed: 03/07/2011
• Published: 08/18/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/1998
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moses, Ginger B., Kitchen, Bill, Au, Ralph
• Granted Patent: US 8,165,956 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

Systems and methods for presenting billing information are provided. A notice may be transmitted via a network by a bill presentment service provider system comprising one or more computers. The notice may be transmitted in accordance with an e-mail protocol, and the notice may indicate availability of billing information via a bill present service provider system. Subsequent to transmitting the notice, a request for the billing information may be received by the bill presentment service provider system via the second protocol. The request may be received responsive to a selection of the hyper-link. Responsive to receiving the request, at least a portion of the billing information may be transmitted by the bill presentment service provider system via the network.

Claims

1-95. -95. (canceled)

96. A method, comprising:

transmitting, by a bill presentment service provider system comprising one or more computers and in accordance with an email protocol, a notice indicating availability of billing information via the bill presentment service provider system, wherein the notice includes a hyperlink enabling access to the billing information via a second protocol other than the email protocol;

receiving, by the bill presentment service provider system via the second protocol and subsequent to transmitting the notice, a request for the billing information, wherein the request is received responsive to a selection of the hyperlink; and

transmitting, by the bill presentment service provider system and responsive to receiving the request, at least a portion of the billing information.

97. The method of claim 96, wherein the hyperlink comprises an icon.

98. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

formatting, by the bill presentment service provider system responsive to receiving the request, the at least a portion of the billing information for presentation.

99. The method of claim 96, further comprising:

formatting, by the bill presentment service provider system prior to transmitting the notice, the at least a portion of the billing information for presentation; and

storing, by the bill presentment service provider system, the formatted at least a portion of the billing information,

wherein transmitting at least a portion of the billing information comprises transmitted the formatted at least a portion of the billing information.

100. A system, comprising:

at least one communications interface configured to (i) transmit, in accordance with an email protocol, a notice indicating availability of billing information via a bill presentment service provider system, the notice comprising a hyperlink enabling access to the billing information via a second protocol other than the email protocol, (ii) receive, via the second protocol and subsequent to transmitting the notice, a request for the billing information, wherein the request is received responsive to a selection of the hyperlink, and (iii) transmit at least a portion of the billing information; and

at least one processor configured to (i) direct the at least one communications interface to transmit the notice, (ii) receive the request for the billing information, and (iii) direct, responsive to receiving the request, the at least one communications interface to transmit the at least a portion of the billing information.

101. The system of claim 100, wherein the hyperlink comprises an icon.

102. The system of claim 100, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to format, responsive to receiving the request, the at least a portion of the billing information for presentation.

103. The system of claim 100, further comprising:

at least one memory configured to store the billing information.

104. The system of claim 103, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to (i) format, prior to directing the transmission of the notice, the at least a portion of the billing information for presentation, and (ii) direct storage of the formatted at least a portion of the billing information in the at least one memory,

wherein the transmitted at least a portion of the billing information comprises the formatted at least a portion of the billing information stored in the at least one memory.