INTERNET BILLING METHOD

• US 20110218881A1
• Filed: 05/13/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/1995
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: AT&T Intellectual Property I LP (AT&T, Inc.)
• Inventors: EGENDORF, ANDREW
• Granted Patent: US 8,306,913 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.41
• 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 20/10 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

The present disclosure may include, for example, a method for establishing a remitting arrangement between a provider and a vendor to create between the provider and the vendor an electronic process for remitting a portion of a transaction amount billed to at least one billing account of at least one customer associated with the provider for products or services purchased by the at least one customer from the vendor. The method can further include enabling, by way of equipment of the provider, equipment of the at least one customer to communicate with equipment of the vendor, and receiving at the equipment of the provider transactional information indicating that the at least one customer initiated an order for a product or service from the vendor for a transactional amount. The method can also include initiating with equipment of the provider the remittance of the portion of the transaction amount by way of the account of the vendor according to the remitting arrangement. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

establishing a remitting arrangement between a vendor and a provider to enable by way of an account associated with the vendor a remittance of a portion of a transaction amount billed to at least one billing account associated with at least one customer associated with the provider for products or services purchased by the at least one customer from the vendor;

enabling, by way of equipment of the provider, equipment of the vendor to communicate with equipment of the at least one customer permitting the at least one customer to purchase a product or service of the vendor; and

initiating between the provider and the vendor a remittance of a portion of a transaction amount associated with a purchase transaction made by the at least one customer, wherein the equipment of the vendor receives a communication indicating that the at least one customer initiated and authorized an order for a product or service of the vendor for the transaction amount, and wherein the vendor initiates a delivery of the product or service to the at least one customer after receiving the communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the product or service is delivered to the at least one customer by mail, courier service, or by electronic transmission.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising initiating from the equipment of the provider a charge to a billing account of the at least one customer responsive to the purchase transaction without communicating over a communication network billing information associated with the at least one customer.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving at the equipment of the provider transactional information comprising one of identifying information relating to the at least one customer, the transaction amount, or a reference to identify the purchase transaction.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transactional information is submitted to the equipment of the provider by one of the equipment of the at least one customer, or the equipment of vendor.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the equipment of the at least one customer initiates communications with the equipment of the provider by way of an Internet access network operated by a party unaffiliated with the provider, and wherein the equipment of the provider, not the Internet access network operated by the unaffiliated party, enables the equipment of the at least one customer to communicate with the equipment of the vendor.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one billing account associated with the at least one customer is charged the transaction amount by way of equipment of the provider or equipment operated by a party other than the provider.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the billing account associated with the at least one customer is managed by the provider or the party other than the provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the account associated with the vendor belongs to the vendor or a party other than the vendor.

10. A vendor apparatus, comprising equipment operable to:

initiate a communication session over a communication network with equipment of at least one customer, wherein the communication session over the communication network is enabled by equipment of a provider, and wherein the provider and a vendor are different parties;

receive during the communication session at least one communication over the communication network indicating that the at least one customer initiated an order for a product or service of the vendor;

initiate a process to deliver the product or service to the at least one customer after receiving the at least one communication and without submitting a billing request to the equipment of the provider; and

transmit to the equipment of the provider transactional information relating to the purchase transaction without submitting the billing request to the equipment of the provider, wherein a remittance of a portion of a transaction amount is initiated between the provider and the vendor by way of an account associated with the vendor in accordance with a remitting arrangement.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the product or service is delivered to the at least one customer by mail, courier service, or by electronic transmission.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the equipment of the provider initiates a charge to a billing account of the at least one customer responsive to the purchase transaction without communicating over the communication network billing information associated with the at least one customer.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transactional information comprises one of identifying information relating to the at least one customer, the transaction amount, or a reference to identify the purchase transaction.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the equipment of the at least one customer initiates communications with the equipment of the provider by way of a network operated by a party unaffiliated with the provider, and wherein the equipment of the provider, not the network operated by the unaffiliated party, enables the equipment of the at least one customer to communicate over the communication network with the equipment of the vendor.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein at least one billing account associated with the at least one customer is charged the transaction amount by way of equipment of the provider or equipment operated by a party other than the provider.

16. The apparatus of claim 15, wherein the at least one billing account associated with the at least one customer is managed by the provider or the party other than the provider.

17. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the account associated with the vendor belongs to the vendor or a party other than the vendor.

18. A method, comprising:

establishing a remitting arrangement between a provider and a vendor to create between the provider and the vendor an electronic process for remitting a portion of a transaction amount billed to at least one billing account of at least one customer associated with the provider for products or services purchased by the at least one customer from the vendor;

enabling, by way of equipment of the provider, equipment of the at least one customer to communicate with equipment of the vendor;

receiving at the equipment of the provider transactional information indicating that the at least one customer initiated an order for a product or service from the vendor for a transactional amount;

initiating with equipment of the provider the remittance of the portion of the transaction amount by way of the account of the vendor according to the remitting arrangement.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the equipment of the at least one customer communicates with the equipment of the provider over a communication network, and wherein the communication network belongs to a party unaffiliated with the provider.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the equipment of the provider, not the communication network operated by the unaffiliated party, enables the equipment of the at least one customer to communicate with the equipment of the vendor.