METHOD AND SYSTEM TO PROCESS PAYMENT USING URL SHORTENING AND/OR QR CODES

• US 20120078782A1
• Filed: 11/28/2011
• Published: 03/29/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Software LP
• Original Assignee: Software LP
• Inventors: Schoenberg, Douglas, Leatherman, Ronald D., Biedermann, Jon, Gardner, Joshua
• Granted Patent: US 8,494,958 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 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• 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

Provided is a method and system for payment processing, including emailing a billing statement to a payer by a biller, the billing statement including an online payment hyperlink having a shortened URL personalized for the payer and a token uniquely identifying the payer. The payer may select the online payment hyperlink, at which point they are presented with the biller'"'"'s online payment form without the payer logging in or preregistering. The online payment form includes data fields pre-populated with available payer information derived from the personalized shortened URL and token, which may be reviewed, completed and/or corrected by the payer and sent to a secure payment form server. Also provided is the use of Quick response (QR) codes incorporating the shortened URL in a printed format, particularly for use with a mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A payment processing method comprising:

emailing a billing statement to a payer by a biller, the billing statement comprising an online payment hyperlink, the online payment hyperlink comprising a shortened URL personalized to uniquely identify the payer;

selecting the online payment hyperlink by the payer;

presenting the payer with the biller'"'"'s online payment form without the payer logging in or preregistering, the online payment form comprising data fields pre-populated with available payer information derived from the personalized shortened URL;

reviewing the biller'"'"'s online payment form by the payer;

completing and correcting data in the online payment form as needed by the payer; and

sending the completed online payment form to a secure payment form server by the payer.

2. A payment processing method comprising:

mailing a billing statement to a payer by a biller, the billing statement comprising a Quick Response (QR) code comprising an online payment link comprising a shortened URL personalized to uniquely identify the payer;

imaging, using a mobile communication device comprising an electronic circuit, the QR code by the payer;

decoding the QR code image by the electronic circuit;

forwarding the decoded QR code to a secure payment form server;

presenting the payer with the biller'"'"'s online payment form on said mobile communication device without the payer logging in or preregistering, the online payment form comprising data fields pre-populated with available payer information derived from the personalized shortened URL;

reviewing the biller'"'"'s online payment form by the payer;

completing and correcting data in the online payment form as needed by the payer; and

sending the completed online payment form to a secure payment form server by the payer.

3. A method for updating a payer'"'"'s data, the method comprising:

mailing a billing statement to a payer by a biller, the billing statement comprising an a Quick Response (QR) code comprising an online payment link comprising a shortened URL personalized to uniquely identify the payer;

imaging, using a mobile communication device comprising an electronic circuit, the QR code by the payer;

decoding the QR code image by the electronic circuit;

forwarding by the electronic circuit, the decoded QR code to a secure payment form server;

presenting the payer with the payer'"'"'s available payer information by said electronic circuit without the payer logging in or preregistering,;

reviewing the payer'"'"'s available payer information by the payer;

correcting payer information using said electronic circuit by the payer; and

, forwarding by the electronic circuit the corrected payer information to the secure payment form server.

4. A payment processing system comprising:

a billing statement emailed to a payer by a biller, the billing statement comprising an online payment hyperlink, the online payment hyperlink comprising a shortened URL personalized to identify the payer, which directs the payer to an organization'"'"'s hosted payment form,

wherein the online payment hyperlink is selected by the payer; and

a biller'"'"'s online payment form is presented to the payer without the payer logging in or preregistering, the online payment form comprising data fields pre-populated with available payer information, the payer reviewing the biller'"'"'s online payment form, completing and correcting data in the online payment form as needed, and sending the completed online payment form to a secure payment form server.

5. A payment processing system comprising:

a printed billing statement mailed to a payer by a biller, the billing statement comprising a Quick Response (QR) code comprising an online payment comprising a shortened URL personalized for the payer, which directs the payer to an organization'"'"'s hosted payment form and uniquely identifies the payer,

wherein the QR code is imaged by the payer using a mobile communications device comprising an electronic circuit and sent to a secure payment form server; and

a biller'"'"'s online payment form is presented to the payer without the payer logging in or preregistering, the online payment form comprising data fields pre-populated with available payer information, the payer reviewing the biller'"'"'s online payment form, completing and correcting data in the online payment form as needed, and sending the completed online payment form to the secure payment form server.

6. A system for updating a payer'"'"'s data, the system comprising:

a printed billing statement mailed to a payer by a biller, the billing statement comprising a Quick Response (QR) code comprising an online payment comprising a shortened URL personalized for the payer, which directs the payer to an organization'"'"'s hosted payment form, and uniquely identifies the payer,

wherein the QR code is imaged by the payer using a mobile communications device comprising an electronic circuit and sent to a secure payment form server; and

the payer'"'"'s available payer information is presented to the payer without the payer logging in or preregistering, the information comprising data fields pre-populated with available payer information, the payer reviewing the available payer information, correcting data in the available payer information as needed, and sending the corrected payer information to the secure payment form server.