System for centralized processing of accounting and payment functions

• US 5,222,018 A
• Filed: 10/11/1988
• Issued: 06/22/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/1985
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Original Assignee: Pitney Bowes Incorporated (Böwe Systec AG)
• Inventors: Flesser, Brian D., Sharpe, Murem S., Bryson, Eugene, Manduley, Flavio, Riordan, Eben M. II
• Primary Examiner(s): Hayes, Gail O.
• Application Number:
  US07/257,184
• Time in Patent Office: 1,715 Days
• Field of Search: 364/401, 364/403, 364/406
• US Class Current: 705/30
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 17/00435 Details specific to central, non-customer apparatus, e.g. servers at post office or vendor
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00161 from a central, non-user location, e.g. for updating rates or software, or for refilling funds
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00379 Calculation of different sending options for a mail piece
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 2017/00427 Special accounting procedures, e.g. storing special information
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

A system for determining and accounting for the costs of transactions. The system is particularly suited for determining and accounting the costs of shipping goods. The system includes an input device which is located at the shipper'"'"'s (or other buyer'"'"'s) premises and a central data processing facility. The input device receives information defining a shipment sufficiently so that the cost of that shipment may be determined in accordance with the rates of a carrier (or other seller), and uploads the information to the central data processing facility. Preferably, the input device includes rate information and software for determining shipment costs locally. The central data processing facility maintains accounts for a shippers and carriers, appropriately debits and credits costs for each shipment and periodically issues statements of their accounts to all shippers and carriers. In a preferred embodiment, shippers may maintain a payment account with a trustee bank and the system may from time to time issue instruction to the trustee bank to make appropriate payments to each carrier. In another embodiment, carriers may from time to time enter new rate information into the system.

Claims

1. A system for accounting for Transaction costs comprising:

a) input means for inputting Item Information and for producing Transaction Information in accordance with said Item Information;

b) data processing means responsive to said Transaction Information for;

b1) maintaining accounts for a plurality of distinct;

unrelated buyers and a group of sellers consisting of at least one seller;

said accounts including a cumulative record of amounts payable to said buyers or due said sellers; and

, for a Transaction processed by said system,

b2) Determining Transaction Costs and identifying a seller, selected by a buyer, initiating said Transaction, said buyer having access to Rates preestablished by said identified seller, from said group in accordance with said Transaction Information;

b3) debiting an account of said buyer for the amount of said Transaction costs and crediting an account of said identified seller with said amount; and

b4) generating statements of their accounts for said buyers and said sellers said statements for said buyers identifying amounts due each of said sellers, and said statements for said sellers identifying amounts due from each of said buyers; and

,

c) communications means for transmitting said Transaction Information from said input means to said data processing means.

2. A system as described in claim 1 further comprising means for assuring the authenticity of transmissions of said Transaction Information.

3. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said data processing means further comprises a data base system means for maintaining a data base and is further responsive to said Transaction Information for:

a) storing Item Information and Transaction costs in a first file in said data base, said file being associated with said buyer and said identified seller; and

,

b) debiting and crediting said accounts in accordance with said Transaction costs stored in said first file, said accounts being stored in account files in said data base.

4. A system as described in claim 3 wherein;

said Item Information and Transaction costs are retained in said first file after said accounts are debited and credited;

said data processing system adds additional information to said first file indicating that said Transaction costs have been debited and credited so that said Item Information and Transaction costs are not again debited and credited to said accounts; and

said data processing system includes said Item Information and said Transaction costs in said statements.

5. A system as described in claim 3 wherein said seller maintains a funds account with a seller'"'"'s custodian, further comprising:

a) fifth communications means for transmitting rebate information defining an amount to be paid by said seller to said buyer from said seller to said data processing means;

b) said data processing means being responsive to said rebate information to instruct said seller'"'"'s custodian to debit said seller'"'"'s funds account and issue payment to said buyer for the amount defined by said rebate information.

6. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said input means further comprises means for storing Rates for each of said group of sellers said input means being further for Rating each Transaction and generating Rated Transaction Information. PG,29

7. A system as described in claim 6 wherein said data processing means further comprises second communication means for communicating with each of said group of sellers so that said sellers may transmit current Rates to said data processing means, and wherein further said data processing means in response to receipt of said current Rate Information downloads said current Rates to said input means through said first communication means.

8. A system as described in claim 1 further comprising a plurality of said input means located at the premises of a corresponding plurality of buyers and wherein further said data processing means maintains accounts for each of said buyers, and Transaction Information includes information identifying said corresponding buyer, said data processing means debiting said accounts of said identified corresponding buyer for the amount of transaction costs in accordance with said Transaction Information.

9. A system as described in claim 1 wherein said buyer maintains a funds account with a custodian, and said system further comprises third communication means for communicating between said custodian and said data processing means and said data processing means periodically instructs said custodian to debit said buyer'"'"'s funds account for the total amount due from said buyer to said group of seller and to issue appropriate payments to each of said sellers.

10. A system as described in claim 9 further comprising a plurality of said input means located at the premises of a corresponding plurality of buyers and wherein further said data processing means maintains accounts for each of said buyers, and Transaction Information includes information identifying said corresponding buyer, said data processing means debiting said accounts of said identified corresponding buyers for the amount of Transaction costs in accordance with said Transaction Information.

11. A system as described in claim 10 wherein said data processing means further comprises a data base system means for maintaining a data base and is further responsive to said Transaction Information for:

a) storing Item Information and Transaction costs in a first file in said database, said file being identified with said corresponding buyer and said identified seller; and

,

b) debiting the account of said corresponding buyer and crediting the account of said identified seller in accordance with sand Transaction cost stored in said first file, said accounts being stored in account files in said data base.

12. A system as described in claim 11 wherein;

said Item Information and Transaction costs are retained in said first file after said accounts are debited and credited;

said data processing system adds additional information to said first file indicating that said Transaction costs have been debited and credited so that said Item Information and Transaction costs are not again debited and credited to said accounts; and

said data processing system includes said Item Information and said Transaction costs in said statements.

13. A systems for accounting for Shipment costs, comprising:

a) input means for inputting Piece Information and for producing Shipment Information in accordance with said Piece Information;

b) data processing means responsive to said Shipment Information for;

b1) maintaining accounts for a plurality of distinct, unrelated shippers and a group of carriers, consisting of at least one carrier;

said accounts including a cumulative record of amounts payable by said shippers or due said carriers; and

, for a Shipment processed by said system,

b2) determining Shipment Costs and identifying a carrier, selected by a shipper originating said shipment, said shipper having access to Rates prestablished by said carrier, from said group in accordance with said Shipment Information;

b3) debiting an account of said shipper for the amount of said Shipment costs and crediting an account of said identified carrier with said amount; and

,

b4) generating statements of their accounts for said shippers and said carriers, said statements for said shippers identifying amounts due each of said carriers and said statements for said group of carriers identifying amounts due from each of said shippers; and

,

c) communications means for transmitting said Shipment Information from said input means to said data processing means.

14. A system described in claim 13 further comprising means for assuring the authenticity of transmissions of said Shipment Information.

15. A system as described in claim 13 wherein said data processing means further comprises a data base system means for maintaining a data base and is further responsive to said Shipment Information for:

a) storing Piece Information and Shipment costs in a first file in said data base, said file being associated with said shipper and said identified carrier; and

,

b) debiting and crediting said accounts in accordance with said Shipment costs stored in said first file, said accounts being stored in account files in said data base.

16. A system as described in claim 15 wherein;

said Piece Information and Shipment costs are retained in said first file after said accounts are debited and credited;

said data processing system adds additional information to said first file indicating that said Shipment costs have been debited and credited so that said Piece Information and Shipment costs are not again debited and credited to said accounts; and

said data processing system includes said Piece Information and Shipment costs are not again debited and credited to said accounts; and

said data processing system includes said Piece Information and said Shipment costs in said statements.

17. A system as described in claim 13 wherein said input means further comprises means for storing Rates for each of said group of carriers, said input means being further for Rating each transaction and generating Rated Shipment Information.

18. A system as described in claim 17 wherein said data processing means further comprises second communication means for communicating with each of said group of carriers so that said carriers may transmit current Rates to said data processing means, and wherein further said data processing means in response to receipt of said current Rate information downloads said current Rates to said input means through said first communication means.

19. A system as described in claim 13 further comprising a plurality of said input means located at the premises of a corresponding plurality of shippers and wherein further said data processing means maintains accounts for each of said shippers and Shipment Information includes information identifying said corresponding shipper, said data processing means debiting said accounts of said identified corresponding shippers for the amount of shipment costs in accordance with said Shipment Information.

20. A system as described in claim 13 wherein said shipper maintains a funds account with a custodian, and said system further comprises third communication means for communicating between said custodian and said data processing means and said data processing means periodically instructs said custodian to debit said shipper'"'"'s funds account for the total amount due from said shipper to said group of carriers and to issue appropriate payments to each of said carriers.

21. A system as described in claim 20 further comprising a plurality of said input means located at the premises of a corresponding plurality of shippers and wherein further said data processing means maintains accounts for each of said shippers, and Shipment Information includes information identifying said corresponding shipper, said data processing means debiting said accounts of said identified corresponding shippers for the amount of shipment costs in accordance with said Shipment Information.

22. A system as described in claim 21 wherein said data processing means further comprises a data base system means for maintaining a data base and is further responsive to said Shipment Information for:

a) storing Piece Information and Shipment costs in a first file in said data base, said file being identified with said corresponding shipper and said identified carrier; and

,

b) debiting the account of said corresponding shipper and crediting the account of said identified carrier in accordance with said Shipment cost stored in said first file, said accounts being stored in account files in said data base.

23. A system as described in claim 22 wherein;

said Piece Information and Shipment costs are retained in said first file after said accounts are debited and credited;

said data processing system adds additional information to said first file indicating that said Shipment costs have been debited and credited so that said Piece Information and Shipment costs are not again debited and credited to said accounts; and

said data processing system includes said Piece Information and said Transaction costs in said statements.

24. A system as described in claim 15 wherein said carrier maintains a funds account with a carrier'"'"'s custodian, further comprising:

a) fifth communications means for transmitting rebate information defining an amount to be paid buyer said carrier to said shipper from said carrier to said data processing means;

b) said data processing means being responsive to said rebate information to instruct said carrier'"'"'s custodian to debit said carriers funds account and issue payment to said buyer for the amount defined by said rebate information.