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System and method for paying bills electronically

  • US 5,283,829 A
  • Filed: 10/01/1992
  • Issued: 02/01/1994
  • Est. Priority Date: 10/01/1992
  • Status: Expired due to Term
First Claim
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1. A bill payment system for allowing subscribers to pay their bills via electronic funds transfer, comprising:

  • billing equipment includingmeans for preparing a billing statement of each of the subscribers'"'"' current charges, at least a first of said billing statements including a pre-authorization form to be completed by subscribers to pre-authorize payment of future bills via electronic transfer,means for creating an approval record for each of the subscribers who pre-authorize electronic bill payment, andmeans for generating a unique approval number for each of the subscribers who have pre-authorized electronic payment and to be used by said pre-authorized subscribers to approve electronic payment of said current bill;

    means common to subscribers for storing approval records of subscribers andmeans for approving electronic payment of the subscribers'"'"' current charges in response to signalling from subscribers, said payment approval means includingmeans for prompting subscribers for information and detecting subscribers'"'"' responses and other information, andmeans for comparing subscribers'"'"' responses with information in said means for storing said approval records.

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