Electronic invoicing and collection system and method with charity donations

• US 6,052,674 A
• Filed: 12/23/1997
• Issued: 04/18/2000
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Information Retrieval Consultants Limited, Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University (Stanford Management Co.)
• Original Assignee: Information Retrieval Consultants Limited
• Inventors: Tsappi, Philip, Zervides, Andronicos
• Primary Examiner(s): MacDonald, Allen R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Thompson, Jr., Forest
• Application Number:
  US08/996,789
• Time in Patent Office: 847 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/30, 705/34, 705/40, 235/375, 235/379, 235/380
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

An electronic commerce invoicing and collection system (EICS) which provides the services of invoicing, automatic "past due" reminders in a real time recorded/registered format is described. Customers of a supplier are encouraged to pay invoices promptly via increased leverage of the supplier, public disclosure of a customer'"'"'s payment behavior, and donations to charity. An integral part of this invention is accurate payment analysis statistics data that exceeds the detail and timeliness of present systems. The EICS provides a methodology to enable banks to minimize their risk when lending money and save on customer auditing fees. The system and method also provide for bank charges, bank interest payments, factoring charges, and charities to be subsidized by customers who pay their invoices late. The result of such a system and method is customer payment behavior modification.

Claims

1. A method of encouraging payment by a customer to a supplier via an electronic invoicing and collection system, said electronic invoicing and collection system performing the steps of:

(a) receiving an invoice from said supplier which states a balance that is owed to said supplier by said customer, said invoice including a due date and payment terms which include a late payment surcharge if said invoice is not paid in accordance with said payment terms;

(b) forwarding said invoice to said customer;

(c) distributing a payment reminder to said customer if said balance has not been paid in accordance with said payment terms stated in said invoice;

(d) assessing said surcharge to said customer in the case of late payment;

(e) assigning a portion of said late payment surcharge to a charitable cause;

(f) recording payments of said customer made to said invoice and payments made to said charitable cause in order to create a payment history data base,

whereby said customer is encouraged to make timely payments of balances owed to said supplier by the intervention of said electronic invoicing and collection system, resulting in payment behavior modification.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the steps of receiving said invoice from said supplier forwarding said invoice to said customer, and distributing said payment reminder to said customer are done electronically via the internet.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of receiving is done by facsimile.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said surcharge is based on a predetermined percentage of said balance.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said surcharge is based on a predetermined minimum amount.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said supplier and said customer are businesses.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said supplier is a nonprofit organization.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein said charitable cause includes charitable work done by said supplier.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein said charitable cause is chosen by said supplier.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein said charitable cause is chosen by said electronic invoicing and collection system.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of said surcharge is used for the cost of running said electronic invoicing and collection system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of said surcharge is used to pay fees selected from the group consisting of interest charges, factoring charges, and invoice discount charges.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of said surcharge is used to pay loss of interest in a bank account of said supplier.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein a portion of said surcharge is paid to said supplier.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic invoicing and collection system operates in conjunction with a financial institution.

16. The method of claim 1 wherein said customer pays said balance to an entity selected from the group consisting of said supplier and said electronic invoicing and collection system.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein said electronic invoicing and collection system pays said supplier said balance that is received from said customer.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein said customer pays said surcharge to an entity selected from the group consisting of said supplier and said electronic invoicing and collection system.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein said charitable cause is paid a predetermined portion of said surcharge by an entity selected from the group consisting of said supplier and said electronic invoicing and collection system.

20. The method of claim 1 wherein said customer pays a predetermined portion of said surcharge to an entity selected from the group consisting of said charitable cause, said supplier, and said electronic invoicing and collection system.

21. The method of claim 1 wherein said electronic invoicing and collection system operates in conjunction with a financial institution.

22. The method of claim 1 wherein said portion of said late payment surcharge is received by said electronic invoicing and collection system and said portion of said surcharge is distributed to said charitable cause through said electronic invoicing and collection system.

23. The method of claim 1 wherein said payment history data base is used by said electronic invoicing and collection system to makes public a list of customers with poor payment histories, whereby additional incentive or prompt payment by said customer is created.

24. The method of claim 1 wherein said payment history database is used by said electronic invoicing and collection system, to provide a credit risk assessment of said customer.

25. An electronic invoicing and collection system for receiving invoices from a supplier, transmitting invoices to a customer, monitoring payment behavior of said customer, assessing late payment surcharges from said customer in the case of late payment, and recording the assignment of a portion of said late payment surcharges to a charitable cause, said electronic invoicing and collection system comprising:

(a) means for receiving an invoice from said supplier which states a balance that is owed to said supplier by said customer, said invoice including a due date and payment terms which include a late payment surcharge if said invoice is not paid in accordance with said payment terms;

(b) means for transmitting said invoice to said customer;

(c) means for monitoring payment by said customer;

(d) means for computing said late payment surcharge if said payment is not paid in accordance with said payment terms;

(e) means for computing said portion of said late payment surcharge assigned to a charitable cause;

(f) data storage means;

(g) processing means for compiling payment records of said customer; and

(h) processing means for compiling assignment records of said charitable cause,

whereby said electronic invoicing and collection system serves as a processing and payment record storage facility for invoicing between said supplier and said customer.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein input of said invoice information is achieved by automated compiling of invoices received electronically by said electronic invoicing and collection system from said supplier.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein input of said invoice information is achieved by human data input through remote data entry means.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the primary means of communication is by electronic message transmittal through a global TCP/IP based internet system.

29. The system of claim 25 wherein processing means is achieved by a CPU at a central computer.

30. The system of claim 25, further including a remote processor which copies and stores processes carried out at a central computer.

31. The system of claim 25, further including a remote supplier computer for transmitting electronic messages between said remote supplier computer and a central computer.

32. The system of claim 25, further including a remote customer computer for transmitting electronic messages between said remote customer computer and a central computer.

33. The system of claim 25 wherein said electronic invoicing and collection system operates in conjunction with a financial institution.

34. The system of claim 25, further including electronic coupling means to a computer system of a financial institution.