System and method for merchant function assumption of internet checking and savings account transactions

• US 7,051,001 B1
• Filed: 08/27/1999
• Issued: 05/23/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Citibank NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citibank NA (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Slater, Alan
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US09/384,678
• Time in Patent Office: 2,461 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A system and method for merchant function assumption of Internet checking and savings account transactions enables a service provider to take over all merchant type transactions and provide a merchant, such as an Internet merchant, with an approved order and appropriate credit for the transaction. A service provider server receives an electronic check or a payment instruction for the merchant from a customer. The payment instruction includes, for example, the originator'"'"'s digital certificate and payment and purchase information, including the originator'"'"'s checking or savings account number. The payment instruction is automatically sent to a customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server, which confirms the availability of funds for the payment. A confirmation of the availability of funds is automatically sent to the merchant, and a credit for the payment is automatically sent to the merchant'"'"'s account. In addition, the service provider can consolidate order and settlement transactions, which saves transaction costs for the merchant.

Claims

1. A method for assumption by a service provider of at least one merchant function in a financial transaction between a customer and a merchant, comprising:

receiving information about the financial transaction consisting at least in part of an electronic payment order for the merchant by a service provider'"'"'s server from the customer at a customer'"'"'s computing device via a network;

identifying an intended recipient of the information by the service provider'"'"'s server for the merchant consisting of one of a merchant'"'"'s bank and a customer'"'"'s bank;

if the merchant'"'"'s bank is the intended recipient, reformatting the electronic payment order for a merchant'"'"'s on-line terminal by the service provider'"'"'s server, sending the reformatted payment order to the merchant'"'"'s on-line terminal by the service provider'"'"'s server, endorsing the electronic payment order by the service provider'"'"'s server, preparing a deposit to an account of the merchant by the service provider'"'"'s server, sending the deposit with the endorsed payment order to a merchant'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server by the service provider'"'"'s server, posting a credit for the deposit to the merchant'"'"'s account by the merchant'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server, and making details of the deposit available to the merchant by the merchant'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server; and

if the customer'"'"'s bank is the intended recipient, sending the electronic payment order with a request for payment to a customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server by the service provider'"'"'s server, debiting an account of the customer for the amount of the payment order by the customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server, sending an ACH credit to the merchant'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server by the customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server, sending a transaction approval to the service provider'"'"'s server by the customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server, reformatting the transaction approval for the merchant'"'"'s on-line terminal by the service provider'"'"'s server, and sending the reformatted approval to the merchant'"'"'s on-line terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information about the financial transaction further comprises receiving a payment instruction for the merchant.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein receiving the payment instruction further comprises receiving the payment instruction by the service provider server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the payment instruction by the service provider server further comprises receiving the payment instruction from a customer'"'"'s processor over the Internet.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein receiving the payment instruction from the customer'"'"'s processor over the Internet further comprises receiving the payment instruction representing a payment by the customer in an Internet website transaction with the merchant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein receiving the payment instruction representing payment by the customer in the Internet website transaction with the merchant further comprises receiving the payment instruction representing payment by the customer in the Internet transaction with the merchant at an Internet website hosted by the service provider server for the merchant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the information about the financial transaction further comprises receiving an approval of a payment instruction for the merchant.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving the approval further comprises receiving the approval by the service provider server.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving the approval further comprises receiving the approval from the customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server over the Internet.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein receiving the approval from the customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server further comprises receiving a credit by the service provider server from the customer'"'"'s bank'"'"'s server over the Internet.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein receiving the credit by the service provider server further comprises consolidating the credit with at least one additional credit for the merchant.