Electronic payments using multiple unique payee identifiers

• US 7,251,656 B2
• Filed: 07/26/2002
• Issued: 07/31/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moenickheim, Peter, Baulch, Howard, Koltnow, Adam, Keown, Blake
• Primary Examiner(s): LEWIS, CHERYL RENEA
• Application Number:
  US10/205,615
• Publication Number:
  US 20040019605A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,831 Days
• Field of Search: 707 1- 6, 707/9, 707/10, 707/104.1, 705/1, 705/30, 705/34, 705/40, 705/42, 705/44, 705/17, 705/18, 705/21, 705/35, 709/203
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99933 Query processing, i.e. searching

Abstract

To make a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor, the payment service provider receives, via a network, a first payment request to make a first payment to a payee on behalf of a first payor and a second payment request to make a second payment to the payee on behalf of a second payor. The first request has first identity information identifying the payee and the second request has second identity information identifying the payee. The payment service provider accesses first data associated with the first payor to identify a first unique payee identifier associated with the payee based on the first payee identity information and second data associated with the second payor to identify a different second unique payee identifier associated with the payee based on the second payee identity information. The payment service provider retrieves first electronic payment information for the payee based on the identified first unique payee identifier and different second electronic payment information for the payee based on the identified second unique payee identifier. The payment service provider can then direct a first electronic payment to the payee on behalf of the first payor based upon the retrieved first electronic payment information and a second electronic payment to the payee on behalf of the second payor based upon the retrieved second electronic payment information.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for making a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor, comprising:

receiving, by a payment service provider, a first payment request to make a first payment to a payee on behalf of a first payor, the first request having first payee identity information, and a second payment request to make a second payment to the payee on behalf of a second payor, the second request having second payee identity information;

identifying a first payee identifier based upon the identity of the first payor and at least a portion of the received first payee identity information, wherein the first payee identifier is not received in the first payment request and is assigned as a result of the payee responding to an invitation, from the service provider, associated with a paper payment to enroll for electronic payment;

identifying a second payee identifier based upon the identity of the second payor and at least a portion of the received second payee identity information, wherein the second payee identifier is not received in the second payment request and is assigned as a result of the payee responding to an invitation, from the service provider, associated with a paper payment to enroll for electronic payment;

directing, by the payment service provider, an electronic payment to the payee on behalf of the first payor using the first payee identifier, and an electronic payment to the payee on behalf of the second payor using the second payee identifier;

and transmitting to the payee, by the payment service provider via a network, a notice indicating that the electronic payment on behalf of the first payor has been directed;

wherein the notice includes one of (a) information indicating that remittance information associated with the payment is available and (b) remittance information associated with the payment.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising identifying a first demand deposit account belonging to the payee to which the electronic payment is directed on behalf of the first payor, and a second demand deposit account, different than the first demand deposit account, belonging to the payee to which the electronic payment to the payee is directed on behalf of the second payor.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

directing, by the payment service provider, first remittance information to the payee associated with the electronic payment on behalf of the first payor, and second remittance information to the payee associated with the electronic payment on behalf of the second payor.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first remittance information is directed to a location different than the second remittance information.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the first payee identifier and the second payee identifier is not based upon publicly available information identifying the payee.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the second payee identifier is different that the first payee identifier.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the notice includes the information indicating the availability of remittance information associated with the payment and a hyperlink to view the remittance information.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first payee identifier represents an association between the payee and only the first payor; and

the second payee identifier represents an association between the payee and only the second payor.

9. A computer implemented system for making a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor, comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive a first payment request to make a first payment to a payee on behalf of a first payor, the first request having first payee identity information, and a second payment request to make a second payment to the payee on behalf of a second payor, the second request having second payee identity information; and

a processor configured (a) to identify a first payee identifier based upon the identity of the first payor and at least a portion of the received first payee identity information, wherein the first payee identifier is not received in the first payment request and is assigned as a result of the payee responding to an invitation associated with a paper payment to enroll for electronic payment, (b) identify a second payee identifier based upon the identity of the second payor and at least a portion of the received second payee identity information, wherein the second payee identifier is not received in the second payment request and is assigned as a result of the payee responding to an invitation associated with a paper payment to enroll for electronic payment, and (c) to direct an electronic payment to the payee on behalf of the first payor using the first payee identifier and an electronic payment to the payee on behalf of the second payor using the second payee identifier;

the processor is further configured to direct transmission to the payee of a notice indicating that the electronic payment on behalf of the payor has been directed;

the communications interface is further configured to transmit the notice to the payee in accordance with the transmission directive; and

the notice includes one of (a) information indicating that remittance information associated with the payment is available and (b) remittance information associated with the payment.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein neither the first payee identifier nor the second payee identifier is based upon publicly available information identifying the payee.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the second payee identifier is different that the first payee identifier.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the notice includes the information indicating that remittance information associated with the electronic payment is available and a hyperlink to view the remittance information.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the first payee identifier is associated with a first demand deposit account belonging to the payee to which the payment on behalf of the first payor is directed, and the second payee identifier is associated with a second demand deposit account belonging to the payee to which the payment on behalf of the second payor is directed.

14. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the processor is further configured to direct first remittance advice to the payee corresponding to the electronic payment on behalf of the first payor, and second remittance advice to the payee corresponding to the electronic payment on behalf of the second payor.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the first payee identifier identifies an association between the payee and only the first payor; and

the second payee identifier identifies an association between the payee and only the second payor.