Method and apparatus for facilitating manual payments for transactions conducted over a network

• US 7,296,003 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2001
• Issued: 11/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 08/17/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Globex Financial Services, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Willis, David, Mersky, Randy, Riggle, Lewis
• Primary Examiner(s): Worjloh; Jalatee
• Application Number:
  US09/931,187
• Publication Number:
  US 20030037012A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: 705 64- 80, 705/1, 705/26, 713/150, 235/379
• US Class Current: 705/75
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system enables tender of payment manually (e.g., cash, check, etc.) for transactions conducted over a network (e.g., the Internet). The system includes one or more computer systems each located at a corresponding agent site, one or more merchant systems and a server computer system in communication with the agent and merchant systems. The server system accesses the appropriate merchant network or web site in response to transaction selection information received from the agent system, and translates those web pages for transmission to the agent system. The server computer system further receives the required transaction information from the agent system and processes the transaction information for transference to the particular merchant web site. In addition, the server system enters credit card information of a provider of the transaction service within the transaction payment information for transference to the merchant system in order to tender payment for the network transaction.

Claims

1. A system for enabling customers to visit a remote site and conduct transactions over a network with one or more provider processing systems, wherein payment is manually tendered at said remote site by said customers for said transactions, said system comprising:

an agent processor, disposed at said remote site and accessing said network, configured to receive a customer selection of a desired business transaction conducted over said network with a particular provider processing system and customer transaction information and to process information associated with a customer payment receivable in forms including at least one of cash and a check and manually tendered by a customer at said remote site to a service provider to satisfy payment requirements of said customer selected transaction, while maintaining customer financial account information undisclosed to a transaction processor; and

the transaction processor, in communication with said agent processor and said provider processing systems via said network, configured to receive said customer selection and customer transaction information from said agent processor and facilitate performance and completion of said customer selected transaction over said network with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment, said transaction processor including;

a communication module configured to access a web site of said particular provider processing system performing said customer selected transaction;

a transaction information module configured to examine said accessed web site to determine information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction and to transmit an information request to said agent processor requesting a portion of said required information, the portion of the required information not including customer financial account information; and

a transaction performance module configured to receive said customer transaction information transmitted without any customer financial account information from said agent processor in response to said information request and to transmit said required information portion and payment information associated with said service provider to said particular provider processing system in order for said service provider to tender payment over said network for said customer to complete said transaction with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment indicated within said received customer transaction information.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said transaction processor further includes:

a verification module to request verification information from said agent processor and to initiate transaction processing in response to verifying said verification information received from said agent processor.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said transaction processor further includes a selection module to produce a list of transactions selectable by said customer for transference to said agent processor in response to said verification by said verification module.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said communication module includes a connection module to process said customer selection and determine a network location of said particular provider processing system.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said transaction processor further includes a site verification module to examine said accessed web site and verify that said accessed web site is associated with said customer selected transaction.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said transaction information module includes:

an examination module to determine information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction; and

a request generation module to generate said information request in the form of an entry screen for display by said agent processor, wherein said entry screen includes fields to receive said required information portion.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said transaction performance module includes:

an extraction module to selectively retrieve said customer transaction information from said fields of said entry screen received from said agent processor;

an insertion module to place said retrieved information in corresponding fields of said accessed web site; and

a payment module to place said payment information within corresponding fields of said accessed web site in order to tender payment for said customer selected transaction.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said transaction performance module includes a transaction storage module to store information relating to said customer selected transaction within a data storage unit.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said transaction processor further includes:

a confirmation module to receive confirmation information from said particular provider processing system in response to said particular provider processing system processing said customer selected transaction and to process said received confirmation information to produce confirmed transaction information for transference to said agent processor.

10. The system of claim 9 wherein said transaction processor further includes a confirmation storage module to store information relating to said confirmation information within a data storage unit.

11. The system of claim 9 wherein said agent processor includes:

a confirmation display module to process said confirmed transaction information received from said transaction processor in order to display a confirmation that said customer selected transaction has been processed.

12. The system of claim 11 wherein said agent processor further includes:

a receipt module to process said confirmed transaction information received from said transaction processor in order to produce a transaction receipt; and

a printing device to generate said transaction receipt for said customer.

13. The system of claim 1 further comprising:

a plurality of said agent processors with each agent processor disposed at a respective remote site to receive a customer selection of a desired transaction and customer transaction information and to process said customer payments manually tendered at said respective remote site;

wherein said transaction processor is in communication with said agent processors and said provider processing systems via said network, and receives said customer selections and customer transaction information from said agent processors and facilitates performance of said customer selected transactions.

14. The system of claim 1 wherein said agent processor includes a scanner for scanning a customer item including said customer transaction information and transferring said customer transaction information relating to a corresponding customer payment from said customer item into said agent processor.

15. The system of claim 1 wherein a repeat customer visits said remote site to conduct a second transaction and tender a second payment, and said agent processor further includes a data retrieval module to retrieve customer transaction information associated with said repeat customer and stored in response to a prior transaction to reduce entry of said customer transaction information and facilitate processing of said second transaction.

16. The system of claim 1 wherein said agent processor further includes a voice responsive device to receive voice signals and facilitate processing of said customer selected transaction and payment by said agent processor in response to said voice signals.

17. The system of claim 1 wherein said agent processor is disposed at said remote site within a supporting structure.

18. The system of claim 17 wherein said supporting structure includes a kiosk.

19. The system of claim 1 wherein said network includes the Internet.

20. The system of claim 1 wherein said customer selected transaction includes payment of a bill.

21. The system of claim 1 wherein said payment information includes credit card information of said service provider.

22. A system for enabling customers to visit a remote site and conduct transactions over a network with one or more provider processing systems, wherein payment is manually tendered at said remote site by said customers for said transactions and said remote site includes an agent processor to receive a customer selection of a desired business transaction conducted over said network in real time with a particular provider processing system and customer transaction information and to process information associated with a customer payment receivable in forms including at least one of cash and a check and manually tendered by a customer at said remote site to a service provider to satisfy payment requirements of said customer selected transaction, while maintaining customer financial account information undisclosed to a transaction processor, said system comprising:

the transaction processor, in communication with said agent processor and said provider processing systems via said network, configured to receive said customer selection and customer transaction information from said agent processor and to facilitate performance and completion of said customer selected transaction over said network with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment, said transaction processor including;

a communication module configured to access a web site of said particular provider processing system performing said customer selected transaction;

a transaction information module configured to examine said accessed web site to determine information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction and to transmit an information request to said agent processor requesting a portion of said required information, the portion of the required information not including customer financial account information; and

a transaction performance module configured to receive said customer transaction information transmitted without any customer financial zccount information from said agent processor in response to said information request and to transmit said required information portion and payment information associated with said service provider to said particular provider processing system in order for said service provider to tender payment over said network for said customer to complete said transaction with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment indicated within said received customer transaction information.

23. The system of claim 22 wherein said transaction information module includes:

an examination module to determine information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction; and

a request generation module to generate said information request in the form of an entry screen for display by said agent processor, wherein said entry screen includes fields to receive said required information portion.

24. The system of claim 23 wherein said transaction performance module includes:

an extraction module to selectively retrieve said customer transaction information from said fields of said entry screen received from said agent processor;

an insertion module to place said retrieved information in corresponding fields of said accessed web site; and

a payment module to place said payment information within corresponding fields of said accessed web site in order to tender payment for said customer selected transaction.

25. The system of claim 22 wherein said transaction processor further includes:

a confirmation module to receive confirmation information from said particular provider processing system in response to said particular provider processing system processing said customer selected transaction and to process said received confirmation information to produce confirmed transaction information for transference to said agent processor.

26. The system of claim 22 wherein a plurality of said agent processors are each disposed at a respective remote site to receive a customer selection of a desired transaction and customer transaction information and to process said customer payments manually tendered at said respective remote site;

wherein said transaction processor is in communication with said agent processors and said provider processing systems via said network, and receives said customer selections and customer transaction information from said agent processors and facilitates performance of said customer selected transactions.

27. The system of claim 22 wherein said network includes the Internet.

28. The system of claim 22 wherein said customer selected transaction includes payment of a bill.

29. The system of claim 22 wherein said payment information includes credit card information of said service provider.

30. A method of enabling customers to visit a remote site and conduct transactions over a network with one or more provider processing systems, wherein payment is manually tendered at said remote site by said customers for said transactions, said method comprising:

(a) receiving a customer selection of a desired business transaction conducted over said network with a particular provider processing system and customer transaction information and processing information associated with a customer payment receivable in forms including at least one of cash and a check and manually tendered by a customer at said remote site to a service provider to satisfy payment requirements of said customer selected transaction via an agent processor disposed at said remote site and accessing said network, while maintaining customer financial account information undisclosed to a transaction processor; and

(b) receiving said customer selection and customer transaction information from said agent processor and facilitating performance and completion of said customer selected transaction over said network with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment via the transaction processor in communication with said agent processor and said provider processing systems via said network, wherein (b) further includes;

(b.1) accessing a web site of said particular provider processing system performing said customer selected transaction;

(b.2) examining said accessed web site to determine information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction and to transmit an information request to said agent processor requesting a portion of said required information, the portion of the required information not including customer financial account information; and

(b.3) receiving said customer transaction information transmitted without any customer financial account information from said agent processor in response to said information request and transmitting said required information portion and payment information associated with said service provider to said particular provider processing system in order for said service provider to tender payment over said network for said customer to complete said transaction with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment indicated within said received transaction information.

31. The method of claim 30 wherein step (b.1) further includes:

(b.1.1) requesting verification information from said agent processor to initiate transaction processing in response to verifying said verification information received from said agent processor.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein step (b.1) further includes:

(b.1.2) producing a list of transactions selectable by said customer for transference to said agent processor in response to said verification.

33. The method of claim 30 wherein step (b.1) further includes:

(b.1.1) processing said customer selection and determining a network location of said particular provider processing system.

34. The method of claim 30 wherein step (b.2) further includes:

(b.2.1) examining said accessed web site and verifying that said accessed web site is associated with said customer selected transaction.

35. The method of claim 30 wherein step (b.2) further includes:

(b.2.1) determining information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction; and

(b.2.2) generating said information request in the form of an entry screen for display by said agent processor, wherein said entry screen includes fields to receive said required information portion.

36. The method of claim 35 wherein step (b.3) further includes:

(b.3.1) selectively retrieving said customer transaction information from said fields of said entry screen received from said agent processor;

(b.3.2) placing said retrieved information in corresponding fields of said accessed web site; and

(b.3.3) placing said payment information within corresponding fields of said accessed web site in order to tender payment for said customer selected transaction.

37. The method of claim 30 wherein step (b.1) further includes:

(b.1.1) storing information relating to said customer selected transaction within a data storage unit.

38. The method of claim 30 wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.4) receiving confirmation information from said particular provider processing system in response to said particular provider processing system processing said customer selected transaction and processing said received confirmation information to produce confirmed transaction information for transference to said agent processor.

39. The method of claim 38 wherein step (b) further includes:

(b.5) storing information relating to said confirmation information within a data storage unit.

40. The method of claim 38 further including:

(c) processing said confirmed transaction information received from said transaction processor, via said agent processor, in order to display a confirmation that said customer selected transaction has been processed.

41. The method of claim 40 wherein said agent processor includes a printing device, and step (c) further includes:

(c.1) processing said confirmed transaction information received from said transaction processor in order to produce a transaction receipt; and

(c.2) generating said transaction receipt for said customer via said printing device.

42. The method of claim 30 wherein a plurality of said agent processors are each disposed at a respective remote site and said transaction processor is in communication with said agent processors and said provider processing systems via said network, and wherein step (a) further includes:

(a.1) receiving customer selections of desired transactions and customer transaction information and processing said customer payments manually tendered at said respective remote sites via said agent processors; and

step (b) further includes receiving said customer selections and customer transaction information from said agent processors and facilitating performance of said customer selected transactions via said transaction processor.

43. The method of claim 30 wherein said agent processor includes a scanner, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) scanning a customer item including said customer transaction information and transferring said customer transaction information relating to a corresponding customer payment from said customer item into said agent processor via said scanner.

44. The method of claim 30 wherein a repeat customer visits said remote site to conduct a second transaction and tender a second payment, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) retrieving customer transaction information associated with said repeat customer and stored in response to a prior transaction to reduce entry of said customer transaction information and facilitate processing of said second transaction.

45. The method of claim 30 wherein said agent processor further includes a voice responsive device, and step (a) further includes:

(a.1) receiving voice signals, via said voice responsive device, and facilitating processing of said customer selected transaction and payment by said agent processor in response to said voice signals.

46. The method of claim 30 wherein said agent processor is disposed within a kiosk.

47. The method of claim 30 wherein said network includes the Internet.

48. The method of claim 30 wherein said customer selected transaction includes payment of a bill.

49. The method of claim 30 wherein step (b.3) further includes:

(b.3.1) receiving said customer transaction information from said agent processor in response to said information request and transmitting said required information portion and payment information including credit card information of said service provider to said particular provider processing system in order to conduct said transaction.

50. A system for enabling customers to visit a remote site and conduct transactions over a network with one or more provider processing systems, wherein payment is manually tendered at said remote site by said customers for said transactions and said remote site includes agent processing means configured to receive a customer selection of a desired business transaction conducted over said network with a particular provider processing system and customer transaction information and to process information associated with a customer payment receivable in forms including at least one of cash and a check and manually tendered by a customer at said remote site to a service provider to satisfy payment requirements of said customer selected transaction, while maintaining customer financial account information undisclosed to a transaction processing means, said system comprising:

the transaction processing means, in communication with said agent processing means and said provider processing systems via said network, configured to receive said customer selection and customer transaction information from said agent processing means and facilitating performance and completion of said customer selected transaction over said network with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment, said transaction processing means including;

communication means configured to access a web site of said particular provider processing system performing said customer selected transaction;

transaction information means configured to examine said accessed web site to determine information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction and to transmit an information request to said agent processing means requesting a portion of said required information, the portion of the required information not including customer financial account information; and

transaction performance means configured to receive said customer transaction information transmitted without any customer financial account information from said agent processing means in response to said information request and to transmit said required information portion and payment information associated with said service provider to said particular provider processing system in order for said service provider to tender payment over said network for said customer to complete said transaction with said particular provider processing system in response to said manual tender of said customer payment indicated within said received customer transaction information.

51. The system of claim 50 wherein said transaction information means includes:

examination means for determining information required by said accessed web site to conduct said customer selected transaction; and

request generation means for generating said information request in the form of an entry screen for display by said agent processing means, wherein said entry screen includes fields to receive said required information portion.

52. The system of claim 51 wherein said transaction performance means includes:

extraction means for selectively retrieving said customer transaction information from said fields of said entry screen received from said agent processing means;

insertion means for placing said retrieved information in corresponding fields of said accessed web site; and

payment means for placing said payment information within corresponding fields of said accessed web site in order to tender payment for said customer selected transaction.

53. The system of claim 50 wherein said transaction means further includes:

confirmation means for receiving confirmation information from said particular provider processing system in response to said particular provider processing system processing said customer selected transaction and for processing said received confirmation information to produce confirmed transaction information for transference to said agent processing means.

54. The system of claim 53 wherein said agent processing means includes:

agent confirmation means for processing said confirmed transaction information received from said transaction means in order to display a confirmation that said customer selected transaction has been processed.

55. The system of claim 54 wherein said agent processing means further includes:

receipt means for processing said confirmed transaction information received from said transaction means in order to produce a transaction receipt; and

printing means for generating said transaction receipt for said customer.

56. The system of claim 50 wherein a plurality of said agent processing means are each disposed at a respective remote site to receive a customer selection of a desired transaction and customer transaction information and to process said customer payments manually tendered at said respective remote site;

wherein said transaction means is in communication with said plurality of agent processing means and said provider processing systems via said network, and receives said customer selections and customer transaction information from said agent processing means and facilitates performance of said customer selected transactions.

57. The system of claim 50 wherein said network includes the Internet.

58. The system of claim 50 wherein said customer selected transaction includes payment of a bill.

59. The system of claim 50 wherein said payment information includes credit card information of said service provider.