Method for requesting and receiving an online payment through a payment enabler system

• US 7,587,342 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Neofytides, Cheryl L., Baig, Aamer Ali
• Primary Examiner(s): ZURITA, JAMES H
• Application Number:
  US11/536,803
• Publication Number:
  US 20070061258A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 705/26
• US Class Current: 705/26.44
• 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 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0609 Buyer or seller confidence or verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0613 Third-party assisted
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0615 Anonymizing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0619 Neutral agent
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method for processing person-to-person payments and money requests using a computer network. A payment enabler linked to the Internet enables an individual to register for an account through which the individual can make payments to other individuals, request money from other individuals, and access other functionality to facilitate the management of the individual'"'"'s financial transactions. At the time an individual authorizes a payment to another person or directs the payment enabler to request money from another person, the person to whom the payment or money request is directed may, but need not, have already registered for an account with the payment enabler. To communicate with individuals, the payment enabler may use both Web pages and e-mail. An intermediary typically operates the payment enabler and acts as a conduit for the money transfer from one individual (the payor) to another individual (the payee). This enables the payor to pay through a variety of different payment methods and the payee to receive payment through a variety of different methods. Individuals may make payments from and receive money transfers into a stored value account. In addition to initiating immediate money transfer and request money transactions, an individual may use the payment enabler to schedule future or recurring transactions. Address book functionality may provide users the ability to retain information on counter parties. The address book may be integrated into the money transfer and money request interfaces to allow an individual to quickly select the counter party for a transaction.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for enabling a first party to request and receive an online payment from a second party through a payment enabler system, comprising:

maintaining at the payment enabler system a database of registered users that have registered with the payment enabler system, the database comprising a plurality of records that include an email address and other account information;

maintaining at the payment enabler system an address book database for storing address book records comprising names associated with second parties from whom the first party may request a payment, each address book record including a name and an associated email address;

in response to selection by the first party of an address book entry of the particular second party for purposes of requesting an online payment from the selected second party, retrieving, by a processor, the email address associated with the selected second party from the first party'"'"'s associated address book records in the address book database;

accessing, by the processor, the registered users database and determining whether the retrieved email address associated with the selected particular second party has a record in the registered users database;

in response to a determination that the second party has no entry in the registered users database, sending, by the processor, the second party a registration invitation email utilizing the retrieved email address to notify the second party that a payment is requested and instructing the second party to register with the payment enabler system by accessing the payment enabler system;

in response to accessing of the payment enabler system by the second party after the registration invitation email, conducting, by the processor, a user registration process comprising steps including receiving registration information comprising an email address of the registering user, identification information, and a default money transfer method;

in response to receiving registration information from a registering user, creating, by the processor, a database record in the registered users database including the registration information; and

completing, by the processor, the payment from the second party to the first party by the payment enabler system transferring money from the second party to the first party utilizing a determined money transfer method.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment enabler system maintains payment type information in a transactions file, and further comprising a step that the payment enabler system identifies the payment as a “

request”

type transaction in the transactions file.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising in response to determination that the second party already has an entry in the registered users database, completing, by the processor, the payment from the second party to the first party.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the registration invitation email sent to the second party by the payment enabler system includes a link that directs the second party to a registration web page associated with the payment enabler system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the processor, additional information from the requesting first party used by the payment enabler system to process a money request.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the additional information includes information items selected from the group:

a specified amount to be requested from the second party, a subject that may identify the transaction in a pending/history transactions file, a message for the payment enabler system to include in the email to the second party, and a selection of a money receipt method instead of a default money receipt method.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user registration process further comprises allowing, by the processor, the registering user to select a default payment method from a plurality of payment methods.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user registration process further comprises sending, by the processor, a registering user a confirmation email including a deep link operative for activating an account of the registering user with the payment enabler system.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises a default method for making payment.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises a selected alternate payment method instead of a default payment method.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the processor, additional information associated with a requested payment, the additional information including transaction type information and status information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the transaction type information is selected from the following:

send, request, refund.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the status information is selected from the group:

fulfilled, canceled, pending.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing, by the processor, an account history display including information corresponding to money transfers between the first party and a plurality of second parties, the account history display comprising, for each transaction, one or more of the following information items:

a name, a reference number associated with the payment enabler system, an email address, an amount, a date, a transaction description, and the additional information.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, by the processor, an address book display for the first party to select one or more particular second parties, the address book display comprising, for each addressee in the address book, one or more of the following information items:

a selection box for selection, a name, an email address, and a number of transactions associated with the particular second party.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the determined money transfer method comprises a first money transfer from the second party to an intermediary and a second money transfer from the intermediary to the first party.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein elements of the first money transfer are selected from the group:

receiving a deposit of an amount of cash by the second party via a payment processor, debiting a credit card of the second party, debiting a bank account of the second party, debiting a stored value account of the second party, and receiving a paper check from the second party.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein elements of the second money transfer are selected from the group:

debiting a bank account of the intermediary to fund dispensing of cash to the first party through an automated teller machine, dispensing cash to the first party by a payment processor, crediting a credit card of the first party, crediting a bank account of the first party, crediting a stored value card of the first party, and sending a paper check to the first party.