Systems and methods for bank determination and payment handling

• US 7,587,364 B2
• Filed: 03/24/2006
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/24/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SAP SE
• Original Assignee: SAP AG (SAP SE)
• Inventors: Konstandin, Christiane, Auth, Christian, Hafner, Sascha, Crumbach, Manfred
• Primary Examiner(s): Poinvil; Frantzy
• Assistant Examiner(s): GRAHAM, CLEMENT B
• Application Number:
  US11/387,919
• Publication Number:
  US 20070226139A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,264 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 44
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for automated payment handling. In one implementation, a method is provided for processing of a payment request. The method may include determining, using the payment request, an entity that will receive a payment, and determining an outgoing bank account to use for the payment. Further, the method may include automatically selecting, from a list of available payment procedures, a preferred payment procedure for the payment request, the preferred payment procedure indicating a payment form code and a connection with the entity. Moreover, the method may include validating the preferred payment procedure using a set of rules and paying, to the entity, the payment using the validated payment procedure.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing of a payment request, comprising:

determining, using a processor, an entity that will receive a payment based on the payment request;

determining, using the processor, an outgoing bank account to use for the payment;

automatically selecting, from a list of available payment procedures, a preferred payment procedure for the payment request, the preferred payment procedure indicating a predefined payment form code and a connection with the entity;

validating the preferred payment procedure using a set of rules, the set of rules defining whether the preferred payment procedure may be selected based on at least one of;

available payment form codes for the entity and the outgoing bank account;

an amount of currency requested in the payment request;

a type of currency requested in the payment request; and

whether the payment request may be performed using the connection; and

paying, to the entity, the payment using the validated payment procedure.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the connection with the entity comprises at least one of a bank account and a postal address.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

grouping a plurality of payment requests to form a grouped payment request; and

processing the grouped payment request as a single payment request.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the outgoing bank account comprises selecting, from a prioritized list of outgoing bank accounts, a preferred outgoing bank account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the prioritized list comprises at least one of a list of outgoing bank accounts prioritized based on the entity, and a list of outgoing bank accounts prioritized based on the payment procedure.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein automatically selecting the preferred payment procedure further comprises:

obtaining information from the payment request; and

determining if the information defines the predefined payment form code, defines the outgoing bank account, and identifies the connection to use for executing the payment request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the preferred payment procedure further comprises:

determining a first location of the entity, the first location comprising at least one of a first country and a first country group;

determining a second location of the outgoing bank account, the second location comprising at least one of a second county and a second country group.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising selecting a least expensive payment procedure between the first location and the second location.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of rules further includes a location of the entity and a location of the outgoing bank account.

10. A computer-readable medium that stores a set of instructions which, when executed by a processor, performs a method for processing a payment request, the method comprising:

determining, using the payment request, an entity that will receive a payment;

determining an outgoing bank account to use for the payment;

automatically selecting, from a list of available payment procedures, a preferred payment procedure for the payment request, the preferred payment procedure indicating a predefined payment form code and a connection with the entity;

validating the preferred payment procedure using a set of rules, the set of rules defining whether the preferred payment procedure may be selected based on at least one of;

available payment form codes for the entity and the outgoing bank account;

an amount of currency requested in the payment request;

a type of currency requested in the payment request; and

whether the payment request may be performed using the connection; and

paying, to the entity, the payment using the validated payment procedure.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the connection with the entity comprises at least one of a bank account and a bank address.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, further comprising:

grouping a plurality of payment requests to form a grouped payment request; and

processing the grouped payment request as a single payment request.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein determining the outgoing bank account comprises selecting, from a prioritized list of outgoing bank accounts, a preferred outgoing bank account.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the prioritized list comprises at least one of a list of outgoing bank accounts prioritized based on the entity, and a list of outgoing bank accounts prioritized based on the payment procedure.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein automatically selecting the preferred payment procedure further comprises:

obtaining information from the payment request; and

determining if the information defines the predefined payment form code, defines the outgoing bank account, and identifies the connection to use for the payment request.

16. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein selecting the preferred payment procedure further comprises:

determining a first location of the entity, the first location comprising at least one of a first country and a first country group;

determining a second location of the outgoing bank account, the second location comprising at least one of a second county and a second country group.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16, further comprising selecting a least expensive payment procedure between the first location and the second location.

18. The computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the set of rules further includes a location of the entity and a location of the outgoing bank account.

19. A system for processing a payment request, the system comprising:

means for determining, using the payment request, an entity that will receive a payment;

means for determining an outgoing bank account to use for the payment;

means for automatically selecting, from a list of available payment procedures, a preferred payment procedure for the payment request, the preferred payment procedure indicating a predefined payment form code and a connection with the entity;

means for validating the preferred payment procedure using a set of rules, the set of rules defining whether the preferred payment procedure may be selected based on at least one of;

available payment form codes for the entity and the outgoing bank account;

an amount of currency requested in the payment request;

a type of currency requested in the payment request; and

whether the payment request may be performed using the connection; and

means for paying, to the entity, the payment using the validated payment procedure.

20. The system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for determining the outgoing bank account by selecting, from a prioritized list of outgoing bank accounts, a preferred outgoing bank account, wherein the prioritized list comprises;

at least one of a list of outgoing bank accounts prioritized based on the entity, and

a list of outgoing bank accounts prioritized based on the payment procedure;

means for determining a first location of the entity, the first location comprising at least one of a first country and a first country group; and

means for determining a second location of the outgoing bank account, the second location comprising at least one of a second county and a second country group.