Credit card supported electronic payments

• US 7,644,036 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Issued: 01/05/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: McCoy, Randal A., Kight, Peter J., Torgerson, David E., Kozee, Casey W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kyle; Charles R
• Assistant Examiner(s): Niquette; Robert R
• Application Number:
  US11/479,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277147A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,285 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45, 235/379, 235/380
• 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 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• 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 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

A payment service provider receives a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor and determines, responsive to the received request, that the payee will not accept the requested payment via a charge to a credit card account of the payor with a credit card issuer. The payor wishes to fund the requested payment from the credit card account. Accordingly, the payment service provider transmits, to the credit card issuer, account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the requested payment for inclusion in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account. However, the payment service provider directs the requested payment to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a payment service provider, a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor utilizing a credit card account with a credit card issuer;

determining, by the payment service provider responsive to the request, whether that payee will accept a payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor;

processing, by the payment service provider, the request via a credit card network if it is determined that the payee will accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor; and

processing, by the payment service provider, the request via other than the credit card network if it is determined that the payee will not accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor, wherein processing the request via other than the credit card network comprises;

transmitting, to the credit card issuer via other than the credit card network, the account information identifying the credit card account of the payor and the payment information representing the payment fulfilling the request, wherein the credit card issuer includes a record of the payment to the payee in a credit card statement to the payor issued by the credit card issuer; and

directing the payment fulfilling the request to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account;

wherein all of the above steps are performed by one or more computers associated with the payment service provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the payment information includes at least one of information identifying an amount of the request and information identifying the payee for inclusion in the credit card statement.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is processed via other than the credit card network, and further comprising:

determining, by the payment service provider prior to transmitting the account and the payment information, that the received request is associated with the credit card account;

wherein the account information and the payment information is transmitted to the credit card issuer based on the determination that the received request is associated with the credit card account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is processed via other than the credit card network, and further comprising:

determining, by the payment service provider prior to transmitting the account and the payment information, that the credit card issuer is a participating credit card issuer of the payment service provider;

wherein the account and the payment information is transmitted to the credit card issuer based on the determination that the credit card issuer is a participating credit card issuer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is processed via other than the credit card network and further comprising:

receiving, by the payment service provider from the credit card issuer, funds corresponding to an amount of the payment fulfilling the request;

wherein the payment fulfilling the request is directed either (i) prior to, (ii) subsequent to, or (iii) essentially concurrently with the receipt of the funds from the credit card issuer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is processed via other than the credit card network, and further comprising:

determining, by the payment service provider, that the payment fulfilling the request is to be made by electronic funds transfer;

wherein, based on this determination, the payment fulfilling the request is directed by issuing (a) a directive to credit an amount of the payment to a deposit account of the payee by either (i) an Automated Clearing House (ACH) funds transfer file or (ii) a third party funds transfer file, and (b) a directive to deliver remittance advice associated with the payment to the payee either (i) in association with the utilized funds transfer file or (ii) independent of the utilized funds transfer file.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the determination that the payment fulfilling the request is to be made by electronic funds transfer is based on at least one of (i) a determination that the payee is an electronic payee or (ii) successful account scheming.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is processed via other than the credit card network, and further comprising:

determining, by the service provider, that the payment fulfilling the request is to be made by a paper instrument;

wherein, based on this determination, the payment fulfilling the request is directed by issuing (a) a directive to print a check drawn on a payment account of the payment service provider made payable to the payee, and (b) a directive to print remittance advice associated with the payment to the payee either (i) on the printed check or (ii) on other than the printed check.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the determination that the payment fulfilling the request is to be made by a paper instrument is based on at least one of (i) a failure of the payment service provider to determine that the payee is an electronic payee or (ii) a failure of the payment service provider to perform a successful account scheming.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the request is processed via other than the credit card network, and further comprising:

receiving, by the payment service provider from the credit card issuer in response to the transmitted account and payment information and via other than the credit card network, an authorization notification;

wherein the payment fulfilling the request to the payee is directed by the payment service provider, based on the received authorization notification.

11. A method comprising:

receiving, by a payment service provider, a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor utilizing a credit card account with a credit card issuer;

determining, by the payment service provider responsive to the request, whether the payee will accept a payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor; and

processing, by the payment service provider, the request via a credit card network if it is determined that the payee will accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor; and

processing, by the payment service provider, the request via other than the credit card network if it is determined that the payee will not accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor, wherein processing the request via other than the credit card network comprises;

transmitting, to the credit card issuer via other than the credit card network, an account information identifying the credit card account of the payor and a payment information representing the payment fulfilling the request for inclusion in a credit card statement to the payor issued by the credit card issuer;

receiving, from the credit card issuer in response to the transmitted account information and payment information, a non-authorization notification; and

transmitting, to an entity from which the request was received, the received non-authorization notification and a request for resubmission of the request to pay the payee using an alternative account of the payor for funding the payment;

wherein the alternative account is different than the credit card account;

wherein all of the above steps are performed by one or more computers associated with the payment service provider.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein:

the alternative account is one of (i) a demand deposit account or (ii) an alternative credit card account.

13. A system comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive a request for a payment service provider to pay a payee on behalf of a payor utilizing a credit card account with a credit card issuer; and

a processor in communication with the communications interface and configured to;

determine, responsive to the received request, whether the payee will accept a payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor;

process the request over a credit card network if it is determined that the payee will accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor; and

process the request via other than the credit card network if it is determined that the payee will not accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor, wherein the processor is operable to process the request by;

directing transmission, to the credit card issuer via other than the credit card network, of account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the payment fulfilling the payment request, wherein the credit card issuer includes a record of the payment to the payee in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account; and

directing the payment fulfilling the request to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account;

wherein the communications interface is further configured to transmit, via other than the credit card network, the account and the payment information to the credit card issuer, in accordance with the processor directive.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the payment information representing the payment fulfilling the request includes at least one of information identifying an amount of the request and information identifying the payee for inclusion in the credit card account statement.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the request is processed via other than the credit card network; and

the processor is further configured to determine, prior to directing transmission of the account and the payment information, that the received request of the payor is associated with the credit card account, and to direct transmission of the account and the payment information to the credit card issuer based on the determination that the received request is associated with the credit card account.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the request is processed via other than the credit card network; and

the processor is further configured to determine, prior to transmitting the account and the payment information, that the credit card issuer is a participating credit card issuer of the payment service provider, and to direct transmission of the account and the payment information to the credit card issuer based on the determination that the credit card issuer is a participating credit card issuer of the payment service provider.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the request is processed via other than the credit card network;

the communications interface is further configured to receive a notification that funds corresponding to an amount of the payment fulfilling the request have been paid by the credit card issuer to the payment service provider; and

the processor directs the payment fulfilling the request either (i) prior to, (ii) subsequent to, or (iii) essentially concurrently with the receipt of the notification.

18. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the request is processed via other than the credit card network; and

the processor is further configured to (i) determine that the payment fulfilling the request is to be made by electronic funds transfer, and (ii) direct the payment fulfilling the request, based on this determination, by issuing (a) a directive to credit an amount of the payment to a deposit account of the payee by either an Automated Clearing House (ACH) funds transfer file or a third party funds transfer file, and (b) a directive to deliver remittance advice associated with the payment to the payee either in association with the utilized funds transfer file or independent of the utilized funds transfer file.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the request is processed via other than the credit card network, and further comprising:

a printer in communication with the processor;

wherein the processor (i) determines that the payment fulfilling the request is to be made by paper instrument, and (ii) directs, based on this information, the payment fulfilling the request by issuing (a) a directive to print a check made payable to the payee and drawn on a payment account of the payment service provider, and (b) a directive to print remittance advice associated with the payment to the payee either on the printed check or on other than the printed check; and

wherein the printer is configured to print the check in accordance with the processor directive.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the request is processed via other than the credit card network;

the communications interface is further configured to receive from the credit card issuer in response to the transmitted account and payment information and via other than the credit card network, an authorization notification; and

the processor directs the payment fulfilling the request to the payee based on the received authorization notification.

21. A system comprising:

a communications interface configured to receive a request for a payment service provider to pay a payee on behalf of a payor utilizing a credit card account with a credit card issuer; and

a processor in communication with the communications interface and configured to;

determine, responsive to the received request, whether the payee will accept a payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor;

process the request over a credit card network if it is determined that the payee will accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor; and

process the request via other than the credit card network if it is determined that the payee will not accept the payment fulfilling the request via a charge to the credit card account of the payor, wherein the processor is operable to process the request by;

directing transmission, to the credit card issuer via other than the credit card network, of account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the payment fulfilling the request for inclusion in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account;

wherein the communications interface is further configured to (i) transmit the account information and payment information to the credit card issuer in accordance with the processor directive, and (ii) receive, from the credit card issuer in response to the transmitted account and payment information, a non-authorization notification;

wherein the processor is further configured to direct transmission of the received non-authorization notification to an entity from which the request was received and request a resubmission of the request to pay the payee using an alternative account of the payor for funding the payment; and

wherein the communications interface is further configured to transmit the non-authorization notification and resubmission request in accordance with the processor directive.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein:

the alternative account is one of (i) a demand deposit account or (ii) an alternative credit card account.