Technique for identifying probable billers of a consumer

• US 8,073,773 B2
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Issued: 12/06/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/01/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kozee, Casey W., Bemis, Teri W., McMichael, William R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Felten, Daniel S
• Application Number:
  US10/397,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20040139009A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,176 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/39, 705/42, 705/34
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/00 Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus

Abstract

A technique for identifying a candidate electronic biller having bills available for electronic presentment to a consumer is provided. An electronic commerce service provider receives location information of a first consumer. The service provider accesses information associated with providing a payment service to a second consumer located near the first consumer. This accessing is based on the received location information. At least one potential biller of the first consumer is identified in the accessed information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, via a network by an electronic commerce service provider system comprising one or more computers, information identifying a location of a first consumer;

accessing, by the electronic commerce service provider system, a database including information associated with service provider consumers that the electronic commerce service provider system provides a payment service to;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system based at least in part on the accessed information associated with the service provider consumers, a second consumer of the electronic commerce service provider system that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system, one or more payees of the second consumer to whom the electronic commerce service provider system is operable to submit payments on behalf of the second consumer;

determining, by the electronic commerce service provider system, that at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer is an electronic biller having bills available for electronic presentment; and

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system, the at least one payee having bills available for electronic presentment as a candidate payee of the first consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer during an enrollment process of the first consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying one or more payees of the second consumer comprises identifying at least one of (i) a payee paid by the electronic commerce service provider system on behalf of the second consumer or (ii) a payee designated by the second consumer as an intended payee.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of first consumer comprises identifying a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer,

wherein identifying one or more payees of the second consumer comprises identifying one or more respective payees for each of the plurality of consumers, and

wherein identifying at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer as a candidate payee of the first consumer comprises identifying one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers as a candidate payee of the first consumer.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein identifying a second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer comprises identifying a second consumer that is located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the electronic commerce service provider system via the network, a message comprising an indication of the at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer.

7. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, via a network by an electronic commerce service provider system comprising one or more computers, information identifying a location of a first consumer;

accessing, by the electronic commerce service provider system, a database including information associated with service provider consumers that the electronic commerce service provider system provides a payment service to;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system based at least in part on the accessed information associated with the service provider consumers, a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system, one or more respective payees of the plurality of consumers to whom the electronic commerce service provider system is operable to submit payments on behalf of the plurality of consumers;

determining, by the electronic commerce service provider system for each of the one or more respective payees, a respective number of the plurality of consumers (i) that have designated that payee as an intended payee or (ii) that have had the electronic commerce service provider system submit a payment to that payee on their behalf;

determining, by the electronic commerce service provider system for each of the one or more respective payees, whether the respective number of the plurality of consumers satisfies a predetermined condition; and

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system based at least in part on the determinations of whether the respective number for each of the one or more respective payees satisfies a predetermined condition, one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers as a candidate payee of the first consumer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer during an enrollment process of the first consumer.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the predetermined condition comprises one of a total number of the plurality of consumers or a percentage of the total number of the plurality of consumers (i) that have designated a single payee as an intended payee or (ii) that have had the electronic commerce service provider submit a payment to the single payee on their behalf.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein identifying a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer comprises identifying a plurality of consumers that are located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

transmitting, by the electronic commerce service provider system via the network, a message comprising an indication of the at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer.

12. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, via a network by an electronic commerce service provider system comprising one or more computers, information identifying a location of a first consumer;

accessing, by the electronic commerce service provider system, a database including information associated with service provider consumers that the electronic commerce service provider system provides a payment service to;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system based at least in part on the accessed information associated with the service provider consumers, a second consumer of the electronic commerce service provider system that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system, one or more payees of the second consumer to whom the electronic commerce service provider system is operable to submit payments on behalf of the second consumer;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system, at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer as a candidate payee of the first consumer;

transmitting, by the electronic commerce service provider system to the first consumer via the network, a message comprising an indication of the at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer; and

receiving, by the electronic commerce service provider system via the network and responsive to the transmitted message, a first consumer selection of one of the at least one identified candidate payee as a definite payee of the first consumer.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer during an enrollment process of the first consumer.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying one or more payees of the second consumer comprises identifying at least one of (i) a payee paid by the electronic commerce service provider on behalf of the second consumer or (ii) a payee designated by the second consumer as an intended payee.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein identifying a second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of first consumer comprises identifying a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer,

wherein identifying one or more payees of the second consumer comprises identifying one or more respective payees for each of the plurality of consumers, and

wherein identifying at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer as a candidate payee of the first consumer comprises identifying one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers as a candidate payee of the first consumer.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein identifying a second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer comprises identifying a second consumer that is located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

17. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving, via a network by an electronic commerce service provider system comprising one or more computers, information identifying a location of a first consumer;

accessing, by the electronic commerce service provider system, a database including information associated with service provider consumers that the electronic commerce service provider system provides a payment service to;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system based at least in part on the accessed information associated with the service provider consumers, a second consumer of the electronic commerce service provider system that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system, one or more payees of the second consumer to whom the electronic commerce service provider system is operable to submit payments on behalf of the second consumer;

identifying, by the electronic commerce service provider system, at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer as a candidate payee of the first consumer;

identifying, by the electronic consumer service provider, at least one definite payee of the first consumer; and

transmitting, by the electronic commerce service provider system via the network, a message comprising an indication of the at least one identified definite payee of the first consumer and an indication of the at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer during an enrollment process of the first consumer.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying one or more payees of the second consumer comprises identifying at least one of (i) a payee paid by the electronic commerce service provider system on behalf of the second consumer or (ii) a payee designated by the second consumer as an intended payee.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein identifying a second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of first consumer comprises identifying a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer,

wherein identifying one or more payees of the second consumer comprises identifying one or more respective payees for each of the plurality of consumers, and

wherein identifying at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer as a candidate payee of the first consumer comprises identifying one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers as a candidate payee of the first consumer.

21. The method of claim 17, wherein receiving information identifying a location of a first consumer comprises receiving a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein identifying a second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer comprises identifying a second consumer that is located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein transmitting a message comprises transmitting a message such that the indication of the at least one identified definite payee is presented to the first consumer in a first form and the indication of the at least one identified candidate payee is presented to the consumer in a second form.

23. A system, comprising:

at least one communications interface operable to receive, via a network, information identifying a location of a first consumer;

at least one memory operable to store information associated with service provider consumers that an electronic commerce service provider provides a payment service to; and

at least one processor operable to (i) access the stored information, (ii) identify, based at least in part on the accessed information, a second consumer of the electronic commerce service provider that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer, (iii) identify one or more payees of the second consumer to whom the electronic commerce service provider is operable to submit payments on behalf of the second consumer, (iv) determine that at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer is an electronic biller having bills available for electronic presentment, and (iv) identify the at least one payee having bills available for electronic presentment as a candidate payee of the first consumer.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the information identifying a location of a first consumer is received by the at least one communications interface during an enrollment process of the first consumer with the electronic commerce service provider.

25. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to identify one or more payees of the second consumer by identifying at least one of (i) one or more payees paid by the electronic commerce service provider on behalf of the second consumer or (ii) one or more payees designated by the second consumer as an intended payee.

26. The system of claim 23, wherein the identified second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of first consumer comprises a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer,

wherein the identified one or more payees of the second consumer comprise one or more respective payees for each of the plurality of consumers, and

wherein the identified at least one candidate payee comprises one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers.

27. The system of claim 23, wherein the information identifying a location of the first consumer comprises a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein the second consumer comprises a second consumer that is located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

28. The system of claim 23, wherein the at least one communications interface is further operable to transmit, via the network, a message comprising an indication of the at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer.

29. A system, comprising:

at least one communications interface operable to receive, via a network, information identifying a location of a first consumer;

at least one memory operable to store information associated with service provider consumers that an electronic commerce service provider provides a payment service to; and

at least one processor operable to (i) access the stored information, (ii) identify, based at least in part on the accessed information, a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer, (iii) identify one or more respective payees of the plurality of consumers to whom the electronic commerce service provider is operable to submit payments on behalf of the plurality of consumers, (iv) determine, for each of the one or more respective payees, a respective number of the plurality of consumers (a) that have designated that payee as an intended payee or (b) that have had the electronic commerce service provider submit a payment to that payee on their behalf, (v) determine, for each of the one or more respective payees, whether the respective number of the plurality of consumers satisfies a predetermined condition, and (vi) identify, based at least in part on the determinations of whether the respective number for each of the one or more respective payees satisfies a predetermined condition, one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers as a candidate payee of the first consumer.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the information identifying a location of a first consumer is received by the at least one communications interface during an enrollment process of the first consumer with the electronic commerce service provider.

31. The system of claim 29, wherein the predetermined condition comprises one of a total number of the plurality of consumers or a percentage of the total number of the plurality of consumers (i) that have designated a single payee as an intended payee or (ii) that have had the electronic commerce service provider submit a payment to the single payee on their behalf.

32. The system of claim 29, wherein the information identifying a location of the first consumer comprises a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein the plurality of consumers comprises a plurality of consumers that are located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

33. The system of claim 29, wherein the at least one communications interface is further operable to transmit, via the network, a message comprising an indication of the at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer.

34. A system, comprising:

at least one communications interface operable to (i) receive, via a network, information identifying a location of a first consumer, (ii) transmit, via the network to the first consumer, a message comprising an indication of at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer, and (iii) receive, via the network and responsive to the transmitted message, a first consumer selection of the at least one identified candidate payee as a definite payee of the first consumer;

at least one memory operable to store information associated with service provider consumers that an electronic commerce service provider provides a payment service to; and

at least one processor operable to (i) access the stored information, (ii) identify, based at least in part on the accessed information, a second consumer of the electronic commerce service provider that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer, (iii) identify one or more payees of the second consumer to whom the electronic commerce service provider is operable to submit payments on behalf of the second consumer, (iv) identify at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer as the at least one candidate payee of the first consumer, and (v) direct the at least one communications interface to transmit the message comprising an indication of the at least one identified candidate payee.

35. The system of claim 34, wherein the information identifying a location of a first consumer is received by the at least one communications interface during an enrollment process of the first consumer with the electronic commerce service provider.

36. The system of claim 34, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to identify one or more payees of the second consumer by identifying at least one of (i) one or more payees paid by the electronic commerce service provider on behalf of the second consumer or (ii) one or more payees designated by the second consumer as an intended payee.

37. The system of claim 34, wherein the identified second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of first consumer comprises a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer,

wherein the identified one or more payees of the second consumer comprise one or more respective payees for each of the plurality of consumers, and

wherein the identified at least one candidate payee comprises one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers.

38. The system of claim 35, wherein the information identifying a location of the first consumer comprises a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein the second consumer comprises a second consumer that is located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

39. A system, comprising:

at least one communications interface operable to (i) receive, via a network, information identifying a location of a first consumer and (ii) to transmit, via the network to the first consumer, a message comprising an indication of at least one identified definite payee of the first consumer and an indication of at least one identified candidate payee of the first consumer

at least one memory operable to store information associated with service provider consumers that an electronic commerce service provider provides a payment service to; and

at least one processor operable to (i) access the stored information, (ii) identify, based at least in part on the accessed information, a second consumer of the electronic commerce service provider that has a location proximate to the location of the first consumer, (iii) identify one or more payees of the second consumer to whom the electronic commerce service provider is operable to submit payments on behalf of the second consumer, (iv) identify at least one of the one or more payees of the second consumer as the at least one candidate payee of the first consumer, (v) identify the at least one definite payee of the first consumer, and (vi) direct the at least one communications interface to transmit the message.

40. The system of claim 39, wherein the information identifying a location of a first consumer is received by the at least one communications interface during an enrollment process of the first consumer with the electronic commerce service provider.

41. The system of claim 39, wherein the at least one processor is further operable to identify one or more payees of the second consumer by identifying at least one of (i) one or more payees paid by the electronic commerce service provider on behalf of the second consumer or (ii) one or more payees designated by the second consumer as an intended payee.

42. The system of claim 39, wherein the identified second consumer that has a location proximate to the location of first consumer comprises a plurality of consumers that have a location proximate to the location of the first consumer,

wherein the identified one or more payees of the second consumer comprise one or more respective payees for each of the plurality of consumers, and

wherein the identified at least one candidate payee comprises one or more of the respective payees of the plurality of consumers.

43. The system of claim 39, wherein the information identifying a location of the first consumer comprises a zip code in which the first consumer is located, and

wherein the second consumer comprises a second consumer that is located in the zip code in which the first consumer is located.

44. The system of claim 39, wherein the message comprises a message that is presented to the first consumer with the indication of the at least one identified definite payee presented in a first form and the indication of the at least one identified candidate payee is presented in a second form.