Inter-network financial service

• US 8,595,100 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 11/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Services Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Kight, Peter, Ganesan, Ravi, Lewis, Matt, Hobday, D. Kenneth Jr., Dreyer, Hans Daniel
• Primary Examiner(s): Weisberger, Richard C
• Application Number:
  US12/551,249
• Publication Number:
  US 20100017332A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,548 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• 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 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a payment service provider system comprising one or more computers and associated with a first payment service provider, a request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee, wherein the first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks, wherein a respective plurality of payers and payees is associated with each of the plurality of payment networks, and wherein the payer is associated with the first payment network and the payee is not associated with the first payment network;

identifying, by the payment service provider system, a second payment network within the plurality of payment networks, wherein the payee is associated with the second payment network; and

transmitting, by the payment service provider system to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network, a payment instruction to make the payment to the payee.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying a second payment network comprises:

transmitting, by the payment service provider system, a request to determine the second payment network; and

receiving, by the payment service provider system responsive to transmission of the request, information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment service provider system communicates the request to determine the second payment network to one of (i) an inter-network directory server or (ii) one or more payment service providers associated with one or more other payment networks within the plurality of payment networks.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the received information comprises a unique identifier that identifies the payee to the second payment service provider, and wherein the transmitted payment instruction comprises the unique identifier.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee comprises a first request to make a first payment on behalf of a first payer, and wherein the payment instruction is a first payment instruction, further comprising:

storing the received information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network;

receiving, by the payment service provider system and subsequent to storing the received information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network, a second request to make a second payment to the payee;

accessing, based at least in part on the received second request, the stored information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network; and

transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the second payment service provider, a second payment instruction to make the second payment to the payee.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the second request to make a second payment to the payee is a request to make a payment on behalf of one of the first payer or a second payer.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the payment service provider system, the second payment network as a candidate payment network with which the payee is potentially associated;

transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the second payment service provider, a request to determine whether the payee is associated with the second payment network; and

receiving, by the payment service provider system from the second payment service provider, an indication that the payee is associated with the second payment network.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying, by the payment service provider system, a plurality of candidate payees for the payment, wherein the plurality of candidate payees is associated with the second payment network; and

determining, by the payment service provider system and prior to transmitting the payment instruction, that the payee is one of the identified plurality of candidate payees.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second payment network comprises:

identifying, by the payment service provider system, one or more candidate payment networks within the plurality of payment networks; and

selecting, by the payment service provider system and prior to transmitting the payment instruction, the second payment network from the identified one or more candidate payment networks.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining, by the payment service provider system, that the second payment service provider requires secure network communication; and

accessing, by the payment service provider system, a certificate authority for an encryption key associated with the second payment service provider, wherein the encryption key is utilized to encrypt transmissions communicated to the second payment service provider.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

storing, by the payment service provider system, respective information associated with each of the plurality of payment networks, wherein the respective stored information associated with each of the plurality of payment networks comprises at least one of (i) information indicating a country in which a payment service provider associated with the payment network is located, (ii) information identifying a network path over which to communicate with the associated payment service provider, (iii) information indicating types of financial transactions supported by the associated payment service provider, (iv) information indicating secure network communication requirements of the associated payment service provider, (v) information identifying a treasury service provider associated with the associated payment service provider, (vi) information identifying a deposit account associated with the associated payment service provider, (vii) information identifying a processing model associated with the associated payment service provider, or (viii) information identifying a settlement method associated with the associated payment service provider.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the payment service provider system from an inter-network directory server, respective stored information associated with each of the plurality of payment networks.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the accessed information comprises at least one of (i) information indicating a country in which a payment service provider associated with the payment network is located, (ii) information identifying a network path over which to communicate with the associated payment service provider, (iii) information indicating types of financial transactions supported by the associated payment service provider, (iv) information indicating secure network communication requirements of the associated payment service provider, (v) information identifying a treasury service provider associated with the associated payment service provider,

(vi) information identifying a deposit account associated with the associated payment service provider, (vii) information identifying a processing model associated with the associated payment service provider, or (viii) information identifying a settlement method associated with the associated payment service provider.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment is one of a bill payment, a gift payment, a person-to-merchant payment, or a person-to-person payment.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the payment service provider system at an account associated with the first payment service provider, funds from an account associated with the payer; and

transferring, by the payment service provider system, at least a portion of the received funds to an account associated with the second payment service provider.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, from the payment service provider system to the second payment service provider for presentation to the payee, remittance advice associated with the payment.

17. A system, comprising:

at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and

at least one processor associated with a first payment service provider, wherein the at least one processor is configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

receive, at the first payment service provider, a request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee, wherein the first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks, wherein a respective plurality of payers and payees is associated with each of the plurality of payment networks, and wherein the payer is associated with the first payment network and the payee is not associated with the first payment network,

identify a second payment network within the plurality of payment networks wherein the payee is associated with the second payment network, and

direct, to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network, transmission of a payment instruction to make the payment to the payee.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

direct transmission of a request to determine the second payment network

receive, responsive to the transmitted request, information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network, and

identify the second payment network based at least in part on the received information.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to direct transmission of the request to determine the second payment network to one of (i) an inter-network directory server or (ii) one or more payment service providers associated with one or more other payment networks within the plurality of payment networks.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the received information comprises a unique identifier that identifies the payee to the second payment service provider, and wherein the transmitted payment instruction comprises the unique identifier.

21. The system of claim 18, wherein:

the at least one memory stores the received information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network,

the request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee comprises a first request to make a first payment on behalf of a first payer,

the payment instruction is a first payment instruction, the network interface is further operable to receive, subsequent to the storage of the received information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network, a second request to make a second payment to the payee, and

the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

(i) access, responsive to the receipt of the second request, the stored information indicating that the payee is associated with the second payment network, and (ii) direct, to the second payment service provider, transmission of a second payment instruction to make the second payment to the payee.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the second request to make a second payment to the payee is a request to make a payment on behalf of one of the first payer or a second payer.

23. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

(i) identify the second payment network as a candidate payment network with which the payee is potentially associated (ii) direct, to the second payment service provider, transmission of a request to determine whether the payee is associated with the second payment network, and

(iii) receive, from the second payment service provider, an indication that the payee is associated with the second payment network.

24. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

(i) identify, for the payment, a plurality of candidate payees associated with the second payment network and (ii) determine, prior to directing the transmission of the payment instruction, that the payee is one of the identified plurality of candidate payees.

25. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is configured to identify the second payment network by executing the computer-executable instructions to:

(i) identify one or more candidate payment networks within the plurality of payment networks and (ii) select, prior to directing transmission of the payment instruction, the second payment network from the identified one or more candidate payment networks.

26. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

(i) determine that the second payment service provider requires secure network communication and (ii) facilitate the accessing of a certificate authority for an encryption key associated with the second payment service provider, wherein the encryption key is utilized to encrypt transmissions communicated to the second payment service provider.

27. The system of claim 17,

wherein the at least one memory stores respective information associated with each of the plurality of payment networks, and wherein the respective stored information for each of the plurality of payment networks comprises at least one of (i) information indicating a country in which a payment service provider associated with the payment network is located, (ii) information identifying a network path over which to communicate with the associated payment service provider, (iii) information indicating types of financial transactions supported by the associated payment service provider, (iv) information indicating secure network communication requirements of the associated payment service provider, (v) information identifying a treasury service provider associated with the associated payment service provider, (vi) information identifying a deposit account associated with the associated payment service provider, (vii) information identifying a processing model associated with the associated payment service provider, or (viii) information identifying a settlement method associated with the associated payment service provider.

28. The system of claim 17, wherein:

the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to facilitate the access of respective stored information associated with each of the plurality of payment networks from an inter-network directory server.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the accessed information comprises at least one of (i) information indicating a country in which a payment service provider associated with the payment network is located, (ii) information identifying a network path over which to communicate with the associated payment service provider, (iii) information indicating types of financial transactions supported by the associated payment service provider, (iv) information indicating secure network communication requirements of the associated payment service provider, (v) information identifying a treasury service provider associated with the associated payment service provider, (vi) information identifying a deposit account associated with the associated payment service provider, (vii) information identifying a processing model associated with the associated payment service provider, or (viii) information identifying a settlement method associated with the associated payment service provider.

30. The system of claim 17, wherein the payment is one of a bill payment, a gift payment, a person-to-merchant payment, or a person-to-person payment.

31. The system of claim 17, wherein:

funds are received at an account associated with the first payment service provider from an account associated with the payer, and

the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to;

direct transfer of at least a portion of the received funds to an account associated with the second payment service provider.

32. The system of claim 17, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:

direct, to the second payment service provider, transmission of remittance advice associated with the payment.

33. A system, comprising:

means for receiving, at a first payment service provider, a request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee, wherein the first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks, wherein respective plurality of payers and payees is associated with each of the plurality of payment networks, and wherein the payer is associated with the first payment network and the payee is not associated with the first payment network;

means for identifying, by the first payment service provider, a second payment network with which the payee is associated within the plurality of payment networks; and

means for transmitting, by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network, a payment instruction to make the payment to the payee.