Methods and systems for managing employee-liable expenses

• US 9,978,087 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/29/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cass Information Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Cass Information Systems Incorporated
• Inventors: Friedholm, Carl N., Taylor, Angela Melissa
• Primary Examiner(s): Ade, Garcia
• Application Number:
  US13/740,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20130226751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,954 Days
• Field of Search: 705 34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A method for managing payments made as part of an employee-liable expense reimbursement program is described. A plurality of employees are enrolled in the program and submit requests for reimbursement for expenses related to a service provided to the employees by a service provider for which the employees are liable. The method includes receiving, by the computer system, requests for reimbursement and aggregating the requests for reimbursement scheduled for payment within a predefined time period and associated with the service provider. The method also includes generating an invoice that includes a payment amount to be paid to the employee for subsequent payment to the service provider. The method also includes automatically requesting funds from an employer of the plurality of employees for the payment amount included in the invoice and electronically transferring funds associated with the employer to the service provider or alternatively, to the employee for subsequent payment to the service provider.

Claims

1. A computer-based method for generating a plurality of data structures to enable electronic payments to a plurality of service providers as part of a program offered to employees of an employer, each service provider associated with a data format for payment of single billing communications that cover multiple accounts, said method implemented using a computer system that includes a processor and a memory, the memory having stored therein, for each participating employee, (i) an identifier associated with one of the service providers, and (ii) an identifier for an employee account associated with the identified service provider, wherein the employee account is configured by the service provider for billing to the employee, said method comprising:

generating a first data file associated with a predefined time period, wherein the first data file includes data that identifies an aggregated amount to be paid by the employer to each service provider within the predefined time period for application to the employee accounts associated with the respective service provider, and wherein the first data file is generated without receiving billing communications from the service providers;

transmitting the first data file to the employer;

receiving approval from the employer for payment on at least a portion of each of the aggregated amounts included in the first data file;

requesting funds from the employer equal to at least a total of the respective approved amounts to be paid to each service provider;

generating, without receiving billing communications from the service providers, the plurality of data structures associated with the predefined time period, each data structure corresponding to a respective service provider, wherein each data structure includes data that (i) designates for transfer to the service provider funds equal to at least the approved amount associated with the respective service provider, and (ii) instructs the service provider to allocate the designated funds among the employee accounts associated with the respective service provider based on the associated employee account identifier and an amount associated with each employee account, and wherein each data structure is in the data format associated with the respective service provider for payment of single billing communications that cover multiple accounts.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the memory further has stored therein, for each participating employee, at least one of a cost center and a geographic location assigned to the employee by the employer, and wherein said generating the first data file further comprises identifying a portion of the total of the aggregated amounts as being associated with the at least one of the cost center and the geographic location of the associated employees.

3. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising presenting the first data file to the employer in an electronic format with organize functions, the organize functions enabling the employer to sort or reconfigure the provided data to facilitate review of the requested funds.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein said presenting the first data file further comprises providing the employer with access to a webpage, wherein the webpage provides the employer with the organize functions.

5. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising presenting the first data file in an electronic format configured for importing into an accounting system of the employer as a general ledger entry.

6. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the memory further has stored therein, for each participating employee, a timing of a recurring payment to be made on the identified employee account, said generating the first data file associated with the predefined time period further comprises generating the first data file based on the stored timing of the recurring payment for each participating employee.

7. A method in accordance with claim 1, further comprising storing the service provider identifier and employee account identifier for at least one participating employee based on electronic registration data received from the at least one participating employee.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, further comprising requesting approval, from a representative associated with the employer, of the received electronic registration data.

9. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein said generating the plurality of data structures further comprises generating the plurality of data structures in a standard electronic payment transaction format.

10. A method in accordance with claim 9, further comprising electronically transferring funds to each service provider in accordance with the respective data structure.

11. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer system is in communication with a human resource (HR) computer system associated with the employer, and wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, from the HR computer system, a third data file that includes a list of current employees of the employer; and

verifying stored information for at least one participating employee against the list.

12. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the computer system is in communication with a human resource (HR) computer system associated with the employer, and wherein said method further comprises:

receiving, from the HR computer system, employee data associated with at least one participating employee;

determining the amount to be paid on the employee account of the at least one participating employee based at least in part on the employee data; and

storing the amount to be paid in the memory.

13. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon for generating a plurality of data structures, wherein when executed by at least one processor, the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

generate a first data file associated with a predefined time period, wherein the first data file includes data that identifies an aggregated amount to be paid by an employer to each of a plurality of service providers within the predefined time period for application to a plurality of employee accounts associated with the respective service provider, each service provider associated with a data format for payment of single billing communications that cover multiple accounts, each employee account associated with a respective employee participating in a program offered to employees of the employer, wherein the processor is coupled to a memory, the memory having stored therein, for each participating employee, (i) an identifier associated with one of the service providers, and (ii) an identifier for the employee account associated with the identified service provider, wherein the employee account is configured by the service provider for billing to the employee, and wherein the first data file is generated without receiving billing communications from the service providers;

transmit the first data file to the employer;

receive approval from the employer for payment on at least a portion of each of the aggregated amounts included in the first data file;

request funds from the employer equal to at least a total of the respective approved amounts to be paid to each service provider;

generate, without receiving billing communications from the service providers, the plurality of data structures associated with the predefined time period, each data structure corresponding to a respective service provider, wherein each data structure includes data that (i) designates for transfer to the service provider funds equal to at least the approved amount associated with the respective service provider, and (ii) instructs the service provider to allocate the designated funds among the employee accounts associated with the respective service provider based on the associated employee account identifier and an amount associated with each employee account, and wherein each data structure is in the file format associated with the respective service provider for payment of single billing communications that cover multiple accounts.

14. The computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 13, wherein the memory further has stored therein, for each participating employee, at least one of a cost center and a geographic location assigned to the employee by the employer, and wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to identify in the first data file a portion of the total of the aggregated amounts as being associated with the at least one of the cost center and the geographic location of the associated employees.

15. The computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to present the first data file to the employer in an electronic format with organize functions, the organize functions enabling the employer to sort or reconfigure the provided data to facilitate review of the requested funds.

16. The computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 13, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to present the first data file in an electronic format configured for importing into an accounting system of the employer as a general ledger entry.

17. The computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 13, wherein the processor is in communication with a human resource (HR) computer system associated with the employer, and wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

receive, from the HR computer system, a list of current employees of the employer; and

verify stored information for at least one participating employee against the list.

18. The computer-readable storage media in accordance with claim 13, wherein the processor is in communication with a human resource (HR) computer system associated with the employer, wherein the computer-executable instructions cause the processor to:

receive, from the HR computer system, employee data associated with at least one participating employee;

determine the amount to be paid on the employee account of the at least one participating employee based at least in part on the employee data; and

store the amount to be paid in the memory.