CUSTOMER-SELECTED PAYMENT CLEARINGHOUSE

• US 20110191149A1
• Filed: 01/25/2011
• Published: 08/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Upton, Michael W., Blackhurst, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/013,683
• Publication Number:
  US 20110191149A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• 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 30/0207 Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems, methods, and computer program products that provide for a customer-selected payment clearinghouse that allows financial institution customers to select which account or accounts to assign/re-assign to a particular payment transaction, concurrent with the transaction or for a predetermined period of time after the transaction has occurred. As such, the present invention allows the customer to assess payment account alternatives after the transaction has occurred and to make informed payment account decisions after the transaction has occurred. In addition, the present invention allows the customer to readily distribute payment across more that one payment account. In specific embodiments of the invention, the financial institution may provide optimal payment account recommendations that maximize one or more customer payment concerns.

Claims

1. A method for a customer-selected payment account clearinghouse, the method comprising:

receiving, at a computing device, notification of a financial transaction associated with a customer;

receiving, at a computing device, a payment account selection from the customer that is configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more selected payment accounts, wherein the payment account selection is received within a payment account selection time period commencing after occurrence of the financial transaction; and

processing, via a computing device processor, payment of the financial transaction in accordance with the payment account selection.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising processing, via a computing device processor, payment of the financial transaction in accordance with one or more default payment accounts if the payment account selection is not received from the customer within the payment account selection time.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising receiving, at a computing device, from the customer, one or more default payment account rules that define the one or more default payment accounts, wherein the default payment rules are based on one or more customer-assigned default payment account parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein receiving the one or more default payment account rules further comprises receiving, at the computing device, from the customer, the one or more default payment rules, wherein the default payment rules are based on one or more customer-assigned default payment account parameters, wherein the default payment account parameters include one or more of financial transaction amount, financial transaction type, financial transaction time, payment account balances, or payment account limits.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, via a computing device, a payment account selection notification to the customer that includes notice of a pending payment account selection based on the financial transaction and the payment account selection time period.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, via a computing device processor, the payment selection time after the occurrence of the financial transaction based on attributes associated with the financial transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, via a computing device processor, the payment selection time after occurrence of the financial transaction based on a current financial status of the customer.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the payment account selection further comprises receiving, at the computing device, the payment account selection, wherein the payment account selection is received within a predetermined payment account selection time period commencing after occurrence of the financial transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, via a computing device, one or more payment account recommendations to the customer during the payment selection time period.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the one or more payment account selection recommendations further comprises providing, via a computing device, the one or more payment account selection recommendation to the customer, wherein the one or more payment account selection recommendations are determined based on current financial status of the customer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein providing the one or more payment account selection recommendations further comprises providing, via a computing device, the one or more payment account selection recommendation to the customer, wherein the one or more payment account selection recommendations are determined based on one or more customer-selected financial interests.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing, via a computing device, one or more payment-related offers to the customer during the payment selection time period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the one or more payment-related offers further comprises providing, via the computing device, the one or more payment-related offers, wherein the payment-related offers are determined based on attributes associated with the financial transaction.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein providing the one or more payment-related offers further comprises providing, via the computing device, the one or more payment-related offers, wherein the payment-related offers are determined based on current financial status of the customer.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the payment account selection further comprises receiving, at a computing device, the payment account selection that is configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more selected payment accounts, wherein the selected payment accounts are payment accounts held at a financial institution implementing the customer-selected payment account selection method.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the payment account selection further comprises receiving, at a computing device, the payment account selection that is configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more selected payment accounts, wherein the selected payment accounts include at least one payment account held at a financial institution other than a financial institution implementing the customer-selected payment account selection method.

17. An apparatus configured for customer-selected payment clearinghouse processing, the apparatus comprising:

a computing platform including at least one processor and a memory; and

a customer-selected payment clearinghouse application stored in the memory and executable by the at least one processor, wherein the application includes,

a payment selection routine that is configured to receive, from a customer, within a payment account selection time period, a payment account selection associated with a previously occurred financial transaction and configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more selected payment accounts.

18. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the payment selection routine is further configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more default payment accounts if the payment account selection is not received from the customer within the payment account selection time.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the customer-selected payment clearinghouse application further comprises a default payment selection routine configured to receive, from the customer, one or more default payment account rules that define the one or more default payment accounts, wherein the default payment rules are based on one or more customer-assigned default payment account parameters.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the default payment selection routine is further configured to receive, from the customer, the one or more default payment rules, wherein the default payment rules are based on one or more customer-assigned default payment account parameters, wherein the default payment account parameters include one or more of financial transaction amount, financial transaction type, financial transaction time, payment account balances, or payment account limits.

21. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the customer-selected payment clearinghouse application further comprises a payment account selection notification routine configured to provide a payment account selection notification to the customer that includes notice of a pending payment account selection based on the financial transaction and the payment account selection time period.

22. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the customer-selected payment clearinghouse application further comprises payment selection time determining routine configured to determine the payment selection time period after the occurrence of the financial transaction based on attributes associated with the financial transaction.

23. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the customer-selected payment clearinghouse application further comprises payment selection time determining routine configured to determine the payment selection time period after the occurrence of the financial transaction based on a current financial status of the customer.

24. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the customer-selected payment clearinghouse application further comprises payment account recommendation routine configured to provide one or more payment account recommendations to the customer during the payment selection time period.

25. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the payment account recommendation routine is further configured to determine the one or more payment account recommendations based on current financial status of the customer.

26. The apparatus of claim 24, wherein the payment account recommendation routine is further configured to determine the one or more payment account recommendations based on one or more customer-selected financial interests.

27. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the customer-selected payment clearinghouse application further comprises a payment-related offer routine configured to provide one or more payment-related offers to the customer during the payment selection time period.

28. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein payment-related offer routine is further configured to determine the one or more payment-related offers based on attributes associated with the financial transaction.

29. The apparatus of claim 27, wherein payment-related offer routine is further configured to determine the one or more payment-related offers based on current financial status of the customer.

30. The apparatus of claim 17, wherein the payment account selection routine is further configured to receive, from the customer, within the payment account selection time period, the payment account selection, wherein the selected payment accounts are payment accounts held at a financial institution implementing the customer-selected payment account selection method.

31. The apparatus of claim 30 wherein the payment account selection routine is further configured to receive, from the customer, within the payment account selection time period, the payment account selection, wherein the selected payment accounts include at least one payment account held at a financial institution other than a financial institution implementing the customer-selected payment account selection method.

32. A computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising;

a first set of codes for causing a computer to receive notification of a financial transaction associated with a customer;

a second set of codes for causing a computer to receive, from the customer within a payment account selection time period commencing after occurrence of the financial transaction, a payment account selection configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more selected payment accounts; and

a third set of codes for causing a computer to process payment of the financial transaction in accordance with the payment account selection.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to process payment of the financial transaction in accordance with one or more default payment accounts if the payment account selection is not received from the customer within the payment account selection time.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, further comprising a fifth set of codes for causing a computer to receive, from the customer, one or more default payment account rules that define the default payment accounts, wherein the default payment rules are based on one or more customer-assigned default payment account parameters.

35. The computer program product of claim 34, wherein the fifth set of codes are further configured to cause the computer to receive, from the customer, the one or more default payment rules, wherein the default payment rules are based on one or more customer-assigned default payment account parameters, wherein the default payment account parameters include one or more of financial transaction amount, financial transaction type, financial transaction time, payment account balances, or payment account limits.

36. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising a fourth set of codes configured to cause a computer to provide a payment account selection notification to the customer that includes notice of a pending payment account selection based on the financial transaction and the payment account selection time period.

37. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to determine the payment selection time after the occurrence of the financial transaction based on attributes associated with the financial transaction.

38. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to determine the payment selection time after occurrence of the financial transaction based on a current financial status of the customer.

39. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to receive, from the customer within a predetermined payment account selection time period commencing after occurrence of the financial transaction, the payment account selection.

40. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising a fourth set of codes configured to cause the computer to provide one or more payment account recommendations to the customer during the payment selection time period.

41. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine the one or more payment account recommendations based on current financial status of the customer.

42. The computer program product of claim 40, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to determine the one or more payment account recommendations based on one or more customer-selected financial interests.

43. The computer program product of claim 32, further comprising a fourth set of codes for causing a computer to provide one or more payment-related offers to the customer during the payment selection time period.

44. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to determine the payment-related offers based on attributes associated with the financial transaction.

45. The computer program product of claim 43, wherein the fourth set of codes is further configured to determine the payment-related offers based on current financial status of the customer.

46. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to receive the payment account selection that is configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more selected payment accounts, wherein the selected payment accounts are payment accounts held at a financial institution implementing the customer-selected payment account selection method.

47. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the second set of codes is further configured to cause the computer to receive the payment account selection that is configured to direct payment of the financial transaction from one or more selected payment accounts, wherein the selected payment accounts include at least one payment account held at a financial institution other than a financial institution implementing the customer-selected payment account selection method.