Integrated electronic presentment and payment of bills by different entities

• US 7,778,901 B2
• Filed: 02/17/2005
• Issued: 08/17/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/02/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ganesan, Ravi, Dreyer, Hans Daniel, Wolfe, Kathryn Randall, Harris, Mark Todd
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell; James P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Basit; Abdul
• Application Number:
  US11/059,370
• Publication Number:
  US 20060184451A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,007 Days
• Field of Search: 705/40, 705/34, 705/39, 705/42, 705/35
• 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 20/10 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 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• 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 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/01 Protocols
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 9/40 Network security protocols

Abstract

To electronically present bills and request payment of presented bills, billing information representing a bill of a biller for a payee, and an associated selectable payment indicator having a first linking function, are received from a first network site associated with a bill presentment entity via a first communications link over a communications network. The received billing information and payment indicator are displayed. An input representing a selection of the displayed payment indicator is received. Based on the receipt of this input, the first linking function is activated to establish a second communications link over the communications network to a second network site, different that the first network site, associated with a bill payment entity, and to transmit a request to pay the represented bill on behalf of the payee to the second network site via the second communications link.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first system comprising one or more computers associated with a biller from a computer associated with a consumer via a communications network, an electronic request for a bill of the biller for the consumer, wherein the request is received based at least in part on a consumer selection of a bill availability identifier that electronically links the computer associated with the customer to the first system, the bill availability identifier being communicated to the computer associated with the consumer via the communications network by a second system comprising one or more computers associated with a payment service provider; and

transmitting, from the first system to the computer associated with the consumer over the communications network and responsive to the received request, electronic billing information associated with the bill and an associated selectable payment indicator,

wherein a consumer selection of the selectable payment indicator electronically links, via the communications network, the computer associated with the consumer to the second system to electronically request payment of the bill on behalf of the consumer.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the second system from the first system via the communications network, a notification that the billing information has been transmitted to the consumer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein transmitting billing information associated with the bill comprises transmitting at least one of summary information associated with the bill, detailed information associated with the bill, or an electronic copy of the bill.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first system comprises a biller network server.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer selection of the selectable payment indicator initiates a payment process that comprises the payment service provider directing a debiting of funds in a demand deposit account of the consumer maintained by a financial institution.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the payment process further comprises remitting a payment to an account of the biller on behalf of the consumer, and further comprising:

transmitting, to the second system via the communications network, a notification that the payment has been received.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the first system from the second system via the communications network, a notification of the receipt of a consumer request for payment of the bill on behalf of the consumer.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the notification of the receipt of a consumer request for payment of the bill includes an identification of the bill.

9. A system, comprising:

a communications interface associated with a bill presentment network station, the communications interface operable (i) to receive, from a consumer network station via a communications network and based at least in part on a consumer selection of a bill availability identifier that electronically links the consumer network station to the bill presentment network station, a request for a bill of a biller for the consumer, wherein the bill availability identifier is transmitted to the consumer network station via the communications network from a payment service provider network station different than the bill presentment network station, and (ii) to transmit, to the consumer over the communications network, billing information associated with the bill and an associated selectable payment indicator; and

a processor associated with the bill presentment network station, the processor operable (i) to receive the request from the communications interface and (ii) to direct the communications interface to transmit the billing information and the associated selectable payment indicator to the consumer network station in response to the received request,

wherein a consumer selection of the selectable payment indicator electronically links, via the communications network, the consumer network station to the payment service provider network station to electronically request payment of the bill on behalf of the consumer.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein:

the processor is further operable to direct the communications interface to transmit, to the payment service provider network station via the communications network, a notification that the billing information has been transmitted to the consumer, and

the communications interface is further operable to transmit the notification.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the billing information comprises at least one of summary information associated with the bill, detailed information associated with the bill, or an electronic copy of the bill.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the bill presentment network station comprises a network station maintained by the biller.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the consumer selection of the selectable payment indicator initiates a payment process that comprises the payment service provider network station directing a debiting of funds in a demand deposit account of the consumer maintained by a financial institution.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein:

the payment process further comprises the payment service provider network station remitting a payment to an account of the biller on behalf of the consumer,

the processor is further operable to direct the communications interface to transmit, to the payment service provider network station via the communications network, a notification that the payment has been received, and

the communications interface is further operable to transmit the notice.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the communications interface is further operable to receive, from the payment service provider network station via the communications network, a notification of the receipt of a consumer request for payment of the bill on behalf of the consumer.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the notification includes an identification of the bill.

17. A system, comprising:

means for receiving, at a first network server associated with a biller from a computer associated with a consumer via a communications network, an electronic request for a bill of the biller for the consumer, wherein the request is received based at least in part on a consumer selection of a bill availability identifier that electronically links the computer to the first network server, the bill availability identifier being communicated to the computer via the communications network by a second network server associated with a payment service provider; and

means for transmitting, from the first network server to the computer over the communications network and responsive to the received request, electronic billing information associated with the bill and an associated selectable payment indicator,

wherein a consumer selection of the selectable payment indicator electronically links, via the communications network, the computer to the second network server to electronically request payment of the bill on behalf of the consumer.

18. A method, comprising:

communicating, from a payment service provider system comprising one or more payment service provider computers to a consumer computer via a communications network, a bill availability identifier for a bill of a biller, wherein a consumer selection of the bill availability identifier electronically links the consumer computer to a bill presentment entity system comprising one or more bill presentment entity computers;

receiving, at the payment service provider system from the consumer computer via the communications network, a request to pay the bill on behalf of the consumer, wherein the request is received as a result of the consumer selecting a selectable payment indicator that electronically links the consumer computer to the payment service provider system via the communications network, the selectable payment indicator being communicated to the consumer computer via the communications network by the bill presentment entity system in association with billing information for the bill and responsive to the consumer selection of the bill availability identifier; and

initiating, by the payment service provider system on behalf of the consumer and responsive to the received request, a payment process,

wherein the bill presentment entity system is different than the payment service provider system.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

receiving, by the payment service provider system from the bill presentment entity system via the communications network, a notification that the billing information has been transmitted to the consumer.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the payment process comprises directing a debiting of funds in a demand deposit account of the consumer maintained by a financial institution.

22. The method of claim 18, wherein the payment process comprises remitting a payment to an account of the biller on behalf of the consumer, and further comprising:

receiving, by the payment service provider system, a notification that the payment has been received.

23. The method of claim 18, further comprising:

communicating, by the payment service provider system to the bill presentment entity system via the communications network, a notification of the receipt of a consumer request for payment of the bill on behalf of the consumer.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the notification of the receipt of a consumer request for payment of the bill includes an identification of the bill.

19. A system, comprising:

at least one communications interface associated with a payment service provider network station, the at least one communications interface operable (i) to transmit, to a consumer computer via a communications network, a bill availability identifier for a bill of a biller, wherein a consumer selection of the bill availability identifier electronically links the consumer computer to a bill presentment entity network station, and (ii) to receive, from the consumer computer via the communications network, a request to pay a bill of a biller on behalf of the consumer, wherein the request is received as a result of the consumer selecting a selectable payment indicator that electronically links the consumer computer to the payment service provider network station via the communications network, the selectable payment indicator being communicated to the consumer computer via the communications network by the bill presentment entity network station in association with billing information for the bill and responsive to the consumer selection of the bill availability identifier; and

at least one processor associated with the payment service provider network station, the at least one processor operable (i) to direct the at least one communications interface to transmit the bill availability identifier, (ii) to receive the request from the at least one communications interface and (iii) to initiate, on behalf of the consumer and responsive to the received request, a payment process,

wherein the bill presentment entity network station is different than the payment service provider network station.

25. The system of claim 19, wherein the at least one communication interface is further operable to receive, from the bill presentment entity network station via the communications network, a notification that the billing information has been transmitted to the consumer.

26. The system of claim 19, wherein the payment process comprises the payment service provider network station directing a debiting of funds in a demand deposit account of the consumer maintained by a financial institution.

27. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the payment process comprises the payment service provider network station remitting a payment to an account of the biller on behalf of the consumer, and

the at least one communications interface is further operable to receive a notification that the payment has been received.

28. The system of claim 19, wherein:

the at least one processor is further operable to direct the at least one communications interface to communicate, to the bill presentment entity network server via the communications network, a notification of the receipt of a consumer request for payment of the bill on behalf of the consumer, and

the at least one communications interface is further operable to transmit the notification.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the notification of the receipt of a consumer request for payment of the bill includes an identification of the bill.