Remittance payment processing with account scheming and/or validation

• US 7,996,311 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/1997
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Perkins, Brad, Garrison, David Lee, Kight, Patricia A., Kerin, Amy Lynn, Ward, Cheryl Lynn, Lawson, Mary Elizabeth
• Primary Examiner(s): Trammell; James P
• Assistant Examiner(s): Malhotra; Sanjeev
• Application Number:
  US12/361,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20090138394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 923 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/40, 235/375
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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: Y10S 707/99931 Database or file accessing

Abstract

Systems and methods of remittance processing where a merchant database is provided that includes one or more alteration rules that are associated with a particular payee. A consumer account number associated with a payor is received and altered into a modified consumer account number, where the alteration is performed in accordance with one or more of the stored alteration rules. The modified consumer account number may then be transmitted to the particular payee to be utilized, for example, when processing a payment.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

executing computer-implemented instructions on one or more payment processor computers associated with a payment processor for;

receiving, by the payment processor, a consumer account number associated with a payor and a payee, wherein the consumer account number is not in a format expected by the payee;

retrieving from a merchant database, by the payment processor, an alteration rule associated with the payee, wherein the alteration rule is associated with an account number format that is expected by the payee;

altering, by the payment processor, the received consumer account number to a modified consumer account number based upon the alteration rule, wherein altering the consumer account number includes inserting a character string at a particular position in the consumer account number to create the modified consumer account number; and

transmitting, by the payment processor, the modified consumer account number to the payee.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer account number is received in association with a payment request to pay the payee on behalf of the payor.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the modified consumer account number is transmitted to the payee along with payment in fulfillment of the payment request.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the payment request is one of a plurality of payment requests received together.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein retrieving the alteration rule from the merchant database includes identifying stored payee information associated with the payee on the merchant database and retrieving the alteration rule from the stored payee information associated with the payee on the merchant database.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein identifying stored payee information associated with the payee on the merchant database includes searching for the stored payee information associated with the payee based on at least a portion of payee information received with the consumer account number.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein searching for stored payee information associated with the payee based on at least a portion of payee information received with the consumer account number includes generating an eleven-digit zip code from the at least a portion of payee information received with the consumer account number and searching for stored payee information associated with the payee using at least the eleven-digit zip code.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented instructions are first computer-implemented instructions, and further comprising:

executing second computer-implemented instructions on the one or more payment processor computers for;

retrieving from the merchant database, by the payment processor, a validation template associated with the payee, wherein the validation template identifies a general account number format to which an account number associated with the payee must conform; and

verifying, by the payment processor, the received consumer account number against the retrieved validation template.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein verifying the received consumer account number against the retrieved validation template includes at least one of (i) verifying that the received consumer account number includes a specific character string, (ii) verifying that the received consumer account number is of a specific length, or (iii) verifying that the received consumer account number yields a particular check digit after being run through a specific check algorithm.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the verifying is performed prior to the altering.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting a character string at a particular position in the consumer account number includes inserting a fixed character string specified by the payee.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein inserting a character string at a particular position in the consumer account number includes inserting at least a portion of information associated with the payor.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the computer-implemented instructions are first computer-implemented instructions, and further comprising:

executing second computer-implemented instructions on the one or more payment processor computers for;

retrieving from the merchant database, by the payment processor, an identification of a remittance center associated with the payee, wherein the modified consumer account number is transmitted to the remittance center.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein retrieving the identification of the remittance center comprises retrieving the identification of the remittance center based on a characteristic of one of (i) the received consumer account number or (ii) the modified consumer account number.

15. A system comprising:

a merchant database,

one or more payment processor computers in communication with the merchant database, wherein the one or more payment processor computers are configured to execute computer-implemented instructions to;

receive a consumer account number associated with a payor and a payee, wherein the consumer account number is not in a format expected by the payee;

retrieve, from the merchant database, an alteration rule associated with the payee, wherein the alteration rule is associated with an account number format that is expected by the payee;

alter the received consumer account number to a modified consumer account number based upon the alteration rule, wherein altering the consumer account number includes inserting a character string at a particular position in the consumer account number to create the modified consumer account number; and

transmit the modified consumer account number to the payee.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the consumer account number is received in association with a payment request to pay the payee on behalf of the payor.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more payment processor computers are further configured to execute computer-implemented instructions to:

retrieve, from the merchant database, a validation template associated with the payee, wherein the validation template identifies a general account number format to which an account number associated with the payee must conform; and

verify the received consumer account number against the retrieved validation template.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein inserting a character string at a particular position in the consumer account number includes inserting a fixed character string specified by the payee.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein inserting a character string at a particular position in the consumer account number includes inserting at least a portion of information associated with the payor.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the one or more payment processor computers are further configured to execute computer-implemented instructions to:

retrieve, from the merchant database, an identification of a remittance center associated with the payee, wherein the modified consumer account number is transmitted to the remittance center.