KR20030040403A - Automated payment system - Google Patents

Abstract

An automated payment system 50 is provided for credit cards that compile customer financial account information from a plurality of financial institutions 76. The system receives account information 66 from a financial institution and compiles information 76 at a central location. The system provides financial account information 76 to the customer. The system then stores at least one customer financial account selection and provides the selected financial account information 76 to the seller, claimant or payment processor 70.

Description

Automated Payment System {AUTOMATED PAYMENT SYSTEM}

Most companies that provide continuous service can automatically bill their customers on a regular basis. In order to increase reliability and customer retention in payments and to avoid the need for recurring bills of money to be paid in the past, companies continue to offer customers the option of paying through their credit cards. have. However, many customers do not use this convenient method of payment because of the need to renew the credit card they want to use and the inability to put their credit card account number on the bill and mail it. .

Second, when a customer wants to purchase an item or service on the Internet, he or she usually tells the seller credit card information in the form of a payment. With so many sellers on the Internet, it is becoming increasingly difficult for customers and credit card companies to control fraud. From the moment a customer presses "send" on the seller's website, their credit card is exposed. The criminal's database may be hacked after their card number has been delivered to the seller, or after being received. Moreover, from the fact that there are so many sellers and the number increases exponentially, it is practically impossible to ascertain whether a seller is a legitimate company or just to exist for credit card fraud.

Third, when a customer purchases goods or services from a traditional offline seller, they must have their credit card and give the card to the seller so that the credit card can be processed. In view of this traditional process, customers are at risk of losing or stolen their credit cards. In addition, if the seller or employee uses the credit card number for the purpose of fraudulent gain, damage to the customer occurs.

Therefore, there is a need for a system that allows a customer to effectively match his UPI and financial account information without paying a real card to purchase goods or services with a credit card or financial account. The purpose of these systems is to optimize the security and personal interests of the customer.

The present invention relates to a computerized billing and payment system. Specifically, the present invention may match customer information, fingerprints, retinal scans, voice or other biological measurements or unique personal identifiers (“UPIs”) with financial account information integrated from multiple financial institutions, or if the customer And an automated credit card payment system for selecting a financial account to use to pay other debts.

1 is a block diagram illustrating a problem encountered in matching multiple financial account issuers and multiple seller / claimers in an automated payment system.

2 is a block diagram illustrating the use of the present invention in effectively matching multiple financial account issuers and multiple sellers / claimers in an automated payment system.

3 is a block diagram of a preferred embodiment of an apparatus for performing the automated credit card payment method and system of the present invention.

4 is a flow chart illustrating the use of the device of FIG. 3.

5 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

6 is a block diagram of an automated payment system used for a claimant in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a flow chart illustrating use of the system of FIG. 6.

8 is a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

9 is a flow chart illustrating use of the system of FIG. 8.

10 and 11 are interface representations provided to a customer when accessing a payment server in accordance with an aspect of the present invention.

12 is a block diagram of an embodiment of an apparatus for performing an automated credit card payment method and system of the present invention using an offline terminal and biometric identifier and / or PIN.

The present invention compares a UPI or seller / claimer database (subscriber, customer, potential customer, prospect, or receivable account, collectively referred to herein as “customer”) with an integrated database of financial account information, such as credit card account information. A system and associated method for the payment, purchase or other payment of a claim, or a comparison with a non-integrated database of a plurality of financial account information, or a combination of both forms. Many kinds of financial account information are used for payment. Such financial account information includes credit card, recharge card, cash card, smart card, bank card, checking account such as checking account, virtual payment account, virtual cash account number provided for commerce via internet, wire transfer network, financial and electronic data exchange. (FEDI), transfers, automated clearinghouses (ACH), payments from third parties, non-bank financial institutions such as CyberCash and TransPoint (MSFDC), stored value tools such as VisaCash and Mondex, and the like. no.

The system matches a customer's UPI or customer identification data contained in a database of a seller, claimant, or payment processor with financial account information contained in one or more financial account databases so that when a customer is the owner of one or more financial accounts, Choose whether to be provided.

The selected financial account or account is provided to the seller or claimant for inclusion on commercial communications (such as payment stubs, renewal forms, invoices, marketing materials recommending payment or subscription). Optionally, the seller / claimer does not need to know the specific financial account or number used. For example, a commercial communication may present a customer with a financial account, such as a credit card, or a publisher of a particular financial account, such as a specific credit card account, to customers who are charged for the purchase, And privacy protection. Many forms of information security may be used, including but not limited to the use of encryption techniques and record locator techniques.

For example, in a transaction where the financial account used is a credit card account, the customer may indicate the authorization of use of the credit card number provided in encrypted form so that there is no need to provide information when paying with the credit card. The seller / claimer collects invoices or other offers from the credit card account with customer indications or certifications of payment, and optionally sends them to a service agency that decrypts the credit card account number and processes the charges to the selected credit card account. This protects your personal and related information on your credit card.

As shown in Figure 2, the system of the present invention serves as an intermediary between multiple publishers and sellers. As shown in FIG. 2, the issuer provides their account information list to the central account management and integration system of the present invention, which receives customer identification data from the seller and matches and selects financial account information as described above. To the seller.

In an embodiment, the system includes a memory device for storing aggregated multiple financial account information (eg, including credit card account information from multiple credit card issuers), such as a master financial account list. A computer system or other processing device matches customer identification data from the stored integrated financial account information with UPI or seller / claimer customer identifier data for associating the financial account number with a selected member of the customer database. The computer system or processing device selects one or more specific relevant financial account numbers when the one or more financial account numbers match selected members of the seller / claimer's customer database. If not previously encrypted, the relevant financial account number is encrypted and provided to the seller / claimer for inclusion on the customer's commercial communications (invoices, payment stubs, renewal forms, invoices) and sent to the next customer. After being selected and authenticated by the customer, the system may also decrypt the encrypted financial account number for payment processing from the selected customer's financial account to the seller / claimer.

Alternatively, instead of including a master consolidated database of financial account information, the system may be comprised of a plurality of financial account information databases and a mechanism for searching multiple databases to find a customer's financial account information, either internally or remotely. Many financial account information databases may include a partially integrated database that includes information from each issuer database and / or multiple financial account issuers.

The method according to an embodiment of the present invention comprises the steps of integrating a plurality of financial account information lists from a plurality of financial account issuers into a master financial account list, receiving a UPI or a customer / claimer's customer database, Matching the information from the master financial account list with the customer's UPI or master / claimer's database to associate at least one financial account number with the customer. According to the desired selection rule, if one or more financial account numbers are found for a particular customer, one or more matched financial account number (s) are selected. The selected financial account number may be encrypted or provided already encrypted in the financial account database. The encrypted financial account number or number is provided to the seller / claimer for inclusion in the commercial communication between the seller / claimer and the customer, providing a means for the customer to authenticate the purchase payment with the relevant financial account number (specific credit card). Purchase payments are processed and performed from the certified member's financial account to the seller / claimer. Of course, the financial account number can be any unique encrypted identifier, including letters as well as numbers.

Alternatively, instead of integrating multiple financial account issuers into a single master financial account database or list, the method consolidates some subset of the financial account lists and at least one for each customer in the seller / claimer's customer database. Retrieving a list from each financial account issuer as well as a plurality of such lists, or a plurality of individual financial account lists available by different issuers to associate financial account numbers.

In another embodiment, the present invention is directed to a system and method for providing automatic payment via a computer network such as the Internet. The system includes an automated payment server connected to various financial institutions and receiving and compiling data from such institutions to generate a file of account information for various customers. When a customer wants to purchase or pay for an item from the seller's web site, the customer goes to the payment server and is provided with the account information compiled by the payment server. The customer selects one or more financial accounts and the payment server sends the appropriate financial information to the seller's payment processor to complete the transaction. In this way, the credit card number is not transmitted over the Internet or stored at the merchant site, but only between the payment server and the payment processor via a secure line.

For the understanding of the present invention, reference is made to the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although the drawings and descriptions illustrate the use of the invention by credit card accounts for simplicity, the invention is by no means limited to credit card accounts.

Referring to FIG. 3, an automated payment system 50 in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention is shown. The system 50 may use a combination of many kinds of financial accounts, but is described with respect to credit card accounts for simplicity. System 50 may be operated by a company, such as a service organization, and may include database integration and storage subsystem 55, master credit card database 57, identifier matching and selection subsystem 59, and optional credit card account number encryption sub. System 53.

Automated payment system (50) is used with n number of credit card issuers (60 ₀ -60 _n). n number of a credit card issuer 60, each of which maintains the (66 ₀ -66 _n) his credit card information list in accordance with one of a number of conventional format known to those skilled in the art to form a computer system. This credit card information list 66 typically includes account holder identification data, such as the name and address of each account holder, a credit card number, the name of the financial institution, account information and statistical information about each cardholder. While preferred embodiments are described in connection with the use of credit cards, those skilled in the art include, but are not limited to, other financial account information or devices (smart cards, bank cards, checking accounts, virtual payment accounts used for the Internet or other online commerce, etc.). Can be used in place of or in combination with a credit card.

The automated payment system 50 receives credit card information from the n credit card issuers 60 via the transmission medium 68. The transmission of information through the medium 68 may be accomplished by a number of communication methods, including but not limited to modem connections, high speed data lines, the Internet, physical transmission of storage media such as tape or disk, and the like. This transfer is authenticated by the contractual relationship and may include financial incentives. In order to increase the likelihood of finding customer credit card information, it is desirable to include credit card account information from as many credit card issuers as possible. The database integration and storage system 55, in the form of a programmed computer system, classifies and consolidates the credit card information 66 ₀ -66 _n provided by the credit card issuer 60 ₀ -60 _n , and the classified and integrated data. Is stored in the master credit card information database 57. This database resides in the media storage of a computer system. Of course, the processing element and the information storage element may be in multiple computer devices in consideration of error tolerance and load regulation.

Automated payment system (50) provides a credit card account information to one or more of the m of the seller / claimant (70 ₀ -70 _m). Each of the m sellers / claimers maintains a customer identification data list 76 on a computer. This list 76 ₀ -76 _m contains identification data such as the customer's name and address, additional information such as social security number and statistical information. The automated payment system 50 receives customer identification data from any seller / claimer 70 _x and the matching and selection subsystem 59 provides customer identification data and master credit card information provided by the seller / claimer 70 _x . The records in the database 57 are compared to find matching credit card holder identification data. Matching and selection subsystem 59 may be in the form of a pre-programmed computer that is the same as or separate from that used for database integration and storage system 55. In the matching and selection subsystem 59, the matching process between the customer from the merchant / claimer database and the credit card account holder can be performed using conventional matching algorithms known to those skilled in the art.

If one or more credit card owner identifiers match any customer (ie, the customer owns one or more credit cards), the one or more matched credit card identifiers are selected by the matching and selection subsystem 59. This selection is made according to predetermined selection and display rules. As an example, a simple selection rule is used where the selected credit card is a card issued by the issuer holding the most credit cards in the database (ie, the most popular and most used credit cards). Alternatively, in one embodiment, the selection is proportional or otherwise based on the credit card accounts of other generators and the total credit card accounts of each issuer relative to the total credit card accounts of the master credit card database 57. Performed by an algorithm. Thus, for example, a credit card issuer, which accounts for 25% of the total number of credit card accounts in the consolidated database, selects the relevant credit card account at 25% of the time for a customer with multiple credit card numbers including the generator. I will do it. Another method of selecting one related credit card account number from one or more matched related credit card accounts is to compare the credit card usage information with the relevant credit card account selected based on usage to determine the customer's primary credit card. Choose the credit card you use most. Another way to select an account is to choose the financial institution that charges the lowest fee considering the fees associated with the financial transaction. Alternatively, the selection process may take into account historical data and select a financial institution that may provide the best results for a particular seller / claimer. In turn, the selection can be made as a result of the fee paid by the credit card issuer to receive priority in the selection process.

In alternative embodiments, one or more credit cards or all credit cards may be selected for the decision, and the customer is given the option of which credit card to use for payment. In this embodiment, all matched credit card account numbers are selected and presented to the customer. The selected credit card account can be presented to the customer in a list with checkboxes of the form:

Choose the card you want to pay

_______ CITYBANK VISA

_______ DISCOVER

_______ AMERICAN EXPRESS

In a more preferred embodiment of the present invention, the selected credit card account may also have similar criteria used by the system to determine the choice of credit card (i.e., the most popular card in the database, the most used credit card by the user, the fee). The lowest card, the card of the issuer paying the highest fee, may be displayed in advance of another credit card) and displayed to the user.

The selected credit card account number or numbers included in the transaction are encrypted by the credit card account number encryption subsystem 53. Specific encryption methods include finder numbers, record locators, any form of advanced encryption or other encryption techniques. Although encryption is a component of the preferred embodiment, the encryption method may be any method of achieving proper security and the specific method of encryption does not constitute a substantial element of the system and the methods described herein. Moreover, the credit card information may be encrypted before being stored in the master credit card information database and may be provided in encrypted form from the credit card issuer 60.

4 illustrates the use of encrypted account information of the present invention and in particular the use of encrypted credit card information for simplicity. In one embodiment, for each customer in the seller / claimer's customer identification data database 76, the encrypted credit card account number associated with the customer is the seller / claimer as part of the communication from the seller / claimer (70 _x ) to the customer. Is provided to the customer by 70 _x (step 80). Alternatively, in an offline embodiment of the present invention in which the offline seller does not have a customer information database, the customer may communicate with the central database 57 directly via a payment processing interface (eg, terminal or computer). In step 90, the customer determines whether payment by credit card is authorized. This authentication step may also include selecting a credit card to use when the customer is presented with one or more cards. When the customer authenticates such payment and sends a commerce communication to the seller / claimer or other payment processor, the encrypted credit card account number is decrypted in step 100. The encrypted number may be sent by the system 50 to the credit card issuer, payment processor or merchant for decryption and / or payment processing. After decryption, the credit card account number is used to process payments to the seller / claimer (step 110) so that payment to a particular seller / claimer is performed with the payment required for use of the system in transaction reconciliation. If the customer does not verify payment in step 90, steps 100 and 110 are not performed.

3 and 4, the elements constituting the system and method of the present invention may be changed within the scope of the present invention. For example, an integrated credit card account database has been described that includes account information from multiple credit card account issuers. However, the seller / claimer's customer identification data may alternatively be matched in series with multiple databases, including the individual credit card issuer's credit card account database and / or one or more integrated databases. Each individual or integrated database represents some credit card issuer, which is a subset of all issuers.

5 is an alternative embodiment of an automated payment system 50 'in accordance with the present invention. The system 50 'of this alternative embodiment includes a serial matching system 59' and a selection / indication subsystem 59 ". The serial matching subsystem includes one or more of the vendors or any seller / claimer 70. Compare the customer identifier data received from the customer database 76 via the transmission medium 69 with the multiple credit card databases 66 of the multiple issuers 60. The serial matching subsystem also has a limited number of customer identification data. (In this case, it is also possible to compare the integrated database 58, which contains information integrated from the issuer 60 of issuer 3 and issuer 4.) The serial matching subsystem separately and with the seller / claimer's customer identification data as described above. Finds a match with the account holder identification data contained in the partially integrated database 66, 58. If a group of matched credit card account numbers is found, the selection is made. System (59) selects at least one account number in accordance with selection rules discussed above.

6, a block diagram of an embodiment of an automated credit card payment system of the present invention applied to a seller / claimer is shown. In this block diagram, multiple merchants / claimers 150 employ the system of the present invention to handle multiple credit card account databases 156 (one or more databases may be partially integrated databases as described above). Employed service agencies 154 and fulfillment houses 152 are used. One or more transition offices 152 may be used to service multiple sellers / claimers and / or seller / claimer groups, or one transition office 152 may be used for each claimant 150. The seller / claimer 150 provides each of the customer files 158 and external lists 160 (eg, future customer lists) to the fulfillment office 152. The service organization 154 uses the system of the present invention to match the name on the merchant / claimer's customer file 158 with the associated financial account information. This information, including credit card information, is consolidated from service provider 154 from multiple credit card issuers 156 and stored in a master credit card file. Alternatively, this credit card information can be accessed serially from a database of multiple credit card issuers.

After matching the merchant / claimer's customer file 158 and the external list 160 with the relevant financial account information, the service provider encrypts the matched credit card account number (block 162) and provides it to the transition office 152. . The use of the credit card information found is shown in the flowchart of FIG. The transition office 152 here uses the encrypted credit card account information in marketing, billing and / or renewal efforts by placing the encrypted credit card account number on commerce communications. In step 165, the customer authenticates his credit card use and optionally selects which credit card to use if one or more cards are presented to the customer.

When a customer places an order using encrypted credit card account information over commerce communications, the order is collected, an encrypted number is entered and incorporated into a consolidated order file (step 166). The encrypted account number in the consolidated order file is decrypted (step 170) and the payment is processed (step 172).

8 and 9, another embodiment of the present invention is shown. In this embodiment, system 200 is designed for use over a computer network, such as the Internet, LAN, WAN, and the like. System 200 includes an automated payment server 202 that includes a processing unit 204 and a customer database 206 maintained by the processing unit, which is similar in many respects to the automated payment system. The database combines account information from several financial institutions and also combines billing information from several claimants.

The automated payment server 202 is connected to a plurality of customers at each terminal 208 and interacts with the customer through an appropriate customer interface 210 (only one terminal is shown in FIG. 8). The customer interface may be the primary application used to select payment options, how to display various bills from different claimants, and / or a full-service interface that combines this functionality and allows the customer to restructure the account. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various types of interfaces can be used.

The automated payment server 202 is also connected to one or more merchant sites 212 via one or more communication lines 214. Preferably, at least one of the lines 214 is a secure line for the transmission of payment information, as described below in detail.

The automated payment server 202 is connected to various financial institutions 220 and various claimants 222. The automated payment system 202 receives account information, including the updated account information, from a financial institution through a transmission medium and billing information from various claimants, as described above in connection with the automated payment server 50. . For example, many utilities electronically send bills to their customers via payment server 202. The automated account information integration / removal subsystem 224 and the automated billing information integration / removal subsystem 226 are in the form of programmed computer systems, the account information and the billing information provided by financial institutions and claimants, as will be described in detail below. And classify the data, and the classified and integrated data is stored in the customer database 206 for subsequent access.

The customer terminal 208 can take many different forms and access the automated payment server 202 in many different ways. For example, a customer sends a purchase request over the Internet by clicking on an offline terminal, e-mail, banner advertisement on a website, by interactive television, web TV, telephone, mail, or any other suitable method. In one embodiment, merchant site 212 may install a banner indicating that payment for the transaction may be performed through automated payment server 202. As will be described in detail below, the customer can click on the banner to access the automated payment server.

The customer interface 210 is a suitable interface that allows the automated payment server 202 to communicate with multiple customers at the same time via the Internet or other computer network.

9, the operation of the automated payment server 202 will be described in detail. In step 300, an operation is initiated when a customer communicates with seller 212 and initiates a transaction by requesting payment for an item or service but placing an order. In one embodiment, the merchant site provides the customer with a banner with the URL of the automated payment server 202 or, alternatively, automatically connects to the automated payment server 202 when the customer places an order. In step 302, the customer is connected to the automated payment server 202, and in step 303 the server determines whether the customer is registered with the server. If the customer is not registered, operation proceeds to step 304 where the customer is registered with the server. Registration may be performed by computer network, telephone, mail, or other suitable method and involves receiving identification information from the customer to verify the customer's identity for all subsequent transactions. For example, a customer may provide their mother's maiden name, social security number, etc. with their name and address. The customer may also provide biological information such as fingerprint samples, handwriting samples, retinal scans or voice records / patterns. Once the identity of the customer is verified, a password (selected by the customer or randomly assigned by the payment server) for the customer is selected, as is well known in the art.

If the customer is already registered with the payment server 202, in step 303 the customer enters a username and password, and allows the customer to continue the payment transaction after authentication and verification.

In step 303, the seller 212 sends the order and / or payment data to the payment server 202 automatically or after being prompted by the payment server. The data identifies the customer, for example by including order ID data and / or customer UPI, and is also sent to the payment server when the customer accesses the payment server. Alternatively, the merchant site may send the customer name or other identifying data to allow the payment server to associate a particular order or payment request with the customer.

The customer UPI or other identifying information is related to the customer's financial account. The UPI may be in the form of a name, password, PIN, ID number or other unique identifier. Alternatively, the UPI can take the form of a fingerprint, retinal scan, voice pattern, handwritten sample or other unique biometric identifier. This biometric identifier may in some cases be used in conjunction with a password or PIN. Recording, capturing, and storing unique biometric identifiers such as retinal scans, iris scans, speech patterns, digital handwritten samples, or digital scan fingerprints are described in US Pat. Nos. 6047281, 6047281, and 5991408. It is cited as. In one possible embodiment of the invention, the customer's UPI is recorded and recorded using a conventional device (a digital scanner, camera or recorder, etc. attached to the customer's computer or located offline or at another merchant terminal as shown in FIG. 12). / Or certified.

If the payment server associates the order or payment request with the customer, the operation proceeds to step 306 where the payment server accesses the customer database to display the customer account information (various credit card, cash card, smart card, Bank cards, demand accounts such as checking accounts, virtual payment accounts, wired transmission networks, financial electronic information exchange (FEDI), checks, automated clearinghouses, payments from third parties, non-banks such as CyberCash and TransPoint (MSFDC) In the form of financial institutions, stored-value tools such as VisaCash and Mondex). Next, in step 308 the payment server 202 displays the customer account information to the customer (FIG. 10). The account information identifies multiple financial accounts without sending the full account number to the customer. For example, some identifying information is sent, such as the name of the credit card, the last seven digits of the credit card (eg, "AmEx 206543"). In addition to identifying various credit cards, the account information includes valid balance information, last renewal date of account, last payment date, credit limit, transaction details, and the like.

In step 310, the customer selects one or more payment options and the selection (s) are sent to the payment server via the interface. Therefore, the actual account number is not transmitted between the payment server and the customer.

The customer may choose to divide payments between two or more financial accounts (eg, two or more credit cards). In addition, the payment server may present the accounts to the customer in a particular order defined by the customer, financial institution, specific seller, account usage, effective balance, interest rate, and the like.

In one embodiment, payment server 202 presents the appropriate payment option to the customer. For example, if the purchase amount is $ 100 and the customer's checking account has a balance of less than $ 100, the payment server does not offer the customer as an option. Alternatively, a checking account may be displayed to the customer in a different color or in front of the customer to indicate that such account is not appropriate for a particular transaction, but may be used in conjunction with other options to terminate the transaction.

In step 312, the payment server 202 sends an authentication request that includes the payment option selected by the customer to the payment processor of the merchant site 212. In step 314, the customer interface determines whether to accept the payment option. For example, a customer may select a credit card that is not allowed by a particular seller, in which case operation proceeds to step 316 to notify the customer of the authentication failure. The operation then returns to step 308 to allow the customer to select another payment option.

If the payment option is allowed in step 314, operation proceeds to step 318 and the customer is notified of the transaction approval. Next, in step 320, the payment server 202 transmits the approved order or approval to the seller's site or the seller's payment processor 212 via a secure line, and the seller fulfills the order by communicating with the customer 208. do. For example, a seller's site may request shipping information if it does not have other information needed to complete a transaction. Next, in step 322, the payment processor accesses the appropriate financial institution and transmits the payment information so that the customer account is charged and the merchant account is paid.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the above steps may be performed via a telephone network capable of intercommunication, such as a system providing speech recognition and / or complex frequency code (DTMF) tones. As is well known in the art, a customer may enter a user ID and password by pressing the appropriate key on the phone, and the payment server may use appropriate well-known hardware to interpret DTMF tones to determine the corresponding number entered by the customer. Include. Thus, the customer presses a telephone number to hear a list of items, services and / or bills available for purchase, and selects one or more of the items, services and bills by pressing the appropriate key on the telephone. The payment server informs the customer to enter identification data (user name, PIN number, etc.) via well known two-way systems such as two-way voice response (IVR). Once the customer's identity is verified, the payment server presents the customer with a list of credit cards that can be used to conduct the transaction. For example, the IVR software can say "Press 1 to choose a Visa account" or "Press 2 to select American Express". The customer simply informs the payment server of the customer's choice by simply pressing the corresponding key on the phone. The rest of the process is the same as the computer network process described above. Thus, in this way the payment server 202 can be used by the customer over the telephone network.

Alternatively, the present invention may also be implemented via mail by returning an order form sent by the customer in normal mail and / or electronic mail. In this way, the payment server may pre-print an order form (listing multiple items, services and / or invoices, and also listing the financial accounts of a particular customer compiled by the customer database 206) to potential customers. send. The customer selects one or more of the goods, services and / or invoices and selects a payment financial account from the customer specific list printed on the order form to send the order form to payment server 202. The operator of the payment server enters the data or updates the data if it is an electronic transmission such as e-mail. The payment server forwards the data to the appropriate merchant. If the payment option selected by the customer is not appropriate (for example, the seller does not accept the payment type or the effective difference is too small), the customer is notified by mail (electronic or regular mail) or by telephone and other payment options Can be selected. Once the appropriate payment option is selected, the rest of the transaction is completed along the lines of the computer network process described above.

In an alternative embodiment, the customer receiving the order form or invoice can dial the telephone number provided in the form and complete the transaction in the same manner as described above over the telephone.

In another embodiment, a customer at terminal 208 may access payment server 202 directly without accessing the initial merchant site. The customer can receive outstanding bills compiled by the automated billing information consolidation / deletion subsystem 226 (FIG. 11). The customer may select one or more invoices to pay and are provided with the account information as described in FIG. 9.

The system and method of the present invention allows a payment transaction to be performed over a computer network without requiring a credit card number or the like to be transferred directly between the customer 208 and the seller 212 or between the customer 208 and the payment server 202. It is clear that it can. Therefore, the account information is not transmitted through a public network such as the Internet. The account information is transmitted between the financial institution and the payment server 202 via a secure line between the payment server and the seller's payment processor or seller site. In addition, many sellers do not need to maintain such a database because a database of account numbers resides in the payment server 202. Maintaining the database in one location rather than each individual seller reduces the chances of fraud.

Referring to FIG. 12, an automated payment system 50 is shown according to an embodiment using biometric identifiers and / or PINs. The biometric identifier and / or PIN is collected at the offline terminal. The offline terminal may include a computer, a digital camera, a scanner, a recorder and other devices capable of acquiring such information. The automated payment system 50 receives the biometric identifier and / or PIN from the offline terminal 84 _x , and the matching and selection subsystem 59 includes the biometric identifier and / or PIN 88 _x and the master credit card information database ( 57) to find matching credit card holder identification data. Matching and selection subsystem 59 may be in the form of a pre-programmed computer system, the same as or separate from that used in database integration and classification system 55. The processing of matched customers from the credit card account holder and seller / claimer database in the matching and selection subsystem 59 may be performed using conventional matching algorithms known to those skilled in the art. If a match is found in the master credit card database 57, the PIN is verified.

As can be appreciated from the above description of the present invention, the present invention provides many benefits to customers (credit card users), financial institutions, sellers and claimants. Financial institutions' profits include reduced fraud, increased use of credit cards, higher retention rates, and higher commission income. Customer interests include convenience, privacy and efficiency. Seller / claimer benefits include reduced fraud, higher retention rates, reduced bad debts, lower postal costs, and improved customer relationships.

The system and method of the present invention may also be used in conjunction with a target marketing or coupon plan (purchasing behavior identified and recorded by the payment server). In one possible embodiment, a customer having a financial account (including a credit card account) on a payment server may agree that their purchasing behavior is tracked and provided to various businesses and industries. These businesses and industries may preferentially target a variety of customers for discounts, coupons or other marketing policies based on past purchases.

Another benefit provided by the present invention is the security and privacy of the customer. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a centralized institution or enterprise that accesses specific financial account information, except for the customer and the financial institution with which the customer is associated, is only a party. The functions performed by the central authority can in fact be divided between separate entities. For example, one entity may perform processing and another entity may perform encryption / decryption. As noted above, only encrypted account information is provided to the seller / claimer. However, it is within the scope of the present invention to provide a system in which an account is provided directly to the seller / claimer and that such account information is encrypted for use by the seller / claimer or another company in the billing material. In such cases, upon receipt of the customer's approval for a particular account, the seller / claimer may proceed directly to decrypt and process the payment from the financial institution.

Many other user functions known in the art may be implemented, such as the ability to allow a user to change user registration information.

While various forms of the invention have been described, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and improvements can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.

Claims (96)

A method of facilitating payments from a customer's financial account to a seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with a seller / claimer, Compiling at least one customer's financial account information from a plurality of financial institutions into a memory; Receiving and storing transaction information about a particular customer; Retrieving the financial account information of the customer from the memory; Presenting financial account information to the customer; Receiving and storing a selection by the customer for at least one of the financial accounts; And Providing the selected financial account (s) information to either the seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with the seller / claimer. The financial account of claim 1, wherein the financial account is a credit card, a charge card, a debit card, a smart card, a bank card, a demand deposit account. deposit account, checking account, virtual payment account, virtual cash account, wire transfer networks, financial electronic data interchange (FEDI) ), At least one of Echeck, Automated Clearing House (ACH), and stored value tools. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of incorporating at least two of the plurality of financial account information databases into a single unified financial account information database, wherein the searching comprises examining the consolidated database. Payment promotion method characterized in that. 4. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting a subset of one or more financial accounts of the plurality of customer financial accounts and presenting the subset to the customer. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the subset of accounts includes financial accounts that the seller / claimer can accept. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising splitting payments for one of the one or more financial accounts if one or more financial accounts are selected. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting an order in which one or more financial accounts are presented to the customer before the financial account information is presented to the customer. The method of claim 1, further comprising encrypting the selected customer financial account information prior to providing it to the seller / claimer or payment processor and encrypting or truncating the financial account information before presenting the financial account information to a customer. Payment promotion method characterized in that. 10. The method of claim 1, further comprising updating the financial account information from at least one of the plurality of financial institutions. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining whether the customer is a registered customer; And And registering the customer if the customer has not been registered yet. 12. The method of claim 10, wherein registering the customer further comprises capturing the customer's PIN and biometric measurement. The method of claim 11, wherein the biological measurement comprises negative patterns, fingerprints, retina scans, or handwriting samples. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising comparing the PIN, biological measurement, or both with respective stored databases relating to PINs or biological measurements. 2. The method of claim 1, further comprising comparing a transaction value from the transaction information and an available balance value from the financial account information. 15. The method of claim 14, further comprising presenting to customers only financial accounts having an individual or combined available fund balance greater than or equal to the transaction value. A method of facilitating payment from a customer's financial account for a selected one of a plurality of invoices presented to a customer, Compiling at least one customer's financial account information from a plurality of financial institutions into a memory; Presenting billing information for each of a plurality of bills to the customer; Receiving, from the customer, selection information specifying a specially selected bill to be paid; Retrieving financial account information for the customer from the memory; Presenting the financial account information to the customer; And Receiving from the customer selection information specifying a particular account used to pay the selected bill. 17. The financial account of claim 16, wherein the financial account includes a credit card, a charge card, a cash card, a smart card, a bank card, a demand deposit account, a checking account, a virtual payment account, a virtual cash account, a wired transmission network, a financial electronic data exchange (FEDI). ), A payment check, an automated clearinghouse (ACH), and a stored value tool. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising integrating at least two of the plurality of financial account information databases into a single unified financial account information database, wherein the searching comprises examining the consolidated database. Payment promotion method characterized in that. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting a subset of one or more financial accounts of the plurality of customer financial accounts and presenting the subset to the customer. 20. The method of claim 19, wherein the subset of accounts includes financial accounts that the seller / claimer can accept. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising splitting payments for one of the one or more financial accounts if one or more financial accounts are selected. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising selecting an order in which one or more financial accounts are presented to the customer before the financial account information is presented to the customer. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising encrypting the selected customer financial account information prior to providing it to the seller / claimer or payment processor and encrypting or trunking the financial account information before presenting to the customer. Payment promotion method. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising updating the financial account information from at least one of the plurality of financial institutions. 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising: determining whether the customer is a registered customer; And And registering the customer if the customer has not been registered yet. 27. The method of claim 25, wherein registering the customer further comprises capturing the customer's PIN, IP address, or biological measurement. 27. The method of claim 26, wherein the biological measurement comprises negative patterns, fingerprints, retinal scans, or handwritten samples. 27. The method of claim 26, further comprising comparing at least one of the PIN, IP address, or biological measurement with a respective stored database of PINs, IP addresses, or biological measurements. . 17. The method of claim 16, further comprising comparing a transaction value from the transaction information with an available balance value from the financial account information. 30. The method of claim 29, further comprising presenting to customers only financial accounts having an individual or combined available funds balance greater than or equal to the transaction value. A method of facilitating payment from a customer's financial account to a seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with a seller / claimer via a computer network, Compiling at least one customer's financial account information received from a plurality of financial institutions into a memory of a payment server; Receiving transaction information of a particular customer from the payment server via the computer network and storing the transaction information; Retrieving the financial account information of the customer from the memory; Transmitting the financial account information from a computer network to a customer; Receiving a selection by the customer over a computer network for one or more of the financial accounts and storing the selection; And Transmitting the selected financial account information to the seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with the seller / claimer via the computer network. 33. The financial account of claim 32, wherein the financial account includes a credit card, a charge card, a cash card, a smart card, a bank card, a demand deposit account, a checking account, a virtual payment account, a virtual cash account, a wired transmission network, a financial electronic data exchange (FEDI). ), A payment check, an automated clearinghouse (ACH), and a stored value tool. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising incorporating at least two of the plurality of financial account information databases into a single unified financial account information database, wherein the searching comprises examining the consolidated database. Payment promotion method characterized in that. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising selecting a subset of one or more financial accounts of the plurality of customer financial accounts and presenting the subset to the customer. 35. The method of claim 34, wherein the subset of accounts includes financial accounts that the seller / claimer can accept. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising dividing a payment for a transaction of one of the one or more financial accounts if one or more financial accounts are selected. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising selecting an order in which one or more financial accounts are presented to the customer before the financial account information is presented to the customer. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising encrypting the selected customer financial account information prior to providing it to the seller / claimer or payment processor and encrypting or trunking the financial account information before presenting to the customer. Payment promotion method. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising updating the financial account information from at least one of the plurality of financial institutions. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising: determining whether the customer is a registered customer; And And registering the customer if the customer has not been registered yet. 41. The method of claim 40, wherein registering the customer further comprises capturing the customer's PIN, IP address, or biological measurement. The method of claim 41, wherein the biological measurement comprises negative patterns, fingerprints, retinal scans, or handwritten samples. 42. The method of claim 41, further comprising comparing at least one of the PIN, IP address, and biological measurements to a respective stored database of PINs, IP addresses, or biological measurements. 32. The method of claim 31, further comprising comparing a transaction value from the transaction information with an available balance value from the financial account information. 45. The method of claim 44, further comprising presenting to customers only financial accounts having an individual or combined available funds balance greater than or equal to the transaction value. A method of facilitating payments from a customer's financial account to a seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with a seller / claimer, Compiling at least one customer's financial account information received from a plurality of financial institutions into a memory of a payment server; Receiving transaction information regarding a particular customer; Transmitting the transaction information to a payment server and storing the transaction information; Retrieving the financial account information of the customer from the memory; Displaying the financial account information on an interface; Receiving a selection by the customer for at least one of the financial accounts and storing the selection; And Transmitting the selected financial account information (s) to the seller / claimer or payment processor associated with the seller / claimer. 47. The system of claim 46, wherein the financial account includes a credit card, a charge card, a cash card, a smart card, a bank card, a demand deposit account, a checking account, a virtual payment account, a virtual cash account, a wired transmission network, a financial electronic data exchange (FEDI). ), A payment check, an automated clearinghouse (ACH), and a stored value tool. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising integrating at least two of the plurality of financial account information databases into a single unified financial account information database, wherein the searching comprises examining the consolidated database. Payment promotion method characterized by doing. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising selecting a subset of one or more financial accounts of the plurality of customer financial accounts and presenting the subset to the customer. 50. The method of claim 49, wherein the subset of accounts includes financial accounts that the seller / claimer can accept. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising splitting payments for one of the one or more financial accounts if one or more financial accounts are selected. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising selecting an order in which one or more financial accounts are presented to the customer before the financial account information is presented to the customer. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising encrypting the selected customer financial account information prior to providing it to the seller / claimer or payment processor and encrypting or trunking the financial account information before presenting it to the customer. Payment promotion method. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising updating the financial account information from at least one of the plurality of financial institutions. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising: determining whether a customer is a registered customer; And And registering the customer if the customer has not been registered yet. 56. The method of claim 55, wherein registering the customer further comprises capturing the customer's PIN, IP address, or biological measurement. 57. The method of claim 56, wherein the biological measurement comprises negative patterns, fingerprints, retinal scans, or handwritten samples. 59. The method of claim 56, further comprising comparing at least one of the PIN, IP address, and biological measurements with a respective stored database of PINs, IP addresses, or biological measurements. 47. The method of claim 46, further comprising comparing a transaction value from the transaction information with an available balance value from the financial account information. 60. The method of claim 59, further comprising presenting to customers only financial accounts having an individual or combined available funds balance greater than or equal to the transaction value. 47. The device of claim 46, wherein the interface comprises a terminal, a smart terminal, a smart box, a keypad, an LCD display, a card swipe or a touchpad. Payment promotion method characterized in that. 47. The method of claim 46, wherein only financial accounts that the seller / claimer can accept are displayed on the interface. A method of facilitating direct bill payment by a customer, Receiving and storing billing information from the seller / claimer or from a seller payment processor for a particular customer; Retrieving customer's financial account information compiled from the plurality of financial institutions from the customer database; Presenting to the customer one or more customer financial accounts using the bill payment interface; Receiving and storing a selection by a customer regarding at least one of the financial accounts for payment of the invoice; And Providing the selected financial account (s) information to either the seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with the seller / claimer. 66. The system of claim 63, wherein the financial account includes a credit card, a charge card, a cash card, a smart card, a bank card, a demand deposit account, a checking account, a virtual payment account, a virtual cash account, a wired transmission network, a financial electronic data exchange (FEDI). ), A payment check, an automated clearinghouse (ACH), and a stored value tool. 64. The method of claim 63, further comprising integrating at least two of the plurality of financial account information databases into a single unified financial account information database, wherein the searching comprises examining the consolidated database. Payment promotion method characterized in that. 66. The method of claim 63, further comprising selecting a subset of one or more financial accounts of the plurality of customer financial accounts and presenting the subset to the customer. 67. The method of claim 66, wherein the subset of accounts includes financial accounts that the seller / claimer can accept. 64. The method of claim 63, further comprising splitting payments for one transaction of one or more financial accounts if one or more financial accounts are selected. 66. The method of claim 63, further comprising selecting an order in which one or more financial accounts are presented to the customer before the financial account information is presented to the customer. 64. The method of claim 63, further comprising encrypting the selected customer financial account information prior to providing it to the seller / claimer or payment processor and encrypting or trunking the financial account information before presenting it to the customer. Payment promotion method. 66. The method of claim 63, further comprising updating the financial account information from at least one of the plurality of financial institutions. 64. The method of claim 63, further comprising: determining if the customer is a registered customer; And And registering the customer if the customer has not been registered yet. 73. The method of claim 72, wherein registering the customer further comprises capturing the customer's PIN, IP address, or biological measurement. 74. The method of claim 73, wherein the biological measurement comprises negative patterns, fingerprints, retinal scans, or handwritten samples. 74. The method of claim 73, further comprising comparing at least one of the PIN, IP address, or biological measurement to a respective stored database of PINs, IP addresses, or biological measurements. 66. The method of claim 63, further comprising comparing a transaction value from the transaction information with an available balance value from the financial account information. 77. The method of claim 76, further comprising presenting to customers only financial accounts having an individual or combined available funds balance greater than or equal to the transaction value. A system for facilitating payments from a customer's financial account to a seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with a seller / claimer, A processor; And A memory storing processing instructions for controlling the processor, The processor, Compiling financial account information of at least one customer from a plurality of financial institutions into a memory; Receive and store transaction information about a particular customer; Retrieve the financial account information of the customer from the memory; Presenting financial account information to the customer; Receive and store a selection by the customer for at least one of the financial accounts; And provide the selected financial account (s) information to either the seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with the seller / claimer. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein the financial account includes a credit card, a charge card, a cash card, a smart card, a bank card, a deposit account, a checking account, a virtual payment account, a virtual cash account, a wired transmission network, a financial electronic data exchange (FEDI). ), A payment check system, an automated clearinghouse (ACH), and a stored value tool. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein the processor is operative to integrate at least two of the plurality of financial account information databases into a single unified financial account information database. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein the processor is operative to select a subset of one or more financial accounts of the plurality of customer financial accounts and present the subset to the customer. 79. The system of claim 78 wherein the processor is operative to select a subset of accounts including financial accounts that the seller / claimer can accept. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein the processor is operative to split payments for one transaction of one or more financial accounts if one or more financial accounts are selected. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein said processor is operative to select an order in which one or more financial accounts are presented to a customer before said financial account information is presented to a customer. 79. The processor of claim 78, wherein the processor is operative to encrypt the selected customer financial account information prior to providing it to the seller / claimer or payment processor and to encrypt or trunk the financial account information before presenting the financial account information to a customer. Payment promotion system. 79. The system of claim 78 wherein the processor is operative to update the financial account information from at least one of the plurality of financial institutions. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein the processor is operable to determine whether a customer is a registered customer and to register the customer if the customer is not yet registered. 88. The system of claim 87 wherein the processor is operative to capture a customer's PIN, IP address or biological measurement as part of the registration. 89. The payment promotion system of claim 88, wherein said biological information includes voice patterns, fingerprints, retinal scans, or handwritten samples. 89. The payment promotion system of claim 88, wherein the processor is operative to compare at least one of the PIN, IP address, and biological measurements with a respective stored database of PINs, IP addresses, or biological measurements. 79. The system of claim 78, wherein the processor is operative to compare a transaction value from the transaction information with an available balance value from the financial account information. 92. The system of claim 91, wherein the processor is operative to present to customers only financial accounts having a separate or combined available funds balance greater than or equal to the transaction value. A system for facilitating payment of a selected one of a plurality of invoices presented to a customer from a customer's financial account, A processor; And A memory storing processing instructions for controlling the processor, The processor, Compiling financial account information of at least one customer from a plurality of financial institutions into a memory; Presenting billing information for each of a plurality of bills to the customer; Receive, from the customer, selection information specifying a specially selected bill to be paid; Retrieve financial account information for the customer from the memory; Present the financial account information to the customer; Operating in accordance with the processing instructions for receiving from the customer selection information specifying a particular account used to pay the selected bill. A system for facilitating payment from a customer's financial account to a seller / claimer or payment processor associated with a seller / claimer via a computer network, A processor; And A memory storing processing instructions for controlling the processor, The processor, Compile the financial account information of at least one customer received from the plurality of financial institutions into a memory; Receive special customer transaction information from the payment server via the computer network and store the transaction information; Retrieve the financial account information of the customer from the memory; Transmit the financial account information from a computer network to a customer; Receive over the computer network a selection by the customer for one or more of the financial accounts and store the selection; And transmit the selected financial account information to the seller / claimer or payment processor associated with the seller / claimer via a computer network. A system for facilitating payments from a customer's financial account to a seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with a seller / claimer, A processor; And A memory storing processing instructions for controlling the processor, The processor, Compiling financial account information of at least one customer received from the plurality of financial institutions into a memory of a payment server; Receive transaction information about a particular customer: Send the transaction information to a payment server and store the transaction information; Retrieve the financial account information of the customer from the memory; Display the financial account information on an interface; Receive a selection by the customer for at least one of the financial accounts and store the selection; And transmit the selected financial account information (s) to the seller / claimer or payment processor associated with the seller / claimer. In a system that facilitates direct bill payment by a customer, A processor; And A memory storing processing instructions for controlling the processor, The processor, Receive and store billing information from the seller / claimer or from a seller payment processor for a particular customer; Retrieve, from the customer database, financial account information of the customer compiled from the plurality of financial institutions; Presenting one or more customer financial accounts using the bill payment interface to the customer; Receive and store a selection by the customer regarding at least one of the financial accounts for payment of the invoice; And provide the selected financial account (s) information to either the seller / claimer or a payment processor associated with the seller / claimer.