FI124402B - Billing method and system in communication network - Google Patents

Description

BILLING METHOD AND SYSTEM IN COMMUNICATION NETWORK FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a billing method and system in a communication network comprising a user terminal used by a user, a vendor having a service web page offering paid service products, and a service provider.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

E-commerce, commonly known as e-commerce or e-business, consists of selling and buying products or services through electronic systems such as the Internet and other computer and communications networks. Exceptionally, the volume of e-commerce has increased with the widespread use of the Internet. The use of such trading leads to innovations in electronic money transfer, supply chain management, Internet marketing, real-time transaction processing, electronic data interchange (EDI), inventory management systems and automated data collection systems.

Modern e-commerce typically uses the World Wide Web at least at some point in the life cycle of an event, although it may cover a wider range of technologies, including email.

E-commerce can be conducted between businesses and consumers. This is the type of e-commerce practiced by companies such as Amazon.corn. Online shopping is a form of e-commerce where the buyer is directly connected online to the seller's computer, usually via the Internet. The sale and purchase transaction is done electronically and interactively in real time, as in Amazon.corn for new books.

E-commerce (e-commerce) also consists of the exchange of data to facilitate the financial and payment aspects of business transactions.

Over the years, credit cards have become one of the most common forms of payment for e-commerce transactions. Due to the widespread use of credit and debit cards, it would be difficult for an online merchant to operate without their support.

However, many consumers are concerned about the use of their credit and debit cards due to the perceived increased risk of scams over the Internet. While online shopping is increasingly considered safe, many people still do not shop online because they do not trust online payment systems.

The e-commerce payment system facilitates the acceptance of electronic payment for online transactions. E-commerce payment systems have become increasingly popular due to the widespread use of Internet-based shopping and banking.

In addition to the traditional credit card systems mentioned above, online merchants have access to a variety of payment systems, such as debit and debit cards, and new technologies such as digital wallets, e-money, mobile payment and electronic checks.

Another form of payment system allows a third party to execute an online transaction. These companies are called Payment Service Providers (PSPs), of which PayPal or WorldPay are good examples.

The use of smart cards has also become extremely popular. A smart card is similar to a credit card; but it does include a built-in 8-bit microprocessor and uses electronic money that is transferred from the consumer card to the seller's device.

There are companies that allow financial transactions to take place over the Internet, such as PayPal.

Many brokers allow consumers to set up an account quickly and transfer funds to their online accounts from a traditional bank account and vice versa, after verifying the consumer's identity and authorization to access such bank accounts.

The Payment Service Provider (PSP) provides merchants with online services for accepting electronic payments made through a variety of payment methods, including credit card, bank-based payments such as direct debit, wire transfer, and online banking.

Typically, the PSP can communicate with many receiving banks, card and payment networks. In many cases, these technical connections, external network connections, and bank accounts are fully managed by PSP. This makes the trader less dependent on financial institutions and frees him from the task of establishing these links directly - especially when operating internationally.

Some online service providers offer their customers the opportunity to pay for their services and products through their own bank during the purchase process. This means that consumers can purchase services and products directly from the Internet (or any other network). In such solutions, the functionality of the service will otherwise look the same as when paying with a credit card, but when paying for a product on a seller's website, the consumer will be directed or clicked on his bank's website to pay for the product or service. Once the payment has been made, the seller will receive an online receipt and, as a result of the approved payment, the consumer will be able to use the service or product online, eg from the Internet.

This type of transaction process consists of filling out the order form on the website with the order confirmation from the seller when they want to buy the service or product. In this context, the consumer may opt for a direct debit banking service. Payment information goes to the bank and the consumer pays for the service on the bank's website in the normal way they pay their bills through the bank. In other words, the consumer is identified by a user account, password and a one-time password or PIN code sent in advance by the bank to the customer. In addition, the payment will be confirmed by an additional verification code. Depending on the due date for the payment, the money will be transferred either immediately or at a later date. Virtually all services require immediate payment. The actual payment is made by the bank's own bank transfers.

The seller can use this trading method as long as there is an agreement between one or more selected banks and the seller has the seller codes for identification. However, for the seller, it is difficult to set up contracts and accounts separately for each of the different banks used by customers.

There are other disadvantages for the customer, which is why this process has not become very common.

First, the customer must have an account and usernames for the specific bank used by the seller. Second, IDs must be available when using or purchasing a service or product. One major disadvantage is the lack of cross-payment, as the seller must have an account with the same bank.

Other disadvantages are that the invoice / receipt is not very easy to archive, the transaction has to be done immediately and the bank charges for this cooperation are considerable.

Some vendors may offer a customized billing option that allows consumers to receive an invoice in their email or print it from a web browser. However, such a billing option is offered only in a non-structured form, without being able to be integrated into the payment.

Here are some prior art payment systems for services purchased over the Internet.

WO 2010079216 provides a method for processing payment authorization requests for payment transactions through a telecommunications network. Authorization requests are created through a variety of e-commerce systems as a result of orders from financial account owners, and financial account holders have accounts with a number of different issuing banks. Embodiments of the invention provide means for identifying an issuing bank among a plurality of issuing banks as a bank to be used in a given transaction, and facilitate the user to identify, in real time, a specific bank account to be used to hold funds for that transaction.

WO 01/059627 discloses an Internet payment system that includes a participating merchant server that supports websites that present product or service offerings in response to requests from a user's device using a communication device and a browser. The merchant's server interacts with the user and allows the user to select a payment method, which may be a transfer link. Also participating is a financial institution where the user has an account. The Internet payment system also includes a transfer server to which both the user and the merchant server are connected. The merchant's server transfers data to the transfer server. The transfer server transfers user feeds directly to the financial server to authorize the offer payment to the seller without saving the feeds. This solution allows the user to authorize the payment of funds from his financial institution to the seller of goods or services, without his own financial institution transferring confidential financial information to any source. This is accomplished by establishing a network connection that links the user directly to a financial institution in the event of a seller's payment order.

U.S. Patent No. 5,983,208 relates to secure electronic payment in exchange for goods and services purchased through a communications network, and more particularly, to a system, method, and product or preparation for securely transmitting payment information from a customer to a payment gateway and returning authentication, including credit, to a merchant; payment information.

An object of the invention is to provide a better solution for billing services and products on the Internet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a billing method and system in the communication network according to the main claims. The communications network comprises a user access terminal, a vendor having a service web page offering one or more paid service products, and a service provider. The method comprises the steps of selecting a service product from the vendor's web site by the access terminal, transmitting payment information for billing to the service provider through the access terminal, and creating and sending an invoice to the service terminal by the service provider.

Preferred embodiments of the invention have the features of the subclaims.

In one such preferred embodiment, the communication network comprises means for making credit decisions based on the credit information of the user terminal user. Said means for making credit decisions checks the credit information of the user and makes a credit decision.

Key payment information consists of the amount payable, the payee's account number, the reference number, the due date, and some customer identifier. The invoice contains this same information and may also include additional information about the product / service you have purchased, if provided by the seller.

The invoice is first created in a structured format using a service provider interface through which payment information is received, processed and stored in a structured format. The structured invoice is first converted to a visualized format (such as jpeg or pdf) to be sent to the user terminal.

The invoice is then stored in the user's personal database, which the user has access to. The user can use the database to store other electronic documents and to store the status of stored invoices. In some embodiments, bill payment information may be automatically updated in the database.

The invention provides a solution for billing consumers which is integrated with Internet services as part of it. In the invention, information about the payment transactions resulting from these Internet services can be sent to the service provider, preferably using the HTTP protocol. Based on this information, the service provider generates an invoice which can be forwarded electronically. Such an invoice can be paid at any bank and also in other ways. The invoice is automatically archived in the database. The invention can be used by Internet vendors, who consider the Internet service to be available to customers as one possible way to purchase the Internet service, and can be used alongside many other payment methods for the Internet service.

The solution of the invention enables the sellers a new way of operating.

Another very advantageous aspect of the invention is the user archive integrated in the system of the invention. The invoice can be filed in the archive electronically and thus the requirement of keeping such documents, for example according to Finnish law, can be fulfilled.

In other words, the personal electronic user archive is thus integrated into the system of the invention. This is different, for example, from banks' databases where invoices are stored based on their bank account number. This archive also allows you to manage invoice status information.

The system of the invention is independent of the bank and the method of payment. Payment can be made by bank transfer, credit card or any other method of transferring money to the seller's account.

The invention provides the ability to transfer payment data to any payment service by providing a virtual barcode which can be copied and combined (i.e. pasted) electronically. Thus, the user does not have to enter data for manual payment.

Another integrated solution provided by the invention is the transfer of payment data to a selected payment service. Automatic payment of invoices can also be linked to the service.

The invention will now be described, by way of some preferred embodiments, by means of figures. The invention is not limited to the details of these embodiments.

PATTERNING

Figure 1 is a structural view in which the invention can be implemented Figure 2 is a signal diagram of an exemplary embodiment of the invention

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Fig. 1 is a structural view of a communication network in which the invention may be implemented. The user uses an access terminal 1 which is connected to a network, such as the Internet 6, through which requests for products offered through websites maintained by different vendors connected to the network can be made, for example. One such seller is illustrated by reference numeral 2 in Figure 1. Reference numeral 3 is a credit bureau that operates in some embodiments, such as Figure 1, in collaboration with the seller.

The credit bureau could also be in contact with a service provider other than the seller and / or be an independent service provider. Although the link between the seller and the credit information agency is preferably an Internet connection, it is indicated in Figure 1 directly between the two parties to demonstrate that they work together.

Yet another solution is for the service provider to be instructed by the lender (new party) to request credit information. In this case, the lender would make a credit request. This would mean, therefore, that the creditor would give credit against the invoice (if the credit information is acceptable) and the seller would receive the money immediately.

Reference numeral 4 is a billing service provider preferably communicating via the Internet with vendor 2 and user terminal 1. Service provider 4 has means for generating and sending invoices to user terminals on the basis of information sent to it. Service provider 4 maintains a database 5 for archiving invoices created.

In preferred embodiments, the user has direct access to the repository 5. The connection is preferably via the Internet but the connection between the two parties is indicated in Figure 1 again directly to demonstrate that the stock 5 is not freely available to anyone on the Internet scrollable available.

As used herein, the term includes all types of communication networks, such as telecommunications networks, computer networks, and data networks. A telecommunications network is a set of terminals, links, and nodes that communicate with each other to enable communication between terminal users. Each terminal on the network must have a unique address in order to route messages or connections to the correct recipients. A computer network, an example of a telecommunications network, often simply referred to as a network, is a set of computers and devices connected by communication channels that facilitate communication between users and allow users to share resources with other users. Computer networks can be categorized according to the hardware and software technology used to interconnect individual devices on the network.

Figure 2 is a signal diagram of an embodiment of the invention. In connection with signal 1, the user, through his access terminal, requests from the seller a service web page which is displayed on the access terminal screen, which is indicated by signal 2. The access terminal may be any terminal having an Internet connection such as a personal computer (PC) or mobile station.

In connection with signal 3, the user selects from the operator terminal the service product web page and the method of purchasing the service product. In particular, when a user selects a payment method that will result in an invoice being sent to him, the user must somehow be identified. Authentication is accomplished by any known method using an electronic identification means that is sufficiently valid for the purpose, e.g., bank identifiers previously received from the user by the bank. Other identification options include a chip ID or a password associated with a password.

There may be a plurality of round-trip signals when the user selects the product or service to be purchased, the payment method and the user identification, but all of these signals are indicated in Figure 2 by a single signal 3 for clarity.

When the seller has received information about signal 3 that the user has selected a payment method that requires him to send an invoice and who the user is, the seller checks the user's credit information by contacting a credit bureau for signals 4 and 5.

For the purposes of this text, a credit information agency, also known as a "credit bureau" (US) or "credit reference agency" (UK), is a company that collects information from various sources and provides individual consumer credit information for different purposes. It is an organization that provides information on how people borrow and pay their bills. This helps lenders assess their creditworthiness, ability to repay the loan, and it can affect the terms of the loan. The resulting information is made available on request to clients of the credit bureau for credit risk assessment purposes and can be used to assess the firm's likelihood of paying creditors. Credit bureaus play an important role in the data collection process. Thanks to these efforts, accurate and timely credit decisions can now be made in minutes instead of hours or days.

If signal 5 indicates that the user is trustworthy by the credit bureau, the payment information that enables the billing service provider to create an invoice for the user is automatically sent via the access terminal for transmission to the billing service provider in connection with signals 6 and 7.

The payment information, consisting of the due date, the amount payable, the payee's account number, the reference number and the user ID, is transmitted to the service provider via an interface through which the payment information is converted into a structured application maintained by the interface. Payment information is now in a structured format, from which the service provider converts to a format that results in an invoice in a visualized format (for example, pdf or jpeg). Other visualized forms are, of course, possible. Figure 2 shows step 8 of creating an invoice based on payment information and consisting of said steps of converting payment information into a structured format and converting it to a visualized invoice format.

The service provider then sends an invoice to the access terminal in connection with signal 9.

As an optional part of the invention, the service provider may maintain a database for archiving created invoices. In the example of Figure 2, the service provider archives that invoice in connection with signal 10.

The database archive may have been created as a personal archive of the user, to which the user has access and to which the user can store other invoices and electronic documents. The user can manage his or her invoices with this archive, and enter and keep records of invoices received, paid invoices, and delete invoices from the archive. The connection is indicated by signal 11 in Figure 2.

As another optional part of the invention, the archive may be an integral part of the payment billing and payment facility management process in an automated manner. When a user pays an invoice through the Internet Banking channel through which he or she was identified for billing purposes, the payment information is transferred to the archive in connection with such a solution and the status of the paid invoice can be viewed from the archive.

Claims (20)

A billing method in a communication network comprising a user access terminal (1), a vendor (2) having a service network providing a paid service product, and a service provider (4), the method comprising the steps of: a) selecting a service product and payment method from the seller (1); 2) from the web site, b) the seller (2) sends payment information to the service provider via billing terminal (1) for billing purposes, c) the service provider (4) creates an invoice based on said payment information and sends the bill to payment terminal e (1). A method according to claim 1, characterized by identifying the user after step a). Method according to claim 1, characterized in that the communication network comprises means for making credit decisions based on the credit information of the user of the user terminal (1), said means for credit decision verifying the credit information of the user and making the credit decision after identifying the user after step a). Method according to claim 1, 2 or 3, characterized in that the payment information consists of the due date, the amount to be paid, the payee's account number, the reference number and the user identifier. Method according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, characterized in that step c) generates a structured invoice by means of payment information received by the service provider (4) via an interface allowing processing and storage of payment information in a structured format. Method according to claim 5, characterized in that the structured invoice is converted into a visual form to be transmitted to the user terminal (1). Method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 or 6, characterized in that the invoice contains the amount payable, the payee's account number, the user ID, the reference number and the due date. Method according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7, characterized in that the invoice is stored in the user's personal database (5). Method according to Claim 8, characterized in that the user having access to the database (5) can use the database (5) for storing other electronic documents and for storing status information on stored invoices. Method according to Claim 8, characterized in that the information concerning the payment of invoices is automatically updated in the database (5). A billing system in a communication network comprising: a) a user-operated access terminal (1) having means for selecting a service product via an access terminal (1) from a vendor's web site, b) a vendor (2) having a service web site providing a paid service product and sending payment information via the access terminal (1) service provider (4), c) service provider (4) having means for generating and sending an invoice to the access terminal (1). System according to claim 11, characterized in that the service provider (4) has an interface for receiving payment information and processing it in a structured and visualized format. A system according to claim 11 or 12, further characterized by means for making credit decisions based on the credit history of the user of the access terminal (1) and checking credit information of the user. System according to claim 13, characterized in that the means for making credit decisions is a separate credit information office (3) in the communication network. System according to claim 11, 12, 13 or 14, further characterized by a database (5) in which the service provider (4) stores invoices. A system according to claim 15, characterized by a means for storing invoices in a database (5). System according to Claim 15 or 16, characterized in that the database (5) contains status information relating to user invoices. The system of claim 17, characterized by a means for automatically updating the database (5) with payment information relating to invoices. System according to claim 15, 16, 17 or 18, characterized by a link between the user terminal and the database (5). System according to claim 15, 16, 17, 18 or 19, characterized by a link between the vendor and the database (5).