Abstract: Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for electronic billing activation are provided. A request on behalf of a payer to activate electronic billing from a biller for the payer is received by a first electronic financial service provider (EFSP) that supports a first of a plurality of electronic financial service networks (EFSNs) from a second EFSP that supports a second of the plurality of EFSNs. Each of the plurality of EFSNs includes a respective plurality of billers or payers, and the biller is associated with the first EFSN and not associated with the second EFSN, while the payer is not associated with the first EFSN. In response to the received request, activation confirmation information is transmitted by the first EFSP to the second EFSP. The electronic billing activation enables subsequent electronic transmission of a bill from the biller for the payer.

Abstract: Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method, system, and article of manufacture for providing payment services on a network. Information identifying a network user is received. The network user is assigned a payer status. A request to make a payment to a payee on behalf of the network user is received. If a first payer status is assigned to the network user, the payment will be made no matter the identity of the payee. If a second payer status is assigned to the network user, the payment will only be made if the payee is one of a group of payees that is not determined by the network user. With the second payer status, the network user can only direct payments to the group of payees. The payer status can be changed from one payer status to another payer status.

Abstract: Methods and systems for servicing requests made from any of multiple user interfaces associated with a user are provided. A request from one of the plurality of user interfaces is received. Information associated with each of the plurality of user interfaces is retrieved, and based upon the retrieved information and the received request, a set of features to be included in a user presentation is selected. The user presentation is then generated based on the selected set of features, and transmitted to the user interface from which the request was received.

Abstract: A method and system for electronic billing across unassociated electronic bill presentment networks is provided. Each network includes a billing service provider. A request to receive an electronic bill from a biller not associated with a first network is received by a first billing service provider. A request to determine a network with which the biller is associated is transmitted by the first billing service provider. In response to this determination request, information indicating that the biller is associated with a second network is received. An activation instruction to receive electronic bills is transmitted from the first billing service provider to a second billing service provider which is a part of the network with which the biller is associated.

Abstract: A technique for making a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor is provided. A payment service provider receives a payment request from a payor requesting the service provider to make a payment to a payee on behalf of the payor. The service provider then transmits pre-posting information to the payee prior to making the payment. The pre-posting information informs the payee that the service provider will be making a payment to the payee on behalf of the payor. Whenever the service provider makes the payment to the payee, the service provider also issues remittance advice associated with the payment to the payee.

Abstract: Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

Abstract: Systems and methods for monitoring the viewing of supplemental information associated with an electronic billing transaction where both bill information associated with a bill and forced-to-view information is transmitted ultimately to a payor. The forced-to-view information is associated with supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before a payor can pay the bill through a service provider. When the forced to view information is selected, a request for the supplemental information is received, and the supplemental information is transmitted in response to the request. An indicator is stored in association with the payor that the payor has viewed the supplemental information. A message is created that the supplemental information has been accessed by the payor, and the message is transmitted to the service provider enabling acceptance of payment of the bill.

Abstract: Methods according to the invention include accepting e-check data input from a payer, parsing the data to determine the bank routing number and the ostensible checking account number, determining the correct number of checking account digits based on the bank routing number, determining whether the ostensible checking account number has the correct number of digits, and prompting the payer to re-enter the checking account number with the correct number of digits if necessary. In addition, the methods include automatically pre-pending and/or appending zero digits where necessary to correct the number of digits in the checking account number. In cases where the payer includes the check number as part of the account number, the methods include removing the check number from the account number by prompting the payer to enter the check number so that it can be deleted from the account number.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and system for making inter-network payments. A payment request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received. A first payment service provider receives this request. The payment is directed to a payee that is associated with a second payment service provider. The first payment service provider determines the identity of the second payment service provider and transmits a payment instruction to the second payment service provider to complete the payment.

Abstract: A technique for making a payment for a payor is provided. The technique includes receiving a request to make a payment to a payee for a payor. This request is processed to select a mode to electronically credit the payee. After the mode is selected an electronic credit is directed to the payee in the selected mode. A debit is also directed from a deposit account associated with the payor.

Abstract: A technique for confirming an association between a deposit account and an account holder is provided. The technique includes receiving information identifying the deposit account and identifying the account holder. Other information associated with multiple deposit accounts, each maintained at one of multiple financial institutions, is accessed. The received information and the accessed information are then processed to authenticate the association between the account holder and the deposit account.

Abstract: A technique for making a payment for a payor is provided. The technique includes receiving a request to make a payment to a payee for the payor. An account identifier which is associated with a deposit account belonging to the payee is identified based upon processing of the received payment request. The account identifier is not a deposit account number assigned to the deposit account by the financial institution at which the deposit account is maintained. A payment is then directed to the payee's deposit account utilizing the identified account identifier.

Abstract: A technique is provided for paying bills electronically using data generated by any of multiple accounting software packages. The data generated by each accounting software package has a different structure. Respective rules associated with each accounting software package are stored. Structured data including data corresponding to a payee name, a payee address, an invoice number and an invoice amount generated by one of the accounting software packages is received. The data corresponding to the payee name, the payee address, the invoice number and the invoice amount is extracted from the received structured data by applying only the respective rules associated with the applicable accounting software package.

Abstract: A method, system and article of manufacture for processing bill payment information. Information identifying a payee is processed. The information is information identifying a payee to whom a payer intends to electronically direct payment. The processing determines if bills of the payee are available electronically. If the bills of the payee are available electronically, a notice is transmitted to the payer informing the payer that the bills from the payee are available electronically.

Abstract: A remittance payment method and system which receives a payor's account number with a payee, transforming it into an altered account number according to alteration rules previously stored in a merchant's database.