Abstract: A system makes payments from each payer of a community of payers to each vendor of a community of vendors, assesses a variable transaction fee to each vendor, and provides a variable rebate to the payer. The transaction fee is referred to as “variable” because: i) it may be varied amongst vendors (the same payer may use different rates for different vendors); and ii) the rate may be varied amongst payers (the same vendor may be subjected to different rates, based on the particular payer making the payment). The transaction fee may be charged to the vendor by deduction from the payment. Alternatively the transaction fee may be charged to the vendor by deduction from the vendor's account at the time payment is made. The variable rebate is based on the total transaction fee applicable to payments made by the payer over a predetermined period of time. The rebate may be the product of the total transaction fee multiplied by a rebate percentage.

Abstract: A system for making payments from each payer of a community of payers to each vendor of a community of vendors assesses a variable transaction fee to each vendor. The system comprises a database which associates, for each payer, identification a selected rate tier assigned to each vendor. A rate tier assignment application determines an initial rate tier to assign to a vendor by: i) determining an industry sensitivity score, the industry sensitivity score being representative of how sensitive a typical vendor in the same type of business as the vendor is to payment of transaction fees; ii) determining a payer centric spend score; iii) determining a payer centric frequency score; iv) determining a network spend score; and iv) determining a network frequency score. These scores are used to determine an initial rate tier to associate with the vendor.

Abstract: A payment system executes payments from payers to vendors. An unattended interface system automates the uploading of payments file from each payer to the system. A web services transfer server performs the unattended transfer. Steps of a payment server generating an electronic funds transfer file with a group of fund transfer records for each payment represented by a record of the payment file. After the electronic funds transfer file is complete, the steps further comprise transferring the electronic fund transfer file to an electronic payment network for execution. Remittance records are transferred to the vendor utilizing an unattended transfer executed by the web services transfer server.

Abstract: A system makes payments from a payer to a vendor and assesses a variable transaction fee to the vendor. The system comprises a database which associates, for each of a community of payers, identification a rate tier assigned to each vendor to which the payer makes payment. A tier assignment application determines a tier to assign to a vendor by determining: i) an industry sensitivity score based on the type of business the vendor operates; ii) a payer centric spend score; iii) a payer centric frequency score; iv) a network spend score; and iv) a network frequency score. The tier assigned to the vendor is a function of these scores. A payment application, when making payment from the payer to the vendor, determines a transaction fee to apply to the payment by multiplying the payment amount by a transaction rate associated with the tier assigned to the vendor.

Abstract: A system includes an invoice application which, in response to a report request comprising access credentials of a connecting vendor, obtains a list of the vendor's open invoices from a database and generates a report document. The report document comprises a group of horizontal rows, each row representing a unique one of the vendor's invoices. Each row comprises an invoice identifier and a multi-segment status control. The status control comprises a group of segments within the horizontal row, with each segment representing a unique one of the steps the buyer performs to approve and pay the invoice. Each segment is a first color if the segment represents a processing step that the buyer has not yet performed and a second color if the segment represents a processing step that the buyer has completed.

Abstract: A system for making payments from each payer of a community of payers to each vendor of a community of vendors assesses a variable transaction fee to each vendor. The system comprises a database which associates, for each payer, identification a selected rate tier assigned to each vendor. A rate tier assignment application determines an initial rate tier to assign to a vendor by: i) determining an industry sensitivity score, the industry sensitivity score being representative of how sensitive a typical vendor in the same type of business as the vendor is to payment of transaction fees; ii) determining a payer centric spend score; iii) determining a payer centric frequency score; iv) determining a network spend score; and iv) determining a network frequency score. These scores are used to determine an initial rate tier to associate with the vendor.

Abstract: A payment system making payments from each payer of a community of payers to each vendor of a community of vendors. The payers are grouped into mutually exclusive sub groups, each being associated with one of a group of participating banks. Upon receipt of a payment instruction file from a bank, including instructions for executing payments from payers in the subgroup associated with the bank to various vendors, the system: i) obtains authorization of a funding amount for each payer; ii) provides a transaction to transfer the funding amount from the payer's account to a pooling account held by the originating bank; and iii) after receipt of the funding amount in the pooling account, provides an EFT file for payment of the vendors. Multiple banks are supported. The vendors are not associated with any particular bank.

Abstract: A system for facilitating on-boarding of target vendors to an electronic payment system comprises a vendor community database with a group of target vendor records, each associated with identification of one or more payers. In association with each payer is identification of a payer aggregate spend value and a target transaction fee rate. The target transaction fee rate may be a fractional value which, when multiplied by the payer spend value, yields an aggregate transaction fee. Machine readable instructions determine, for each target vendor, a target vendor priority value as a function of the aggregate spend value for all payers and the transaction fee rate of each customer payer. The machine readable instructions further comprise generating a target vendor report which includes identification of each target vendor and, in association with the identification of the target vendor, the target vendor priority value.

Abstract: A system makes payments from a community of payers to a community of vendors, assesses a transaction fee to the vendor on each payment, and provides a level of service to each vendor based on aggregate transaction fees. The system determines a transaction fee for each payment by looking up a fee rate applicable to payments from the payer to the vendor and multiplying the payment amount by the fee rate. Each vendor is assigned to a service tier based on aggregate transaction fees charged over a period of time. If the aggregate transaction fee is lower than a threshold, the vendor is assigned to tier one. If the aggregate transaction fee is greater then the threshold and less than a second threshold, the vendor is assigned to tier two. If the aggregate transaction fee is greater than the second threshold, the vendor is assigned to tier three.

Abstract: A system for making payments from each payer of a community of payers to each supplier of a community of suppliers assesses a variable transaction fee to each supplier. The system comprises a database which associates, for each payer, identification of a group of transaction rates to apply to payments made by the payer. Associated with each transaction rate is a subgroup of suppliers to which the transaction rate applies on payments made by the payer. In response to receiving a payment instruction, a payment application generates a credit transaction to the account of the supplier in the amount of the payment less a transaction fee. The transaction fee is the amount of the first payment multiplied by the transaction rate, of the group of transaction rates associated with the payer, that associates with the subgroup of suppliers to which the first supplier is associated.

Abstract: A system makes payments to vendors, including providing early pay financing of vendor's invoice in a multicurrency environment. Each invoice specifies a transaction currency. At least one of the transaction currency, a payer funding currency, the vendor remittance currency, and the finance currency is of a different currency denomination than the other two. A financier funding amount is the net payment converted to the financier currency at a market exchange rate plus a margin. A vendor resulting remittance is the net payment converted to the vendor remittance currency at a market exchange rate plus a margin. Early payment includes receiving, in a settlement account denominated in the financer currency, the financer funding amount and generating a payment of the resulting remittance amount to a vendor remittance account from a settlement account denominated in the vendor remittance currency.

Abstract: A system for marketing, to a prospective payer, a system which automates payments to enrolled vendors. The system comprises a vendor history file received from the prospective payer which associates identifying attributes and annual spend value with each target vendor to which the payer makes payments. Marketing instructions include, for each target vendor, determining a rebate potential by: i) using the identifying attributes to determine a industry code to associate with the target vendor; ii) using the industry code to look up a sensitivity rating; iii) calculating a transaction fee rate as a function of the sensitivity rating; and iv) calculating rebate potential as the product of the spend value multiplied by the transaction fee rate. An onboard report includes identification of the prospective payer and in association with the identification of the prospective payer, the rebate potential.

Abstract: A system makes payments from each payer of a community of payers to each vendor of a community of vendors, assesses a variable transaction fee to each vendor, and provides a variable rebate to each payer. The transaction fee is “variable” because it may be varied: i) amongst vendors (the same payer may use different fee rates for different vendors); and ii) amongst payers (the same vendor may be subjected to different rates, based on the payer making the payment). The variable rebate is based on the total transaction fee applicable to payments made by the payer during a period of time. The rebate may be the sum of: i) the product of the total transaction fee multiplied by a base rebate percentage; and ii) the product of that portion of the total transaction fee in excess of an accelerator threshold multiplied by an accelerated rebate percentage.

Abstract: A payment system executes payments from payers to vendors. An unattended interface system automates the uploading of payments file from each payer to the system. A web services transfer server performs the unattended transfer. Steps of a payment server generating an electronic funds transfer file with a group of fund transfer records for each payment represented by a record of the payment file. After the electronic funds transfer file is complete, the steps further comprise transferring the electronic fund transfer file to an electronic payment network for execution. Remittance records are transferred to the vendor utilizing an unattended transfer executed by the web services transfer server.