Abstract: Under control of an operator of a payment processing network, a bill presentment service is provided, wherein bills received from a plurality of billing entities are made available to a plurality of consuming entities. The operator also provides at least a portion of a bill payment service wherein the consuming entities are afforded an option of paying the bills from the plurality of billing entities. The operator stores, in a database, registration and preference data pertaining to each of the plurality of consuming entities. At least portion of the registration and preference data includes payment preference data specifying how a given one of the consuming entities wishes to pay at least two of the billing entities. The given one of the consuming entities is afforded an option to pay the at least two of the billing entities with a single command, in accordance with the payment preference data.

Abstract: Under control of an operator of a payment processing network, a bill presentment service is provided, wherein bills received from a plurality of billing entities are made available to a plurality of consuming entities. The operator also provides at least a portion of a bill payment service wherein the consuming entities are afforded an option of paying the bills from the plurality of billing entities. The operator stores, in a database, registration and preference data pertaining to each of the plurality of consuming entities. At least portion of the registration and preference data includes payment preference data specifying how a given one of the consuming entities wishes to pay at least two of the billing entities. The given one of the consuming entities is afforded an option to pay the at least two of the billing entities with a single command, in accordance with the payment preference data.

Abstract: A bill presentment service, wherein bills received from a plurality of billing entities are made available to a plurality of consuming entities via a plurality of consuming entity service providers, is provided under control of an operator of a payment processing network. Registration and preference data pertaining to each of the plurality of consuming entities are stored in a database, accessible to the operator of the payment processing network. A given one of the consuming entities which has switched from a first one of the consuming entity service providers to a second one of the consuming entity service providers is allowed to access the bill presentment service via the first one of the consuming entity service providers, prior to the switching, and via the second one of the consuming entity service providers, subsequent to the switching, using the stored registration and preference data. A subset of the registration and preference data pertains to the given one of the consuming entities.

Abstract: A method for processing a financial transaction such as an electronic bill payment is provided. The method includes receiving an electronic bill payment wherein the bill payment is submitted on behalf of a consumer in response to a bill associated with a biller, determining using a computer system that the received electronic bill payment is an exception payment wherein the exception payment includes the electronic bill payment submitted by the consumer having consumer entered information not matching a criterion for accepting electronic payment required by the biller, creating an exception addenda record for the exception payment using data stored within a database wherein the addenda record identifies the consumer submitting the exception payment, and posting the exception payment to an appropriate consumer account for the biller based on the addenda record.

Abstract: A method for processing an electronic bill payment using a payment computer system coupled to a database. The payment computer includes an optional credit reporting tool. The method comprises receiving bill data representing a bill for payment directed to a consumer wherein the bill is associated with a biller, receiving payment data submitted on behalf of the consumer in response to the bill, determining that the biller is enrolled in the credit reporting tool wherein the biller selects enrollment in the credit reporting tool, comparing the payment data to the bill data, generating a payment record based on the comparison between the payment data and the bill data, and electronically transmitting the payment record to an appropriate credit bureau.

Abstract: A method for processing a financial transaction such as an electronic bill payment is provided. The method includes receiving an electronic bill payment wherein the bill payment is submitted on behalf of a consumer in response to a bill associated with a biller, determining using a computer system that the received electronic bill payment is an exception payment wherein the exception payment includes the electronic bill payment submitted by the consumer having consumer entered information not matching a criterion for accepting electronic payment required by the biller, creating an exception addenda record for the exception payment using data stored within a database wherein the addenda record identifies the consumer submitting the exception payment, and posting the exception payment to an appropriate consumer account for the biller based on the addenda record.

Abstract: A bill presentment service, wherein bills received from a plurality of billing entities are made available to a plurality of consuming entities via a plurality of consuming entity service providers, is provided under control of an operator of a payment processing network. Registration and preference data pertaining to each of the plurality of consuming entities are stored in a database, accessible to the operator of the payment processing network. A given one of the consuming entities which has switched from a first one of the consuming entity service providers to a second one of the consuming entity service providers is allowed to access the bill presentment service via the first one of the consuming entity service providers, prior to the switching, and via the second one of the consuming entity service providers, subsequent to the switching, using the stored registration and preference data. A subset of the registration and preference data pertains to the given one of the consuming entities.

Abstract: A method for processing a financial transaction such as an electronic bill payment is provided. The method includes receiving an electronic bill payment wherein the bill payment is submitted on behalf of a consumer in response to a bill associated with a biller, determining using a computer system that the received electronic bill payment is an exception payment wherein the exception payment includes the electronic bill payment submitted by the consumer having consumer entered information not matching a criterion for accepting electronic payment required by the biller, creating an exception addenda record for the exception payment using data stored within a database wherein the addenda record identifies the consumer submitting the exception payment, and posting the exception payment to an appropriate consumer account for the biller based on the addenda record.

Abstract: A method for processing a financial transaction such as an electronic bill payment is provided. The method includes receiving an electronic bill payment wherein the bill payment is submitted on behalf of a consumer in response to a bill associated with a biller, determining using a computer system that the received electronic bill payment is an exception payment wherein the exception payment includes the electronic bill payment submitted by the consumer having consumer entered information not matching a criterion for accepting electronic payment required by the biller, creating an exception addenda record for the exception payment using data stored within a database wherein the addenda record identifies the consumer submitting the exception payment, and posting the exception payment to an appropriate consumer account for the biller based on the addenda record.