Abstract: A method of verifying authority of a customer to use a financial instrument, includes initiating one or more transactions using a financial instrument identified by a customer. One or more attributes of the initiated one or more transactions are stored. A determination is made as to whether or not a further financial transaction using the identified financial instrument, requested by the customer prior to acceptance of the use of the financial instrument, complies with pre-acceptance transaction rules. The further transaction is initiated only if it is determined to comply with the pre-acceptance transaction rules. One or more proffered attributes are received, typically from the customer. The received proffered attributes are compared to the stored attributes. Use of the financial instrument by the customer is then accepted if the received proffered attributes correspond to the stored attributes.

Abstract: A method of verifying authority of a customer to use a financial instrument, includes initiating one or more transactions using a financial instrument identified by a customer. One or more attributes of the initiated one or more transactions are stored. A determination is made as to whether or not a further financial transaction using the identified financial instrument, requested by the customer prior to acceptance of the use of the financial instrument, complies with pre-acceptance transaction rules. The further transaction is initiated only if it is determined to comply with the pre-acceptance transaction rules. One or more proffered attributes are received, typically from the customer. The received proffered attributes are compared to the stored attributes. Use of the financial instrument by the customer is then accepted if the received proffered attributes correspond to the stored attributes.

Abstract: A payment service provider receives a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor and determines, responsive to the received request, that the payee will not accept the requested payment via a charge to a credit card account of the payor with a credit card issuer. The payor wishes to fund the requested payment from the credit card account. Accordingly, the payment service provider transmits, to the credit card issuer, account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the requested payment for inclusion in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account. However, the payment service provider directs the requested payment to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account.

Abstract: A payment service provider receives a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor and determines, responsive to the received request, that the payee will not accept the requested payment via a charge to a credit card account of the payor with a credit card issuer. The payor wishes to fund the requested payment from the credit card account. Accordingly, the payment service provider transmits, to the credit card issuer, account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the requested payment for inclusion in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account. However, the payment service provider directs the requested payment to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account.

Abstract: A payment service provider receives a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor and determines, responsive to the received request, that the payee will not accept the requested payment via a charge to a credit card account of the payor with a credit card issuer. The payor wishes to fund the requested payment from the credit card account. Accordingly, the payment service provider transmits, to the credit card issuer, account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the requested payment for inclusion in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account. However, the payment service provider directs the requested payment to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account.

Abstract: A technique for identifying electronic billers of a consumer whose bills are available by electronic presentment is provided. A request to identify electronic billers of the consumer is received. This request includes information that identifies the consumer, but excludes any information identifying any biller, electronic or not, of the consumer. From this information that does not identify any biller of the consumer, one more candidate electronic billers of the consumer are identified. Then, a positive determination is made that at least one of these candidate electronic billers is definitely an electronic biller of the consumer. Thus, electronic billers of the consumer are identified without the consumer identifying any biller.

Abstract: A technique for identifying a consumer's electronic billers in which the consumer does not identify billers is provided. The consumer transmits, from a consumer station, a request for a service provider to identify his or her electronic billers. This request includes information identifying the consumer, but excludes any information identifying any biller. In response to the transmitted request, the consumer receives, at the consumer station, a listing of one or more electronic billers of the consumer. That is, these are electronic billers with which the consumer has a relationship. Also, the consumer has not previously requested to the service provider to electronically present bills of any of the electronic billers included in the listing.

Abstract: A payment service provider receives a request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor and determines, responsive to the received request, that the payee will not accept the requested payment via a charge to a credit card account of the payor with a credit card issuer. The payor wishes to fund the requested payment from the credit card account. Accordingly, the payment service provider transmits, to the credit card issuer, account information identifying the credit card account and payment information representing the requested payment for inclusion in a credit card statement of the credit card issuer to the payor for the credit card account. However, the payment service provider directs the requested payment to the payee on behalf of the payor from a payment account other than the credit card account.

Abstract: A payment service provider can direct a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor having a credit card issued by a credit card issuer, even if the payee does not accept the payor credit card for payment. The service provider receives a request to direct a payment to a payee on behalf of the payor. Payment information associated with the received payment request is transmitted from the service provider to the credit card issuer via other than a credit card network. The payment information includes information identifying at least a payment amount and an account identifier associated with the payor credit card. The service provider receives, via other than a credit card network, funds from the credit card issuer responsive to the transmitted payment information, and directs delivery of funds in the identified payment amount to the payee to complete the payment on behalf of the payor.

Abstract: A technique for directing a credit card based payment to a payee for a payor having a credit card issued by a credit card issuer is provided. A request for a payment service provider to make a payment to the payee on behalf of the payor is received. Payment information associated with the payment request is sent to the credit card issuer. The information is not sent via a credit card network. The credit card issuer then sends funds to the payment service provider in response to the sent payment information. These funds are not sent via a credit card network. The payment service provider delivers funds to the payee, not the credit card issuer.

Abstract: A technique for activating electronic presentment of bills for a consumer by an electronic bill presentment service provider is provided. The service provider activates electronic presentment of bills of a first biller for a consumer. As a part of this activation, the service provider stores information identifying the consumer that is required for activation of electronic billing from the first biller. In a subsequent activation of electronic presentment of bills of a second biller for the consumer, the service provider determines that the stored consumer identifying information is necessary to activate electronic bill presentment of bills of the second biller. The service provider, instead of requesting the consumer to supply this information, retrieves the stored consumer identifying information an uses it in the activation relating to electronic presentment of bills of the second biller.

Abstract: A technique for electronically presenting a bill of a biller to a customer of the biller based upon stored service provider information associated with the service provider making payments on behalf of a plurality of customers of the service provider is provided. The service provider receives biller information identifying a plurality of customers of the biller. The service provider then accesses the stored service provider information based upon the received biller information. A determination, based upon the accessing of the service provider information, is made that at least a first one of the customers of the service provider is eligible to receive electronic presentment of bills of the biller. Thereinafter, a bill of the biller is electronically presented to at least the first customer without the first customer having requested to receive electronic bills.

Abstract: A technique for debiting a payor's funding account by a payment service provider is provided. The payor is not a customer of the payment service provider. The service provider receives, from a payee, a payment request to make a payment to the payee on behalf of the payor. This payment request includes an authorization to debit the payor's funding account, but does not include any information identifying the payor's funding account. Also, the payor's funding account is unknown to both the payment service provider and the payee. Using the authorization, the payment service provider obtains information associated with the payor's funding account from a central data repository. After obtaining the funding account information the payment service provider debits the payor's funding account, utilizing the obtained information, in making the payment to the payee on behalf of the payor.

Abstract: A for identifying billers having bills available for electronic presentment for a consumer without sharing personal information of the consumer and personal information of customers of an electronic biller is provided. Consumer identifying information is transformed into a unique consumer value that does not reveal the consumer identity information. Customer identifying information is transformed into a unique customer value that does not reveal the customer identity information. The two values are compared, and if the values match, the consumer is a customer of the electronic biller.

Abstract: A technique for identifying a consumer's electronic billers in which the consumer does not identify billers is provided. The consumer transmits, from a consumer network station, a request for an electronic billing service provider to identify his or her electronic billers. This request includes information identifying the consumer, but excludes any information identifying any biller. Upon receipt of the request the service provider transmits, from a service provider network station, information identifying the consumer to an electronic biller. The electronic biller, after receiving the information identifying the consumer, determines that the consumer is a customer of the electronic biller. The electronic biller then transmits, from an electronic biller network station, information indicating that the consumer can electronically receive bills of the electronic biller. This information is transmitted to the consumer network station.

Abstract: A technique for tailoring electronic commerce user interfaces for a consumer dependent upon from which of multiple electronic commerce sites the consumer requests access to an electronic commerce service is provided. A first consumer request for an electronic commerce service is received by an electronic commerce service provider from a first site. This first request includes both a consumer identifier and a site identifier. The identity of a first entity on whose behalf the electronic commerce service is provided by the service provider is determined based upon the site identifier. A first unique user interface is then selected dependent upon the site from which the first request is received. A second consumer request is received for the service from a second site. This second request includes the same consumer identifier and a different site identifier. The identity of a second entity on whose behalf the service provider provides the electronic commerce service is determined based upon the site identifier.

Abstract: A technique for selectively notifying customers of a biller of the availability of electronic presentment of bills of the biller is provided. Customer identity information of a plurality of customers of a biller is received. Each of the customers is eligible for electronic presentment of bills of the biller. Consumer identity information of a plurality of consumers is received. Each of these consumers is known to be capable of receipt of electronically presented bills. This consumer identity information does not include information identifying biller. The customers that are also consumers are identified and a notice of availability of electronic presentment of bills of the biller is made to only those identified customers.

Abstract: To verify the authority of a customer to use a financial instrument, at least one random number is generated. The number of transactions to be initiated is determined based on the generated random number(s). The determined number of transactions using a financial instrument are initiated. One or more attributes of the initiated one or more transactions are stored. One or more proffered attributes are received, typically from the customer. The received proffered attributes are compared to the stored attributes.

Abstract: A technique for identifying payees to be paid by an electronic commerce service provider on behalf of each of a plurality of consumers is provided. A first consumer transmits information identifying himself or herself. A second consumer also transmits information identifying himself or herself. The information identifying the first consumer and the information identifying the second consumer each lack any information identifying any payee. The first consumer receives information identifying a first potential payee from the electronic commerce service provider. The second consumer receives information identifying a second potential payee from the electronic commerce service provider. The second consumer does not receive information identifying the first potential payee. The first consumer has never before identified the first potential payee to the electronic commerce service provider, and the second consumer has never before identified the second potential payee to the electronic commerce service provider.

Abstract: To verify the authority of a customer to use a financial instrument, one or more transactions using a financial instrument identified by a customer are initiated, for example, at the request of a verifying entity. One or more attributes of the initiated one or more transactions or a single value representing a function of these transactions, are stored. A request of the customer to initiate one or more other transactions using the financial instrument is received. The one or more attributes of the customer requested one or more other transactions are compared to the stored one or more attributes or single value. If the one or more attributes of the customer requested one or more other transactions correspond to the stored one or more attributes or single value, use of the financial instrument by the customer is accepted.