APPARATUS, METHOD, AND COMPUTER PROGRAM PRODUCT FOR SETTLEMENT TO A MERCHANT'S CARD ACCOUNT USING AN ON-LINE BILL PAYMENT PLATFORM

摘要

Registration information is obtained for a plurality of businesses, including the business name and a payment card account number for a payment card account in which the given business can receive payments from customers via a special payment transaction over a payment card network. An electronic bill payment system instruction including at least an amount and a unique biller identifier is obtained. A biller directory, including the registration information and the unique biller identifiers, is accessed based on the unique biller identifiers in the instruction, to retrieve the payment card account number. A payment is initiated to the business via the special payment transaction over the payment card network, based on the retrieved payment card account number.

主权项

1. A method comprising the steps of:
obtaining registration information for a plurality of businesses, said registration information including, for each given one of said businesses, at least a name of said given one of said businesses and a payment card account number for a payment card account in which said given one of said businesses can receive payments from customers via a special payment transaction over a payment card network; obtaining an electronic bill payment system instruction including at least an amount and a corresponding one of a plurality of previously-assigned unique biller identifiers, said electronic bill payment system instruction being based on a communication from one of said customers, said one of said customers being a customer of one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers; accessing a biller directory including said registration information and said unique biller identifiers, based on said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers in said electronic bill payment system instruction, to retrieve said payment card account number for said payment card account for said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers; and initiating a payment to said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers, for said amount, via said special payment transaction over said payment card network, to said payment card account for said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers, based on said retrieved payment card account number.