Storing notice of remittance received in a distributed data network

Abstract

A method and system for storing a notice of the receipt of a payment in a distributed data network is disclosed. A bill payment request is received at a first network station from a second network station. A payment associated with the received bill payment request is then remitted. Then, a notification is received at the first network station from a third network station indicating that the payment has been received.

1 . A method comprising: 
 transmitting, from a first network station to a second network station, information associated with a bill issued by a biller associated with a third network station, wherein the information includes a selectable link to view the bill at the third network station;    receiving, at the first network station from the second network station, a request to pay the bill;    remitting a payment in association with the received request to pay the bill; and    receiving, at the first network station, a notification from the third network station that the payment has been received.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing, at the first network station, the notification that the payment has been received.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payment is remitted by the first network station and transmitted to the third network station.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing at the first network station, at least one of (i) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been received, (ii) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been processed (iii) an indication that the payment has been remitted, and (iv) an indication that the payment has failed.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the information is transmitted from the first network station to the second network station prior to receiving the request to pay the bill.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 transmitting, from the first network station to a fourth network station, a request to debit an account maintained by the fourth network station on behalf of an entity associated with the second network station for a payment amount of the bill payment request.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 storing an indication of the request to debit at the first network station.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first network station is associated with a bill presentment service provider.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second network station is associated with a payor of the bill.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the selectable link is selected to establish a communications link between the second network station and the third network station to view the bill.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the fourth network station is associated with a financial institution.  
   
   
       12 . A method comprising; 
 transmitting from a payment service provider to a payor, a selectable link to a bill of a biller for the payor, wherein selection of the selectable link by the payor causes the bill to be displayed to the payor by the biller;    receiving, at the payment service provider from the payor, a request to pay the bill of the payor;    remitting a payment in association with the received request; and    receiving, at the payment service provider, a notification from the biller that the payment has been received.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 storing, at the payment service provider, the notification that the payment has been received by the biller.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the payment is remitted by the payment service provider and transmitted to the biller.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 storing, at the payment service provider, at least one of (i) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been received, (ii) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been processed (iii) an indication that the payment has been remitted, and (iv) an indication that the payment has failed.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , 
 wherein the selectable link is transmitted to the payor prior to receiving the request to pay the bill.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 transmitting a request to debit an account maintained by a financial institution for the payor for a payment amount of the bill.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 storing an indication of the debit request at the payment service provider.    
   
   
       19 . A system comprising: 
 a processor associated with a first network station configured (i) to transmit, to a second network station, information associated with a bill issued by a biller associated with a third network station, wherein the information includes a selectable link to view the bill at the third network station, (ii) to receive a request to pay the bill from the second network station, (iii) to remit a payment based on the received request to pay the bill, and (iv) to receive a notification from the third network station that the payment has been received.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 19 , further comprising: 
 a database configured to store an indication of the receipt of the notification that the payment has been received;    wherein the processor is further configured to direct the database to store the indication of the receipt of the notification that the payment has been received.    
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the processor remits the payment to the third network station.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the processor is further configured to direct the database to store at least one of (i) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been received, (ii) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been processed, (iii) an indication that the payment has been remitted, and (iv) an indication that the payment has failed; and 
 the database is further configured to store at least one of (i) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been received, (ii) an indication that the request to pay the bill has been processed, (iii) an indication that the payment has been remitted, and (iv) an indication that the payment has failed.    
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 19 , 
 wherein the information is transmitted to the second network station prior to receiving the request to pay the bill.    
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein: 
 the processor is further configured to transmit to a fourth network station a request to debit an account maintained by the fourth network station on behalf of an entity associated with the second network station for a payment amount of the bill payment request.    
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the processor is further configured to direct the database to store an indication of the request to debit the account; and 
 the database is further configured to store the indication of the request to debit the account.    
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the first network station is associated with a bill presentment service provider.  
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 19 , wherein the second network station is associated with a payor of the bill.  
   
   
       28 . (canceled)  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the fourth network station is associated with a financial institution.  
   
   
       30 . A system comprising: 
 a processor associated with a payment service provider configured (i) to transmit, to a payor, information associated with a bill issued by a biller, wherein the information includes a selectable link to view the bill at a network station associated with the biller, (ii) to receive from a payor a request to pay the bill to pay a bill of the payor, (iii) to remit a payment based on the request to pay the bill, and (iv) to receive a notification from the biller that the payment has been received.    
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 30 , further comprising: 
 a database configured (i) to store an indication of the receipt of the request to pay the bill, and (ii) to store an indication of the receipt of the notification that the payment has been received;    wherein the processor is further configured (i) to direct the database to store the indication of the receipt of the request to pay the bill, and (ii) to direct the database to store the indication of the receipt of the notification that the payment has been received.    
   
   
       32 . A system comprising: 
 means for transmitting, from a payment service provider to a payor, a selectable link to view a bill of a biller, wherein selection of the selectable link causes the bill to be displayed to the payor by the biller;    means for receiving, at the payment service provider from the payor, a request to pay the bill of the payor;    means for remitting a payment in association with the received request to pay the bill; and    means for receiving, a the payment service provider, a notification from the biller that the payment has been received.