Account alias data repository

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for creating a financial account alias data repository to be used to identify payee accounts in payment transactions. For example, an embodiment of the method includes: (1) receiving a communication comprising an alias that is not a financial account number; and (2) using a processor to store the alias in memory and create a data repository in the memory that maps the alias to a particular financial account such that the alias can be used by others instead of a financial account number to transfer money to the particular financial account associated with the alias. The alias may include, for example, a telephone number, email address, or social networking identifier of the financial account owner.

1 . An apparatus for identifying a payment recipient's financial account for a payment transaction, the apparatus comprising:
 at least one communication interface configured to receive an alias from a payment request;   at least one processor communicably coupled to the communication interface; and   at least one memory communicably coupled to the at least one processor,   wherein the at least one memory comprises a data repository that maps each of a plurality of aliases back to one or more financial accounts, and   wherein the at least one memory further comprises executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to compare the alias received via the at least one communication interface to the data repository to identify the payment recipient's financial account.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the data repository maps each of the plurality of aliases back to a financial account number, and wherein the executable instructions cause the apparatus to compare the alias received via the at least one communication interface to the data repository to identify the payment recipient's financial account. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises an email address. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identification. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account is associated with a payment recipient, and wherein the alias comprises a unique identifier used generally by others to communicate with the payment recipient. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one memory further comprises executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to use the communication interface to communicate the payment recipient's financial account to another system. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the alias is not a financial account number. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the payment request is generated by a payment sender, wherein the payment sender is associated with a payment sender's financial account, and wherein the at least one memory comprises:
 executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to initiate a transfer of funds from the payment sender's financial account to the payment recipient's financial account.   
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising executable instructions stored in the at least one memory that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to:
 use the alias to contact an entity associated with the alias; and   provide the entity with information about the payment request.   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a bank account. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a demand deposit account or savings account. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the communication interface is further configured to receive a submitted alias that is submitted by an entity for registration, and wherein the apparatus further comprises:
 executable instructions stored in the at least one memory that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to register the submitted alias by mapping, in the at least one memory, the alias back to the entity's financial account.   
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14 , wherein the executable instructions that cause the apparatus to register the submitted alias further comprise:
 executable instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the apparatus to verify that the alias is associated with the entity.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more financial accounts comprise one or more financial accounts associated with a particular bank. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more financial accounts comprise one or more sub-accounts. 
     
     
         18 . A method for identifying a payment recipient's financial account for a payment transaction, the method comprising:
 receiving an alias from a payment request, wherein the alias is not a financial account number;   accessing a data repository that maps each of a plurality of aliases back to one or more financial accounts;   using a processor to compare the alias received to the data repository; and   identifying the payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the comparison of the alias to the data repository.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data repository maps each of the plurality of aliases back to a financial account number, and wherein the method further comprises:
 identifying the payment recipient's financial account number based at least partially on the comparison of the alias to the data repository.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the alias comprises an email address. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the alias comprises a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identification. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account is associated with a payment recipient, and wherein the alias comprises a unique identifier used generally by others to communicate with the payment recipient. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising communicating the payment recipient's financial account. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the payment request is generated by a payment sender, wherein the payment sender is associated with a payment sender's financial account, and wherein the method further comprises:
 initiating a transfer of funds from the payment sender's financial account to the payment recipient's financial account.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 using the alias to contact an entity associated with the alias; and   providing the entity with information about the payment request.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a bank account. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a demand deposit account or savings account. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the data repository comprises a database that associates each of the plurality of aliases with financial account identifying information. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving a submitted alias that is submitted by an entity for registration; and   registering the submitted alias by mapping, in the at least one memory, the alias back to the entity's financial account.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , further comprising:
 verifying that the alias is associated with the entity.   
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one or more financial accounts comprise one or more sub-accounts. 
     
     
         34 . A computer readable medium for identifying a payment recipient's financial account for a payment transaction, the computer readable medium having computer executable instructions stored therein, wherein the computer executable instructions comprise:
 instructions operable to receive an alias from a payment request, wherein the alias is not a financial account number;   instructions operable to access a data repository that maps each of a plurality of aliases back to one or more financial accounts;   instructions operable to compare the alias received to the data repository; and   instructions operable to identify the payment recipient's financial account based at least partially on the comparison of the alias to the data repository.   
     
     
         35 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the data repository maps each of the plurality of aliases back to a financial account number, and wherein the computer executable instructions further comprise:
 instructions operable to identify the payment recipient's financial account number based at least partially on the comparison of the alias to the data repository.   
     
     
         36 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the alias comprises an email address. 
     
     
         37 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         38 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the alias comprises a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
         39 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identification. 
     
     
         40 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account is associated with a payment recipient, and wherein the alias comprises a unique identifier used generally by others to communicate with the payment recipient. 
     
     
         41 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the payment recipient's financial account comprises a bank account. 
     
     
         42 . The computer readable medium of  claim 34 , wherein the data repository comprises a database that associates each of the plurality of aliases with financial account identifying information. 
     
     
         43 . A method comprising:
 receiving a communication comprising an alias that is not a financial account number; and   using a processor to store the alias in memory and create a data repository in the memory that associates the alias with a particular financial account such that the alias can be used by others instead of a financial account number to transfer money to the particular financial account associated with the alias.   
     
     
         44 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the financial account is owned by an entity, and wherein the alias comprises a unique identifier used generally by others to communicate with the entity. 
     
     
         45 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the entity comprises a merchant. 
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 44 , wherein the entity comprises an entity. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the alias comprises an email address. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the alias comprises a telephone number. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the alias comprises a mobile telephone number. 
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 43 , wherein the alias comprises a social networking identification.