Electronic bill payment with variable payment options

Abstract

A system for third party bill payment services used by a payer to pay a biller with whom a payer has an account includes a third party computer system for accessing biller data, the biller data for the payer comprising at least one account identifier an amount due, and a nominal bill due date; a payment option generator for developing at least one payment option wherein the payment specified is responsive to a difference between a proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date; a payer interface for presenting the at least one payment option to the payer and for accepting a payer option selection and a payment funding confirmation; and a payment execution controller responsive to the payer option selection and funding confirmation, for initiating payment to a biller account on behalf of the payer.

1 . A system for third party bill payment services used by a payer to pay a biller with whom a payer has an account, comprising:
 a third party computer system for accessing biller data from a plurality of billers, the biller data for the payer in relation to one of the plurality of billers comprising at least one account identifier, an amount due, and a nominal bill due date;   one or more payment option rules associated with each of the plurality of billers, the payment option rules defining variable payment options for the associated biller, at least one of the payment options including a calculation for defining a payment amount due based in part on a difference between a proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date;   a rules management portal permitting access to the payment option rules for changing or modifying parameters of the payment option rules, including parameters of the calculation for the payment amount due;   a payment option generator for accessing the one or more payment option rules associated with a biller and developing at least one payment option for the payer based on at least a subset of the one or more payment option rules associated with the biller wherein the at least one payment option comprises a payment amount due based in pan on a difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date;   a payer interface provided by the third party and accessible via a payer computer for staging a money transfer to make payment to the biller, the payer interface configured for presenting the at least one payment option to the payer and for accepting a payment option selection and a payment funding confirmation for the payment amount due and payment date, wherein the third party computer system builds a staging record based on the payment option selection;   wherein the variable payment options are available for the payer to pay early relative to the nominal bill due date and to pay later relative to the nominal bill due date, and   wherein the payment amount due is validated responsive to the proposed payment date; and   a payment execution controller responsive to the payment option selection and the payment funding confirmation for receiving the payment amount due, wherein the bill payment staging record is updated to a fulfilled payment record, the payment execution controller configured for applying fee and settlement rules established between the payer and a provider of third party bill payment services and initiating the money transfer to make payment to the biller's account on behalf of the payer.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payment amount due decreases if the proposed payment date is earlier than the nominal bill due date. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a discount is applied to the payment amount due when the proposed payment date is within a predetermined timing window associated with a payment option for early payment. 
     
     
         4 . (canceled) 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein;
 the payment option generator determines the difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date; and   when the proposed payment date is after the nominal bill due date, a payment option generated waives a late fee.   
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payer interface is provided on a website of the third party. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the money transfer is fulfilled to make payment to the biller in response to payer identification information entered at the website. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , further configured for:
 receiving from the payer at the website information including at least a biller identification, a proposed payment amount, the proposed payment date, and the nominal bill due date;   verifying at least a portion of the received information against payer account records;   calculating the difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date; and   presenting to the payer the at least one payment option, wherein the payment required is responsive to the calculated difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date and the payment option rules associated with the biller.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further configured for receiving a selection of the at least one payment option from the payer at the website. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further configured for determining that proper payment is provided based on confirming receipt of a payment from the payer to fund the selected payment option. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , further configured for crediting payment to the biller's account, the credited payment comprising a share of fees computed based on predetermined fee and settlement rules. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , further configured for notifying the biller of the payer's payment at a time substantially commensurate with the website receiving confirmation of the payment from the payer. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , further configured for delivering payment to the biller at a time separate from receiving payment from the payer as determined by the predetermined fee and settlement rules. 
     
     
         14 - 22 . (canceled) 
     
     
         23 . A method for third party payment services used by a user to pay a biller with whom the user has an account, comprising:
 providing a third party computer system for accessing biller data from a plurality of billers, the biller data for the user in relation to one of the plurality of billers comprising at least one account identifier, an amount due, and a nominal bill due date;   providing one or more payment option rules associated with each of the plurality of billers, the payment option rules defining, variable payment options for the associated biller, at least one of the payment options including a calculation for defining a payment amount due based in part on a difference between a proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date;   providing a rules management portal permitting access to the payment option rules for changing or modifying parameters of the payment option rules, including parameters of the calculation for the payment amount due;   providing a payment option generator for accessing the one or more payment option rules associated with a biller and developing at least one payment option for the user based on at least a subset of the one or more payment option rules associated with the biller wherein the at least one payment option comprises a payment amount due based in part on a difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date;   providing a user interface for staging a money transfer to make payment to the biller, the user interface configured for presenting the at least one payment option to the user and for accepting a payment option selection and a payment funding confirmation for the payment amount due and payment date, wherein the third party computer system builds a staging record based on the payment option selection;   wherein the variable payment options are available for the payer to pay early relative to the nominal bill due date and to pay later relative to the nominal bill due date; and   wherein the payment amount due is responsive to the difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date; and   providing a payment execution controller responsive to the payment option selection and the payment funding, confirmation for receiving the payment amount due, wherein the bill payment staging record is updated to a fulfilled payment record, the payment execution controller configured for applying fee and settlement rules established between the payer and a provider of third party bill payment services and initiating the money transfer to make payment to the biller's account on behalf of the payer.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the user interface is provided on website of the third party. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the user interface is provided on mobile platform. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the user interface is provided on a mobile phone. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein the payment amount due decreases if the proposed payment date is earlier than the nominal bill due date. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the payment option generator determines the difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date; and   a discount is applied to the payment amount due when the proposed payment date is within a predetermined timing window associated with a payment option for early payment.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 23 , wherein:
 the payment option generator determines the difference between the proposed payment date and the nominal bill due date; and   when the proposed payment date is after the nominal bill due date, a payment option generated waives a late fee.