Payment reporting systems

Abstract

A system is disclosed for reporting payments to one or more credit bureaus according to instructions provided by a consumer. The system may provide the consumer with one or more user interfaces from which the consumer can select one or more options to report payments made to billers. In some embodiments, the reporting options are included as part of a biller's website or a bill payment center website. The system may enable faster reporting of payments made to some billers and may report payments made to billers who would not otherwise report payments.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computing system, the computing system comprising:
 memory; and   one or more processors in communication with the memory and configured by processor-executable instructions to:
 receive payment data from a plurality of third-party entities indicating payments made by a user to the third-party entities, including a first payment made to a first third-party entity; 
 generate user interface data to be displayed on a user computing device, the user interface data comprising:
 an indication of the first payment made to the first third-party entity; and 
 an interactive user interface element configured to initiate reporting of the first payment to a credit bureau; and 
 
 in response to a user selection of the interactive user interface element, transmit information regarding the first payment to one or more credit bureaus, wherein the information regarding the first payment is transmitted to the one or more credit bureaus before information regarding the first payment is transmitted by the first third-party entity to the one or more credit bureaus. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to determine whether or not there is a valid credit agreement between the user and the first third-party entity. 
     
     
         3 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to authenticate a user's identity. 
     
     
         4 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the user interface data further comprises payment indicators associated with respective third-party entities, wherein a first payment indicator associated with the first third-party entity is configured to enable the user to instruct the computing system to initiate a payment to the first third-party entity. 
     
     
         5 . The computing system of  claim 4 , wherein the computing system is further configured to initiate the first payment to the first third-party entity in response to receiving the indication of selection of the first payment indicator. 
     
     
         6 . The computing system of  claim 5 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
 determine whether the first payment to the first third-party entity is successfully completed; and   in response to determining that the first payment is successfully completed, initiate said reporting of the first payment to the one or more credit bureaus.   
     
     
         7 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the information regarding the first payment to the one or more credit bureaus comprises:
 determining whether first payment data associated with the first third-party entity indicates the first payment has been successfully completed; and   transmitting at least a portion of the first payment data to the one or more credit bureaus or a third party data reporter.   
     
     
         8 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
 receive, from the user, recurring reporting instructions to report payments automatically in response to receiving indications that respective payments to the third-party entities are successfully completed;   receive an indication that a second payment was successfully completed; and   automatically initiate reporting of the second payment to the one or more credit bureaus in accordance with the recurring reporting instructions.   
     
     
         9 . The computing system of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system is further configured to:
 receive an indication of selection of a second reporting indicator by the user; and   in response to receiving the indication of selection of the second reporting indicator, initiating reporting, to one or more credit bureaus, of a second payment completed to a second third-party entity.   
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving payment data from a plurality of third-party entities indicating payments made by a user to the third-party entities, including a first payment made to a third-party entity;   generating user interface data to be displayed on a user computing device, the user interface data comprising:
 an indication of the first payment made to the third-party entity; and 
 an interactive user interface element configured to initiate reporting of the first payment to a credit bureau; and 
   in response to a user selection of the interactive user interface element,
 transmitting information regarding the first payment to one or more credit bureaus, wherein the information regarding the first payment is transmitted to the one or more credit bureaus before information regarding the first payment is transmitted by the third-party entity to the one or more credit bureaus. 
   
     
     
         11 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the user interface data further comprises a payment indicator associated with the payment data, wherein the payment indicator is configured to enable the user to initiate payment to the third-party entity. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises:
 determining whether the payment to the third-party entity is successfully completed; and   in response to determining that the payment is successfully completed, initiating reporting of the payment to the one or more credit bureaus.   
     
     
         13 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein the user interface data is provided as part of a website associated with the third-party entity. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 10 , wherein initiating reporting of the payment to one or more credit bureau comprises:
 determining whether the payment data indicates the payment has been successfully completed; and   transmitting at least a portion of the payment data to the one or more credit bureaus or a third party data reporter.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the method further comprises:
 receiving, from the user, recurring reporting instructions to report payments automatically in response to receiving indications that payments to the third-party entity are successfully completed;   receiving an indication that a second payment was successfully completed; and   automatically initiating reporting of the second payment to the one or more credit bureaus in accordance with the recurring reporting instructions.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer storage medium storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:
 receive payment data from a plurality of third-party entities indicating payments made by a user to the third-party entities, including a payment made to a third-party entity;   generate user interface data to be displayed on a user computing device, the user interface data comprising:
 an indication of the payment made to the third-party entity; and 
 an interactive user interface element configured to initiate reporting of the payment to a credit bureau; and 
   in response to a user selection of the interactive user interface element,
 transmit information regarding the payment to one or more credit bureaus, wherein the information regarding the payment is transmitted to the one or more credit bureaus before information regarding the payment is transmitted by the third-party entity to the one or more credit bureaus. 
   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:
 receive terms of a credit agreement between the third-party entity and the user; and   determine whether there is a valid credit agreement between the user and the third-party entity.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:
 receive identification information for the user; and   authenticate a user's identity.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the computer-executable instructions further cause the processor to:
 receive an indication that the payment data has been reported to the one or more credit bureaus; and   provide, to the third-party entity, confirmation that the payment data has been reported.