Credit card supported electronic payments

Abstract

A payment service provider can direct a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor having a credit card issued by a credit card issuer, even if the payee does not accept the payor credit card for payment. The service provider receives a request to direct a payment to a payee on behalf of the payor. Payment information associated with the received payment request is transmitted from the service provider to the credit card issuer via other than a credit card network. The payment information includes information identifying at least a payment amount and an account identifier associated with the payor credit card. The service provider receives, via other than a credit card network, funds from the credit card issuer responsive to the transmitted payment information, and directs delivery of funds in the identified payment amount to the payee to complete the payment on behalf of the payor.

1 . A method for a payment service provider to direct a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor having a credit card issued by a credit card issuer, comprising: 
 receiving, by the service provider, of a request for the service provider to direct a payment to a payee on behalf of the payor;    transmitting payment information associated with the received payment request from the service provider to the credit card issuer via other than a credit card network, the payment information including information identifying at least a payment amount and an account identifier associated with the payor credit card;    receiving, by the service provider and via other than a credit card network, of funds from the credit card issuer responsive to the transmitted payment information; and    directing, by the service provider, of delivery of funds in the identified payment amount to the payee to complete the payment on behalf of the payor.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , and further comprising: 
 directing, by the service provider, of delivery to the payee of remittance advice associated with the directed delivery of the funds in the identified payment amount.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transmitted payment information further includes information identifying the payee.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the funds are directed to be delivered to the payee by one of a paper instrument and an electronic funds transfer; and    if the funds are directed to be delivered by electronic funds transfer, the funds are delivered via an electronic funds transfer network to a deposit account associated with the payee maintained at a financial institution.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining, by the service provider, that the payee does not accept the payor credit card as a form of payment, wherein the payment information is transmitted from the service provider to the credit card issuer via other than a credit card network based on the determination.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payment information is transmitted to the credit card issuer via the Internet.  
   
   
       7 . The method of claims  1 , wherein the funds are received from the credit card issuer via the ACH network.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the funds are directed to be delivered to the payee at one of a time prior to, concurrent with, or subsequent to receipt of the funds from the credit card issuer.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining, by the service provider prior to transmitting the payment information, that the received payment request includes information identifying the payor credit card;    wherein the payment information is transmitted to the credit card issuer based on the determination that the received payment request includes information identifying the payor credit card.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 determining, by the service provider, that the received payment request includes information identifying a payor credit card, wherein the payment information associated with the received payment request is transmitted from the service provider to the credit card issuer based on the determination that the received payment request includes information identifying the payor credit card;    receiving, by the service provider, of another request for the payment service provider to direct a payment to the payee on behalf of another payor;    determining, by the service provider, that the received other payment request includes information identifying a deposit account of the other payor maintained by a financial institution; and    transmitting, by the service provider, of a directive to debit the identified payor deposit account, the debit directive including information identifying at least another payment amount and an account identifier associated with the identified payor deposit account;    directing, by the service provider, of delivery of funds in the identified other payment amount to the payee to complete payment on behalf of the other payor.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising: 
 directing, by the service provider, of delivery to the payee of remittance advice associated with the directed delivery of funds in the identified other payment amount.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein: 
 the payor is associated with a consumer service provider; and    the payee is one of the consumer service provider and another entity.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payee does not accept credit cards as a form of payment.  
   
   
       14 . A system for directing a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor having a credit card issued by a credit card issuer, comprising: 
 a communications interface configured to receive a request for a payment service provider to direct a payment to a payee on behalf of a payor; and    a processor configured to direct transmission of payment information associated with the received payment request, including information identifying at least a payment amount and an account identifier for the payor credit card, to the credit card issuer via other than a credit card network, and to direct funds to be delivered to the payee to complete the payment on behalf of the payor;    wherein the communications interface is further configured to transmit the payment information in accordance with the processor directive, and to receive information associated with a transfer of funds by the credit card issuer to the service provider via other than a credit card network responsive to the transmitted payment information.    
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 14  wherein: 
 the processor is further configured to direct remittance advice associated with the directed delivery of funds, to be delivered to the payee.    
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the transmitted payment information further includes information identifying the payee.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the processor is further configured to determine that the payee does not accept the payor credit card as a form of payment, and to direct the interface to transmit payment information to the credit card issuer via other than a credit card network based on the determination.    
   
   
       18 . The system  claim 14 , wherein the funds are directed to be delivered to the payee by one of a paper instrument and an electronic funds transfer.  
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein: 
 the processor is further configured;    the interface is further configured to receive another request for the payment service provider to direct a payment to the payee on behalf of another payor;    the processor is further configured (i) to determine that the received payment request includes information identifying the payor credit card and to direct transmission of the payment information to the credit card issuer based on the determination, and (ii) to determine that the received other payment request includes information identifying a deposit account of the other payor maintained by a financial institution, to direct transmission of a directive to debit the identified payor deposit account, including information identifying at least another payment amount and an account identifier associated with the payor deposit account, to direct delivery of funds in the identified other payment amount to the payee to complete payment on behalf of the other payor, and to direct delivery to the payee of remittance advice associated with the directed delivery of the funds in the identified other payment amount.    
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the payee does not accept credit cards as a form of payment.