Monitoring The Viewing of Supplemental Information Accompanying Electronic Billing Transactions

Abstract

Systems and methods for monitoring the viewing of supplemental information associated with an electronic billing transaction where both bill information associated with a bill and forced-to-view information is transmitted ultimately to a payor. The forced-to-view information is associated with supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before a payor can pay the bill through a service provider. When the forced to view information is selected, a request for the supplemental information is received, and the supplemental information is transmitted in response to the request. An indicator is stored in association with the payor that the payor has viewed the supplemental information. A message is created that the supplemental information has been accessed by the payor, and the message is transmitted to the service provider enabling acceptance of payment of the bill.

1 . A method comprising: 
 transmitting bill information associated with a bill for a payor and forced-to-view information, wherein the forced-to-view information is associated with supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before the payor can pay the bill through a service provider;    receiving a request for the supplemental information;    transmitting the supplemental information responsive to the request;    storing an indicator in association with the payor that the payor has viewed the supplemental information;    creating a message that the supplemental information has been accessed by the payor; and    transmitting the message to the service provider enabling acceptance of payment of the bill.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the message to the service provider includes the message being transmitted by a biller.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving a request for the supplemental information includes the request being received by a biller and wherein transmitting the supplemental information to the service provider includes the supplemental information being transmitted by the biller.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving a request for the supplemental information includes the request being received from the payor, and wherein transmitting the message to the service provider includes the supplemental information being transmitted to the payor.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 storing forced-to-view information, wherein the forced-to-view information is associated with a payor.    
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting bill information associated with a bill for a payor includes transmitting at least a portion of bill summary information or a link to bill detail.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting bill information associated with a bill for a payor and forced-to-view information includes transmitting a link to the supplemental information.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising, prior to transmitting the supplemental information responsive to the request, retrieving the supplemental information, wherein the supplemental information is retrieved from a database associated with a biller.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein retrieving the supplemental information includes retrieving one of (i) a special announcement, (ii) a promotional offer, (iii) a regulatory notice, (iv) a notice associated with an account, and (v) bill detail.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bill is a first bill, the bill information is first bill information, the forced-to-view information is first forced-to-view information, and the supplemental information is first supplemental information, and further comprising: 
 transmitting, from a biller, second bill information associated with a second bill for the payor and second forced-to-view information associated with the second bill, wherein the second forced-to-view information is associated with second supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before the payor can pay the second bill through the service provider; and    wherein the first supplemental information is different from the second supplemental information.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the bill is a first bill, the payor is a first payor, the bill information is first bill information, the forced-to-view information is first forced-to-view information, and the supplemental information is first supplemental information, and further comprising: 
 transmitting, from a biller, second bill information associated with a second bill for a second payor and second forced-to-view information associated with the second bill, wherein the second forced-to-view information is associated with second supplemental information that must be viewed by the second payor before the second payor can pay the second bill through the service provider; and    wherein the first supplemental information is different from the second supplemental information.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein transmitting the supplemental information responsive to the request includes the supplemental information being transmitted as part of a user interface presentation, and the user interface presentation further includes at least one of (i) a selectable icon to return to a previous bill presentment page, (ii) a selectable icon to view bill detail, and (iii) and a selectable icon to pay the bill.  
   
   
       13 . A system comprising: 
 at least one database, wherein the at least one database includes bill information;    a communications interface; and    a processor, in communication with the database and communications interface, wherein the processor is configured to execute software instructions for:    retrieving bill information from the database;    transmitting, through the communications interface, bill information associated with a bill for a payor and forced-to-view information, wherein the forced-to-view information is associated with the supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before the payor can pay the bill through a service provider;    receiving, through the communications interface, a request for the supplemental information;    retrieving supplemental information;    transmitting, through the communications interface, the supplemental information responsive to the request;    storing an indicator in association with the payor that the payor has viewed the supplemental information;    creating a message that the supplemental information has been accessed by the payor; and    transmitting, through the communications interface, the message to the service provider enabling acceptance of payment of the bill.    
   
   
       14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the database is associated with a biller.  
   
   
       15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the message is transmitted by a biller.  
   
   
       16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the request is received by a biller and wherein the supplemental information is transmitted by the biller.  
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the request is received from the payor, and the supplemental information is transmitted to the payor.  
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to execute additional software instructions for: 
 storing forced-to-view information, wherein the forced-to-view information is associated with a payor.    
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the bill information includes at least a portion of bill summary information or a link to bill detail.  
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the forced-to-view information comprises a link to the supplemental information.  
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the supplemental information is one of (i) a special announcement, (ii) a promotional offer, (iii) a regulatory notice, (iv) a notice associated with an account, and (v) bill detail.  
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the bill is a first bill, the bill information is first bill information, the forced-to-view information is first forced-to-view information, and the supplemental information is first supplemental information, and wherein the processor is configured to execute additional software instructions for: 
 transmitting, from a biller and through the communications interface, second bill information associated with a second bill for the payor and second forced-to-view information associated with the second bill, wherein the second forced-to-view information is associated with second supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before the payor can pay the second bill through the service provider; and    wherein the first supplemental information is different from the second supplemental information.    
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the bill is a first bill, the payor is a first payor, the bill information is first bill information, the forced-to-view information is first forced-to-view information, and the supplemental information is first supplemental information, and wherein the processor is configured to execute additional software instructions for: 
 transmitting, from a biller and through the communications interface, second bill information associated with a second bill for a second payor and second forced-to-view information associated with the second bill, wherein the second forced-to-view information is associated with second supplemental information that must be viewed by the second payor before the second payor can pay the second bill through the service provider; and    wherein the first supplemental information is different from the second supplemental information.    
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the supplemental information is transmitted as part of a user interface presentation, and the user interface presentation further includes at least one of (i) a selectable icon to return to a previous bill presentment page, (ii) a selectable icon to view bill detail, and (iii) and a selectable icon to pay the bill.  
   
   
       25 . A method comprising: 
 transmitting bill information associated with a bill for a payor and forced-to-view information, wherein the forced-to-view information is associated with supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before the payor can pay the bill through a service provider;    receiving a request for the supplemental information;    transmitting the supplemental information responsive to the request;    storing an indicator in association with the payor that the payor has viewed the supplemental information; and    accepting of payment of the bill only after the supplemental information has been transmitted.    
   
   
       26 . A system comprising: 
 means for transmitting bill information associated with a bill for a payor and forced-to-view information, wherein the forced-to-view information is associated with supplemental information that must be viewed by the payor before the payor can pay the bill through a service provider;    means for receiving a request for the supplemental information;    means for transmitting the supplemental information responsive to the request;    means for storing an indicator in association with the payor that the payor has viewed the supplemental information;    means for creating a message that the supplemental information has been accessed by the payor; and    means for transmitting the message to the service provider enabling acceptance of payment of the bill.