System and method for debt presentment and resolution

Abstract

A system and method for debt presentment and resolution through an Intranet or Internet content provider is disclosed. Said system and method include a plurality of “transaction communities” which are electronic forums allowing interaction between a plurality of debtors and creditors through means of electronic mail (e-mail) or other electronic communication means. The Internet/Intranet based software application allows said debtors to access and input information related to a particular debt with any Internet browser software. Said debtors are provided with the URL (Universal Resource Locator) for said content provider along with a unique identification code from the collection agency(s) through mail correspondence or other communication means. Upon said user entering said URL and entering said identification code, said user may then proceed to choose from a variety of settlement options listed on the HTML (HyperText Markup Language) page.

1 . A method for settling a transaction comprising a preexisting financial obligation owed by a user to a party to the preexisting financial obligation, comprising:
 enabling the user to contact a server, wherein the server is configured to authenticate an identity of the user and provide preexisting financial obligation information to the user, including an amount of money currently owed by the user to the party to the preexisting financial obligation;   causing the server to seek available financial information pertinent to an ability of the user to satisfy the preexisting financial obligation from at least one credit bureau;   processing data from the available financial information at the server using a rules based engine including rules established on behalf of the party to the preexisting financial obligation located at the server; and   causing the server to present an offer set to the user based on at least one decision made by the rules based engine, the offer set comprising at least one individually selectable monetary offer selectable by the user including at least one decisioned monetary settlement term determined based on the rules established on behalf of the party to the preexisting financial obligation and available financial information, each individually selectable monetary offer selectable by a user to settle the transaction;   wherein the server requires no debt recovery product be accepted by the user to settle the transaction.   
     
     
         2 . A method for automated debt presentment and resolution, comprising:
 receiving, by a server, a request to access account information associated with resolving a debt,   wherein the debt is associated with a rule that indicates an acceptability of a payment term, the payment term being associated with at least partially resolving a debt owed by a debtor;   causing, by the server, a user interface to be communicated in response to the request,   wherein the user interface comprises the account information and a user interface element that receives, from the debtor, a payment input associated with the payment term;   receiving, by the server, the payment input associated with the payment term via the user interface element; and   causing, by the server, at least a partial resolution of the debt based on the received payment input, the payment term, and the rule.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the payment term comprises a minimum monthly payment that is allowable, a maximum time to repay the debt that is allowable, or an interest rate that is allowable. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising receiving, by the server, the rule from a creditor associated with the debt. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising automatically accepting, by the server, the payment input based on the rule. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving a first payment input and automatically rejecting the first payment input based on the rule; and   receiving a second payment input and automatically rejecting the second payment input based on the rule, wherein the automatically accepted payment input is received after the first and second payment inputs.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the request comprises user authentication information associated with the debtor, the method further comprising:
 authenticating, by the server, an identity of the debtor based on the user authentication information.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising: receiving, by the server, information associated with an ability by the debtor to repay the debt. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein receiving information associated with an ability by the debtor to repay the debt comprises receiving a Data Universal Numbering System (“DUNS”) number associated with the debtor. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein receiving information associated with an ability by the debtor to repay the debt comprises receiving a social security number associated with the debtor. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising communicating an instruction that indicates a manner in which to access the user interface. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface comprises a web page and wherein communicating an instruction comprises communicating a uniform resource locator (URL) associated with the web page. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the user interface is communicated via a first communication channel and wherein the instruction is communicated on a second communication channel different than the first communication channel. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first communication channel comprises a web page channel, and wherein the second communication channel comprises a phone call channel, an email channel, or a regular mail channel. 
     
     
         15 . A method for automated debt presentment and resolution, comprising:
 receiving, by a server, a request to access account information associated with resolving a debt;   causing, by the server, a user interface to be communicated in response to the request,   wherein the user interface comprises the account information and a plurality of selectable payment options, each of the plurality of selectable payment options associated with at least partially resolving the debt;   receiving, by the server, a selected payment option via the user interface, the selected payment option comprising one of the plurality of selectable payment option selected by a user; and   causing, by the server, at least a partial resolution of the debt based on the selected payment option.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable payment options comprises an option to pay the debt. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the option to pay the debt comprises a plurality of forms of payment, wherein one of the plurality of forms of payment comprises a credit card payment, a check payment, a money order payment, or a payment over the phone. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable payment options comprises a promise to pay. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable payment options comprises a debt dispute option, the debt dispute option comprising a plurality of selectable debt dispute options that each describe a dispute to an amount or existence of a debt owed. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 communicating, by the server, a plurality of selectable receipt options, each selectable receipt option indicating a type of receipt for the at least partial resolution of the debt;   receiving, by the server, a selected receipt option, the selected receipt option comprising one of the plurality of selectable receipt options selected by the user; and   causing, by the server, a receipt to be communicated based on the selected receipt option.   
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein one of the plurality of selectable receipt options comprises an indication to waive the receipt, an email receipt, or a regular mail receipt. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the server from a third party debt collector, new creditor information, wherein the new creditor information enrolls a new creditor associated with the debt to at least partially resolve the debt with the debtor.   
     
     
         23 . A system for settling a debt representing an amount of money owed the system, comprising:
 a server configured to receive communications from a user, the server further configured to seek available credit information including information about the user's current financial condition from at least one source external to the user, wherein the available credit information pertinent to the user comprises financial information regarding the user's ability to pay and financial position of the user, the server comprising:   a rules based engine including rules established on behalf of a party having an interest in the debt, the result based engine configured to process data from the available credit information and present a transaction settlement offer set to the user, the transaction settlement offer set based on at least on e decision made by the rules based engine and data processed from the available information;   wherein the transaction settlement offer set comprises at least two individually selectable monetary offers each comprising different decisioned monetary settlement terms specifically determined for the user based on the rules established on behalf of the party having the interest in the debt and data processed from the available credit information, each individually selectable monetary offer selectable by the user to establish settlement of the debt by modifying existing terms of the debt without providing a new debt instrument to the user using terms of the individually selectable monetary offer selected by the user, and wherein upon selection of one offer by the user, the server obtains user payment information and processes at least a portion of the one offer selected by the user.