Inter-network financial service

Abstract

Systems and methods for making a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee are provided. A request to make a payment on behalf of a payer to a payee is received at a first payment service provider. The first payment service provider supports a first payment network within a plurality of payment networks that each include a respective plurality of payers and payees. The payer is one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network, and the payor is not one of the plurality of payers and payees associated with the first payment network. A second payment network within the plurality of payment networks with which the payee is associated is identified by the first payment service provider. A payment instruction to make the payment to the payee is transmitted by the first payment service provider to a second payment service provider associated with the second payment network.

1 . A system, comprising:
 one or more computers associated with a first payment service provider and comprising:   at least one memory storing computer-executable instructions; and   at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and to execute the computer-executable instructions to:   receive from a second payment service provider, a request for identifying whether an intended payee is associated with a first payment network supported by the first payment service provider, wherein the second payment service provider supports a second payment network different from the first payment network, wherein a respective plurality of payers and payees is associated with each of the first payment network and the second payment network, and wherein the intended payee is not associated with the second payment network;   transmit, to the second payment service provider, information indicating one or more candidate payees associated with the first payment network; and   receive, from the second payment service provider, a payment instruction to make a payment to one payee of the one or more candidate payees on behalf of a payer associated with the second payment network, wherein the payment instruction comprises a payment amount and identifying information associated with the one payee.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 determine that the intended payee is associated with the first payment network,   wherein the information indicating one or more candidate payees associated with the first payment network comprises information indicating that the intended payee is associated with the first payment network.   
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating one or more candidate payees associated with the first payment network comprises information indicating the intended payee as a candidate payee and information indicating one or more other candidate payees. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the information indicating the one or more candidate payees comprises a respective identifier associated with each of the one or more candidate payees. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the identifying information included in the payment instruction comprises the respective identifier associated with the one payee. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the one payee is the intended payee. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payment instruction is a first payment instruction, the payer is a first payer, the payment is a first payment, and the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 receive, from the second payment service provider, a second payment instruction to make a second payment to the one payee on behalf of one of: i) the first payer or ii) a second payer associated with the second payment network.   
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the request is encrypted, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to decrypt the request. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the request is encrypted with a public encryption key associated with the first payment service provider, and wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to decrypt the request based at least in part on a private encryption key associated with the first payment service provider. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 verify an authenticity of the request.   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to verify the authenticity of the request by verifying an electronic signature associated with the request based at least in part on a public encryption key associated with second payment service provider. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 transmit, to the second payment service provider, an acceptance message indicating that the payment instruction is accepted; and   credit an account associated with the one payee with an amount of funds associated with the payment amount.   
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 transmit, for presentation to the one payee, an indication that the amount of funds associated with the payment amount has been credited to the account associated with the one payee.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payment instruction is associated with remittance information structured according to a first message set, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 structure the remittance information according to a second message set; and   transmit, to the one payee, the remittance information structured according to the second message set.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 receive, at an account associated with the first payment service provider, settlement funds from an account associated with the second payment service provider, wherein the settlement funds are associated with the payment.   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to execute the computer-executable instructions to:
 transmit, to the second payment service provider, a decline message indicating that the payment instruction is not accepted.   
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the payment is one of:
 i) a bill payment,   ii) a payment of an invoice,   iii) a gift payment,   iv) a person-to-merchant payment, or   v) a person-to-person payment.   
     
     
         18 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a payment service provider system comprising one or more computers and associated with a first payment service provider, from a second payment service provider, a request for identifying whether an intended payee is associated with a first payment network supported by the first payment service provider, wherein the second payment service provider supports a second payment network different from the first payment network, wherein a respective plurality of payers and payees is associated with each of the first payment network and the second payment network, and wherein the intended payee is not associated with the second payment network;   transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the second payment service provider, information indicating one or more candidate payees associated with the first payment network; and   receiving, by the payment service provider system from the second payment service provider, a payment instruction to make a payment to one payee of the one or more candidate payees on behalf of a payer associated with the second payment network, wherein the payment instruction comprises a payment amount and identifying information associated with the one payee.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 determining, by the payment service provider system, that the intended payee is associated with the first payment network,   wherein the information indicating one or more candidate payees associated with the first payment network comprises information indicating that the intended payee is associated with the first payment network.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the information indicating one or more candidate payees associated with the first payment network comprises information indicating the intended payee as a candidate payee and information indicating one or more other candidate payees. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the information indicating the one or more candidate payees comprises a respective identifier associated with each of the one or more candidate payees. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the identifying information included in the payment instruction comprises the respective identifier associated with the one payee. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the one payee is the intended payee. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the payment instruction is a first payment instruction, the payer is a first payer, and the payment is a first payment, further comprising:
 receiving, by the payment service provider system from the second payment service provider, a second payment instruction to make a second payment to the one payee on behalf of one of: i) the first payer or ii) a second payer associated with the second payment network.   
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the request is encrypted, further comprising:
 decrypting, by the payment service provider system, the request.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 verifying, by the payment service provider system, an authenticity of the request.   
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the second payment service provider, an acceptance message indicating that the payment instruction is accepted; and   crediting, by the payment service provider system, an account associated with the one payee with an amount of funds associated with the payment amount.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the payment service provider system for presentation to the one payee, an indication that the amount of funds associated with the payment amount has been credited to the account associated with the one payee.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the payment instruction is associated with remittance information structured according to a first message set, further comprising:
 structuring, by the payment service provider system, the remittance information according to a second message set;   transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the one payee, the remittance information structured according to the second message set.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the payment service provider system at an account associated with the first payment service provider, settlement funds from an account associated with the second payment service provider,   wherein the settlement funds are associated with the payment.   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the payment service provider system to the second payment service provider, a decline message indicating that the payment instruction is not accepted.