Apparatus and methods for providing a payment system over a network

Abstract

Apparatus and methods provide an accumulator that processes electronic payments from an employer to a recipient via a network. The payments processed may be, for example, child support payments collected from an employee by the employer. The employer may submit one transaction made up of payments collected from multiple employees bound for multiple recipients and the accumulator may receive, translate, batch, and deliver the payments to the multiple recipients. The accumulator, employers, and recipients may communicate via a network such as the Internet.

1 .- 234 . (canceled) 
     
     
         235 . A method for processing a payment over a network at an accumulator storing a plurality of templates for a plurality of intermediaries, comprising:
 receiving employee information from a plurality of employers via the network, the employee information corresponding to at least one employee of each employer and including an intermediary identifier;   filtering the employee information using a template based on one intermediary corresponding to the intermediary identifier; and   processing at least one employee debit corresponding to the filtered employee information.   
     
     
         236 . The method of  claim 235 , further including:
 processing a credit corresponding to the employee debit; and   sending the credit to an intermediary represented by the intermediary identifier.   
     
     
         237 . The method of  claim 235 , further including:
 presenting the template matching the intermediary identifier to the employer to direct the contents of the employee information.   
     
     
         238 . The method of  claim 235 , further including:
 verifying the employee information using verification information received from the intermediary associated with the intermediary identifier in the employee information.   
     
     
         239 . The method of  claim 235 , further including:
 presenting a single template to the employer, from which the template matching the intermediary identifier is determined.   
     
     
         240 . The method of  claim 238 , further including:
 processing the employee debit from the employer based on the filtered employee information, when the employee information is verified.   
     
     
         241 . The method of  claim 238 , further including:
 receiving the credit corresponding to the debit, when the employee information is verified.   
     
     
         242 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the network is the Internet. 
     
     
         243 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the network is an intranet. 
     
     
         244 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the network is a wireless network. 
     
     
         245 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the network is a wired network. 
     
     
         246 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the network is a virtual private network. 
     
     
         247 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the employee information relates to a child support payment. 
     
     
         248 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the debit is processed using debit-based electronic funds transfer. 
     
     
         249 . The method of  claim 235 , wherein the credit is processed using addendum-based electronic data interchange. 
     
     
         250 . A system for processing a payment over a network at an accumulator storing a plurality of templates for a plurality of intermediaries, comprising:
 a first receiving component configured to receive employee information from a plurality of employers via the network, the employee information corresponding to at least one employee of each employer and including an intermediary identifier;   a filtering component configured to filter the employee information using a template based on one intermediary corresponding to the intermediary identifier, and   a first processing component configured to process at least one employee debit corresponding to the filtered employee information.   
     
     
         251 . The system of  claim 250 , further including:
 a second processing component configured to process a credit corresponding to the employee debit; and   a sending component configured to send the credit to an intermediary represented by the intermediary identifier.   
     
     
         252 . The system of  claim 250 , further including:
 a first presenting component configured to present the template matching the intermediary identifier to the employer to direct the contents of the employee information.   
     
     
         253 . The system of  claim 250 , further including:
 a verifying component configured to verify the employee information using verification information received from the intermediary associated with the intermediary identifier in the employee information.   
     
     
         254 . The system of  claim 250 , further including:
 a second presenting component configured to present a single template to the employer, from which the template matching the intermediary identifier is determined.   
     
     
         255 . The system of  claim 253 , further including:
 a second processing component configured to process the employee debit from the employer based on the filtered employee information, when the employee information is verified.   
     
     
         256 . The system of  claim 253 , further including:
 a second receiving component configured to receive the credit corresponding to the debit, when the employee information is verified.   
     
     
         257 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the network is the Internet. 
     
     
         258 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the network is an intranet. 
     
     
         259 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the network is a wireless network. 
     
     
         260 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the network is a wired network. 
     
     
         261 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the network is a virtual private network. 
     
     
         262 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the employee information relates to a child support payment. 
     
     
         263 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the debit is processed using debit-based electronic funds transfer. 
     
     
         264 . The system of  claim 250 , wherein the credit is processed using addendum-based electronic data interchange. 
     
     
         265 . A computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for processing a payment over a network at an accumulator storing a plurality of templates for a plurality of intermediaries, the computer readable code comprising:
 a receiving module configured to receive employee information from a plurality of employers via the network, the employee information corresponding to at least one employee of each employer and including an intermediary identifier;   a filtering module configured to filter the employee information using a template based on one intermediary corresponding to the intermediary identifier; and   a processing module configured to process at least one employee debit corresponding to the filtered employee information.   
     
     
         266 . A system for processing a payment over a network at an accumulator storing a plurality of templates for a plurality of intermediaries, comprising:
 means for receiving employee information from a plurality of employers via the network, the employee information corresponding to at least one employee of each employer and including an intermediary identifier;   means for filtering the employee information using a template based on one intermediary corresponding to the intermediary identifier; and   means for processing at least one employee debit corresponding to the filtered employee information.