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 - 102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . A method for processing a payment at an accumulator over a network, comprising:
 receiving employer information to register an employer for submitting at least one payment over the network;   storing the employer information in a database;   receiving data about a bank account of the employer via the network;   storing the data about the bank account of the employer in the database;   receiving data about a user representing the employer via the network;   storing the data about the user representing the employer in the database;   receiving payment profile information relating to at least one employee of the employer via the network;   storing the payment profile information in the database;   receiving payment information relating to an employee from the employer via the network, the payment information specifying a date for processing a payment based on the payment information;   verifying the payment information using verification information received from an intermediary; and   when the payment information is verified, processing the payment based on the payment information.   
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 generating a password for the registered employer to enable the employer to submit at least one payment over the network.   
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 104 , further including:
 receiving a request for a new password from the employer via the network; and   updating the password for the employer.   
     
     
         106 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 receiving log in information from the employer via the network; and   enabling the employer to submit at least one payment over the network, in response to the log in information.   
     
     
         107 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 receiving employee detail information from the employer via the network; and   storing the employee detail information in the database.   
     
     
         108 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 receiving a county code query from the employer via the network;   retrieving a county name corresponding to the county code from a stored county code table; and   providing the county name to the employer.   
     
     
         109 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 receiving log-out information from the employer via the network; and   disabling the employer from submitting payments over the network in response to the log-out information.   
     
     
         110 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the employer information includes at least one of: federal employee identification number, employer name, employer address, primary user name, primary user phone number, primary user ID, and primary user e-mail address. 
     
     
         111 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the data about the bank account of the employer includes at least one of: routing number, bank name, account number, account type, maximum daily withdrawal, and default bank indicator. 
     
     
         112 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the data about the user representing the employer includes at least one of: user ID, user name, user status, user password, user e-mail address, and user permission. 
     
     
         113 . The method of  claim 112 , wherein the user permission includes at least one of: withholding payment permission, withholding profile permission, payment submission permission, transaction history report permission, withholding profile report permission, and payment history report permission. 
     
     
         114 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the payment profile information includes at least one of: payment profile name, employer bank account, number of employees, total payment amount, effective date, and withholding date. 
     
     
         115 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the payment information includes at least one of: employee identification number, employee case number, employee name, employee payment amount, employee withholding date, and medical insurance indicator. 
     
     
         116 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 generating a report based on payments submitted by the employer.   
     
     
         117 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 generating a report based on the payment profile information.   
     
     
         118 . The method of  claim 103 , further including:
 generating a report based on payments collected from an employee.   
     
     
         119 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the network is the Internet. 
     
     
         120 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the network is an intranet. 
     
     
         121 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the network is a wireless network. 
     
     
         122 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the network is a wired network. 
     
     
         123 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the network is a virtual private network. 
     
     
         124 . The method of  claim 103 , wherein the payment information relates to a child support payment. 
     
     
         125 . A system for processing a payment at an accumulator over a network, comprising:
 a first receiving component configured to receive employer information to register an employer for submitting at least one payment over the network;   a first storing component configured to store the employer information in a database;   a second receiving component configured to receive data about a bank account of the employer via the network;   a second storing component configured to store the data about the bank account of the employer in the database;   a third receiving component configured to receive data about a user representing the employer via the network;   a third storing component configured to store the data about the user representing the employer in the database;   a fourth receiving component configured to receive payment profile information relating to at least one employee of the employer via the network;   a fourth storing component configured to store the payment profile information in the database;   a fifth receiving component configured to receive payment information relating to an employee from the employer via the network, the payment information specifying a date for processing a payment based on the payment information;   a verification component configured to verify the payment information using verification information received from an intermediary; and   a processing component configured to, when the payment information is verified by the verification component, process the payment based on the payment information.   
     
     
         126 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 a first generating component configured to generate a password for the registered employer to enable the employer to submit at least one payment over the network.   
     
     
         127 . The system of  claim 126 , further including:
 a sixth receiving component configured to receive a request for a new password from the employer via the network; and   an updating component configured to update the password for the employer.   
     
     
         128 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 a seventh receiving component configured to receive log in information from the employer via the network; and   an enabling component configured to enable the employer to submit at least one payment over the network, in response to the log in information.   
     
     
         129 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 an eighth receiving component configured to receive employee detail information from the employer via the network; and   a fifth storing component configured to store the employee detail information in the database.   
     
     
         130 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 a ninth receiving component configured to receive a county code query from the employer via the network;   a retrieving component configured to retrieve a county name corresponding to the county code from a stored county code table; and   a providing component configured to provide the county name to the employer.   
     
     
         131 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 a tenth receiving component configured to receive log-out information from the employer via the network; and   a disabling component configured to disable the employer from submitting payments over the network in response to the log-out information.   
     
     
         132 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the employer information includes at least one of: federal employee identification number, employer name, employer address, primary user name, primary user phone number, primary user ID, and primary user e-mail address. 
     
     
         133 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the data about the bank account of the employer includes at least one of: routing number, bank name, account number, account type, maximum daily withdrawal, and default bank indicator. 
     
     
         134 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the data about the user representing the employer includes at least one of: user ID, user name, user status, user password, user e-mail address, and user permission. 
     
     
         135 . The system of  claim 134 , wherein the user permission includes at least one of: withholding payment permission, withholding profile permission, payment submission permission, transaction history report permission, withholding profile report permission, and payment history report permission. 
     
     
         136 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the payment profile information includes at least one of: payment profile name, employer bank account, number of employees, total payment amount, effective date, and withholding date. 
     
     
         137 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the payment information includes at least one of: employee identification number, employee case number, employee name, employee payment amount, employee withholding date, and medical insurance indicator. 
     
     
         138 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 a second generating component configured to generate a report based on payments submitted by the employer.   
     
     
         139 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 a third generating component configured to generate a report based on the payment profile information.   
     
     
         140 . The system of  claim 125 , further including:
 a fourth generating component configured to generate a report based on payments collected from an employee.   
     
     
         141 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the network is the Internet. 
     
     
         142 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the network is an intranet. 
     
     
         143 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the network is a wireless network. 
     
     
         144 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the network is a wired network. 
     
     
         145 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the network is a virtual private network. 
     
     
         146 . The system of  claim 125 , wherein the payment information relates to a child support payment. 
     
     
         147 . A computer readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for processing a payment at an accumulator over a network, the computer readable code comprising:
 a first receiving module configured to receive employer information to register an employer for submitting at least one payment over the network;   a first storing module configured to store the employer information in a database;   a second receiving module configured to receive data about a bank account of the employer via the network;   a second storing module configured to store the data about the bank account of the employer in the database;   a third receiving module configured to receive data about a user representing the employer via the network;   a third storing module configured to store the data about the user representing the employer in the database;   a fourth receiving module configured to receive payment profile information relating to at least one employee of the employer via the network;   a fourth storing module configured to store the payment profile information in the database;   a fifth receiving module configured to receive payment information relating to an employee from the employer via the network, the payment information specifying a date for processing a payment based on the payment information;   a verification module configured to verify the payment information using verification information received from an intermediary; and   a processing module configured to, when the payment information is verified by the verification module, process the payment based on the payment information.   
     
     
         148 . A system for processing a payment at an accumulator over a network, comprising:
 means for receiving employer information to register an employer for submitting at least one payment over the network;   means for storing the employer information in a database;   means for receiving data about a bank account of the employer via the network;   means for storing the data about the bank account of the employer in the database;   means for receiving data about a user representing the employer via the network;   means for storing the data about the user representing the employer in the database;   means for receiving payment profile information relating to at least one employee of the employer via the network;   means for storing the payment profile information in the database;   means for receiving payment information relating to an employee from the employer via the network, the payment information specifying a date for processing a payment based on the payment information;   means for verifying the payment information using verification information received from an intermediary; and   means for processing the payment based on the payment information when the payment information is verified.   
     
     
         149 - 266 . (canceled)