Loyalty rewards optimization bill payables and receivables service

Abstract

For several accounts receivable, a reward account is determined as the account that receives the largest deposit to the loyalty reward balance thereof by a payment of the account receivable. For each reward account, a deficient reward account is found if the currency balance for the reward account is not sufficient for the payment of the account payable. For each deficiency reward account, if identified accounts receivables can be deposited such that the currency balance thereof will be sufficient to pay the account payable, then payments are made of: (i) the identified accounts receivables as corresponding deposits to the currency balance of the deficiency reward account such that the currency balance thereof is sufficient for the payment of the account payable; and (ii) the account payable by a withdrawal from the currency balance of the deficiency reward account.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method, comprising:
 storing, in a computing apparatus, data identifying a plurality of accounts usable to make a payment, the plurality of accounts providing different reward benefits for making the payment in respective accounts;   identifying, by the computing apparatus during processing of a first payment, at least one account in the plurality of accounts, based on optimizing reward benefits to be generated from processing the first payment; and   processing, by the computing apparatus, the first payment using the at least one account selected based on the optimizing of the reward benefits to be generated from the processing of the first payment.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the identifying of the at least one account comprises:
 identifying a first account that provides most reward benefits to make the first payment than second accounts that are in the plurality of accounts and that are different from the first account.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 providing a web service to receive user input identifying the plurality of accounts, prior to storing the data identifying the plurality of accounts.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising:
 receiving a web request from a payer to make the first payment to a payee, without using a point of service terminal of the payee or an electronic commerce site of the payee.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 generating a claim code in response to the web request; and   presenting the claim code to the payer, wherein the payer is to provide the claim code to the payee, and the payee is to present the claim code to the computing apparatus to receive the first payment.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the payer is to provide the claim code to the payee via an alternative communication channel in dependent of the web service. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 receiving the claim code from the payee, wherein the processing of the first payment using the at least one account is responsive to the receiving of the claim code.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving input from the payee identifying an account issued by an issuer to the payee, wherein the first payment is credited to the account identified by the payee.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , further comprising:
 authenticate the payee via cardholder verification value and address verification service.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 authenticate the payer via cardholder verification value and address verification service.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the identifying of the at least one account further comprises:
 identifying at least one account receivable; and   processing the at least one account receivable to receive funds in the first account to improve a balance of the first account in preparation of making the first payment using the first account.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing apparatus includes a transaction handler of a payment processing network for the processing of the first payment. 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions configured to instruct a computing apparatus to at least:
 store, in the computing apparatus, data identifying a plurality of accounts usable to make a payment, the plurality of accounts providing different reward benefits for making the payment in respective accounts;   identify, by the computing apparatus during processing of a first payment, at least one account in the plurality of accounts, based on optimizing reward benefits to be generated from processing the first payment; and   process, by the computing apparatus, the first payment using the at least one account selected based on the optimizing of the reward benefits to be generated from the processing of the first payment.   
     
     
         14 . A system, comprising:
 a web service apparatus configured to receive data identifying a plurality of accounts usable to make a payment, the plurality of accounts providing different reward benefits for making the payment in respective accounts; and   a payment processing system, including a transaction handler, configured to
 identify, during processing of a first payment, at least one account in the plurality of accounts, based on optimizing reward benefits to be generated from processing the first payment, and 
 process the first payment using the at least one account selected based on the optimizing of the reward benefits to be generated from the processing of the first payment. 
   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one account comprises a first account that provides most reward benefits to make the first payment than second accounts that are in the plurality of accounts and that are different from the first account. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the web service apparatus is further configured to receive a web request from a payer to make the first payment to a payee, without using a point of service terminal of the payee or an electronic commerce site of the payee. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the web service apparatus is further configured to:
 present, in response to the web request, a claim code to the payer, wherein the payer is to provide the claim code to the payee, and the payee is to present the claim code to the web service apparatus to receive the first payment.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the web service apparatus is further configured to:
 receive the claim code from the payee, wherein the first payment is processed using the first account in response to the receiving of the claim code.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , wherein the web service apparatus is further configured to:
 receive input from the payee identifying an account issued by an issuer to the payee, wherein the first payment is credited to the account identified by the payee in response to the claim code received in the web service apparatus.   
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the payment processing system is further configured to:
 identify at least one account receivable; and   process the at least one account receivable to receive funds in the first account to improve a balance of the first account in preparation of making the first payment using the first account.