Electronic transaction apparatus and method

Abstract

One inventive step includes facilitating obtaining a payment file associated with a buyer (for example, directly from the buyer, or from a third party partner). The file includes data specifying a first form of payment from the buyer to a first biller and data specifying a second form of payment, different than the first form of payment, from the buyer to a second biller. Other inventive steps include facilitating appending first stored data to the data specifying the first form of payment to the first biller, to effectuate payment to the first biller by the first form of payment; and facilitating appending second stored data to the data specifying the second form of payment to the second biller, to effectuate payment to the second biller by the second form of payment.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory tangible computer readable recordable storage medium including computer usable program code for electronic payment, said computer program product including:
 first computer usable program code which, when executed on at least one hardware processor, causes said at least one hardware processor to obtain, by an entity, a single payment file from a third party provider who has received purchase order data from a buyer, first invoice data from a first biller, and second invoice data from a second biller, said single file comprising data specifying both: (i) a first form of payment from said buyer to a first biller and (ii) a second form of payment, different than said first form of payment, from said buyer to a second biller, said entity being separate from said third party provider, said buyer, said first biller, and said second biller;   second computer usable program code which, when executed on said at least one hardware processor, causes said at least one hardware processor to append, by said entity, first stored data, from said supplier registry, to said data specifying said first form of payment to said first biller, to effectuate payment to said first biller by said first form of payment; and   third computer usable program code which, when executed on said at least one hardware processor, causes said at least one hardware processor to append, by said entity, second stored data, from said buyer registry, to said data specifying said second form of payment to said second biller, to effectuate payment to said second biller by said second form of payment.   
     
     
         2 . The computer program product of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 fourth computer usable program code which, when executed on at least one hardware processor, causes said at least one hardware processor to generate remittance information associated with said payment to said first biller and said payment to said second biller.   
     
     
         3 . An apparatus for electronic payment, said apparatus comprising:
 a memory; and   at least one processor coupled to said memory, said at least one processor being operative to:
 obtain, by an entity, a single payment file from a third party provider who has received purchase order data from a buyer, first invoice data from a first biller, and second invoice data from a second biller, said single file comprising data specifying both: (i) a first form of payment from said buyer to a first biller and (ii) a second form of payment, different than said first form of payment, from said buyer to a second biller, said entity being separate from said third party provider, said buyer, said first biller, and said second biller; 
 append, by said entity, first stored data, from said supplier registry, to said data specifying said first form of payment to said first biller, to effectuate payment to said first biller by said first form of payment; and 
 append, by said entity, second stored data, from said buyer registry, to said data specifying said second form of payment to said second biller, to effectuate payment to said second biller by said second form of payment. 
   
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein said at least one processor is further operative to:
 generate remittance information associated with said payment to said first biller and said payment to said second biller.   
     
     
         5 . A computer program product comprising a non-transitory tangible computer readable recordable storage medium including computer usable program code for electronic payment, said computer program product including:
 first computer usable program code which, when executed on at least one hardware processor, causes said at least one hardware processor to obtain payment instructions associated with a buyer, said instructions comprising data specifying payment from said buyer to at least one of a plurality of billers, said data including an identification number of said at least one biller; and   second computer usable program code which, when executed on said at least one hardware processor, causes said at least one hardware processor to append first stored data to said data specifying said payment to said at least one biller, to effectuate payment to said at least one biller;   wherein said obtaining and appending are performed by a payment service operator, said payment service operator being separate from said buyer and said plurality of billers, and wherein said identification number of said at least one biller is assigned by a party other than said payment service operator.   
     
     
         6 . The computer program product of  claim 5 , wherein said identification number of said at least one biller is assigned by said buyer. 
     
     
         7 . An apparatus for electronic payment, said apparatus comprising:
 a memory; and   at least one processor coupled to said memory, said at least one processor being operative to:
 obtain payment instructions associated with a buyer, said instructions comprising data specifying payment from said buyer to at least one of a plurality of billers, said data including an identification number of said at least one biller; and 
 append first stored data to said data specifying said payment to said at least one biller, to effectuate payment to said at least one biller; 
   wherein said obtaining and appending are performed by a payment service operator, said payment service operator being separate from said buyer and said plurality of billers, and wherein said identification number of said at least one biller is assigned by a party other than said payment service operator.   
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 7 , wherein said identification number of said at least one biller is assigned by said buyer.