Expense tracking, electronic ordering, invoice presentment, and payment system and method

Abstract

Systems and methods are described for electronic invoice presentment and payment processing. Requestors may place an order to purchase goods or services from one or more vendors. Invoice processing includes approval routing and dispute resolution.

1 . A computer-implemented method of resolving a dispute associated with an invoice, the computer comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
 providing, via the at least one processor, a first interface for a vendor to upload an invoice;   transmitting, via the at least one processor, the invoice to a requester of an item associated with the invoice for approval of the invoice;   transmitting, via the at least one processor, notification of the invoice being rejected in response to a determination that the requester rejects the invoice;   providing, via the at least one processor, a second interface for the vendor to view comments entered by the requester indicating the reasons rejecting the invoice, in response to a determination that the requester rejects the invoice; and   receiving, via the at least one processor, comments from the vendor responding to the rejected invoice.   
     
     
         2 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing, via the at least one processor, a third interface for a vendor to submit a registration to use the first interface for the vendor to upload an invoice. 
     
     
         3 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 2 , further comprising automatically transmitting, via the at least one processor, information submitted during the registration to the first interface for the vendor to upload an invoice. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein the second interface for the vendor to view comments entered by the requester indicating the reasons rejecting the invoice further comprises a fourth interface for the vendor to resubmit the invoice to the requester. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 1 , wherein receiving the comments from the vendor responding to the rejected invoice comprises receiving, via at least one processor, an electronic mail message comprising the comments. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 5 , wherein the electronic mail message further comprises a fifth interface for the requestor to select to approve or reject the invoice. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 6 , wherein the vendor receives a notification corresponding to the requestor's selection to approve or reject the invoice. 
     
     
         8 . A system for resolving a dispute associated with an invoice, the system comprising:
 at least one processor;   an invoice receiving module for receiving, via the at least one processor, an invoice from a vendor;   an invoice transmitting module for transmitting, via the at least one processor, the invoice to a requester of an item associated with the invoice for approval of the invoice;   an approval module for processing with the at least one processor, the invoice through an approval process based on at least one approval rule defined by the requester; and   a notification module for transmitting, via the at least one processor, notification of the invoice being rejected in response to a determination that the invoice was rejected by the approval module.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , further comprising an interface for the vendor to view comments entered by the requester indicating the reasons rejecting the invoice, in response to a determination that the invoice was rejected by the approval module. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , further comprising a comments module for receiving, via the at least one processor, comments from the vendor responding to the rejected invoice. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the invoice is rejected by the approval module in response to a determination that the requester has manually rejected the invoice. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 8 , wherein the invoice is rejected by the approval module in response to a determination that a total of the invoice does not match a purchase order total indicated on a purchase order associated with the invoice. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , further comprising a payment module for submitting, via the at least one processor, payment in response to a determination that the approval module approved the invoice. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the approval module comprises an interface for the requester to accept or reject the invoice. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , further comprising a data repository in communication with the approval module and a dispute resolution module, the dispute resolution module comprising an interface for the requester to enter comments to the vendor associated with the rejected invoice indicating the reasons for rejection, the comments being stored in the data repository. 
     
     
         16 . A computer-implemented method of resolving a dispute associated with an invoice, the computer comprising at least one processor, the method comprising:
 receiving, via the at least one processor, an invoice from a vendor,   processing, via the at least one processor, the invoice through an approval and payment process;   transmitting, via the at least one processor, notification of the invoice being rejected in response to a determination that a requester of an item associated with the invoice rejects the invoice; and   receiving, via the at least one processor, comments from the vendor responding to the rejected invoice.   
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , further comprising providing, via the at least one processor, an interface for the vendor to view comments entered by the requester indicating the reasons rejecting the invoice, in response to a determination that the requester rejects the invoice. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , further comprising receiving a resubmitted invoice after a vendor views comments entered by the requester indicating the reasons rejecting the invoice. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 18 , further comprising facilitating, via the at least one processor, payment in response to a determination that the approval module approved the resubmitted invoice. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 19 , further comprising submitting, via the at least one processor, payment to the vendor in response to the determination that the approval module approved the resubmitted invoice.