Visa International Service Association

Ray Kolling

James T Hayward

Michael Occhino

Jeffrey D Roughgarden

William L Powar

An electronic statement presentment (ESP) system replaces the preparation and mailing of paper statements and invoices from a biller with electronic delivery. Electronic statements have the same look as paper statements as well as including video, audio, graphics, and custom enclosures. Statements are segmented into mandatory and optional components to minimize download time. The ESP system operates independently or is an enhancement to any suitable electronic bill payment system. A central switch computer coordinates template storage, validation, routing and message passing between billers, workstations and consumer financial institutions (CFI). A template authoring workstation (TAWS) creates a template of static biller information to serve as a basis for the electronic statement. The template is stored in a template library at the switch. The switch validates the template by sending it to a template validation workstation (TVAL). Batches of customer statement data are sent from a biller's legacy invoicing system to a statement origination workstation (SORG) along with a template identifier.

Electronic statement presentment system

An electronic statement presentment (ESP) system replaces the preparation and mailing of paper statements and invoices from a biller with electronic delivery. Electronic statements have the same look as paper statements as well as including video, audio, graphics, and custom enclosures. Statements are segmented into mandatory and optional components to minimize download time. The ESP system operates independently or is an enhancement to any suitable electronic bill payment system. A central switch computer coordinates template storage, validation, routing and message passing between billers, workstations and consumer financial institutions (CFI). A template authoring workstation (TAWS) creates a template of static biller information to serve as a basis for the electronic statement. The template is stored in a template library at the switch. The switch validates the template by sending it to a template validation workstation (TVAL). Batches of customer statement data are sent from a biller's legacy invoicing system to a statement origination workstation (SORG) along with a template identifier. The switch sends the template to the SORG where the customer data is validated by comparison to the template identified. The batch of customer statement data is sorted by a statement generation workstation (SGEN) identifier associated with each customer record. The sorted batches are sent to the switch where they are routed to the appropriate SGEN based upon the SGEN identifier. Each SGEN generates an electronic statement for each customer from the statement data and the appropriate template. A CFI associated with each SGEN delivers each electronic statement to the appropriate customer using a customer identifier in the statement data and uses any chosen medium.

A bill pay system wherein participating consumers pay bills to participating billers through a payment network operating according to preset rules. The participating consumers receive bills from participating billers (paper/mail bills, e-mail notices, implied bills for automatic debits) which indicate an amount, and a unique biller identification number. To authorize a remittance, a consumer transmits to its participating bank a bill pay order indicating a payment date, a payment amount, the consumer's account number with the biller, a source of funds and the biller's biller identification number, either directly or by reference to static data containing those data elements. Bank C then submits a payment message to a payment network, and the payment network, which assigns the biller reference numbers, forwards the payment message to the biller's bank. For settlement, the consumer's bank debits the consumer's account and is obligated to a net position with the payment network; likewise, the biller's bank receives a net position from the payment network and credits the biller's bank account. If the consumer's bank agrees to send non-reversible payment messages, the consumer's bank does not submit the transaction until funds are good unless the consumer's bank is willing to take the risk of loss if funds are not good, in the case of a guaranteed payment network.

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Menlo Park, CA, United States of America

Ray Kolling