Propagating data to facilitate electronic payments to payees

Abstract

Payments on behalf of a plurality of payors to a plurality of payees are facilitated using respective first data associated with each payor and respective second data associated with each of those payees payable by crediting via electronic funds transfer (EFT), such as by ACH transfer. The respective first data associated with each payor includes payee identity information for each payee designated by that payor, and could for example take the form of a payee list for that payor. The respective second data associated with each payee payable by crediting via EFT includes payment information identifying a deposit account of that payee. Information identifying a first of the payees and a deposit account of the first payee is received by a payment service provider. The first payee is not currently one of those payees associated with respective second data, when this information is received. The payment service provider stores a payee identifier for the first payee in association with payment information corresponding to the received information identifying the first payee deposit account as respective second data associated with the first payee. After receipt of the information identifying the first payee and the first payee deposit account, the payment service provider determines that the respective first data associated with a first payor includes payee identity information for the first payee and, based on this determination, stores an indicator indicating that the first payee is payable by crediting via EFT, in association with the payee identity information for the first payee in the respective first data associated with the first payor.