Milton M Mersky

US Patent:

6119106, Sep 12, 2000

Filed:

Nov 26, 1997

Appl. No.:

8/979777

Inventors:

Randy Mersky - Silver Spring MD
Milton Mersky - Bethesda MD

International Classification:

G06F 1760

US Classification:

705 40

Abstract:

A system for facilitating customer payments to creditors from a remote site includes computer systems located at respective agent, service provider and creditor sites. The service provider or host computer system is in selective communication with the agent and creditor computer systems and processes transaction information. A customer typically visits an agent site (e. g. , a retail establishment) and tenders payment, preferably manually, in response to receiving a billing statement from a creditor. The payment transaction is entered into the agent system wherein information for all payment transactions at that agent site is maintained in a transaction file. The agent system generates a receipt for the customer at the completion of the transaction. Each agent system transfers a respective transaction file to the host system daily at a specified time associated with the respective agent system, preferably at the end of a day, wherein the host system processes the transaction files to generate a closeout report and a creditor report for each creditor indicating the payment activity at the agent sites. The creditor reports are transferred to the creditor systems wherein customer accounts may be updated based on the payment information within the creditor reports.