Electronic Biller Identification via Proximity Data
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current electronic billing and payment systems face challenges in efficiently enrolling consumers and reducing incorrect data entry, as consumers must provide repetitive information to multiple billers and payees, leading to a cumbersome and redundant process that discourages wider adoption of electronic billing services.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that identifies candidate electronic billers for a consumer by accessing payment service information from proximate locations, allowing for a single enrollment process and streamlined data management, enabling consumers to view bills and make payments using a single user ID/password combination while allowing billers to maintain control over branding and user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If consumers provide enrollment information to multiple billers separately, then each biller can maintain accurate customer data, but the enrollment process becomes repetitive and cumbersome
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple separate enrollment processes into a single unified enrollment through a service provider. The service provider collects consumer information once and then distributes it to multiple billers, eliminating the need for consumers to repeatedly provide the same information while ensuring all billers receive accurate data.
Solution Approach 2:
The service provider acts as an intermediary between consumers and multiple billers. It receives enrollment information from the consumer once, processes it, and then communicates with each biller to establish electronic billing relationships, thereby simplifying the enrollment process while maintaining data accuracy across all parties.
2Adaptability or versatility
If consumers enroll with multiple billers individually, then each biller can control their own enrollment process, but the overall enrollment time and complexity increase
Solution Approach 1:
The service provider performs preliminary actions by pre-collecting and validating consumer enrollment information before distributing it to multiple billers. This preliminary processing reduces the time each biller needs to spend on enrollment while maintaining their ability to control their specific enrollment requirements and branding.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the enrollment process into two distinct phases: a centralized enrollment phase where the service provider collects information once, and a distributed distribution phase where information is sent to multiple billers. This segmentation allows billers to maintain control over their specific requirements while dramatically reducing total enrollment time for consumers.
3Ease of operation
If a centralized service provider manages all enrollments, then consumer experience is simplified, but biller control over branding and user experience may be reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The service provider implements local quality by allowing each biller to customize their portion of the enrollment process with their own branding, logos, and user interface elements. While the overall enrollment is centralized and simplified for consumers, each biller maintains control over their specific presentation and branding requirements in their respective enrollment interfaces.
Data Source
AI summary
A technique for identifying a candidate electronic biller having bills available for electronic presentment to a consumer is provided. An electronic commerce service provider receives location information of a first consumer. The service provider accesses information associated with providing a payment service to a second consumer located near the first consumer. This accessing is based on the received location information. At least one potential biller of the first consumer is identified in the accessed information.