PAYMENT SCHEDULE FOR ELECTRONIC BILL PAYMENT SYSTEM

This invention concerns an electronic bill payment system that implements a payment timing mechanism that flexibly accommodates different payment methods, yet offers consumers a reliable way to ensure timely payment regardless of the underlying payment method. The billing system is a distributed computing system that includes computing systems at a centralized service center, multiple consumers (and/or their banks), and multiple billers/payees (and/or their banks). In paying their bills electronically, consumers designate an effective payment date. The service center system stores the payment authorization in a payment record and permits the consumer to cancel or modify the payment authorization at any time prior to a cutoff deadline before the effective payment deadline. After the cutoff deadline, the service center enters into a loock down period during which the consumer can no longer change the payment instruction. The service center groups all payments with the same effective payment date into one batch. The service center collects funds that have been authorized by consumers toward payment of their bills sometime after the cutoff deadline. After the funds are collected, the service center system sends to each biller/payee a single remittance file listing all payments that are funded from the various consumers. The remittance file is sent on or before a predetermined time on the effective payment date. In addition, the funds disbursement system transfers a lump sum payment from the service center account to the biller's account. L'invention concerne un système électronique de paiement de factures mettant en oeuvre un mécanisme de calendrier des paiements gérant de façon flexible différents modes de paiements, et offrant ainsi aux consommateurs une manière sûre de garantir un paiement dans les délais, quel que soit le mode de paiement sous-jacent utilisé. Le système de facturation est un système informatique réparti qui comporte des systèmes informatiques dans un centre de services centralisé, plusieurs consommateurs (et/ou leurs banques), et plusieurs créditeurs/débiteurs (et/ou leurs banques). Par le paiement électronique de leurs factures, les consommateurs fixent une date de paiement effective. Le système du centre de services mémorise l'autorisation de paiement dans un registre des paiements et permet au consommateur d'annuler ou de modifier l'autorisation de paiement à tout moment avant la date butoir, antérieure au délai de paiement effectif. Ap