Apparatus, method, and computer program product for settlement to a merchant's card account using an on-line bill payment platform

An apparatus comprising:

• a memory;
• at least one processor operatively coupled to said memory;
• and
• a persistent storage device operatively coupled to said memory and storing in a non-transitory manner instructions which when loaded into said memory cause said at least one processor to be operative to:
• obtain by an API registration information for a plurality of businesses, said registration information including, for each given one of said businesses, at least a name of said given one of said businesses and a payment card account number for a payment card account in which said given one of said businesses can receive payments from customers via a special payment transaction over a payment card network;
• implement a bill presentment and payment system card payment component (BPPS-CPC) of an electronic bill presentment and payment system, which obtains an electronic bill payment system instruction including at least an amount and a corresponding one of a plurality of previously-assigned unique biller identifiers, said electronic bill payment system instruction being based on a communication from one of said customers via said electronic bill presentment and payment system, said one of said customers being a customer of one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers;
• access, by said implemented bill presentment and payment system card payment component (BPPS-CPC) of said electronic bill presentment and payment system, using a database management system, a biller directory including said registration information and said unique biller identifiers, based on said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers in said electronic bill payment system instruction, to retrieve said payment card account number for said payment card account for said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers;
• and
• initiate, by said implemented bill presentment and payment system card payment component (BPPS-CPC) of said electronic bill presentment and payment system, via a payment card network interface, a payment to said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers, for said amount, via said special payment transaction over said payment card network, to said payment card account for said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers, based on said retrieved payment card account number.

A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising computer executable instructions which when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform the method of:

• obtaining by an API registration information for a plurality of businesses, said registration information including, for each given one of said businesses, at least a name of said given one of said businesses and a payment card account number for a payment card account in which said given one of said businesses can receive payments from customers via a special payment transaction over a payment card network;
• implement a bill presentment and payment system card payment component (BPPS-CPC) of an electronic bill presentment and payment system, which obtains an electronic bill payment system instruction including at least an amount and a corresponding one of a plurality of previously-assigned unique biller identifiers, said electronic bill payment system instruction being based on a communication from one of said customers via said electronic bill presentment and payment system, said one of said customers being a customer of one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers;
• accessing by said implemented bill presentment and payment system card payment component (BPPS-CPC) of said electronic bill presentment and payment system, using a database management system, a biller directory including said registration information and said unique biller identifiers, based on said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers in said electronic bill payment system instruction, to retrieve said payment card account number for said payment card account for said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers;
• and
• initiating by said bill presentment and payment system card payment component (BPPS-CPC) of said electronic bill presentment and payment system, via a payment card network interface a payment to said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers, for said amount, via said special payment transaction over said payment card network, to said payment card account for said one of said plurality of businesses which has been assigned said corresponding one of said unique biller identifiers, based on said retrieved payment card account number.