Systems and methods for staging transactions, payments and collections

A method for staging a transaction involving a payment from a customer to a lender, the method comprising:

• receiving a promise-to-pay from the customer;
• creating a promise-to-pay record, the promise-to-pay record including a payment amount and an expiration;
• transmitting the promise-to-pay record to a payment service provider, the payment service provider adapted to accept a cash payment from the customer if the customer attempts payment prior to the expiration;
• and
• receiving a notice of payment from the payment service provider if the payment service provider received from the customer a payment that equals or exceeds the payment amount.