Facilitating e-commerce payments using non-accepted customer payment methods

A payment facilitation bureau capable of facilitating an ecommerce transaction payment between a customer and a vendor web site system having the necessary components to process transaction payments via at least one vendor-accepted payment method, said payment facilitation bureau comprising:

• f. A payment facilitation server operatively connected to communicate with at least one vendor website system via a computer network, and capable of issuing vendor payment credentials which can be used to process a transaction payment using the at least one vendor accepted payment method and infrastructure of the vendor website system;
• g. At least one payment processing gateway connected to the payment facilitation server and comprising the necessary hardware or software components to process transaction payments to at least one selected customer payment method;
• h. At least one payment issuance gateway corresponding to the at least one vendor accepted payment method, connected to the payment facilitation server and comprising the necessary hardware or software components to allow for the issuance of payment credentials which can be used to process transaction payments in accordance with the vendor accepted payment method;
• Wherein the payment facilitation server can receive a transaction payment request in respect of an e-commerce transaction identifying the transaction payment amount, the selected customer payment method and the selected vendor accepted payment method;
• And wherein upon receipt of a transaction payment request, the payment facilitation server generates a transaction payment response by:
• a. Obtaining from the customer the necessary customer payment credentials to permit the charging of a transaction payment to the selected customer payment method;
• b. Processing payment for the transaction payment amount to the selected customer payment method using the acquired customer payment credentials via the at least one payment processing gateway;
• c. Upon confirmation of payment being obtained from the selected customer payment method issuing vendor payment credentials using the at least one payment issuance gateway, usable by the vendor web site system to charge the transaction payment amount to the selected vendor-accepted payment method;
• and
• d. Transmitting a transaction payment response identifying the issued vendor payment credentials in conjunction with the transaction, whereby upon receipt of said transaction payment response the vendor web site system can complete processing of payment for the ecommerce transaction from the customer using the issued vendor payment credentials via the payment processing infrastructure of the vendor website system.

A data processing system for facilitating an ecommerce transaction between a customer and a vendor website, the data processing system comprising:

• i. at least one processing unit;
• j. at least one memory storage device operatively coupled to the at least one processing unit;
• and
• k. a program module stored in the at least one memory storage device operative for providing instructions to the at least one processing unit, the at least one processing unit responsive to the instructions of the program module, the program module operative for:
• xii. receiving a transaction payment request in respect of an e-commerce transaction payment between a customer and a vendor website system, said transaction payment request identifying the transaction payment amount, the selected customer payment method, and the selected vendor accepted payment method;
• xiii. obtaining customer payment method credentials by which the transaction amount can be charged to the selected customer payment method;
• xiv. processing the transaction payment amount to the selected customer payment method using the obtained customer payment method credentials, via connection of the data processing system to at least one payment processing gateway;
• xv. upon confirmation of the acceptance of the request for payment of the transaction payment amount from the at least one payment processing gateway, effecting the issuance of vendor payment credentials usable by the vendor website system to charge the transaction payment amount to the selected vendor accepted payment method, via connection of the data processing system to at least one payment issuance gateway;
• xvi. assembling a transaction payment response in respect of the transaction payment request identifying the issued vendor payment credentials;
• and
• xvii. transmitting the transaction payment response such that the issued vendor payment credentials can be used by the vendor website system to process payment in respect of the e-commerce transaction in question to the selected vendor accepted payment method.

A payment facilitation client software program for execution on the computer of a customer in communication with a vendor website system, said client software program operative for:

• i. Generating a transaction payment request in respect of an e-commerce transaction payment between the customer and the vendor website system, said transaction payment request identifying the transaction payment amount, the customer payment credentials by which a payment gateway can process a payment by a selected customer payment method, and the vendor accepted payment method;
• ii. Transmitting said transaction payment request to a payment facilitation bureau capable of processing payments in accordance with the selected customer payment method, and capable of issuing vendor payment credentials which the vendor website system can use to process transaction payments using the vendor accepted payment method;
• iii. Receiving back from said payment facilitation bureau a transaction payment response containing vendor payment credentials in respect of the vendor accepted payment method for the transaction;
• and
• iv. Passing the vendor payment credentials from the transaction payment response to the vendor website system, whereby payment for the transaction can be processed and completed by the vendor website system;