Construction payment management system and method with hierarchical invoicing and direct payment features

A construction payment management system comprising:

• an application server including a processor and a computer readable memory, wherein the computer readable memory stores
• a construction project profile that identifies a plurality of participants associated with a construction project and a role for each of the plurality of participants in the construction project, wherein, according to the construction project profile, the plurality of participants includes a first participant, a second participant, and a third participant, and wherein, according to the construction project profile, the third participant is a payor for the construction project, the second participant is a contractor that is contractually subordinate to the third participant for the construction project, the first participant is a contractor that is contractually subordinate to the second participant for the construction project, and the first participant is not directly in contract with the third participant for the construction project,
• an identifier of a first participant device, a second participant device, and a third participant device corresponding to the first participant, the second participant, and the third participant, respectively, and
• instructions that, when executed by the processor,
• establish electronic communication between the application server and each of the first participant device, the second participant device, and the third participant device,
• generate an electronically-executed first request for payment on behalf of the first participant in the construction project in response to information received from the first participant device,
• transmit the first request for payment to the second participant device,
• generate an electronically-executed second request for payment on behalf of the second participant based on the first request for payment,
• transmit the second request for payment to the third participant device,
• transmit a first payment directly from the third participant to the first participant, and
• transmit a second payment directly from the third participant to the second participant.