Patent ID: 7200551

Claim:
A system for the automated payment of bills comprising: (a) a bill processing server connected to a network, (b) one or more financial institution servers connected to said network, wherein a client has at least one banking account associated with at least one of said one or more financial institution servers and a biller has at least one banking account associated with at least one of said one or more financial institution servers; (c) one or more biller servers connected to said network, wherein said client has at least one billing account associated with at least one of said one or more biller servers; (d) at least one client computer connected to said network; wherein said one or more biller servers includes means to format bill information and bill payment instructions associated with said at least one billing account; and wherein said bill information further includes means for initiating bill payment instructions; and wherein said at least one client computer comprises a processor, communication means, a server access program and a display for receiving and viewing from said one or more biller servers and not said bill processing server said bill information, and input means for selecting said means for initiating bill payment instructions; and wherein said processor integral to said at least one client computer is responsive to said input means and causes said communication means to communicate said bill payment instructions to said bill processing server when said means for initiating bill payment instruction is selected; and wherein said bill processing server causes a selected one of said at least one client banking account to be debited and a selected one of said at least one biller banking account to be credited, upon receipt of said bill payment instructions; and wherein said bill processing server reports to a selected one of said one or more biller servers a selected one of said at least one billing account associated with said biller and a credit amount; and wherein said bill processing server reports to a selected one of said at least one client computer a selected one of said at least one billing account associated with said client and a debit amount.