Patent ID: 7653598

Claim:
A computer-implemented method comprising: storing, by a payment service provider in a database, for each of a plurality of payment processing debit options for debiting a payor account and for each of a plurality of payment processing credit options, a respective predetermined numeric value for each of a plurality of payment processing factors, wherein the plurality of payment processing factors comprise (i) a cost of processing factor and (ii) a speed of processing factor, wherein each respective value is a score relative to other debit or credit options; receiving, by the payment service provider, a payment request to pay a payee on behalf of a payor; determining, by the payment service provider based upon the payment request, applicable debit options from the plurality of payment processing debit options and applicable credit options from the plurality of payment processing credit options, wherein each of the applicable debit options and the applicable credit options is applicable to processing the payment request; selecting, by the payment service provider, one of the plurality of payment processing factors based on a preference; evaluating, by the payment service provider, each of a plurality of combinations of applicable debit options and applicable credit options, wherein the evaluation comprises determining a respective function of the values for the selected processing factor for each combination; determining, by the payment service provider, an optimal combination of one applicable debit option and one applicable credit option based at least in part on the evaluation; and directing payment in accordance with the optimal combination, wherein the above steps are performed by one or more computers associated with the payment service provider.