Patent ID: 7383226

Claim:
A computer implemented method for billing and payment, comprising: transmitting, to a first of a plurality of payors, bill information representing a first of a plurality of bills from a first of a plurality of billers to the plurality of payors, wherein the first bill is associated with the first payor; receiving a payment instruction from the first payor to pay the first bill based on the transmitted bill information; determining, by a service provider, a credit risk associated with payment of the first bill on behalf of the first payor from an account associated with the service provider; selecting, by the service provider, an account to debit from the group consisting of (i) an account associated with the first payor and (ii) the account associated with the service provider based upon the determined credit risk, wherein the selection of the account is made independently of the first payor and the first biller; and initiating, by a service provider, a payment of the first bill to the first biller based on the received payment instruction and the selected account.