Patent ID: 7653591

Claim:
A system for avoiding assessment of a late fee against a billing account designated by a billing account identifier, said system comprising: one or more computer processors, said computer processors comprising computer hardware and software, said software comprising: (i) computer instructions to cause said one or more computer processors to determine a payment amount for said billing account, said payment amount being adequate to avoid assessment of a late fee; (ii) computer instructions to cause said one or more computer processors to store said payment amount in computer memory in linked association with said billing account identifier; (iii) computer instructions to cause said one or more computer processors to cause funding of said payment amount utilizing credit available under said billing account; (iv) computer instructions to cause said one or more computer processors to record said funding in computer memory in linked association with said billing account identifier; (v) computer instructions to cause said one or more computer processors to cause payment to be made for said billing account in said payment amount no later than a due date, thereby avoiding a late fee against said billing account; and (vi) computer instructions to cause said one or more computer processors to record said payment in computer memory in linked association with said billing account identifier.