Patent ID: 8290865

Claim:
A method for making a bill payment to a biller, comprising: receiving a payment instruction message for making a payment using an account associated with a portable consumer device, the payment instruction message including biller information relating to the biller, wherein the payment instruction message is received from a non-bank acquirer, wherein the payment instruction message is a first payment instruction message and is received in a batch file, the batch file including a plurality of payment instruction messages; parsing, using a computer apparatus, the batch file to determine each payment instruction message in the plurality of payment instruction messages; sending, using the computer apparatus, each payment instruction message, as a separate authorization request message, to an appropriate issuer; receiving a payment approval message from an issuer of the portable consumer device; generating, using the computer apparatus, an approved payment file, and sending the approved payment file to the non-bank acquirer, wherein the non-bank acquirer and the issuer participate in a settlement process with a payment processing system.