Patent ID: 8150763

Claim:
A method for accepting a payment from a consumer for monies owed by the consumer to a lender pursuant to a financial relationship between the consumer and the lender, the method comprising: sending a promise-to-pay record from a lender system operated by the lender to a payment service provider system operated by a payment service provider distinct from the lender, the record comprising a set of identifiers forming a database, the database comprising existing promise-to-pay accounts, the set of identifiers being formatted into a consumer database, the promise-to-pay record identifying at least a payment amount and including a transaction identifier of the set of identifiers; sending a record of receipt of a cash payment from the consumer to the payment service provider, the record of receipt identifying a paid amount and including a purported identifier provided by the consumer; associating the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record, wherein associating the record of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record comprises matching the purported transaction identifier provided by the consumer with the transaction identifier included in the promise-to-pay record; receiving a notice from the payment service provider system at the lender system, the notice comprising an indicator that a payment has been received for the promise to pay record at a location of the payment service from the consumer, the indicator identifying the paid amount and a purported identifier provided by the consumer wherein the consumer is physically present at the location of the payment service provider when the payment is made; and receiving by the lender an electronic funds transfer of at least a portion of the paid amount from the payment service provider.