Patent ID: 7103577

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: receiving a promise-to-pay record from a lender system operated by the lender at 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 consumer database being operated by the payment service provider, the promise-to-pay record identifying at least a payment amount and including a transaction identifier of the set of identifiers; receiving, at the payment service provider system, 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 wherein the consumer is physically present at a payment service provider location when making the payment; associating the record of receipt of the cash payment with the promise-to-pay record at the payment service provider system, 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; sending a notice from the payment service provider system to the lender system, the notice comprising an indicator that the cash payment has been received, the indicator identifying the paid amount; and initiating, with the payment service provider system, an electronic funds transfer of at least a portion of the paid amount to control of the lender in response to receipt of the cash payment by the payment service provider.