Patent ID: 7123698

Claim:
An automatic payment method, the method comprising: receiving a request from an account holder during a telephone call to enroll in an automatic payment plan for a first account, the automatic payment plan operable so that a payment due for the first account during a billing period is automatically debiting from a second account of the account holder; transmitting to the account holder at least one automated signature question via a voice response unit during the telephone call in order to enroll in the automatic payment plan; receiving at least one answer to the at least one automated signature question during the telephone call via the voice response unit, the at least one answer constituting a signature needed to enroll in the automatic payment plan; verifying that the at least one answer is valid; activating the automatic payment plan for the first account if it is determined that the at least one answer is valid; and determining an account benefit because of the account holder being enrolled in the automatic payment plan, if it is determined that the at least one answer is valid.