Method and system for processing an account

1. A method for processing an account for a transaction between a merchant and a customer of the merchant, said transaction having provided goods, services, or both goods and services by the merchant to and/or for the customer such that the merchant is owed a total payment to settle the account, said method comprising executing computer readable program code on a processor of a computer system, said program code being stored on computer readable memory unit of the computer system, said processor being coupled to the memory unit, said executing comprising:

a subaccounting system receiving the account;

after said receiving the account, said subaccounting system dividing the account into N subaccounts and the total payment into N subaccount payments respectively associated with the N subaccounts, said N being at least 2, said account comprising the total payment owed to the merchant, said N subaccounts respectively comprising the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said dividing, said subaccounting system receiving from the customer an identification of N payers who are responsible for making or triggering payment of the N subaccount payments to the subaccounting system to settle the N subaccounts, respectively;

after said receiving from the customer the identification of the N payers, said subaccounting system notifying the N payers of the N subaccounts that respectively comprise the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said notifying, said subaccounting system making the N subaccounts available to N payers, respectively;

after said making the N subaccounts available to the N payers, said subaccounting system receiving from the N payers an identification of N payment providers and N payment instruments, respectively;

after said receiving from the N payers the identification of the N payment providers and the N payment instruments, said subaccounting system receiving the N subaccount payments from the N payment providers using the N payment instruments for settling the N subaccounts, respectively; and

said subaccounting system paying the total payment to the merchant.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving the N subaccount payments is performed before said paying the total payment is performed.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein said receiving the N subaccount payments is performed after said paying the total payment is performed.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein said paying the total payment is performed before said dividing is performed.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each payer of the N payers is the customer.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N payers comprise two or more different third party payers appearing as two or more distinct payers of the N payers.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the N payers comprise a third party payer and the customer.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the account received by the accounting system is characterized by fields comprising: an identification of the merchant, a date of generation of the account, an identification of the customer, the total charges to the customer for the transaction, a date, amount, and description of individual charges to the customer for the transaction, a tax pertaining to the transaction, a discount associated with the transaction, an amount brought forward for the transaction, and a due date for payment of the total charges, and wherein the fields do not include an identification of the N payers.

9. The method of claim 1 , said method further comprising:

said accounting system paying the total payment to the merchant 30 days after said subaccounting system has received the N subaccount payments from the N payment providers;

said accounting system earning interest on the total payment during said 30 days; and

said accounting system charging the merchant a percentage of the total payment.

10. A process for deploying computing infrastructure, said process comprising integrating computer-readable program code into a computer system, wherein the program code in combination with the computer system is capable of performing a method for processing an account for a transaction between a merchant and a customer of the merchant, said transaction having provided goods, services, or both goods and services by the merchant to and/or for the customer such that the merchant is owed a total payment to settle the account, said method comprising executing the program code on a processor of the computer system, said program code being stored on computer readable memory unit of the computer system, said processor being coupled to the memory unit, said executing comprising:

a subaccounting system receiving the account;

after said receiving the account, said subaccounting system dividing the account into N subaccounts and the total payment into N subaccount payments respectively associated with the N subaccounts, said N being at least 2, said account comprising the total payment owed to the merchant, said N subaccounts respectively comprising the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said dividing, said subaccounting system receiving from the customer an identification of N payers who are responsible for making or triggering payment of the N subaccount payments to the subaccounting system to settle the N subaccounts, respectively;

after said receiving from the customer the identification of the N payers, said subaccounting system notifying the N payers of the N subaccounts that respectively comprise the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said notifying, said subaccounting system making the N subaccounts available to N payers, respectively;

after said making the N subaccounts available to the N payers, said subaccounting system receiving from the N payers an identification of N payment providers and N payment instruments, respectively;

after said receiving from the N payers the identification of the N payment providers and the N payment instruments, said subaccounting system receiving the N subaccount payments from the N payment providers using the N payment instruments for settling the N subaccounts, respectively; and

said subaccounting system paying the total payment to the merchant.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein said receiving the N subaccount payments is performed before said paying the total payment is performed.

12. The process of claim 10 , wherein said receiving the N subaccount payments is performed after said paying the total payment is performed.

13. The process of claim 12 , wherein said paying the total payment is performed before said dividing is performed.

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein each payer of the N payers is the customer.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the N payers comprise two or more different third party payers appearing as two or more distinct payers of the N payers.

16. The process of claim 10 , wherein the N payers comprise a third party payer and the customer.

17. The process of claim 10 , wherein the account received by the accounting system is characterized by fields comprising: an identification of the merchant, a date of generation of the account, an identification of the customer, the total charges to the customer for the transaction, a date, amount, and description of individual charges to the customer for the transaction, a tax pertaining to the transaction, a discount associated with the transaction, an amount brought forward for the transaction, and a due date for payment of the total charges, and wherein the fields do not include an identification of the N payers.

18. The process of claim 10 , said executing further comprising:

said accounting system paying the total payment to the merchant 30 days after said subaccounting system has received the N subaccount payments from the N payment providers;

said accounting system earning interest on the total payment during said 30 days; and

said accounting system charging the merchant a percentage of the total payment.

19. A computer program product comprising a computer readable storage medium having a computer readable program code stored therein, said computer readable program code configured be executed by a processor of a computer system to implement a method for processing an account for a transaction between a merchant and a customer of the merchant, said transaction having provided goods, services, or both goods and services by the merchant to and/or for the customer such that the merchant is owed a total payment to settle the account, said method comprising:

a subaccounting system receiving the account;

after said receiving the account, said subaccounting system dividing the account into N subaccounts and the total payment into N subaccount payments respectively associated with the N subaccounts, said N being at least 2, said account comprising the total payment owed to the merchant, said N subaccounts respectively comprising the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said dividing, said subaccounting system receiving from the customer an identification of N payers who are responsible for making or triggering payment of the N subaccount payments to the subaccounting system to settle the N subaccounts, respectively;

after said receiving from the customer the identification of the N payers, said subaccounting system notifying the N payers of the N subaccounts that respectively comprise the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said notifying, said subaccounting system making the N subaccounts available to N payers, respectively;

after said making the N subaccounts available to the N payers, said subaccounting system receiving from the N payers an identification of N payment providers and N payment instruments, respectively;

after said receiving from the N payers the identification of the N payment providers and the N payment instruments, said subaccounting system receiving the N subaccount payments from the N payment providers using the N payment instruments for settling the N subaccounts, respectively; and

said subaccounting system paying the total payment to the merchant.

20. A computer system comprising a processor and a memory device coupled to the processor, said memory device containing program code configured to be executed by the processor to implement a method for processing an account for a transaction between a merchant and a customer of the merchant, said transaction having provided goods, services, or both goods and services by the merchant to and/or for the customer such that the merchant is owed a total payment to settle the account, said method comprising:

a subaccounting system receiving the account;

after said receiving the account, said subaccounting system dividing the account into N subaccounts and the total payment into N subaccount payments respectively associated with the N subaccounts, said N being at least 2, said account comprising the total payment owed to the merchant, said N subaccounts respectively comprising the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said dividing, said subaccounting system receiving from the customer an identification of N payers who are responsible for making or triggering payment of the N subaccount payments to the subaccounting system to settle the N subaccounts, respectively;

after said receiving from the customer the identification of the N payers, said subaccounting system notifying the N payers of the N subaccounts that respectively comprise the N subaccount payments required for settling the account;

after said notifying, said subaccounting system making the N subaccounts available to N payers, respectively;

after said making the N subaccounts available to the N payers, said subaccounting system receiving from the N payers an identification of N payment providers and N payment instruments, respectively;

after said receiving from the N payers the identification of the N payment providers and the N payment instruments, said subaccounting system receiving the N subaccount payments from the N payment providers using the N payment instruments for settling the N subaccounts, respectively; and

said subaccounting system paying the total payment to the merchant.