Method and apparatus for configuring and establishing a secure credential-based network link between a client and a service over a data-packet-network
A bill-paying service has an internet-connected server executing software from a non-transitory, machine-readable medium, the software providing functionality accessing, on behalf of a user, a plurality of billing servers, logging in with credentials supplied by the user, and downloading information concerning one or more bills which the user is responsible to pay, functionality receiving a selection by the end user, indicating a bill the user wishes to pay, and functionality transmitting to the user a deep-link plug-in (DLP) for the billing server where the bill selected by the client is associated, the DLP redirecting the user to a page at the billing server where the user is enabled to pay the bill selected.
1. A bill-paying system, comprising:
an internet-connected server having a processor executing software from a non-transitory, machine-readable medium, the software providing:
functionality accessing, on behalf of a user, a plurality of billing servers, logging in with credentials supplied by the user, and downloading information concerning one or more bills which the user is responsible to pay;
functionality receiving a selection by the end user, indicating a bill the user wishes to pay; and
functionality transmitting to the user a deep-link plug-in (DLP) for the billing server where the bill selected by the client is associated, the DLP redirecting the user to a page at the billing server where the user is enabled to pay the bill selected.
2. The bill-paying system of claim 1 , wherein the client's connection to the internet connected server of the billing service remains intact when the user is redirected to a billing server, enabling the client to select and pay bills to individual ones of the billing servers in sequence.
3. The bill-paying system of claim 1 , wherein the DLP provides confirmation and acceptance of new payment information.
4. A method for paying bills, comprising the steps of:
(a) accessing by a server having a processor executing software, on behalf of a user, a plurality of billing servers;
(b) logging in to the billing servers with credentials supplied by the user;
(c) downloading information concerning one or more bills which the user is responsible to pay;
(d) receiving a selection by the user, indicating a bill the user wishes to pay; and
(e) transmitting to the user a deep-link plug-in (DLP) for the billing server where the bill selected by the client is associated, the DLP redirecting the user to a page at the billing server where the user is enabled to pay the bill selected.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the client's connection to the internet connected server of the billing service remains intact when the user is redirected to a billing server, enabling the client to select and pay bills to individual ones of the billing servers in sequence.
6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the DLP provides confirmation and acceptance of new payment information.