Claims
What is claimed is:
1. A method comprising the steps of:
obtaining, at a computing device of an operator of an electronic funds transfer bill 5 payment system, from a client of such system, a dropped payment file, said dropped payment file including data associated with at least one unsuccessful attempt to match payment data to a corresponding biller;
cleaning said data in said dropped payment file to create an updated dropped
payment file;
10 applying matching logic to said updated dropped payment file to identify at least
one recommended biller to which said payment data should likely have been routed to; and
advising said client of said at least one recommended biller.
15 2. The method of Claim 1, wherein:
in said obtaining step, said unsuccessful attempt comprises an unsuccessful attempt to make an electronic funds transfer bill payment with said system; and
in said applying step, said matching logic identifies said at least one recommended biller as a destination that said at least one unsuccessful attempt should 20 likely have been routed to.
3. The method of Claim 2, wherein:
said at least one unsuccessful attempt comprises an attempt to settle a payment card account via an electronic funds transfer, and includes an account number associated 25 with said payment card account; and
said applying of said matching logic comprises identifying an issuer of said payment card account from a BIN portion of said account number.
4. The method of Claim 2, wherein said applying of said matching logic comprises
30 comparing said updated dropped payment file to a biller directory of billers who are set
up to receive payments via said system.

5. The method of Claim 4, wherein said comparing comprises:
carrying out an initial match to assign a score to said at least one recommended biller; and
determining that said score falls into a first predetermined range of values;
wherein said advising said client of said at least one recommended biller is responsive to determining that said score falls into said first predetermined range of values.
6. The method of Claim 5, wherein assigning said score comprises:
assigning an address sub-score;
assigning a name sub-score; and
combining said address sub-score and said name sub-score to obtain said score.
7. The method of Claim 4, wherein said comparing comprises:
carrying out an initial match to assign a score to said at least one recommended biller;
determining that said score falls into a second predetermined range of values;
responsive to said determining that said score falls into said second predetermined range of values, carrying out a secondary matching process;
wherein said advising said client of said at least one recommended biller is responsive to a match during said secondary matching process.
8. The method of Claim 7, wherein assigning said score comprises:
assigning an address sub-score;
assigning a name sub-score; and
combining said address sub-score and said name sub-score to obtain said score.
9. The method of Claim 4, wherein said dropped payment file further includes data
associated with at least a second unsuccessful attempt to match payment data to a
corresponding biller, further comprising:

applying matching logic to said updated dropped payment file to attempt to identify at least another recommended biller to which said payment data associated with said at least second unsuccessful attempt should likely have been routed to;
carrying out an initial match to assign a score to said at least another recommended biller;
determining that said score falls into a third predetermined range of values; and
responsive to said score falling into said third predetermined range of values, indicating that no match can be found for said payment data associated with said at least second unsuccessful attempt.
10. The method of Claim 2, wherein said applying of said matching logic comprises:
comparing a first account number in said updated dropped payment file to an
account restructuring data structure;
locating a second account number, in said account restructuring data structure, which is associated with said first account number in an account restructuring process; and
fiarther applying said matching logic based on said second account number.
11. The method of Claim 2, wherein said applying of said matching logic comprises
categorizing a putative biller match for said at least one unsuccessful attempt into one of
at least two categories to obtain categorized review information, further comprising:
making said categorized review information available to at least one human reviewer in a secure review environment; and
obtaining input from said at least one human reviewer; and
wherein said at least one recommended biller is based on said applying of said matching logic and said input from said at least one human reviewer.
12. The method of Claim 11, further comprising updating a biller directory of billers
who are set up to receive payments via said system, based on said input from said at least
one human reviewer.

13. The method of Claim 2, wherein said client is advised of said at least one recommended biller by providing a client output file to said client, further comprising obtaining input from said at least one recommended biller prior to providing said client output file to said client.
14. The method of Claim 1, further comprising providing a system, wherein the system comprises distinct software modules, each of the distinct software modules being embodied on a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, and wherein the distinct software modules comprise a data cleanup module, a matching logic module, and an output module;
wherein:
said obtaining and said cleaning are carried out by said data cleanup module executing on at least one hardware processor;
said applying of said matching logic is carried out by said matching logic module executing on said at least one hardware processor; and
said advising of said client of said at least one recommended biller is carried out by said output module executing on said at least one hardware processor.
15. A system comprising:
a memory;
at least one processor operatively coupled to said memory; and
a persistent storage device operatively coupled to said memory and storing in a
non-transitory manner instructions which when loaded into said memory cause said at
least one processor to be operative to:
obtain, by an operator of an electronic funds transfer bill payment system,
from a client of such system, a dropped payment file, said dropped payment file including
data associated with at least one unsuccessful attempt to match payment data to a
corresponding biller;
clean said data in said dropped payment file to create an updated dropped
payment file;

apply matching logic to said updated dropped payment file to identify at least one recommended biller to which said payment data should likely have been routed to; and
advise said client of said at least one recommended biller.
16. The system of Claim 15, wherein:
said unsuccessful attempt comprises an unsuccessful attempt to make an electronic funds transfer bill payment with said system; and
said matching logic identifies said at least one recommended biller as a destination that said at least one unsuccessful attempt should likely have been routed to.
17. The system of Claim 16, wherein:
said at least one unsuccessful attempt comprises an attempt to settle a payment card account via an electronic funds transfer, and includes an account number associated with said payment card account; and
said at least one processor is operative to apply said matching logic by identifying an issuer of said payment card account from a BIN portion of said account number.
18. The system of Claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is operative to apply said matching logic by comparing said updated dropped payment file to a biller directory of billers who are set up to receive payments via said system.
19. The system of Claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is operative to apply said matching logic by:
comparing a first account number in said updated dropped payment file to an account restructuring data structure;
locating a second account number, in said account restructuring data structure, which is associated with said first account number in an account restructuring process; and
further applying said matching logic based on said second account number.

20. The system of Claim 16, wherein said at least one processor is operative to apply
said matching logic by categorizing a putative biller match for said at least one
unsuccessful attempt into one of at least two categories to obtain categorized review
information, and wherein said at least one processor is forther operative to:
make said categorized review information available to at least one human reviewer in a secure review environment; and
obtain input from said at least one human reviewer; and
wherein said at least one recommended biller is based on said applying of said matching logic and said input from said at least one human reviewer.
21. The system of Claim 15, wherein said instructions on said persistent storage
device comprise distinct software modules, and wherein said distinct software modules
comprise a data cleanup module, a matching logic module, and an output module;
wherein:
said data cleanup module comprises said instructions which cause said at least one processor to obtain said dropped payment file and clean said data in said dropped payment file;
said matching logic module comprises said instructions which cause said at least one processor to apply said matching logic; and
said output module comprises said instructions which cause said at least one processor to advise said client.
22. An apparatus comprising:
means for obtaining, by an operator of an electronic funds transfer bill payment system, from a client of such system, a dropped payment file, said dropped payment file including data associated with at least one unsuccessful attempt to match payment data to a corresponding biller;
means for cleaning said data in said dropped payment file to create an updated dropped payment file;

means for applying matching logic to said updated dropped payment file to identify at least one recommended biller to which said payment data should likely have been routed to; and
means for advising said client of said at least one recommended biller.
23. The apparatus of Claim 22, wherein:
said unsuccessful attempt comprises an unsuccessful attempt to make an electronic funds transfer bill payment with said system; and
said matching logic identifies said at least one recommended biller as a destination that said at least one unsuccessful attempt should likely have been routed to.
24. An article of manufacture comprising a computer program product, said computer
program product comprising:
a tangible computer-readable recordable storage medium, storing in a non-transitory manner computer readable program code, the computer readable program code comprising:
computer readable program code configured to obtain, at a computing device of an operator of an electronic funds transfer bill payment system, from a client of such system, a dropped payment file, said dropped payment file including data associated with at least one unsuccessful attempt to match payment data to a corresponding biller;
computer readable program code configured to clean said data in said dropped payment file to create an updated dropped payment file;
computer readable program code configured to apply matching logic to said updated dropped payment file to identify at least one recommended biller to which said payment data should likely have been routed to; and
computer readable program code configured to advise said client of said at least one recommended biller.
25. The article of manufacture of Claim 24, wherein:

computer readable program code configured to obtain said dropped payment file, said unsuccessful attempt comprises an unsuccessful attempt to make an electronic Hinds transfer bill payment with said system; and
in said computer readable program code configured to apply said matching logic, said matching logic identifies said at least one recommended biller as a destination that said at least one unsuccessful attempt should likely have been routed to.