A web server for initiating a financial transaction, the web server comprising:

a processor for processing digital data;

a memory device for storing digital data including computer program code, the memory
device being operably to the processor;
a network interface for sending and receiving data across a data network, the network
interface being operably coupled to the processor; and
a database for storing and retrieving digital data, the database being operably coupled to
the processor, wherein, in use, the processor is adapted to:
receive bill data representing a bill, via the network interface, wherein the bill data
comprising at least customer identification data representing a customer and monetary amount data
representing a monetary amount associated with the customer;
generate computer readable data representing a computer readable image in accordance
with the unique bill identifier data;
receive computer scan data, via the network interface, representing a computer scan of the
computer readable data;
identify the customer identification data and the monetary amount data, using the
database, in accordance with the computer scan data; and
initiate a financial transaction, via the network interface, in accordance with the customer
identification data and the monetary amount data.

A web server as claimed in claim 19, wherein the computer readable data comprises optical
computer readable data.
A web server as claimed in claim 20, wherein the optical computer readable data comprises
1D barcode data.
A web server as claimed in claim 21, wherein the web server comprises
the processor;
the database;
wherein, in use, the processor is adapted to:
store the customer identification data and the monetary amount data in the database in
accordance with a key and wherein 1D barcode represents the key; and
wherein the processor is further adapted to identify customer identification data and the
monetary amount data by:
identify the key in with the computer scan data using the database; and
retrieve the customer identification data and the monetary amount data from the database
in accordance with the key.
A web server as claimed in 18, wherein the optical computer readable data comprises 2D
barcode data.
A web server as claimed in 4, wherein the processor generates computer readable data
comprises encoding the customer identification data and the monetary amount data in the 2D
barcode.
A web server as claimed in 2, wherein the optical computer readable data comprises optical
character recognition data.
A web server as claimed in 7, wherein the optical character recognition data comprises at
least one of merchant identification data, the customer identification data and the monetary
amount data.






A computer readable storage medium for initiating a financial transaction, the computer
readable storage medium comprising instructions executable by a computing device to:
receive, via the network interface, bill data representing a bill wherein the bill data
comprising at least customer identification data representing a customer and monetary amount data
representing a monetary amount associated with the customer;
generate, computer readable data representing a computer readable image in accordance
with the unique bill identifier data;
receive, via the network interface, computer scan data representing a computer scan of the
computer readable data;
identify, using the database, the customer identification data and the monetary amount
data, in accordance with the computer scan data; and
initiate, via the network interface, a financial transaction in accordance with the customer
identification data and the monetary amount data.

A computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 1, wherein the computer readable
data comprises optical computer readable data.

A computer readable storage medium as claimed in claim 3, wherein the instructions further
comprising instructions executable by the computing device to:
store the customer identification data and the monetary amount data in the database in
accordance with a key and wherein 1D barcode represents the key; and
wherein the instructions to identify customer identification data and the monetary amount
comprises instructions to:
identify the key in with the computer scan data using the database; and
retrieve the customer identification data and the monetary amount data from the database
in accordance with the key.