Contact alert system and method

• US 10,163,109 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2017
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hammad, Ayman, Carlson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US15/463,733
• Publication Number:
  US 20170255944A1
• Time in Patent Office: 645 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/12 Messaging; Mailboxes; Announcements

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a system and method for receiving transaction data for a transaction, accessing a database comprising alert preference data, generating a contact alert message using the transaction data and alert preference data using a notification server coupled to the database wherein the contact alert message comprises contact information of a first person who conducted the transaction, and sending the contact alert message to a notification device of a second person.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a transaction processing server computer, a transaction authorization request message from an access device after the access device interacts with a portable consumer device in possession of a first person, wherein the transaction authorization request message requests authorization for a transaction conducted using a payment account associated with the portable consumer device;

transmitting, by the transaction processing server computer, transaction data for the transaction to a notification server computer upon determining that the payment account is enrolled in an alert messaging service;

transmitting, by the transaction processing server computer, the transaction authorization request message to an issuer of the payment account to process the transaction;

while the issuer processes the transaction to determine whether the transaction is authorized;

retrieving, by the notification server computer, alert preference data associated with the payment account from an alert database storing the alert preference data;

determining, by the notification server computer, that a contact alert message is requested by comparing the transaction data to alert preference data associated with the payment account;

determining, by a delivery channel logic of the notification server computer, a communication channel and contact information for a second notification device operated by a holder of the payment account identified in the alert preference data associated with the payment account for transmitting the contact alert message;

determining, by the delivery channel logic of the notification server computer, a content and a format of the contact alert message based on the communication channel such that a first contact alert message prepared for a first communication channel has a different content and format than a second contact alert message prepared for a second communication channel;

generating, by the notification server computer, the contact alert message using the transaction data and the alert preference data based on the determined content and format, wherein the contact alert message comprises contact information of a first notification device used by the first person conducting the transaction;

sending, by the delivery channel logic of the notification server computer, the contact alert message comprising the contact information of the first notification device used by the first person to the second notification device used by the holder of the payment account, wherein the contact information of the first notification device used by the first person is in the form of an active link on the second notification device, such that, when selected, automatically contacts the first notification device used by the first person,

wherein the contact information comprises a phone number or an email address;

generating, by the notification server computer, a general alert message in addition to the contact alert message; and

sending the general alert message to the first notification device used by the first person.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

accessing, by the transaction processing server computer, an enrollment database storing information associated with the payment account to determine that the payment account is enrolled in the alert messaging service.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

retrieving, by the notification server computer, contact information for the holder of the payment account from a contact information database storing the contact information,

wherein the second notification device used by the holder of the payment account is accessible using the contact information of the holder of the payment account,

wherein data stored at the contact information database is synchronized with data stored at the enrollment database.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the alert preference data comprises one or more user profiles.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the first notification device is a mobile phone, and wherein the method further comprises:

activing the active link on the second notification device; and

automatically contacting the first notification device by the second notification device in response to activating the active link.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the transaction processing server computer and the notification server computer are operated by a same entity.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the contact information is translated into a language that is understood by the holder of the payment account.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the first person conducting the transaction is different from the holder of the payment account.

9. A contact alert system comprising:

an alert database comprising alert preference data;

a notification server computer coupled to the alert database, the notification server computer comprising a first processor and a first computer-readable medium coupled to the first processor; and

a transaction processing computer coupled to the notification server computer, the transaction processing computer comprising a second processor and a second computer-readable medium coupled to the second processor, the second computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to;

receive a transaction authorization request message from an access device after the access device interacts with a portable consumer device in possession of a first person, wherein the transaction authorization request message requests authorization for a transaction conducted using a payment account associated with the portable consumer device;

transmit transaction data for the transaction to the notification server computer upon determining that the payment account is enrolled in an alert messaging service;

transmit the transaction authorization request message to an issuer of the payment account to process the transaction;

while the issuer processes the transaction to determine whether the transaction is authorized, the first computer-readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to;

retrieve alert preference data associated with the payment account from the alert database storing the alert preference data;

determine that a contact alert message is requested by comparing the transaction data to alert preference data associated with the payment account;

determine a communication channel and contact information for a second notification device operated by a holder of the payment account identified in the alert preference data associated with the payment account for transmitting the contact alert message;

determine a content and a format of the contact alert message based on the communication channel such that a first contact alert message prepared for a first communication channel has a different content and format than a second contact alert message prepared for a second communication channel;

generate the contact alert message using the transaction data and the alert preference data based on the determined content and format, wherein the contact alert message comprises contact information of a first notification device used by the first person conducting the transaction;

send the contact alert message comprising the contact information of the first notification device used by the first person to the second notification device used by the holder of the payment account, wherein the contact information of the first notification device used by the first person is in the form of an active link on the second notification device, such that, when selected, automatically contacts the first notification device used by the first person,

wherein the contact information comprises a phone number or an email address;

generate a general alert message in addition to the contact alert message; and

send the general alert message to the first notification device used by the first person.

10. The contact alert system of claim 9, further comprising:

an enrollment database storing information associated with the payment account,

wherein the second computer-readable medium further comprising instructions that, when executed by the second processor, cause the second processor to;

access the enrollment database storing information associated with the payment account to determine that the payment account is enrolled in the alert messaging service.

11. The contact alert system of claim 10, wherein the first computer-readable medium further comprises instructions that, when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to:

retrieve contact information for the holder of the payment account from a contact information database storing the contact information,

wherein the second notification device used by the holder of the payment account is accessible using the contact information of the holder of the payment account,

wherein data stored at the contact information database is synchronized with data stored at the enrollment database.

12. The contact alert system of claim 9 wherein the alert preference data comprises one or more user profiles.

13. The contact alert system of claim 9 wherein when the active link on the second notification device is activated, the first notification device is automatically contacted by the second notification device in response to activating the active link.

14. The contact alert system of claim 9 wherein the transaction processing server computer and the notification server computer are operated by a same entity.

15. The contact alert system of claim 9 wherein the contact information is translated into a language that is understood by the holder of the payment account.

16. The contact alert system of claim 9 wherein the first person conducting the transaction is different from the holder of the payment account.