Methods and systems for verifying individuals prior to benefits distribution

• US 10,410,216 B2
• Filed: 04/29/2014
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hynes, Ron, Kirch, Sean, Dogin, Jennifer
• Primary Examiner(s): Subramanian, Narayanswamy
• Application Number:
  US14/264,136
• Publication Number:
  US 20150310440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,960 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35, 705 40- 45
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks

Abstract

Systems and methods for verifying individuals prior to distribution of one or more benefits are disclosed. One exemplary method includes receiving, at a server, a proof-of-life validation from a payment service provider. The proof-of-life validation is based on receipt of a valid biometric from the individual at a payment device associated with the individual, and a transaction using said payment device. The method further includes distributing the benefit to a benefit account associated with the individual, when the proof-of-life validation is received within a time interval of the benefit distribution date.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of verifying an individual prior to distribution of a benefit for the individual, the method comprising:

issuing a payment device to the individual;

storing a reference biometric for the individual on the payment device, when the payment device is issued to the individual;

wherein the payment device includes a payment card comprising a fingerprint scanner;

wherein the reference biometric includes a fingerprint; and

wherein the payment device is configured to set a biometric status based on a received biometric matching the reference biometric and to reset the biometric status after an expiration interval when the individual is not validated based on a match within the expiration interval;

receiving, at a server, an authorization request from a merchant, via an acquirer associated with the merchant, for a payment account transaction between the individual and the merchant, the payment account transaction directed to a payment account associated with the individual, the payment account further associated with the payment device, the payment device presented by the individual to the merchant in connection with initiating the payment account transaction, the authorization request including a set biometric status indicative of a biometric received from the individual at the payment device matching the reference biometric stored in the payment device, the authorization request not including actual biometric data for the individual; and

in response to the authorization request, generating and communicating, by the server, a proof-of-life validation to an administrator of the benefit for the individual based on the set biometric status included in the authorization request for the payment account transaction, thereby indicating to the administrator of the benefit that the individual presented a valid biometric to the payment device in connection with initiating the payment account transaction within the expiration interval.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the expiration interval is selected from the group consisting of a month, a number of days, a time between two consecutive benefit distribution dates, and a predetermined number of days before the benefit distribution date.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein generating and communicating a proof-of-life validation includes:

identifying a validation interval for the individual; and

communicating, to the administrator of the benefit, the proof-of-life validation only once per validation interval.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the validation interval is selected from the group consisting of:

a benefit cycle and a number of days prior to a distribution date for the benefit.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the server is a first server associated with a payment service provider, the method further comprising:

receiving, at a second server associated with the administrator of the benefit, the proof-of-life validation from the payment service provider; and

distributing the benefit to an account associated with the individual, when the proof-of-life validation is received within a time interval of a distribution date for the benefit.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment device is issued to the individual by an issuer;

and

further comprising, in response to the authorization request, communicating, by the server, the authorization request to the issuer for approval or decline of the payment account transaction apart from communicating the proof-of-life validation to the administrator of the benefit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein communicating, by the server, the authorization request to the issuer includes communicating the authorization request to the issuer regardless of the set biometric status.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the expiration interval is based on at least one of a time interval, a proximity of the payment device to a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, a loss of power to the payment device, and a disassociation of the payment device from a POS terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the authorization request further includes an amount of the payment account transaction.

10. A system for use in verifying an individual prior to distribution of a benefit for the individual, the system comprising:

a payment device;

a first processor associated with a payment service provider; and

a first memory coupled to the first processor, the first memory including executable instructions, which when executed by the first processor, cause the first processor to;

receive an authorization request from a merchant, via an acquirer associated with the merchant, for a payment account transaction to a payment account associated with the individual, the payment account transaction between the individual and the merchant, the payment account associated with the payment device, the payment device presented by the individual to the merchant and used by the individual to initiate the payment account transaction, the payment device issued to the individual by an issuer of the payment account and including payment account data to facilitate the payment account transaction between the individual and the merchant, the authorization request including at least a portion of the payment account data as received from the payment device, but not including any actual biometric data for the individual;

in response to the authorization request;

regardless of whether the authorization request includes a set biometric status indicative of validation of a biometric associated with the individual, transmit the authorization request to the issuer associated with the payment account identified in the authorization request to complete the transaction; and

when the authorization request includes a set biometric status indicative of validation of a biometric associated with the individual, transmit a proof-of-life validation to an administrator of the benefit for the individual based on the set biometric status for the individual included in the authorization request, thereby indicating to the administrator of the benefit that the individual presented a valid biometric in connection with the payment account transaction, wherein the administrator is separate from the issuer;

a second processor associated with a point-of-sale (POS) terminal at the merchant; and

a second memory coupled to the second processor, the second memory including executable instructions, which when executed by the second processor, cause the POS terminal to;

receive payment account data from the payment device used by the individual to initiate the payment account transaction;

receive the set biometric status from the payment device;

generate the authorization request and include, in the authorization request, the payment account data and the set biometric status received from the payment device; and

transmit the authorization request to the first processor associated with the payment service provider; and

wherein the payment device includes;

a biometric reader; and

a non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing the payment account data, a reference biometric associated with the individual, and executable instructions, which when executed by a third processor, cause the payment device to;

capture the biometric associated with the individual via the biometric reader;

set the biometric status when the captured biometric matches the reference biometric;

provide the payment account data to the second processor associated with the POS terminal during the payment account transaction; and

provide the set biometric status to the second processor associated with the POS terminal during the payment account transaction without providing the captured biometric or the reference biometric to the second processor.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the executable instructions, when executed by the first processor, further cause the first processor to transmit an authorization reply to the merchant in response to the authorization request, the authorization reply either approving the payment account transaction or declining the payment account transaction regardless of whether the authorization request includes a set biometric status indicative of validation of a biometric associated with the individual.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the biometric reader includes a fingerprint scanner.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the payment device includes a payment card;

wherein the reference biometric is fingerprint data; and

wherein the captured biometric associated with the individual is a fingerprint of the individual.

14. A computer-implemented method of verifying an individual prior to distribution of a benefit for the individual to a benefit account, the method comprising:

issuing a payment device to the individual;

storing a reference biometric for the individual on the payment device, when the payment device is issued to the individual, the reference biometric including a fingerprint;

wherein the payment device includes a payment card comprising a fingerprint scanner and wherein the payment device is configured to set a biometric status based on a received biometric matching the reference biometric and to reset the biometric status after an expiration interval when the individual is not validated based on a match within the expiration interval;

receiving, at a server, an authorization request from a merchant for a payment account transaction to a payment account associated with the individual, wherein the payment account transaction is between the individual and the merchant, the payment account further associated with the payment device, the payment device presented by the individual to the merchant in connection with initiating the payment account transaction, the authorization request including a set biometric status from the payment device and associated with a purchase of a product at the merchant; and

in response to receiving the authorization request, generating and communicating, by the server, a proof-of-life validation to an administrator of the benefit for the individual based on the set biometric status in the authorization request for the payment account transaction, thereby indicating to the administrator of the benefit that the individual presented a valid biometric to the payment device in connection with initiating the payment account transaction within the expiration interval.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the benefit account is different from the payment account involved in the payment account transaction.