Recurrent billing maintenance system

• US 20020004770A1
• Filed: 05/25/2001
• Published: 01/10/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Petersen, Paul M., Milton, Charles, Ganoe, Nancy S., Holt, Donald H., Phillips, Susan, Cato, Lloyd G., Cruz, Alicia, Peters, Patricia K., Freeman, Tina, Bailey, Maria S., Griggs, Fred, Zinky, Allan T.
• Granted Patent: US 7,035,872 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99945 Object-oriented database structure processing
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 707/99948 Application of database or data structure, e.g. distributed, multimedia, or image

Abstract

A system for updating a merchant customer account database is provided, wherein the system may be used to update a merchant'"'"'s customer database in response to changes made to a customer transaction account. The system provides a remote database location which stores a merchant'"'"'s customer transaction account information for customers using the transaction account for recurring billing purposes. A server is used to manage the remote database information to update the remote database in response to changes in transaction account information. The updated transaction account information is then periodically provided to the merchant for use in updating the merchant'"'"'s customer account database.

Claims

1. A computer implemented service for updating a merchant customer account database over a network, comprising:

a first database of information having a plurality of merchant customer records;

a remote merchant customer database having a first plurality of customer account records;

a merchant process server for appending a merchant processing request to at least one of said first plurality of customer accounts to produce a merchant processing request data file; and

a process server for receiving said first database of information and said merchant processing request data file, said process server configured to compare said first database of information and said merchant processing request data file to produce a first comparison data file, said first comparison data file comprising a first record including a compilation of said merchant processing requests accepted for processing by said process server, said first comparison data file further comprising a second record including a compilation of said merchant processing requests rejected for processing by said process server, said process server further configured to update said first database of information in accordance with said merchant processing request data file.

2. A computer implemented service according to claim 1 wherein, said service further comprises a second database of information having a second plurality of customer transaction accounts records.

3. A computer implemented service according to claim 2 wherein, said process server is configured to receive said second database of information, said process server configured to compare said first database of information and said second database of information to produce a second comparison data file, said second comparison file comprising a plurality of updated customer transaction account records, said process server further configured to update said first database of information in accordance with said second database of information.

4. A computer implemented service according to claim 3, wherein, said process server is further configured to append a provider processing instruction to at least one of said plurality of updated customer transaction account records to produce a provider processing request data file.

5. A computer implemented service, according to claim 4, wherein said process server is configured to provide an update summary file, said update summary comprising at least one of said first comparison data file and said provider processing request data file.

6. A computer implemented service according to claim 5, wherein said update summary report is provided to said merchant process server periodically.

7. A computer implemented service according to claim 5 wherein, said merchant process server is configured to retrieve said update summary file.

8. A computer implemented service according to claim 7 wherein, said merchant server is further configured to update said remote merchant customer database in accordance with said update summary file.

9. A computer implemented service according to claim 1 wherein, said at least one of said first plurality of customer transaction account records is pre-authorized.

10. A computer implemented service according to claim 1 wherein, said at least one of said first plurality of distinct customer transaction account records is provided a merchant processing request indicating that said at least one of said first plurality of customer transaction account records is to be removed from at least one of said plurality of merchant customer records.

11. A computer implemented service according to claim 1, wherein said at least one of said first plurality of customer transaction account records is provided a merchant processing request indicating that said at least one of said first plurality of distinct customer transaction card records requires alteration by said process server.

12. A computer implemented service according to claim 1, wherein said remote merchant customer database is configured to be updated manually.

13. A computer implemented service according to claim 7, wherein said merchant server is configured to update said remote merchant customer database in accordance with said provider processing instruction.

14. A computer implemented service according to claim 1, wherein said rejected merchant process request is verified.

15. A computer implemented service according to claim 13, wherein said merchant process server appends said verified rejected merchant process request to said merchant process request data file.

16. A computer implemented service according to claim 13, wherein said merchant process request data file includes said verified rejected merchant process request.

17. A computer implemented service according to claim 1, wherein said process server is configured to tally the number of rejected merchant processing request.

18. A computer implemented service according to claim 17, wherein said process server comprises a predetermined rejection threshold.

19. A computer implemented service according to claim 18, wherein said process server compares the rejection threshold to said tally of the number of rejected merchant process request, said process server further configured reject said merchant process request data file when the rejection threshold is reached.

20. A computer implemented service according to claim 5, wherein said process server is configured to tally said accepted merchant processing request, in accordance with a merchant process request grouping.

21. A computer implemented service according to claim 20, wherein said update summary file comprises said tally said accepted merchant processing request.

22. A computer implemented service according to claim 1, wherein at least one of said first plurality of customer transaction accounts is outdated, said process server being configured to add said outdated at least one of said first plurality of customer transaction account records to said first database of information, said outdated one of said first plurality of customer transaction account records remaining permanently fixed.

23. A computer implemented service for updating a merchant customer transaction account database over a network, comprising:

a first database of information having a plurality of merchant customer records wherein each of said merchant customer records further comprises a first plurality of customer transaction account records;

a second database of information having a second plurality of customer transaction account records;

a first remote merchant customer database stored on a remote merchant computer having a merchant database processor, said first remote merchant customer database having a third plurality of customer transaction account records, said first remote merchant customer database configured to provide at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records in a registry file, said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records being provided a merchant transaction code; and

a process server for receiving said registry file, comparing said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records in said registry file to at least one of said first plurality of customer transaction account records comprising said plurality of merchant customer records and providing a maintenance file, wherein said comparison is done according to a predetermined order of steps corresponding to said merchant transaction code, said maintenance file comprising a fourth plurality of customer transaction account records, at least one of said fourth plurality of customer transaction account records being provided a return transaction code, said maintenance file being provided to said merchant database processor, said merchant database processor updating at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records on said first remote merchant customer database, wherein said updated customer transaction account record corresponds to said customer transaction account record having said return transaction code.

24. A computer implemented service according to claim 23, wherein said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is pre-authorized prior to storing said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records on said first remote merchant customer database.

25. A computer implemented service according to claim 24, wherein said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is provided a merchant transaction code indicating that said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is enrolled in said service for updating a merchant customer transaction account database over a network.

26. A computer implemented service according to claim 25, wherein said registry file includes a plurality of s aid enrolled ones of said third plurality of customer transaction account records.

27. A computer implemented service according to claim 26, wherein said registry file includes a plurality of customer transaction account records of customers paying charges with at least one of said customer transaction account records, said registry file comprising an initial registry file.

28. A computer implemented service according to claim 27, wherein said first plurality of customer transaction accounts includes said initial registry file.

29. A computer implemented service according to claim 25, wherein said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is provided a merchant transaction code indicating that said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is removed from said service for updating a merchant customer transaction account database over a network.

30. A computer implemented service according to claim 25, wherein said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is provided a merchant transaction code indicating that said at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records requires alteration by said service for updating a merchant customer transaction account database over a network.

31. A computer implemented service according to claim 23, wherein said registry file is provided to said process server periodically.

32. A computer implemented service according to claim 23, wherein said maintenance file is provided to said merchant database processor manually for updating at least one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records on said first remote merchant customer database.

33. A computer implemented service according to claim 23, wherein said updating of said at least on of said third plurality of customer transaction account records on said first remote merchant customer database according to a predetermined order of steps corresponding to said return transaction code.

34. A computer implemented service according to claim 23, wherein said maintenance file further comprises a rejected records file, said rejected records file comprising those of said those of said third plurality of customer transaction account records rejected by said process server.

35. A computer implemented service according to claim 34, wherein said those of said third plurality of customer transaction account records rejected by said process server are verified and re-entered in said registry file, wherein said registry file comprising said verified rejected records is resubmitted to said process server.

37. A computer implemented service according to claim 23 wherein said maintenance file is provided to said merchant database processor periodically.

38. A computer implemented service according to claim 23 including a plurality of maintenance files wherein said maintenance files are ordered such that each file may be processed in the order in which it was provided to the merchant database processor.

40. A computer implemented service according to claim 23 wherein said process server compares said second plurality of customer credit records to said first plurality of customer transaction account records to provide a server initiated maintenance file comprising a fifth plurality of customer transaction account records, said fifth plurality of customer transaction account records being provided said return transaction code, said maintenance file further comprising said fifth plurality of customer transaction account records.

41. A computer implemented service according to claim 26, wherein said at least one of said a plurality of said enrolled ones of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is outdated, said outdated enrolled one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is provided to said first plurality of customer transaction account records, said outdated enrolled one of said third plurality of customer transaction account records remaining permanently fixed.

36. A computer implemented service according to claim, wherein said process server comprises a predeterm-ined rejection threshold, said rejection threshold being set such that where the rejection threshold is reached, said registry file is rejected by said server, said rejected threshold being reached when a predetermined number of said third plurality of customer transaction account records is rejected by said process server.

39. A computer implemented service according to claim 36, wherein said process server provides a summary report to said merchant database processor, said summary report comprising information corresponding to at least one of the number of said third plurality of customer transaction account records processed by said process server and the number of said third plurality of customer transaction account records rejected by said process server.

42. A method of updating a merchant customer transaction account database using a computer network, comprising:

receiving a first plurality of customer transaction account records;

pre-authorizing said first plurality of customer transaction account records, storing said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account records on a local database, said local database being maintained by a local process server;

storing said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account records in a remote database, said remote database being accessed through a remote process server;

providing a periodic registry file to said remote process server, said periodic registry file comprising a update request to said pre-authorized plurality of customer transaction account records, said process server comparing said periodic registry file to said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account record, and updating said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account records according to a predetermined order of process steps, said remote process server generating a maintenance file in response to said comparison of said periodic registry file to said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account record;

providing said maintenance file to said local process server, said local process server comparing said maintenance file to said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account records on a local database; and

updating said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account records on a local database in response to said maintenance file.

43. A method of updating a merchant customer transaction account database using a computer network, comprising:

receiving a first plurality of customer transaction account records;

storing said first plurality of customer transaction account records on a local database, said local database being maintained by a local process server;

storing said first plurality of customer transaction account records in a remote database, said remote database being accessed through a remote process server;

providing a periodic registry file to said remote process server, said daily registry file comprising a update request to said plurality of customer transaction account records, said process server comparing said plurality registry file to said first plurality of customer transaction account record, and updating said first plurality of customer transaction account records according to a order of process steps, said remote process server generating a maintenance file in response to said comparison of said periodic registry file to said first plurality of customer transaction account records;

providing said maintenance file to said local process server, said local process server comparing said maintenance file to said first plurality of customer transaction account records on a local database; and

updating said pre-authorized said first plurality of customer transaction account records on a local database in response to said maintenance file.