Business-to-business commerce using financial transaction numbers

• US 20030018567A1
• Filed: 06/04/2002
• Published: 01/23/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orbis Patents Limited (Orbis Technology)
• Original Assignee: Orbis Patents Limited (Orbis Technology)
• Inventors: OʼDonnell, Graham, Carroll, James, Flitcroft, Daniel Ian, Langford, Conor
• Granted Patent: US 10,592,901 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/37
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Controlled Payment Numbers (CPNs) which issue as a unique payment number for each transaction uniquely identify the transaction for matching the purchase and payment information. The issuance of the CPN is controlled by business rules which are designed to and effectively restrict the use of the CPN, such that if a user exceed his authorization, a CPN is not issued. The business rules are set-up according to a heirarchy of users. Further, a declining balance CPN is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of conducting business-to-business commerce using controlled payment numbers (CPNs), comprising the steps of:

capturing relevant purchase order information before initiating a purchase of a product, wherein said relevant purchase order information includes user defined line item detail of a purchase;

requesting issuance of a CPN by a user;

generating a CPN in response to said request; and

linking said relevant purchase order information to a CPN at the time of a CPN request and generation, whereby said relevant purchase order information is linked to said CPN regardless of whether a merchant receives or relays said relevant purchase order information.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said relevant purchase order information includes quantity;

description;

product codes;

price;

tax; and

a general ledger cost code or codes to which the goods or services, which are to be purchased, are allocated.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein a different CPN is generated for each purchase order such that the relevant purchase order information can be unambiguously matched with payment information using the CPN.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprises the steps of:

placing an order with a supplier by a user;

routing a request to a CPN issuer for a issuance of a CPN and issuing a CPN;

receiving, by a supplier, an order with the CPN as the payment instrument, the supplier processes the CPN the same as a convential financial transaction card;

requesting, by the supplier for approval from an acquiring bank;

routing, by the acquiring bank, the request directly to the CPN issuer;

checking, by the CPN issuer, authorisation details against the controls associated with the CPN set by the user;

replacing, by the CPN issuer, the CPN with the ‘

real’

account number if the authorization details do not exceed the controls set by the user, and processes the authorisation request as conventional;

returning, by the CPN issuer, the authorisation response to the supplier via the acquirer; and

completes the transaction by the supplier such that the user receives the ordered goods/services.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising the steps of:

presenting by the supplier, the transaction details for settlement with an acquirer;

presenting, by the acquirer, the transaction to the CPN issuer for settlement;

replacing, by the CPN issuer, the CPN with the ‘

real’

account number and posting the transaction to the user'"'"'s ‘

real’

account seeking payment;

reviewing, by a the user, the posted transactions and selecting, by the user, transactions that are completed to his or her satisfaction; and

generating, by the CPN issuer, a payment approval message for each of these transactions and routes them to the acquirer, according to the user'"'"'s approval.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of providing for a declining balance CPN.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising setting controls on usage of said CPN.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein said controls on usage are selected from a predetermined list.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said predetermined list is determined by a user'"'"'s position, a definable heirarchy of users.

10. Computer readable media on which is store computer executable code for carrying out the method of claim 1.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

defining a heirarchy of users;

defining sets of possible CPN authorization for each of said users according to said heirarchy;

checking a CPN request by a user against an appropriate set of possible CPN authorizations, and if the CPN request is within said set of possible CPN authorizations, issuing a CPN.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

sending said CPN to said user;

forwarding said CPN to a merchant;

processing said CPN from said merchant in a legacy card scheme;

routing said CPN to a CPN issuer to be checked against said user defined subset of CPN uses; and

if CPN does not exceed said user defined subset of CPN uses, approving said transaction.

14. Computer readable media on which is store computer executable code for carrying out the method of claim 12

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said deferred payment step includes defining a delay in said user defined controls on said CPN by defining a start date for processing said CPN that is later in time from a transaction date.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said deferred payment step includes defining a delay in said user defined controls on said CPN by defining that the transaction must be approved before settlement can occur.

12. A method of setting up a heirarchy of users of Controlled Payment Numbers (CPNs) within an organization, comprising the steps of:

registering an organization with a CPN issuer;

allowing registered organizations define a heirarchy of users, at least one of which is a supervisor capable of defining user rights for at least one other;

defining user rights as a subset of all possible CPN uses for each of said users, said defined user rights subset being controlled by said supervisor for at least one other user;

requesting a CPN by a user including defining CPN uses for particular transaction; and

checking said particular transaction user-defined CPN against said subset of CPN uses for the requesting user to determine a CPN should issue for the requesting user'"'"'s use.

15. A method of providing a declining balance CPN includes the steps of:

a company issuing a physical CPN card which is linked to a company'"'"'s ‘

real’

account details;

the company sets control limits associated with the physical CPN card, including at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

a number of days before an available balance is refreshed, the maximum spending limit during that period, and the merchants/merchant-categories with which the card can be used, and acivates CPN on the physical CPN card for use by an employee;

when a purchase is attempted, the CPN issuer checks whether the authorisation details are within the controls set by the company;

the CPN details are replaced with the ‘

real’

account details and the request is routed to existing authorisation processing, if the authorization details are within the controls set by the company; and

if the purchase attempt is accepted, remaining amount of the maximum spending limit is updated.

16. A method of conducting commerce using controlled payment numbers (CPNs), comprising the steps of:

requesting issuance of a CPN by a user wherein a user defines controls on the use of the CPN;

generating a CPN in response to said request;

linking said user defined controls to a CPN at the time of a CPN request and generation, whereby said CPN cannot be used in violation of said user defined controls; and

deferring payment on a transaction using a CPN by defining a delay in said user defined controls on said CPN.