Method and system for credit card purchases
First Claim
1. A method for making a credit card purchase between a user and a merchant, the method comprising:
- (a) selecting by the user a credit card transaction protocol through a user interface of a wireless communications device;
(b) entering by the user a bill information through said user interface of said wireless communications device;
(c) transmitting said bill information, and a first credit card information pertaining to a first credit card, from said wireless communications device to a credit card server maintained by an issuer of said first credit card; and
(d) receiving, if the credit card purchase is approved by said credit card server, a confirmation message from said credit card server in said wireless communications device and output through said user interface to the user.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A user utilizes a wireless communications device, such as a cellular telephone, capable of establishing a connection with a credit card server located at a credit card service center associated with the issuer of the credit card held by the user. Stored within the wireless communications device is information on the credit card including the credit card number, expiration date, and credit card service center phone number and/or IP address. Utilizing a user interface in the wireless communications device, the user, when presented with a bill, enters the bill amount and the merchant ID number, and optionally a transaction number. The wireless communications device dials up the credit card service center and sends the transaction information. After authentication and approval, the credit card service center debits the user'"'"'s account, credits the merchant'"'"'s account, and sends approval messages to the user and the merchant in real time.
92 Citations
69 Claims
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1. A method for making a credit card purchase between a user and a merchant, the method comprising:
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(a) selecting by the user a credit card transaction protocol through a user interface of a wireless communications device;
(b) entering by the user a bill information through said user interface of said wireless communications device;
(c) transmitting said bill information, and a first credit card information pertaining to a first credit card, from said wireless communications device to a credit card server maintained by an issuer of said first credit card; and
(d) receiving, if the credit card purchase is approved by said credit card server, a confirmation message from said credit card server in said wireless communications device and output through said user interface to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A method for processing in a credit card server a credit card transaction between a merchant and a user having a wireless communications device, wherein the credit card server is maintained by an issuer of a credit card issued to the user, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving in the credit card server a first transaction information from the wireless communications device of the user, wherein said first transaction information comprises a first bill information and a first credit card information;
(b) authenticating by the credit card server said first credit card information;
(c) evaluating by the credit card server said first transaction information for approval against a status of an account of the user; and
(d) if said first transaction information is approved, (d1) transmitting by the credit card server a debit transaction to debit said account of the user; and
(d2) transmitting by the credit card server a credit transaction to credit an account of the merchant at a merchant financial institution. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
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27. A method for processing in a merchant financial institution a credit transaction generated as a result of a credit card transaction between a merchant, who has an account at the merchant financial institution, and a user having a wireless communications device, the method comprising:
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(a) receiving the credit transaction from a credit card server, wherein said credit card server is maintained by an issuer of a credit card issued to the user, and further wherein said credit card server has received a first transaction information for the credit card transaction from the wireless communications device of the user and has authenticated and approved said first transaction information;
(b) posting, by the merchant financial institution, a credit to the account of the merchant at the merchant financial institution for a dollar amount derived from the credit transaction; and
(c) sending, by the merchant financial institution, a credit memo to a merchant terminal of the merchant in communication with the merchant financial institution. - View Dependent Claims (28, 29, 30)
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31. A method for making a credit card purchase between a user and a merchant, the method comprising:
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(a) presenting, by the merchant, at least a one of a dollar amount owed, a merchant ID number, and a transaction number to the user, wherein the user has a wireless communications device for entering and transmitting said at least a one of said dollar amount owed, said merchant ID number, and said transaction number to a credit card server, wherein said credit card server is maintained by an issuer of a credit card number issued to the user;
(b) receiving by the merchant, if the credit card purchase is approved by said credit card server, an approval message in a merchant credit card terminal from said credit card server; and
(c) presenting, by the merchant, a copy of said approval message to the user. - View Dependent Claims (32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A system for making a credit card purchase between a user and a merchant, the system comprising:
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a wireless communications device, said wireless communications device further comprising, a user interface;
a credit card transaction protocol accessible through said user interface;
a non-volatile memory; and
at least one credit card information pertaining to at least one credit card stored in said non-volatile memory; and
at least one credit card server connectable to said wireless communications device and maintained by an issuer of said at least one credit card, wherein the user enters a bill information for the credit card purchase through said user interface of said wireless communications device, and transmits said bill information and said at least one credit card information to said at least one credit card server, and further wherein said at least one credit card server receives and evaluates said bill information and said at least one credit card information transmitted from said wireless communications device, and if the credit card purchase is approved, said at least one credit card server sends a confirmation message to said wireless communications device, which is output through said user interface to the user. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49)
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50. A method for making a credit card purchase between a user and a merchant, the method comprising:
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(a) selecting by the user a credit card transaction protocol through a user interface of a wireless communications device;
(b) entering by the user a bill information through said user interface of said wireless communications device;
(c) transmitting said bill information, and a first credit card information pertaining to a first credit card, from said wireless communications device to a credit card server maintained by an issuer of said first credit card;
(d) authenticating by said credit card server said first credit card information;
(e) evaluating by said credit card server said first bill information for approval against a status of an account of the user; and
(f) if said first credit card information is authenticated and said first bill information is approved, (f1) transmitting by said credit card server a debit transaction to debit said account of the user; and
(f2) transmitting by said credit card server a credit transaction to credit an account of the merchant at a merchant financial institution. - View Dependent Claims (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69)
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Specification