Method and system for a multi-purpose transactional platform

• US 20040010462A1
• Filed: 04/11/2003
• Published: 01/15/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Schumacher, Jeff, Knox, Kellie, Yellin, Eric, Moon, Susan, Aller, Hugh
• Granted Patent: US 8,412,623 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The present invention relates particularly to a method and system for consolidating a plurality of a consumer'"'"'s payment and non-payment source accounts into a consolidated platform with a customer identification or available proxy account numbers that can be assigned to source accounts. The source accounts can be, for example, credit card accounts, ATM accounts, debit card accounts, demand deposit accounts, stored-value accounts, merchant-loyalty card accounts, membership accounts, and identification card numbers. The consumer can access and modify any of the source accounts and manage funds across the source accounts by accessing the consolidated platform with a single access device or mode.

Claims

13. A system for providing access to a plurality of accounts for use in a transaction, comprising:

a point-of-access (POA) terminal capable of retrieving proxy account information on a plurality of accounts;

a communication network capable of receiving the proxy account information from the POA terminal; and

a first host system capable of;

a) receiving the proxy account information from the communication network;

b) matching the proxy account information with actual account information on the plurality of accounts; and

c) accessing the plurality of accounts for settlement based on the matched actual account information.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising an access device that maintains the proxy account information for retrieval by the POA terminal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the proxy account information is maintained in a magnetically-encoded format on the access device for retrieval at the POA terminal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the access device is a card having a plurality of magnetic stripes, each providing the proxy account information of one of the plurality of accounts.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the access device is a card having a magnetic area at a single location for providing the proxy account information of one or more of the plurality of accounts.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the access device is a computer terminal, a landline phone, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a magnetic-stripe card, a smart card, a television, a touch screen, an interactive voice and/or touchtone terminal, a video screen, or biometric identification means.

19. The system of claim 13, wherein the proxy account information on the plurality of accounts and the plurality of account are administered by the first host system.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the plurality of accounts is administered by a second host system external to the first host system.

21. The system of claim 20, further comprising a settlement network external to the first host system for the first host system to settle the at least one account administered by the second host system.

22. The system of claim 13, wherein the proxy account information for one of the plurality of accounts can be chosen for retrieval at the POA terminal.

23. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of accounts include a consumer payment account.

24. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of accounts include a consumer non-payment account.

25. The system of claim 13, wherein the plurality of accounts include a consumer payment account and a consumer non-payment account.

29. A method for consolidating multiple predetermined accounts into a single access device for use in a transaction, comprising:

obtaining actual account number of a plurality of accounts to be consolidated;

providing an identification (ID) number associated with the consolidated accounts and an access device;

receiving the ID number in combination with information on a selection of an account from the access device as a request to perform a transaction with a selected one of the consolidated account;

matching the ID number and the information on the selected account with one of the actual account numbers of the consolidated accounts; and

settling the transaction with the selected consolidated account based at least on the matched actual account number.

1. A method for consolidating multiple predetermined accounts for use in a transaction, comprising:

obtaining actual account numbers of a plurality of accounts to be consolidated;

assigning each of the actual account numbers to one of a plurality of proxy account numbers;

receiving one of the proxy account numbers as a request to perform a transaction with a selected one of the consolidated accounts;

matching the received proxy account number with one of the actual account numbers of the consolidated accounts based on the step of assigning; and

settling the transaction with the selected account based at least on the matched actual account number.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of assigning includes providing an ability to assign any one of the actual account numbers to any one of the proxy account numbers.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the step of assigning further includes providing an ability to assign a new actual account number to any one of the proxy account numbers.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of settling includes settling the transaction with the selected account via an external settlement network.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of accounts are administered by different host systems.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the different host systems belong to different financial institutions.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the proxy account number in a magnetically-encoded format.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of accounts and the proxy account numbers are administered by a first host system.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing a remote user with an ability to choose one of the proxy account numbers for the transaction; and

the step of receiving the proxy account number comprises receiving the chosen proxy account number.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction includes a purchase of a product or service with a fund from the selected account.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction includes a modification of information on the selected account.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction includes a fund transfer to or from the selected account.

26. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the proxy account number from a computer terminal, a landline phone, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a magnetic-stripe card, a smart card, a television, a touch screen, an interactive voice and/or touchtone terminal, a video screen, or biometric identification means.

27. The method of claim 12, wherein the fund transfer includes a balance transfer or a recurring payment.

28. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of settling includes settling the transaction with the selected account on a periodic basis.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of settling includes settling the transaction with the selected consolidated account via an external settlement network.

31. The method of claim 29, wherein the plurality of accounts are administered by different host systems.

32. The method of claim 31, wherein the different host systems belong to different financial institutions.

33. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the ID number and the information on the selected account in a magnetically-encoded format from the accessing device.

34. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of receiving comprises receiving the ID number and the information on the selected account from a computer terminal, a landline phone, a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant, a magnetic-stripe card, a smart card, a television, a touch screen, an interactive voice and/or touchtone terminal, a video screen, or biometric identification means.

35. The method of claim 29, wherein at least one of the plurality of accounts and the actual account numbers are administered by a first host system.

36. The method of claim 29, wherein the transaction includes a modification of information on the selected account.

37. The method of claim 29, wherein the transaction includes a fund transfer to or from the selected account.

38. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of settling includes settling the transaction with the selected account on a periodic basis.

35-1. The method of claim 29, wherein the transaction includes a purchase of a product or service with a fund from the selected account.