Systems and methods for a loadable stored-value card with a contribution to a specified beneficiary

• US 20040182922A1
• Filed: 03/19/2004
• Published: 09/23/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Autus Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Autus Group Incorporated
• Inventors: Talarico, Frank Jr.
• Application Number:
  US10/804,686
• Publication Number:
  US 20040182922A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed that allow a cardholder of a loadable stored-value card to load monetary funds into an account associated with the card. An issuer of the card credits a specified portion of the loaded value to a designated charity or other beneficiary identified by the cardholder. The card may be used to pay for goods, services, and other transactions in a manner similar to that of a debit card or a pre-paid card. The portion provided to a specified beneficiary may be calculated as a specified percentage or other portion of the monetary value that is loaded onto the card. The stored-value card may also be reloaded with value in order to replenish the available monetary funds for spending using the card, thereby also providing additional funds to the specified beneficiary.

Claims

1. A method for facilitating donations from a population of participants to a specified fundraising beneficiary, comprising:

for each of a plurality of members from the population of participants;

(a) providing the member with a loadable stored-value card associated with the member, the stored-value card being usable by the member when loaded to make purchases of goods and services from vendors, and (b) associating the loadable stored-value card with an account within which funds of the member may be stored and withdrawn; and

in response to a request received from a first member of the plurality of members;

(c) placing funds into the account of the first member, thereby loading the loadable stored-value card of the first member with a first value, and (d) providing a second value to the specified fundraising beneficiary from the account of the first member.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the second value provided to the specified fundraising beneficiary equals a predetermined percentage of the first value loaded in association with the loadable stored-value card of the first member.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified fundraising beneficiary comprises a school.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified fundraising beneficiary comprises a religious organization.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the specified fundraising beneficiary comprises a savings account associated with the first member.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising subsequently receiving additional funds from the member and placing those additional funds in the account of step (b) for the first member, thereby loading the loadable stored-value card of the first member with a third value, and (d) providing a fourth value to the specified fundraising beneficiary from the account of step (b) for the first member.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein receiving additional funds from the member comprises periodically receiving funds from an employer of the first member.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the request received from a first member comprises receiving a communication from the first member via a secured website.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request received from a first member comprises receiving a communication from the first member via a telephone system.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a report to the first member, wherein the report summarizes information comprising the value loaded by the first member and the value provided to the specified fundraising beneficiary in association with the first member'"'"'s stored-value card.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a report to the specified fundraising beneficiary, wherein the report summarizes information comprising the value provided to the specified fundraising beneficiary in association with the loading of funds for the first member'"'"'s stored-value card.

12. A system for facilitating donations to a specified fundraising beneficiary by a population of participants, comprising:

a plurality of member accounts, wherein each member account is associated with (i) a member, and (ii) a stored-value card associated with that member, the stored-value card being usable generally by the member to make purchases of goods and services from vendors;

an interface for receiving requests from members of the population of participants; and

a stored-value card processor that, in response to a request from a member;

(i) provides funds into the member'"'"'s account, thereby loading the member'"'"'s stored-value card with a first value; and

(ii) provides a second value to the specified fundraising beneficiary from the member'"'"'s account.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the stored-value card processor determines the second value provided to the specified fundraising beneficiary as a predetermined percentage of the first value loaded in association with the member'"'"'s stored-value card.

14. The system of claim 12, further comprising a database accessible to the stored-value card processor, wherein the database comprises data about each of the member accounts.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data about a member account comprises, for each loading of the stored-value card associated with the account, a record of a date on which the loading occurred and the value that was loaded in association with the stored-value card.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the data about a member account comprises a record of an accrued monetary amount provided to the specified fundraising beneficiary from the member account.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the stored-value card processor further calculates an accrued total amount provided into the member accounts.

18. The system of claim 12, wherein the stored-value card processor further calculates an accrued total amount provided to the specified fundraising beneficiary from the member accounts.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the stored-value card processor further calculates an accrued total amount provided to the specified fundraising beneficiary from the member accounts during a predetermined time period.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the predetermined time period is at least one of the set consisting of:

monthly, quarterly, and annually.