Methods and systems for retail club membership authorization

• US 20040200897A1
• Filed: 01/22/2004
• Published: 10/14/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pump-On LLC
• Original Assignee: Pump-On LLC
• Inventors: Demere, Raymond S.
• Granted Patent: US 7,163,146 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/27 with central registration
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery
• 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 provides systems and methods for remote authorization of fuel dispensing and authorization or confirmation of participation in frequent shopper programs, club memberships, and the like. In one embodiment, identification documents may be used as membership cards for a retailer'"'"'s membership or frequent shopper program. In another embodiment, an identification may be a membership card to gain access to a retailer.

Claims

1. A method of validating a customer in a retail membership club, the method comprising:

receiving a membership validation request, including identifying indicia, from a remote retail location, the identifying indicia being extracted from an identification document of a user by an identification document reader at the remote retail location;

querying a remote database for validation of the customer;

receiving an indication of membership validation from the database; and

transmitting the indication to the remote retail location.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the indication is positive, transmitting information about the customer'"'"'s purchase for storage in the remote database.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

if the indication is positive, providing the customer access to the remote retail location.