Electronic identifier payment systems and methods

• US 20060277146A1
• Filed: 06/30/2006
• Published: 12/07/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Hansen, Kurt L., Dively, Keith W.
• Application Number:
  US11/479,146
• Publication Number:
  US 20060277146A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• 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 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• 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 for accepting payments for goods and services provided by a consumer provider. The methods can include associating consumers and consumer providers with a payment provider. The payment provider can receive payments destined for the consumer provider, associate the payments with one or more identifiers, and transfer at least portions of the receive payments to the consumer provider. The systems can include a point-of-sale device configured to accept payments from consumers on behalf of consumer providers. In some cases, the systems include a plurality of such point-of-sale devices in communication with a payment provider control. The payment provider control can be in communication with one or more consumer provider controls.

Claims

1-29. -29. (canceled)

30. A payment service method, which comprises the steps of:

a) a payment service provider contracting with a client to provide payment accounts to customers of the client, wherein a customer of the client enrolls with the payment service provider and thereafter pays funds into the payment account and uses the funds to purchase goods or services from the client;

b) the payment service provider receiving account information for the customers from the client;

c) storing the account information in a database;

d) receiving a request from the customer to make a payment to a client account;

e) receiving identifying information from the customer;

f) using the database to verify status of the client account;

g) the payment service provider receiving a payment from the customer to purchase goods or services;

h) using a computer to establish the payment account with the payment service provider for the customer, wherein the computer is capable of communicating with a storage medium;

i) storing the payment account in the storage medium;

j) the payment service provider issuing and assigning a unique identifier to the customer after enrolling with the payment service provider and for purposes of making payments, wherein the unique identifier is configured to provide the customer with access to the payment account to make further payments from the payment account without providing the identifying information;

k) crediting the payment account in an amount corresponding to the payment;

l) using a wire transfer to transfer the funds from the payment account to the client account upon receipt of the payment; and

m) printing a receipt for the customer, the receipt including the unique identifier and a commercial message to the customer.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the commercial message includes a coupon.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the commercial message is from the client.

33. The method of claim 30, wherein the commercial message is from a third party that does not compete with the client.

34. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional step of:

a) maintaining the anonymity of the customer.

35. The method of claim 34, wherein the unique identifier is a single, exclusive identifier and wherein the method includes the additional step of utilizing the single, exclusive identifier for the customer and associating the exclusive identifier with the payment account.

36. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional step of establishing an additional payment account for the customer and associating the additional payment account with an additional client.

37. The method of claim 31, which includes the additional step of identifying said payment account solely by the unique identifier.

38. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional step of said payment service provider reporting to the client activity associated with customers of said client.

39. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) said payment service provider maintaining an agent network; and

b) said customers communicating with said payment service provider through said agent network.

40. The method of claim 39, which includes the additional steps of:

a) enrolling the customers with said payment service provider through said agent network; and

b) said payment service provider paying a fee to an agent in the agent network for each of the customers enrolled by the agent.

41. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional step of:

(a) formatting a customer database of the client for use by the payment service provider.

42. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) establishing with said payment service provider an account group comprising the customers of the client; and

b) activating individual accounts upon enrollment of the customers.

43. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) the client designating products for the payment service;

b) the client designating payment denominations for each of the designated products;

c) establishing payment service provider fees;

d) inputting pricing bands based on the number of the customers of the client for the products;

e) inputting principle ranges for the products;

f) inputting associated fees for the products; and

g) setting a variable fee schedule for the payment service provider.

44. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) setting criteria for customer eligibility for said payment accounts; and

b) excluding ineligible customers from a database of eligible customers for said payment accounts.

45. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) activating a card for said customer; and

b) storing the unique identifier on the card.

46. The method of claim 45, which includes the additional step of:

a) concealing the unique identifier on the card.

47. The method of claim 45, wherein said card comprises one of the group comprising:

a credit card;

a debit card; and

a prepay card.

48. The method of claim 30, wherein the customer interfaces with the payment service provider by one of a method from among the group consisting of:

a) telephone with voice recognition;

b) Internet global computer network;

c) mail;

d) in person;

e) e-mail; and

f) point-of-sale (POS) terminal with card reader.

49. The method of claim 30 which includes the additional steps of:

a) the payment service provider tabulating advertising and coupon impressions for the client;

b) the payment service provider tabulating coupon redemptions for the client;

c) the client paying the payment service provider for impressions;

d) the client paying the payment service provider for redemptions;

e) collecting customer data from coupon redemptions; and

f) reporting coupon redemption customer data to the client.

50. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) setting an interval for a discounted payment service;

b) counting customer payments; and

c) discounting a customer payment upon reaching said interval.

51. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) displaying a new customer screen upon enrollment of a new customer by said payment service provider;

b) capturing enrollment information concerning said new customer; and

c) promoting other services of one of said payment service provider and said client to said customer.

52. The method of claim 30 which includes the additional steps of:

a) establishing a maximum permissible inactivity period;

b) logging customer transactions and comparing same to said maximum inactivity period;

c) detecting accounts which exceed said maximum allowable inactivity period; and

d) retiring said accounts which exceed the maximum allowable inactivity period.

53. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) tracking customer transaction recurrences;

b) monitoring customer retention;

c) metering future marketing and rebate programs for the client based on transaction recurrences and customer retention; and

d) the payment service provider providing customer transaction records to the client.

54. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) setting a required number of transactions for rebate with the client;

b) counting said transactions with the client; and

c) rebating the cost of customer cards to the client upon reaching the number of transactions required for rebate eligibility.

55. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) the client identifying products to the payment service provider;

b) displaying the products to the customer;

c) the customer selecting one or more of the products to pay on;

d) the customer selecting one or more amounts to pay on the selected products; and

e) making said selected payments on said selected products.

56. The method of claim 30, which includes the additional steps of:

a) providing client-specific advertising;

b) the payment service provider enrolling customers for the client; and

c) the customer and the payment service provider selecting features and pricing offered by the client.

57. A system for receiving payments from consumers enrolling with a payment service provider, wherein the payments are associated with goods and/or services supplied by a consumer provider, the system comprising:

a point-of-sale POS device including a POS processor and a POS storage medium, wherein the POS storage medium includes instructions executable by the POS processor to;

receive identifying information associated with a consumer;

provide a unique identifier for the consumer;

receive payment information associated with the consumer, wherein the payment information indicates a consumer provider from which a good or service is offered and indicates funds to be transferred to the consumer provider; and

associate the payment information with the unique identifier;

a payment service provider (PSP) system including a PSP processor and a PSP storage medium, wherein the PSP storage medium includes instructions executable by the PSP processor to;

establish a payment account with the payment service provider for the consumer;

issue and assign the unique identifier to the consumer as part of the consumer enrolling with the payment service provider and for purposes of making payments;

credit the payment account in an amount corresponding to the funds indicated by the payment information; and

make payment from the payment account to the consumer provider;

wherein the unique identifier is configured to provide the customer with access to the payment account to make further transfers from the payment account without providing the identifying information.

58. The system of claim 57, wherein the instructions are further executable by the PSP processor to:

initiate a wire transfer of the funds from the payment account to an account of the consumer provider.

59. The system of claim 57, wherein the instructions are further executable by the POS processor to:

print a receipt for the customer, the receipt including the unique identifier.

60. The system of claim 59, wherein the receipt further includes a commercial message to the customer.