Computer implemented flexible benefit plan host based stored value card product

• US 20070023504A1
• Filed: 05/19/2006
• Published: 02/01/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 05/19/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: FSV Payment Systems Incorporated (US Bancorp)
• Original Assignee: FSV Payment Systems Incorporated (US Bancorp)
• Inventors: Pham, Quynh, Fulton, Keith, Blankenship, Barry, Li, Milton
• Application Number:
  US11/437,052
• Publication Number:
  US 20070023504A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system, method, computer program and product to allow a card processor to use a single card with a card account number for payment from different account fund buckets. The first account fund bucket is an unrestricted general account fund bucket with funds available to make purchases of goods and services. The second account fund bucket is a restricted account fund bucket that can be used for the purchase of third party administrator approved goods and services. The card processor determines if a transaction is for third party administrator approved goods and services. If the requested transaction is for approved goods and services, the card processor deducts the costs of the approved goods and services first from the second restricted account fund bucket, and then from the first unrestricted account fund bucket. If sufficient funds are not available in the multiple account buckets, the card processor denies the requested transaction.

Claims

1. A method of processing transactions in response to a financial card presented as payment of a purchase of goods and services, comprising the steps of:

determining if the purchase of goods and services is a purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

determining if sufficient funds are available in a restricted account fund bucket with an amount of restricted funds for the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services to cover a cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

deducting the cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services from the restricted funds in the restricted account fund bucket,

determining if partial funds are available in the restricted account fund bucket for the cost of purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

determining if funds are available in an unrestricted account fund bucket with an amount of unrestricted funds for a balance of the cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

deducting the partial amount of funds from the restricted account fund bucket,

deducting the balance of the cost of the purchase from the unrestricted account fund bucket,

determining if funds are available in the unrestricted account fund bucket for a purchase of goods and services that are not approved third party administrator benefit plan,

deducting the amount of funds from the first unrestricted account fund bucket for the purchase of goods and services that are not approved third party administrator benefit plan,

denying approval of a requested purchase of goods and services if funds are not available.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if the purchase of goods and services is the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services depending on a merchant category code.

3. The method of claim 1, where the restricted account fund bucket is a type of federally approved benefit account under the Internal Revenue Code.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining if sufficient anticipated restricted funds will be available at a future date in the restricted account fund bucket depending on anticipated deposits to the restricted account fund bucket; and

deducting the cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services from the anticipated restricted funds in the restricted account fund bucket.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising the step of determining if the unrestricted account fund bucket has over draft protection to allow for the purchase of goods and services if sufficient funds are not available at the time of the purchase.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

determining if the financial card presented as payment of the purchase of goods and services has an associated insurance policy;

determining if the purchase of goods and services are covered benefits of the insurance policy;

determining the cost of the purchase of goods and services, if the purchase of goods and services are covered benefits of the insurance policy; and

determining if the purchase of goods and services that are covered benefits of the insurance policy are the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services.

7. A financial card system in response to processing transactions for a financial card presented for payment, the financial card system comprising a:

a card processor connected to a card reader through a financial network for receiving and processing data relating to a transaction for the financial card presented for payment,

the card processor performing the steps of;

determining if the purchase of goods and services is a purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

determining if sufficient funds are available in a restricted account fund bucket with an amount of restricted funds for the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services to cover a cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

deducting the cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services from the restricted funds in the restricted account fund bucket,

determining if partial funds are available in the restricted account fund bucket for the cost of purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

determining if funds are available in an unrestricted account fund bucket with an amount of unrestricted funds for a balance of the cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

deducting the partial amount of funds from the restricted account fund bucket,

deducting the balance of the cost of the purchase from the unrestricted account fund bucket,

determining if funds are available in the unrestricted account fund bucket for a purchase of goods and services that are not approved third party administrator benefit plan,

deducting the amount of funds from the first unrestricted account fund bucket for the purchase of goods and services that are not approved third party administrator benefit plan,

denying approval of a requested purchase of goods and services if funds are not available.

8. The financial card system of claim 7, further comprising the card processor performing the step of determining if the purchase of goods and services is the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services depending on a merchant category code.

9. The financial card system of claim 7, where the restricted account fund bucket is a type of federally approved account under the Internal Revenue Code.

10. The financial card system of claim 7, further comprising the card processor performing the steps of:

determining if sufficient anticipated restricted funds will be available in the restricted account fund bucket depending on anticipated deposits to the restricted account fund bucket; and

deducting the cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services from the anticipated restricted funds in the restricted account fund bucket.

11. The financial card system of claim 7, further comprising the card processor performing the step of determining if the unrestricted account fund bucket has over draft protection to allow for purchase of goods or services if sufficient funds are not available at the time of purchase.

12. The financial card system of claim 7, further comprising the card processor performing the steps of:

determining if the financial card presented as payment of the purchase of goods and services has an associated insurance policy;

determining if the purchase of goods and services are covered benefits of the insurance policy;

determining the cost of the purchase of goods and services, if the purchase of goods and services are covered benefits of the insurance policy; and

determining if the purchase of goods and services that are covered benefits of the insurance policy are the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services.

13. A computer program product stored in signal bearing media for causing a computer processor to process transactions in response to a financial card presented for payment of a purchase of goods and services, the computer program product containing instructions stored in machine-readable code and causing the computer processor to perform the following steps:

determining if the purchase goods and services is a purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

determining if sufficient funds are available in a restricted account fund bucket for the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

deducting a cost of purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services from the funds in the restricted account fund bucket,

determining if partial funds are available in the second restricted account fund bucket for the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

determining if sufficient funds are available in the first unrestricted account fund bucket for a balance of the cost of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services,

deducting the partial amount of funds from the second restricted account fund bucket,

deducting the balance of the cost of funds from the first unrestricted account fund bucket,

determining if sufficient funds are available in the first unrestricted account fund bucket,

deducting the amount of funds from the first unrestricted account fund bucket,

denying approval of the requested purchase of goods and services if funds are not available.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program product containing further instructions stored in machine-readable code and causing the computer processor to perform the step determining if the purchase of goods and services is the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services depending on a merchant category code.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, where the restricted account fund bucket is a type of federally approved account under the Internal Revenue Code.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program product containing further instructions stored in machine-readable code and causing the computer processor to perform the following steps:

determining if sufficient anticipated restricted funds will be available in the restricted account fund bucket depending on anticipated deposits to the restricted account fund bucket; and

deducting the cost of the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services from the anticipated restricted funds in the restricted account fund bucket.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program product containing further instructions stored in machine-readable code and causing the computer processor to perform the step of determining if the unrestricted account fund bucket has over draft protection to allow for purchases if sufficient funds are not available at the time of purchase.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, the computer program product containing further instructions stored in machine-readable code and causing the computer processor to perform the steps of:

determining if the financial card presented as payment of the purchase of goods and services has an associated insurance policy;

determining if the purchase of goods and services are covered benefits of the insurance policy;

determining the cost of the purchase of goods and services, if the purchase of goods and services are covered benefits of the insurance policy; and

determining if the purchase of goods and services that are covered benefits of the insurance policy are the purchase of third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services.

19. A financial card comprising:

a card with indicia thereon defining a card account number,

the card having data storage areas thereon for storing electronic data regarding a first and a second associated account fund buckets,

the first account fund bucket data storage area storing data regarding funds available for unrestricted purchase of goods and services,

the second account fund bucket data storage area storing data regarding having funds available for restricted purchases of goods and services for third party administrator benefit plan approved goods and services.

20. The financial card of claim 19, further comprising the second account fund bucket that is a type of federally approved account under the Internal Revenue Code.

21. The financial card of claim 19, further comprising the first account fund bucket having over draft protection to allow for the purchase of goods and services if sufficient funds are not available at the time of purchase.