Service charge adjustment platform

• US 20070043665A1
• Filed: 08/24/2006
• Published: 02/22/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 09/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Montevago, Franca, Mirabella, Loretta, Jemella, Donald, Mannino, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,660,764 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A method of providing a representative or customer with an opportunity to electronically process a request to adjust, refund or waive a service charge on various products and services, comprising the steps of a) receiving requests via various channels such as phone, facsimile, in person, on-line, etc.; b) maintaining an electronic site on a computer network which representative or customer may connect; c) presenting at least one electronic screen over the network to a representative or customer who has connected to the electronic site, including a first input field operable to receive a first command from the representative or customer indicative of a type of adjustment; d) electronically delivering the first command to an automated interface which converts a format of the first command to another format; and presenting a decision to the representative or customer in response to the first command.

Claims

1-42. -42. (canceled)

43. Apparatus for providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver of a fee or charge on said customer'"'"'s account, comprising:

a network interface for sending and receiving data over an electronic network;

a service charge adjustment system coupled to the network interface, the service charge adjustment system performing at least the functions of;

receiving a request from the customer to refund or waive a fee or charge on the account, wherein the request for refund or waiver relates to a charge or fee posted against the customer'"'"'s account;

delivering the request to an automated interface, wherein the automated interface performs at least the functions of;

(1) determining the reasonableness of granting the request, and (2) rating the request based on criteria;

automatically rendering a decision on the request using the automated interface; and

presenting the customer with the decision with respect to the request, wherein the decision is one of the following;

granting a refund or waiver request, denying a refund or waiver request, and referring a request to an external system for further consideration.

44. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the network interface is further operable to perform the function of:

maintaining an electronic site on the electronic network to which the customer may connect.

45. The apparatus of claim 44, wherein the network interface is further operable to perform the function of:

presenting at least a first electronic screen over the electronic network to the customer who has connected to the electronic site.

46. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein the automated interface is further operable to perform the functions of:

requesting at least a first customer information; and

validating the first customer information.

47. The apparatus of claim 46, wherein the first customer information includes at least the following:

a user name; and

a password.

48. The apparatus of claim 47, wherein the first customer information also includes at least the following:

name and address of the customer; and

date of service charge transaction.

49. The apparatus of claim 43, wherein, if the service charge is valid, including the step of denying said refund or waiver request.

66. The method of claim 43 wherein the criteria comprises:

retrieving at least one business rule from a business rules database, (2) applying the at least one business rule to arrive at a decision regarding the request, (3) validating the existence of a service charge, (4) checking to see if the customer has a special status, (5) determining if a bank error has occurred, (6) checking to see of the customer is a high value customer, (8) checking to see if the customer has made at least a predetermined number of previous requests, (9) ascertaining if the customer has been granted at least one courtesy refund or waiver, or (11) determining if the request is justified.

67. The method of claim 43 wherein the criteria comprises:

profit, longevity, number of past requests, number of open accounts or premium features.

50. A method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver of a charge or fee on the customer'"'"'s account comprising the steps of:

receiving a request from the customer to make a refund or waiver, wherein the request for refund or waiver relates to a charge or fee posted against the customer'"'"'s account;

delivering the request to an automated interface, wherein the automated interface performs at least the functions of;

(1) determining the reasonableness of granting the request, and (2) rating the profitability of granting the request on criteria;

automatically rendering a decision on the request using the automated interface; and

presenting the customer with the decision with respect to the request, wherein the decision is one of the following;

granting a refund or waiver request, denying a refund or waiver request, and referring a request to an external system for further consideration.

51. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 50 further comprising the steps of:

maintaining an electronic site on a computer network to which the customer may connect.

52. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver account according to claim 51 further comprising the steps of:

presenting at least one electronic screen over the network to the customer who has connected to the electronic site, at least one screen including at least a first input field operable to receive the request from the customer.

53. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 50, wherein the request is made across a computer network.

54. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 51 wherein the computer network is the Internet.

55. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 50 wherein the request is received by facsimile.

56. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 50 wherein the request is delivered by mail.

57. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 54 wherein the request is delivered by contact with a customer service representative.

58. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 57 wherein the contact is made over a communication network.

59. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 58 wherein the communication network is a telephone system.

60. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 58 wherein the communication network is the Internet.

61. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 57 wherein the contact is made directly in person with the customer service representative.

62. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 50 wherein the automated interface converts a first format of the refund or waiver request to at least a second format for use within the automated interface.

63. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver according to claim 51 wherein the electronic site is a website.

64. The method of providing a customer with an opportunity to refund or waive a fee or charge on the customer'"'"'s account according to claim 63 wherein the website is hosted in a shared operating environment.

68. The method of claim 50 wherein the criteria comprises:

retrieving at least one business rule from a business rules database, (2) applying the at least one business rule to arrive at a decision regarding the request, (3) validating the existence of a service charge, (4) checking to see if the customer has a special status, (5) determining if a bank error has occurred, (6) checking to see of the customer is a high value customer, (8) checking to see if the customer has made at least a predetermined number of previous requests, (9) ascertaining if the customer has been granted at least one courtesy refund or waiver, or (11) determining if the request is justified.

69. The method of claim 50 wherein the criteria comprises:

profit, longevity, number of past requests, number of open accounts or premium features.

65. Apparatus for providing a customer with an opportunity to request a refund or waiver of a fee or charge on said customer'"'"'s account, comprising:

a network interface for sending and receiving data over an electronic network;

a service charge adjustment system coupled to the network interface, the service charge adjustment system performing at least the functions of;

receiving a request from the customer to refund or waive a fee or charge on the account, wherein the request for refund or waiver relates to a charge or fee posted against the customer'"'"'s account;

delivering the request to an automated interface, wherein the automated interface performs at least two of the functions of;

(1) retrieving at least one business rule from a business rules database, (2) applying the at least one business rule to arrive at a decision regarding the request, (3) validating the existence of a service charge, (4) determining the cost-effectiveness of granting the request, (5) checking to see if the customer has a special status, (6) determining if a bank error has occurred, (7) checking to see of the customer is a high value customer, (8) rating the profitability of granting the request, (9) checking to see if the customer has made at least a predetermined number of previous requests, (10) ascertaining if the customer has been granted at least one courtesy refund or waiver, and (11) determining of the request is justified;

automatically rendering a decision on the request using the automated interface; and

presenting the customer with the decision with respect to the request, wherein the decision is one of the following;

granting a refund or waiver request, denying a refund or waiver, and referring a request to an external system for further consideration.