System and Method For Adding Value to a Stored-Value Account

• US 20070118478A1
• Filed: 02/08/2007
• Published: 05/24/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 11/14/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Original Assignee: e2Interactive Incorporated
• Inventors: Smith, Merrill, Graves, Phillip
• Granted Patent: US 7,292,998 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0652 e-cash with decreasing value according to a parameter, e.g. time
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/00 Arrangements for metering, time-control or time indication ; Metering, charging or billing arrangements for voice wireline or wireless communications, e.g. VoIP
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/06 Recording class or number of calling , i.e. A-party or called party , i.e. B-party
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/48 Secure or trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements or encryption
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/715 Activating new subscriber or card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8083 involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions or volume discounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/2518 from material card, using a magnetic stripe card
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/2525 : optical code recognition [OCR], e.g. bar code reader
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2017/2568 : bar code
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0156 : Secure and trusted billing, e.g. trusted elements, encryption, digital signature, codes or double check mechanisms to secure billing calculation and information
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0184 : involving reduced rates or discounts, e.g. time-of-day reductions, volume discounts, cell discounts, group billing, frequent calling destination(s) or user history list
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 : Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0196 : Payment of value-added services, mainly when their charges are added on the telephone bill, e.g. payment of non-telecom services, e-commerce, on-line banking
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/2033 : WLAN
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/54 : Resellers-retail or service providers billing, e.g. agreements with telephone service operator, activation, charging/recharging of accounts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/7027 : Activate new subscriber or card

Abstract

A system and method for adding value into a customer'"'"'s stored-value account is provided. A stored-value card is distributed to a merchant for distribution to a customer who has an account with a specific provider of goods and/or services. The stored-value card has an associated identifier that can be used to associate a stored value with the card. The associated stored value is redeemable with one or more providers, including the specific provider. The account has an associated account number. During a card purchase transaction, a central processor receives a request to activate the card from a merchant terminal. The central processor receives a redemption request from the customer, wherein the redemption request includes the identifier. The central processor identifies the provider and the account number. The central processor inserts the associated value into the account, for instance by passing a value insertion request to the provider. The central processor receives a subsequent request to activate the card from a different merchant terminal. The central processor recognizes the card, identifies the provider and account number, and automatically inserts the value into the account.

Claims

1. A method of processing a stored-value card request, comprising:

distributing a stored-value card to a first merchant for distribution to a customer having an account with a specific provider, the stored-value card having an associated identifier that can be used to associate a stored value with the card, the associated stored value being redeemable with one or more providers, including the specific provider, the account having an associated account number;

receiving at a central processor a first request to activate the card from a first merchant terminal, the first request resulting from a card purchase transaction, wherein the central processor is in selective communication with the first merchant terminal, the customer, and the one or more providers;

receiving at the central processor a redemption request from the customer, wherein the redemption request comprises the identifier; and

determining at the central processor the provider and the account number based on the redemption request; and

passing from the central processor to the provider a first request to apply the associated stored value to the customer account with the provider.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored-value card is associated with the specific provider prior to receiving the first activation request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the first activation request;

receiving at the central processor a request for a card preauthorization confirmation from the first merchant terminal; and

passing from the central processor the card preauthorization confirmation to the first merchant terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

passing from the central processor an activation confirmation to the first merchant terminal.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving at the central processor a value insertion confirmation from the provider; and

passing from the central processor to the customer confirmation information indicating that the associated value was added to the account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the card comprises machine readable data, selected from the group consisting of a two dimensional barcode, a three dimensional bar code, and a magnetic strip.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the redemption request is received from a customer phone number, and the account number is identified by identifying the customer phone number using an automatic identification number (ANI) process.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at the central processor whether the first merchant terminal is a trusted source of activation requests or whether the first activation request was received over a trusted communication network; and

activating the card at the central processor.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining at the central processor whether the first merchant terminal is associated with the card; and

activating at the central processor the card based on the determining action.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a PIN.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is associated with the specific provider.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating at the central processor the provider and the account number with the identifier in a record.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving a second request to activate the card at the central processor;

identifying at the central processor the account number and the provider by processing the record based on receiving the second request; and

passing a second request to process the associated stored value from the central processor to the provider.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining at the central processor whether the account number and the provider have been previously identified based on receiving the second request.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the second request to process the associated stored value comprises adding the associated stored value to the account.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the second activation request is received from a second merchant terminal.

12. The method of cairn 1, further comprising:

determining at the central processor whether to activate the card based on receiving the first activation request.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

associating the associated stored value with the identifier and passing from the central processor an activation confirmation to the first merchant terminal after a determination to activate the card.

19. A method of processing a stored-value card request, comprising:

distributing a stored-value card to a first merchant for distribution to a customer having an account with a specific provider, the stored-value card having an associated identifier that can be used to associate a stored value with the card, the associated stored value being redeemable with one or more providers, including the specific provider, the account having an associated account number;

receiving at a central processor a first request to activate the card from a first merchant terminal, the first request resulting from a card purchase transaction, and the central processor being in selective communication with the first merchant terminal, the customer, and the one or more providers;

receiving at the central processor a redemption request from the customer, wherein the redemption request comprises the identifier;

determining at the central processor the provider and the account number based on the redemption request;

associating at the central processor the provider and the account number with the identifier in a record;

applying at the central processor the associated value to the account based on the redemption request;

receiving at the central processor a second request to activate the card; and

applying the associated value from the central processor to the account based on the second activation request.

20. A method of processing a stored-value card request, comprising:

distributing a stored-value card to a first merchant for distribution to a customer having an account with a specific provider, the account having an associated account number;

receiving at a central processor a first request to activate the card from a first merchant terminal, the first request resulting from a card purchase transaction, wherein the central processor is in selective communication with the first merchant terminal, the customer, and the specific provider;

passing an identifier from the central processor to the first merchant terminal for distribution to the customer, the identifier being associated with the card and operative to associate a stored value with the card, the associated stored value being redeemable with one or more providers, including the specific provider,

receiving at the central processor a redemption request from the customer, wherein the redemption request comprises the identifier;

determining at the central processor the provider and the account number based on the redemption request; and

passing from the central processor a first request to apply the associated stored value to the provider.