METHOD FOR RECEIVING CREDIT CARD APPLICATIONS AT A FUEL DISPENSER

• US 20070145120A1
• Filed: 12/22/2005
• Published: 06/28/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Wal-Mart Stores Texas LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: Webb, Timothy
• Granted Patent: US 7,364,073 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• 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: G07F 13/025 wherein the volume is determined during delivery

Abstract

Credit card applications typically involve the help of a third party to input the necessary data required by a credit card issuing agency. Using the present invention, a customer at a fuel dispenser can complete a credit card application and have it approved or denied in a quick and easy transaction, without the need of assistance from a third party. All required data at the fuel dispenser is entered through a user interface which includes card swipe inputs and numeric inputs through a numeric key pad. The customer does not make any alphabetical inputs on a typical keyboard because fuel dispensers do not have keyboards.

Claims

1. A method for receiving a credit card application at a fuel dispenser without aid from an attendant, the fuel dispenser having a user interface which is only capable of accepting card swipe inputs, numeric inputs and product selection inputs, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving customer information from an existing credit card through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping an existing credit card;

offering a new credit card application to the customer at the fuel dispenser;

receiving driver'"'"'s license information from the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by electronically inputting data from the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license;

receiving additional numeric customer identification information through the user interface at the fuel dispenser; and

transmitting the customer information from an existing credit card, the driver'"'"'s license information, and the numeric customer identification information to a point of sale (POS) system and then to a credit card authorizing company for review and if approved, issuance of a new credit card account.

2. A method for receiving a customer generated credit card application at a fuel dispenser having a user interface which is only capable of accepting card swipe inputs, numeric inputs and production selection inputs, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving customer information from an existing credit card through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping an existing credit card in order to purchase a fuel;

offering a discount on the present fuel purchase to a successful applicant as an incentive to complete a new credit card application at the fuel dispenser, the offer and the and the credit application being made and completed without the aid of an attendant;

receiving driver'"'"'s license information from the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license;

receiving additional numeric customer identification information through the user interface at the fuel dispenser;

transmitting the customer information from an existing credit card, the driver'"'"'s license information, and the numeric customer identification information from the fuel dispenser to a point of sale (POS) system and then to a credit card authorizing company for review and if approved, issuance of a credit card account; and

applying the discount to the price of the present fuel purchase when paid by the new credit card account.

3. A method for receiving a credit card application at a fuel dispenser without aid from an attendant, the fuel dispenser having a user interface which is only capable of accepting card swipe inputs, numeric inputs and product selection inputs, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving customer information from an existing credit card through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping an existing credit card;

offering a new credit card application to the customer at the fuel dispenser;

receiving driver'"'"'s license information from the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license;

receiving additional numeric customer identification information through the user interface at the fuel dispenser;

transmitting the customer information from an existing credit card, the driver'"'"'s license information, and the numeric customer identification information to a point of sale system (POS);

transmitting the customer information from an existing credit card, the driver'"'"'s license information, and the numeric customer identification information from the POS system to a credit card authorizing company;

transmitting the customer information from an existing credit card, the driver'"'"'s license information, and the numeric customer identification information from the credit card authorizing company to a credit bureau for analysis;

receiving a response from the credit bureau at the credit card authorizing company;

sending the response from the credit card authorizing company to the POS system; and

sending an approval or rejection of the credit card application from the POS system to the fuel dispenser.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the fuel dispenser further includes a printer for printing an approval message to the customer with the new account information and instructions on how to use a temporary pass for credit purchases at a store in proximity to the fuel dispenser.

5. The method of claim 4 further including the following steps:

totaling the price for products selected by the customer for a credit purchase, at a check-out station in the store;

inputting the new account information at the check-out station;

verifying the new account information inputted at the check-out station with stored new account information on the POS system; and

sending a signal from the POS system to the check-out station to approve or deny the credit purchase in the store.

7. The method of claim 5 further including the following steps:

transmitting the customer'"'"'s name, driver'"'"'s license number and wholly numeric applicant identification information from the POS system to a credit card authorizing company;

transmitting the customer'"'"'s name, driver'"'"'s license number and wholly numeric applicant identification information from a credit card authorizing company to a credit bureau;

receiving a response from the credit bureau at the credit card authorizing company;

receiving a response from the credit card authorizing company at the POS system; and

sending an approval or a rejection message from the POS system to the fuel dispenser.

8. The method of claim 7 further including the steps of:

printing an approval message at the fuel dispenser for the customer with the new credit card account information and applying the discount to the price of the present fuel purchase when paid by the new credit card account.

9. The method of claim 8 further including the steps of:

printing instructions at the fuel dispenser for the customer on how to use a temporary pass inside a store in proximity of the fuel dispenser.

6. A method for receiving a credit card application from a customer at a fuel dispenser without aid of an attendant, the fuel dispenser having a card reader, a key pad, a printer and product selectors, without the need of an attendant, the method comprising the following steps:

receiving data from the customer'"'"'s existing credit card by swiping the existing credit card through the card reader at the fuel dispenser in order to purchase fuel;

offering an immediate discount on the present fuel purchase to a successful applicant as an incentive to complete a credit card application at the fuel dispenser;

receiving the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license number by swiping the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license through the card reader at the fuel dispenser;

retrieving the customer'"'"'s name from an existing credit card that was previously swiped through the card reader at the fuel dispenser;

receiving wholly numeric customer identification information through the key pad at the fuel dispenser; and

transmitting the applicant'"'"'s name, driver'"'"'s license number and wholly numeric applicant identification information from the fuel dispenser to a point of sale (POS) system.

10. A method for processing a new credit card application at a fuel dispenser without the aid of an attendant, the fuel dispenser having a card reader, a key pad, a printer and product selectors, the method comprising the following steps:

prompting an applicant to apply for a new credit card at the fuel dispenser;

prompting the applicant to swipe the applicant'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license through the card reader at the fuel dispenser to input the applicant'"'"'s drivers license;

retrieving the applicant'"'"'s name from an existing credit card that was previously swiped through the card reader at the fuel dispenser;

prompting the applicant to enter wholly numeric applicant identification information through the key pad at the fuel dispenser;

transmitting the applicant'"'"'s name, drivers license and wholly numeric applicant identification information to a point of sale (POS); and

transmitting the applicant'"'"'s name, driver'"'"'s license and wholly numeric applicant identification information from the POS system to a credit card authorizing company for credit review and if approved, issuance of a credit card.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of printing an approval message at the fuel dispenser to the customer with the new account information and instructions on how to use a temporary pass for credit purchases at a store in proximity to the fuel dispenser.

12. The method of claim 11 further including the additional steps:

totaling the price for products selected by the customer for a credit purchase, at a check-out station in the store;

inputting the new credit card account information at the check-out station;

verifying the new credit card account information inputted at the check-out station with stored new credit card account information on the POS system; and

sending a signal from the POS system to the check-out station to approve or deny the credit purchase.

13. A electronically programmable storage media having stored thereon program code executable by a computing device where when said code is executed performs the steps of:

receiving customer information from an existing credit card through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping an existing credit card;

offering a new credit card application to the customer at the fuel dispenser;

receiving driver'"'"'s license information from the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license;

receiving additional numeric customer identification information through the user interface at the fuel dispenser; and

transmitting the customer information from an existing credit card, the driver'"'"'s license information, and the numeric customer identification information to a point of sale (POS) system and then to a credit card authorizing company for review and if approved, issuance of a new credit card account.

14. An electronically programmable storage media having stored therein program code executable by a computing device where when said code is executed performs the steps of:

receiving customer information from an existing credit card through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping an existing credit card in order to purchase a fuel;

offering a discount on the present fuel purchase to a successful applicant as an incentive to complete a new credit card application at the fuel dispenser, the offer and the and the credit application being made and completed without the aid of an attendant;

receiving driver'"'"'s license information from the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license through the user interface at the fuel dispenser by swiping the customer'"'"'s driver'"'"'s license;

receiving additional numeric customer identification information through the user interface at the fuel dispenser;

transmitting the customer information from an existing credit card, the driver'"'"'s license information, and the numeric customer identification information from the fuel dispenser to a point of sale (POS) system and then to a credit card authorizing company for review and if approved, issuance of a credit card account; and

applying the discount to the price of the present fuel purchase when paid by the new credit card account.