System and method for customizing financial instruments

• US 20070185795A1
• Filed: 02/03/2006
• Published: 08/09/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/03/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Petrime, Kammie, Donnelly, William
• Granted Patent: US 7,711,618 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/06 Asset management; Financial planning or analysis

Abstract

A graphical user interface of a product configurator is accessible by user computers over a network. In one embodiment, the product configurator presents a plurality of product-based customization options from which a user may select. In response to such options, a user may provide product-based customization information to the product configurator. This information is usable to generate a product-based customized image that may be imprinted across the face of a financial instrument.

Claims

1. A method comprising the acts of:

receiving a request from an applicant to customize a financial instrument for which said applicant is applying online;

directing the applicant to a graphical user interface of a product configurator that is accessible over a network;

receiving an image that is based on product-based customization information provided by said applicant;

generating the financial instrument using said image and account information for said applicant, wherein said image and account information appear on a face of said financial instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the acts of:

associating said image with an applicant identifier for said applicant; and

approving, prior to said generating the financial instrument, said applicant to obtain said financial instrument based on application information provided by said applicant.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said receiving the request comprises receiving a request from an existing account holder to customize a replacement financial instrument based on a purchased product.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said purchased product is a vehicle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said product-based customization information comprises a unique product number corresponding to a specific purchased product.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the image comprises receiving an image file from the product configurator over the network, wherein said image file is to be associated with an identifier for said applicant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said financial instrument is selected from the group consisting of credit cards, charge cards and debit cards.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the image comprises accessing an image file that is based on said image from an image processing server.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the financial instrument further comprises imprinting said image across at least 50% of the face of said financial instrument.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the financial instrument further comprises imprinting said image from edge-to-edge across the face of said financial instrument.

11. A system for customizing a financial instrument comprising:

a user computer coupled to a network;

a product configuration server coupled to said network and accessible by said user computer, wherein said product configuration server is to,

execute a product configurator module that is accessible by said user computer over the network;

receive product-based customization information from said user computer;

generate an image based on said product-based customization information; and

provide an image file based on said image to a financial services server, where said image is to be imprinted on a face of the financial instrument.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said product configurator is a software module executing on said product configuration server that present a plurality of product-based customization options to the user computer.

13. The system of claim 11, further comprising a financial services server coupled to the network and accessible by said user computer, wherein the financial services server is to,

receive application information corresponding to a user of the user computer;

associate the image file with an applicant identifier; and

approve said user to obtain the financial instrument based on said application information; and

generate the financial instrument with said image imprinted on the face from edge-to-edge.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said product configurator is further usable to configure products to be purchased online.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said product configurator is a vehicle configurator.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said product-based customization information is a unique product number corresponding to a specific purchased product.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said unique product number is one of a vehicle identification number and a vehicle production number.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said financial instrument is selected from the group consisting of credit cards, charge cards and debit cards.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said image is to be imprinted across at least 50% of the face of said financial instrument.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said image is to be imprinted from edge-to-edge across the face of said financial instrument.

21. A method for customizing a financial instrument comprising the acts of:

executing a product configurator module that is accessible by said user computer over a network;

receiving product-based customization information from a user over the network;

generating an image based on said product-based customization information; and

providing an image file based on said image to a financial services server over the network, where said image is to be imprinted on a face of the financial instrument.

22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the act of presenting a plurality of product-based customization options to the user using the product configurator.

23. The method of claim 21, further comprising the acts of:

receiving application information from the to obtain said financial instrument;

associating the image file with an applicant identifier; and

approving said user to obtain the financial instrument based on said application information; and

generating the financial instrument with said image imprinted from edge-to-edge.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein said product configurator is further usable to configure a product to be purchased online.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein said product configurator is a vehicle configurator.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein said product-based customization information is a unique product number corresponding to a specific purchased product.

27. The method of claim 26, wherein said unique product number is one of a vehicle identification number and a vehicle production number.

28. The method of claim 21, wherein said financial instrument is selected from the group consisting of credit cards, charge cards and debit cards.

29. The method of claim 21, further comprising the act of formatting said image to be imprinted across at least 50% of the face of said financial instrument.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said image is formatted to be imprinted from edge-to-edge across the face of said financial instrument.