Prepaid service using rewriteable card

• US 20070192197A1
• Filed: 02/15/2006
• Published: 08/16/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: David Fisher
• Original Assignee: David Fisher
• Inventors: Fisher, David
• Application Number:
  US11/353,633
• Publication Number:
  US 20070192197A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

A rewriteable plastic card is an ideal token for a prepaid service program. Prepaid service is popular in the automotive retail industry where automobile owners may be entitled to a certain number of future maintenance service items such as oil changes, tire rotations, and fuel treatments. The cost of such a program may be added in to the purchase price of the vehicle, or in some cases it may be furnished by the dealership as a marketing/sales incentive. The rewriteable card allows the cardholder to see at a glance their current status in the program. Specifically, details about recent service visits and the number of remaining unused service items can be read from the face of the card and updated with each use.

Claims

1. A method for a prepaid service program using centrally controlled online rewriteable point-of-sale terminals capable of erasing and then reprinting account status data to the face of a plastic card consisting of the following steps:

(a) a card is inserted into the rewriteable terminal;

(b) the terminal reads the account number from the magnetic stripe and transfers this value to a central server over the internet;

(c) the central server retrieves from the database cardholder information including details of the prepaid program to which the cardholder is a member and the unused prepaid services that are still available;

(d) specific cardholder information is relayed back to the terminal which then prompts for the desired prepaid service items and account activity;

(e) the terminal transmits the selections back to the server for final verification and account updating;

(f) the terminal erases the face of the card and prints back to it the new status and updated participation information.

2. Method of claim 1 where all system wide data and associated business rules are centrally maintained on a single server that communicates to the rewriteable POS terminals over the internet.

3. Method of claim 1 where the status to be rewritten might include:

program eligibility, promotional incentives, redeemable coupons, point accumulation, and/or account balances.

4. Method in claim 1 implemented for automotive warranty and maintenance where the card is reprinted with updated vehicle service information.

5. Method of claim 1 where the rewriteable properties of the card are made possible by one of several processes including:

chemical rewriteable, magnetic, thermosensitive, or physical rewriteable.