FEE ALLOCATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20070250357A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Rozenwaser, Bill, Scarpaci, Frank, Bloom, Corbett, Cooke, Corinna, Steury, Lisa, Berkley, John
• Granted Patent: US 7,672,881 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0639 Performance analysis of employees; Performance analysis of enterprise or organisation operations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A system is provided for automatically billing a designated account for fees associated with the costs of tickets and other similar services. Passenger Record Number data and similar data is provided through a Computerized Reservation System and an accounting system to a Fee Allocator program which automatically interprets the data, determines appropriate fees based on the data and a user profile, and bills the fees to an appropriate account based on the user profile. Billing data provided to the account also facilitates the process of reconciling the fees to the travel ticket costs. Enhanced descriptive billing statements can be created simplifying the process of reconciling fees to the travel ticket costs.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating an automatic allocation of fees and costs associated with a travel-related transaction, said system comprising:

a host computer which receives a user profile and a Passenger Name Record related to said travel-related transaction, wherein said Passenger Name Record facilitates charging a fee;

said user profile comprising allocation information, wherein said allocation information defines said fee with said corresponding account;

said host computer establishes a cost related to said travel-related transaction;

said host computer determines said fee based upon said Passenger Name Record and said user profile, wherein said fee represents an extra charge related to said travel-related transaction in addition to said cost; and

,

an accounting system which charges said fee and said cost to a first account and a second account according to said user profile.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said travel reservation system is a Computer Reservation System.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management information system which provides an enhanced descriptive billing statement.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management information system which provides an enhanced descriptive billing statement, wherein said enhanced descriptive billing statement recites at least one of:

said cost related to said travel-related transaction, separately recites said fee, and recites indicia indicating that said fee and said cost are related to each other.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said host computer formats said Passenger Name Record in a Passenger Name Record format.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said accounting system provides said account with fee reconciling information.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said accounting system provides a credit entity with fee reconciling information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said accounting system charges said fee to a different account than said account used to charge a cost of said travel-related purchase.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a management information system which receives a subset of said Passenger Name Record.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said host computer receives said Passenger Name Record from a travel reservation system.

11. A system for facilitating an automatic allocation of fees and costs associated with a travel-related transaction, said system configured to:

receive a user profile and a Passenger Name Record related to said travel-related transaction, wherein said Passenger Name Record facilitates charging a fee,

wherein said user profile comprising allocation information, and wherein said allocation information defines said fee with said corresponding account;

establish a cost related to said travel-related transaction;

determine said fee based upon said Passenger Name Record and said user profile,

wherein said fee represents an extra charge related to said travel-related transaction in addition to said cost; and

,

charge said fee and said cost to a first account and a second account according to said user profile.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein said travel reservation system is a Computer Reservation System.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to provide an enhanced descriptive billing statement.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to provide an enhanced descriptive billing statement, wherein said enhanced descriptive billing statement recites at least one of:

said cost related to said travel-related transaction, separately recites said fee, and recites indicia indicating that said fee and said cost are related to each other.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to format said Passenger Name Record in a Passenger Name Record format.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to provide said account with fee reconciling information.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to provide a credit entity with fee reconciling information.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to charge said fee to a different account than said account used to charge a cost of said travel-related purchase.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to receive a subset of said Passenger Name Record.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein said system is further configured to receive said Passenger Name Record from a travel reservation system.