FEE ALLOCATOR SYSTEM AND METHOD

• US 20070276708A1
• Filed: 06/25/2007
• Published: 11/29/2007
• 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 8,195,538 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 method for receiving automated fee billing associated with a travel-related transaction, said method comprising:

providing user profile information including an account for billing of fees;

conducting a transaction with a travel-related merchant which results in a transaction cost; and

receiving an account billing statement including a separate fee charged to said account for said transaction based upon said user profile information, wherein said fee is reconciled with an associated said transaction cost.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of conducting a transaction comprises purchasing a ticket for travel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing user profile information comprises providing user profile information to enable the acquisition of at least a portion of a Passenger Name Record from a travel reservation system.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing user profile information comprises providing user profile information to enable the acquisition of at least a portion of a Passenger Name Record from a Computer Reservation System.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing user profile information comprises providing user profile information to enable said account to receive fee reconciling information.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing user profile information comprises providing user profile information to enable a credit entity to receive fee reconciling information.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of providing user profile information comprises providing user profile information to enable said fee to be charged to a different account than said account used to charge a cost of said travel-related transaction.

8. A billing statement for a first account which includes automated fee billing associated with a travel-related transaction, said statement comprising:

a cost charged to said first account, said cost related to said travel-related transaction;

a separate fee charged to a second account for said transaction based upon user profile information, and wherein said user profile information includes an account for billing of fees; and

,

a reconciliation of said fee with an associated said cost of said travel-related transaction.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said cost is related to the purchase of a ticket for travel.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein user profile information comprises information to enable the acquisition of at least a portion of a Passenger Name Record from a travel reservation system.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein user profile information comprises information to enable the acquisition of at least a portion of a Passenger Name Record from a Computer Reservation System.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein said user profile information comprises fee reconciling information.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein said user profile information comprises fee reconciling information which is provided to a credit entity.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein said user profile information comprises said fee reconciling information such that said fee is charged to a different account than said account used to charge a cost of said travel-related transaction.