Customer controlled account, system, and process

• US 20080021787A1
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Published: 01/24/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Mackouse, Jack
• Granted Patent: US 8,069,084 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/00 Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines data processing equipment for bank accounting G06Q40/02

Abstract

Enhanced access devices, e.g. credit cards and/or check cards, are issued with enhanced security features and processes that allow a customer to control circumstances under which their account can be accessed. If a fraudster tries to access the account without knowledge of the consumer set controls, the system can take remedial action with reduced instances of false positives. An account is typically established for an account holder through a central entity, e.g. an issuer. At least one access device is established for the account, wherein at least one user is associated with the access devices for one or more transactions. Use of the access devices is defined by a set of rules defined by the central entity and a set of rules that are controllable by the customer, typically comprising any of the account holder and the user of the account. The customer can input, control, and/or update at least one parameter associated with the customer-controllable rules. Subsequent authorization of the access devices is then controlled based on the customer input and other controls.

Claims

1. A process for managing account security implemented across a network, comprising the steps of:

establishing an account for at least one account holder through a network through a computer associated with a central entity;

establishing at least one access device associated with the account, wherein at least one user is associated with at least one of the access devices for one or more transactions, wherein use of the established access devices is defined by at least one rule defined by the central entity and at least one rule that is controllable by at least a customer of the account, the customer comprising any of one of the account holders and one of the users of the account;

receiving from the customer an input of any of a selection and an identification of at least one parameter associated with the customer-controllable rules; and

responding to a request for a transaction associated with at least one of the established access devices, wherein the response is based at least in part on the customer-controllable rules.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the transaction response comprises any of

an approval of the requested transaction if the transaction request complies with both the first set of rules and the second set of rules, and

a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the transaction response comprises a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules, and a notification of the decline to any of the customer and another entity.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the transaction response comprises any of an approval of the requested transaction and an initiation by the central entity of any of a notification and a communication with the customer, if the requested transaction complies with each of the second set of rules and does not comply with at least one of the first set of rules.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the transaction response comprises an approval that is conditionally based upon customer input.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the access device comprises any of a credit card, debit card, a gift card, a gift certificate, and a coupon.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the access device comprises means for accessing the account, the access means comprising any of an account number, a user name, a CVC value, an expiration date, information associated with the customer, and other account verification information.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein at least one of the customer-controllable rules is preset by any of the central entity and a service provider associated with the central entity at the time the access devices are established.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction request at any of a merchant, a store, a service and a payee from any of an authorized user of the access device and a user other than an authorized user;

determining whether the request is acceptable based on the rules defined by the central entity and the user-controllable rules; and

authorizing the requested transaction if the requested transaction complies with each of the rules defined by the central entity and each of the rules defined by the customer.

10. The process of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

notifying any of one of the account holders and one of the users of the account if the transaction request is denied based on at least one rule defined by any of the central entity and the customer.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

allowing the customer to update at least one of the customer-controllable rules such that the requested transaction complies with each of the rules defined by the central entity and each of the rules defined by the customer; and

authorizing the requested transaction.

12. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

allowing the customer to update at least one customer-controllable rule.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the rules defined by the customer allow different levels of control between different established access devices associated with the account.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the rules defined by the customer comprise any of transactions based on any of country and region, transactions based on any of gaming and gambling, transactions over an amount, online transactions, cash advances, cash withdrawals, transactions based on date, transactions based on day, transactions based on time of day, transactions based on a selectable user of the account, and transactions based on merchant.

15. A process implemented across a network, comprising the steps of:

establishing a first set of rules associated with one or more financial accounts, the first set of rules established and controlled through any of a central terminal, an electronic system and a computing system;

establishing a second set of rules associated with the financial accounts, the second set of rules customizable by a customer associated with a respective financial account, the customer comprising any of one of the account holders and one of the users of the respective financial account;

receiving a request for a transaction associated with the respective account, the request containing identification associated with the financial account; and

responding to the requested transaction based at least in part on the second set of rules.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the response to the transaction request comprises any of

an authorization of the requested transaction if the transaction complies with both the first set of rules and the second set of rules, and

a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein the transaction response comprises a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules, and a notification of the decline to any of the customer and another entity.

18. The process of claim 15, wherein the transaction response comprises any of an approval of the requested transaction and an initiation by the central entity of any of a notification and a communication with the customer, if the requested transaction complies with each of the second set of rules and does not comply with at least one of the first set of rules.

19. A transaction system implemented across a network, comprising:

a central entity accessible through the network, the central entity comprising any of a terminal, a computer, a server, and a website, the central entity associated with any of an account issuer and a service provider that is associated with the account issuer;

a database accessible to any of the account issuer and the service provider, comprising storage of a first set of rules associated with one or more accounts and controlled by any of the issuer and the service provider;

a database accessible to any of the account issuer and the service provider, comprising storage of a second set of rules that are controllable by a customer of a selected account, the customer comprising any of an account holder of the selected account and user associated with the selected account;

means for receiving from a terminal associated with a merchant a transaction request associated with the selected account;

means for determining whether the transaction request complies with the first set of rules;

means for determining whether the transaction request complies with the second set of rules; and

means for responding to the requested transaction based at least in part on the second set of rules.

20. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein the transaction response comprises any of

an approval of the requested transaction if the transaction request complies with both the first set of rules and the second set of rules, and

a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules.

21. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein the transaction response comprises a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules, and a notification of the decline to any of the customer and another entity.

22. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein the transaction response comprises any of an approval of the requested transaction and an initiation by the central entity of any of a notification and a communication with the customer, if the requested transaction complies with each of the second set of rules and does not comply with at least one of the first set of rules.

23. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein the transaction response comprises an approval that is conditionally based upon customer input.

24. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein the merchant comprises any of a store, a financial institution, a payee, a web site, a vending machine, and a kiosk.

25. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein second set of rules that are controllable by an account holder are accessed by the account holder through any of a user terminal, a phone connection, a terminal associated with the issuer, and personnel associated with the issuer.

26. The transaction system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for declining the requested transaction if the transaction request fails to comply with at least one of the second set of rules.

27. The transaction system of claim 19, further comprising:

means for notifying the customer if the transaction request fails to comply with at least one of any of the first set of rules and the second set of rules.

28. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein the selected account is identified by any of an access device and information associated with the account,

wherein the access device comprises any of a credit card, a debit card, a gift card, a gift certificate, and a coupon, and

wherein the associated information comprises any of an account number, a user name, a CVC value, an expiration date, information associated with the account holder, and other information that verifies the account.

29. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein at least one of the second set of rules is preset by any of the account issuer and the service provider associated with the account issuer at the time the selected account is established.

30. The transaction system of claim 19, wherein the customer comprises any person that is deemed to be accountable or liable for the actions of the account holder or other account users that are authorized by the account holder to access the account.