User Configurable Alerts for ATM Transactions

• US 20080052234A1
• Filed: 08/30/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 10/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Gerald Mcbrearty, Jessica Murillo, Johnny Shieh, Shawn Mullen, Susann Keohane
• Inventors: McBrearty, Gerald, Murillo, Jessica, Keohane, Susann, Mullen, Shawn, Shieh, Johnny
• Granted Patent: US 7,621,443 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/43
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/211 Software architecture within ATMs or in relation to the ATM network

Abstract

A method, system and computer program product for enabling user-customization of an ATM display/receipt for a transaction carried out at an automated teller machine (ATM). The customer/user of the ATM creates/selects specific alerts to be outputted during subsequent ATM transactions. The alerts/notices are linked to the customer account. During subsequent access to the user'"'"'s account via an ATM, the pre-selected alert/notice is displayed to the user or printed on the transaction receipt.

Claims

1. In a first computer device, a method comprising:

linking an alert to an occurrence of a specific activity within a customer account, which account is accessible via a network-connected device;

monitoring for the activity within said customer account that is related to the alert selected by the customer; and

in response to the occurrence of the activity, automatically forwarding the alert for outputting at the network-connected device during a subsequent access of said customer account via the network-connected device, wherein the alert is forwarded for outputting utilizing an output mechanism of the network-connected device to signal the occurrence of the activity within said customer account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said linking further comprises:

displaying a user interface that includes one or more alerts and one or more activities that may be linked to the one or more alerts;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of one or more different alerts to link to one or more activities that may occur within the customer account, wherein each alert identifies one or more of the activities, wherein when multiple different activities are associated with one or more alerts, the one or more alerts are forwarded to the network-connected device to signal the occurrence of the multiple different activities; and

storing the selected one or more alerts along with information identifying the one or more activities to which the alert is linked, wherein said storing associates the alert and information with the customer account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the network-connected device is an automatic teller machine (ATM) that is coupled to the first computer device via a network and the customer account is accessed at the ATM, which enables completion of an ATM transaction;

said activity to which the alert is linked comprises at least one of;

(1) posting of a specific check to the account;

(2) scheduled automatic payments;

(3) pending transactions;

(4) customer service emails, wherein the activity is a receipt of a customer service emails and the alert is one of an email alert and a display of email content transmitted from a main banking system to the ATM and displayed when the customer account is accessed at the ATM; and

(5) reminder notes, which provides actual text-based messages received as an input into an alert entry box that is utilized for outputting its contents at the ATM when the customer account is accessed from the ATM; and

said outputting outputs said alert in addition to ATM transaction information, wherein only standard transaction information is provided when either (a) no alert has been pre-selected by the customer or (b) no activity associated with the alert has occurred.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the activity is one of “

scheduled automatic payments” and

“

pending transactions”

that have not yet posted to the customer account, and wherein the alert informs the user at the ATM of the amount and dates of the scheduled automatic payments or pending transactions, scheduled to occur on the customer account within a pre-defined period following a current ATM transaction, and whereby the user is provided a more accurate picture of an available balance within the pre-defined period and possible overdraft on the customer account.

5. A data processing system comprising:

a processor;

a data storage facility hosting one or more customer account information;

network connection means for allowing remote access via an external device to said one or more customer account information at the data storage facility; and

program logic for;

linking an alert to an occurrence of a specific activity within a customer account that is accessible via an automatic teller machine (ATM), wherein said alert has one or more characteristics associated therewith, including whether the alert is confidential or non-confidential;

monitoring for the activity within said customer account that is related to the alert selected by the customer; and

in response to the occurrence of the activity, automatically forwarding the alert for outputting at the ATM during a subsequent access of said customer account during an ATM transaction, wherein the alert is forwarded for outputting utilizing an output mechanism of the ATM to signal the occurrence of the activity within said customer account, wherein an outputting of the alert at the ATM is affected by a confidentiality characteristic associated with the alert.

6. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein said linking logic further comprises logic for:

displaying a user interface with one or more of said alerts as a selectable option along with one or more activities;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of one or more different alerts to link to one or more activities that may occur within the customer account, wherein each alert identifies one or more of the activities, wherein when multiple different activities are associated with one or more alerts, the one or more alerts are forwarded to the ATM to signal the occurrence of the multiple different activities; and

storing each selected one of said one or more alerts along with information identifying the one or more activities to which the alert is linked, wherein said storing associates the alert and information with the customer account.

7. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein:

said activity to which the alert is linked comprises one or more of;

(1) posting of a specific check to the customer'"'"'s account;

(2) scheduled automatic payments;

(3) pending transactions;

(4) customer service emails, wherein the activity is a receipt of a customer service emails and the alert is one of an email alert and a display of email content transmitted from a main banking system to the ATM and displayed when the customer account is accessed at the ATM; and

(5) reminder notes, which provides actual text-based messages received as an input into an alert entry box that is utilized for outputting its contents at the ATM when the customer account is accessed from the ATM; and

said outputting outputs said alert in addition to ATM transaction information, wherein only standard transaction information is provided when either (a) no alert has been pre-selected by the customer or (b) no activity associated with the alert has occurred.

8. The data processing system of claim 5, wherein the activity is one of “

scheduled automatic payments” and

“

pending transactions”

that have not yet posted to the customer account, and wherein the alert informs the user at the ATM of the amount and dates of the scheduled automatic payments or pending transactions, scheduled to occur on the customer account within a pre-defined period following a current ATM transaction, and whereby the user is provided a more accurate picture of an available balance within the pre-defined period and possible overdraft on the customer account.

9. An ATM network comprising:

a repository of customer accounts maintained by a financial institution;

a plurality of ATMs with access to said repository and which provides a user with authenticated access to a customer account stored on said repository; and

at least one financial institution computer for accessing and updating information within the customer account stored on said repository, said computer having a processor and code executing thereon to provide;

means for linking an alert to an occurrence of a specific activity within a customer account, which account is accessible via an automatic teller machine (ATM);

means for monitoring for the activity within said customer account that is related to the alert selected by the customer; and

in response to the occurrence of the activity, means for automatically forwarding the alert for outputting at the network-connected device during a subsequent access of, said customer account during an ATM transaction, wherein the alert is forwarded for outputting utilizing an output mechanism of the ATM to signal the occurrence of the activity within said customer account.

10. The ATM network of claim 9, wherein said means for enabling includes:

means for displaying a user interface within which is presented one or more of said alerts as a selectable option along with one or more activities that may be linked to the one or more alerts; and

means for receiving, via the user interface, a selection of one or more different alerts to link to one or more activities that may occur within the customer account, wherein each alert identifies one or more of the activities, wherein when multiple different activities are associated with one or more alerts, the one or more alerts are forwarded to the ATM to signal the occurrence of the multiple different activities; and

means for storing each selected one of said one or more alerts along with information identifying the one or more activities to which the alert is linked, wherein said storing associates the alert and information with the customer account.

11. The ATM network of claim 9, wherein:

said activity to which said alert is linked comprises at least one of;

(1) posting of a specific check to the customer'"'"'s account;

(2) scheduled automatic payments;

(3) pending transactions;

(4) customer service emails, wherein the activity is a receipt of a customer service emails and the alert is one of an email alert and a display of email content transmitted from a main banking system to the ATM and displayed when the customer account is accessed at the ATM; and

(5) reminder notes, which provides actual text-based messages received as an input into an alert entry box that is utilized for outputting its contents at the ATM when the customer account is accessed from the ATM; and

said outputting outputs said alert in addition to ATM transaction information, wherein only standard transaction information is provided when either (a) no alert has been pre-selected by the customer or (b) no activity associated with the alert has occurred.

12. A computer program product comprising:

a computer readable medium; and

program instructions on said computer readable medium for;

linking an alert to an occurrence of a specific activity within a customer account, which account is accessible via a network-connected device;

monitoring for the activity within said customer account that is related to the alert selected by the customer; and

in response to the occurrence of the activity, automatically forwarding the alert for outputting at the network-connected device during a subsequent access of said customer account via the network-connected device, wherein the alert is forwarded for outputting utilizing an output mechanism of the network-connected device to signal the occurrence of the activity within said customer account.

13. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein said program instructions for linking further comprises instructions for:

displaying a user interface within which is presented one or more of said alerts as a selectable option along with one or more activities that may be linked to the one or more alerts;

receiving, via the user interface, a selection of one or more different alerts to link to one or more activities that may occur within the customer account, wherein each alert identifies one or more of the activities, wherein when multiple different activities are associated with one or more alerts, the one or more alerts are forwarded to the network-connected device to signal the occurrence of the multiple different activities; and

storing each selected one of said one or more alerts along with information identifying the one or more activities to which the alerts are linked, wherein said storing associates the alert to the activity within the customer account.

14. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein:

the network-connected device is an automatic teller machine (ATM) that is coupled to the first computer device via a network and the customer account is accessed at the ATM, which enables completion of an ATM transaction;

said activity to which the alert is linked comprises at least one of;

(1) posting of a specific check to the account;

(2) scheduled automatic payments;

(3) pending transactions;

(4) customer service emails, wherein the activity is a receipt of a customer service emails and the alert is one of an email alert and a display of email content transmitted from a main banking system to the ATM and displayed when the customer account is accessed at the ATM; and

(5) reminder notes, which provides actual text-based messages received as an input into an alert entry box that is utilized for outputting its contents at the ATM when the customer account is accessed from the ATM; and

said outputting outputs said alert in addition to ATM transaction information, wherein only standard transaction information is provided when either (a) no alert has been pre-selected by the customer or (b) no activity associated with the alert has occurred.

15. The computer program product of claim 12, wherein the activity is one of “

scheduled automatic payments” and

“

pending transactions”

that have not yet posted to the customer account, and wherein the alert informs the user at the ATM of the amount and dates of the scheduled automatic payments or pending transactions, scheduled to occur on the customer account within a pre-defined period following a current ATM transaction, and whereby the user is provided a more accurate picture of an available balance within the pre-defined period and possible overdraft on the customer account.

16. A method comprising:

defining an alert message that is triggered by an occurrence of a specific transaction on a customer account within a financial institution;

in response to an access to the customer account via an automatic teller machine (ATM) to complete an ATM transaction, determining whether the specific transaction has occurred on the customer account; and

in response to determining that an occurrence of the specific transaction has occurred, forwarding the alert message for outputting of the alert message at the ATM to signal that the specific transaction has occurred on the customer account.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the alert message is triggered by one of:

(1) posting of a specific check to the customer account;

(2) scheduled automatic payments;

(3) presence of pending transactions, wherein when the activity is one of “

scheduled automatic payments” and

“

pending transactions”

that have not yet posted to the customer account, the alert informs the user at the ATM of the amount and dates of the scheduled automatic payments or pending transactions, scheduled to occur on the customer account within a pre-defined period following a current ATM transaction, and whereby the user is provided a more accurate picture of an available balance within the pre-defined period and possible overdraft on the customer account;

(4) receipt of customer service emails, wherein when the activity is “

customer service emails”

, the alert is one of an email alert and a display of email content transmitted from the financial institution to the ATM and displayed when the customer account is accessed at the ATM; and

(5) customer-entered reminder notes, which provides actual text-based messages received as an input into an alert entry box that is utilized for outputting its contents at the ATM when the customer account is accessed from the ATM; and

said outputting outputs said alert in addition to ATM transaction information, wherein only standard transaction information is provided when either (a) no alert has been pre-selected by the customer or (b) no activity associated with the alert has occurred.