Business-to Business commerce using financial transaction numbers

• US 20080120238A1
• Filed: 01/18/2008
• Published: 05/22/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Orbis Patents Limited (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Orbis Patents Limited (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Carroll, James, Flitcroft, Daniel, Langford, Conor, O'Donnell, Graham
• Granted Patent: US 8,527,416 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

Controlled Payment Numbers (CPNs) which issue as a unique payment number for each transaction uniquely identify the transaction for matching the purchase and payment information. The issuance of the CPN is controlled by business rules which are designed to and effectively restrict the use of the CPN, such that if a user exceeds his authorization, a CPN is not issued. The business rules are set up according to a hierarchy of users. Further, a declining balance CPN is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of setting up a heirarchy of users of Controlled Payment Numbers (CPNs) within an organization, comprising the steps of:

registering an organization with a CPN issuer;

allowing registered organizations define a heirarchy of users, at least one of which is a supervisor capable of defining user rights for at least one other;

defining user rights as a subset of all possible CPN uses for each of said users, said defined user rights subset being controlled by said supervisor for at least one other user;

requesting a CPN by a user including defining CPN uses for particular transaction; and

checking said particular transaction user-defined CPN against said subset of CPN uses for the requesting user to determine a CPN should issue for the requesting user'"'"'s use.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

sending said CPN to said user;

forwarding said CPN to a merchant;

processing said CPN from said merchant in a legacy card scheme;

routing said CPN to a CPN issuer to be checked against said user defined subset of CPN uses; and

if CPN does not exceed said user defined subset of CPN uses, approving said transaction.

3. Computer readable media on which is stored computer executable code for carrying out the method of claim 1.

4. A method of providing a declining balance CPN includes the steps of:

a company issuing a physical CPN card which is linked to a company'"'"'s ‘

real’

account details;

the company sets control limits associated with the physical CPN card, including at least one characteristic selected from the group consisting of;

a number of days before an available balance is refreshed, the maximum spending limit during that period, and the merchants/merchant-categories with which the card can be used, and activates CPN on the physical CPN card for use by an employee;

when a purchase is attempted, the CPN issuer checks whether the authorisation details are within the controls set by the company;

the CPN details are replaced with the ‘

real’

account details and the request is routed to existing authorisation processing, if the authorization details are within the controls set by the company; and

if the purchase attempt is accepted, remaining amount of the maximum spending limit is updated.

5. A method of conducting commerce using controlled payment numbers (CPNs), comprising the steps of:

requesting issuance of a CPN by a user wherein a user defines controls on the use of the CPN;

generating a CPN in response to said request;

linking said user defined controls to a CPN at the time of a CPN request and generation, whereby said CPN cannot be used in violation of said user defined controls; and

deferring payment on a transaction using a CPN by defining a delay in said user defined controls on said CPN.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said deferred payment step includes defining a delay in said user defined controls on said CPN by defining a start date for processing said CPN that is later in time from a transaction date.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein said deferred payment step includes defining a delay in said user defined controls on said CPN by defining that the transaction must be approved before settlement can occur.