MOBILE PHONE PAYMENT PROCESS INCLUDING THRESHOLD INDICATOR

• US 20080167000A1
• Filed: 01/09/2008
• Published: 07/10/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/09/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wentker, Dave, Wong, Erick, Shenker, Gavin, Deibert, Doug
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,712 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/408
• 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 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• 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 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3221 Access to banking information through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3227 using secure elements embedded in M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3229 Use of the SIM of a M-device as secure element
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3267 In-app payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/66 Arrangements for connecting between networks having differing types of switching systems, e.g. gateways
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/83 Notification aspects
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/8355 after the end of the communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/84 Types of notifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/844 Message, e.g. SMS
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/85 characterised by the type of condition triggering a notification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/852 Low balance or limit reached
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/854 : Available credit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/881 : for continuing the call beyond the limit using allow grace
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/93 : using near field or similar technologies
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 : Accounting or billing
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 : Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 88/02 : Terminal devices

Abstract

System, methods, and apparatus provide account balance alerts for a mobile phone used to initiate a transaction when an account balance is close to a credit limit or close to zero or a minimum balance amount. When a consumer uses an account associated with a mobile phone to make a purchase, the account is checked to see if the purchase would result in an account balance within a predetermined threshold of the credit limit in the case of a credit account, or within a predetermined threshold of zero or a minimum balance, in the case of a debit account. If the threshold has been surpassed an account balance alert is automatically sent to the mobile phone. Since the mobile phone was just used for the transaction, the consumer is timely notified of the approach of the balance to the credit/debit limit and can take corrective action in a timely manner.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving information for a transaction initiated with a mobile phone having a contactless element, wherein the contactless element is capable of interacting with a contactless reader in an access device, and wherein the mobile phone is associated with an account of a consumer;

retrieving an account balance for the account of the consumer;

calculating the account balance after the transaction is completed;

comparing the calculated account balance to an account balance threshold;

sending a balance alert message to the mobile phone when the calculated account balance surpasses the account balance threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the balance alert message is in the form of a text message.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the balance alert message is in the form of an automated phone call.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the account is a credit account.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the account balance threshold is a value within a prescribed amount of a credit limit on the account, wherein the calculated account balance surpasses the account balance threshold by being greater than the prescribed amount.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the account is a debit account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the account balance threshold is a prescribed amount above zero, wherein the calculated account balance surpasses the account balance threshold by falling below the prescribed amount.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

prior to receiving the information for the transaction, receiving, from the mobile phone, a configuration message that indicates a request to receive balance alert messages and that includes an account balance threshold.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

transmitting, to the mobile, a confirmation message indicating that the mobile phone has been configured to receive balance alert messages for the account.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

including an identifier in the balance alert message that identifies an application to be launched on the mobile phone upon receipt of the balance alert message.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the balance alert message includes a unique message identifier, an entity identifier, a current account balance, and an available credit.

12. A mobile phone comprising:

at least one processor;

a contactless element coupled to the processor, wherein the contactless element is configured to communicate contactlessly with an access device having a contactless reader;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores a mobile application for directing the processor to;

provide an interface for a consumer to create a request for enrollment in a balance alert program; and

transmit the request to an entity associated with an account that is associated with the mobile phone.

13. The mobile phone of claim 12, wherein the contactless element is used in an initiation of a transaction, and wherein the mobile application also directs the processor to:

receive a balance alert message associated with the transaction;

create an account balance summary for the account; and

display the summary to the consumer.

14. The mobile phone of claim 12, wherein the mobile application also directs the processor to:

receive a confirmation message that is sent in response to the request for enrollment; and

when the confirmation message is not received within a predetermined amount of time, to resend the request.

15. The mobile phone of claim 12, wherein the mobile application also directs the processor to:

receive a confirmation message that is sent in response to the request for enrollment; and

when the confirmation message is received, to verify that data in the confirmation message corresponds to data sent in the request for enrollment.

16. The mobile phone of claim 15, wherein the entity is an issuer, and wherein the confirmation message includes a unique message identifier, an issuer identifier, and an account identifier.

17. The mobile phone of claim 12, wherein the entity is an issuer, and wherein the request includes a unique message identifier, an issuer identifier, an account identifier, and a value for an account balance threshold.

18. The mobile phone of claim 12, wherein when a balance alert message is received, the processor is directed to launch the mobile application to provide the message to the consumer.

19. A mobile phone comprising:

at least one processor;

a contactless element coupled to the processor, wherein the contactless element is configured to communicate contactlessly with an access device having a contactless reader;

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory stores instructions for directing the processor to;

to send account information, via the contactless element, to the access device during a transaction, the account information associated with an account to be used in the transaction;

receive a balance alert message; and

launch an application that is associated with the account and that provides the balance alert message to a user of the mobile phone.

20. The mobile phone of claim 19, wherein the memory stores further instructions for directing the processor to:

determine an identifier in the balance alert message, the identifier associated with the account; and

use the identifier to launch the account-specific application.

21. The mobile phone of claim 20, wherein the memory stores at least one additional application that is associated with a different account.

22. A method comprising:

initiating, by a consumer, a transaction with a mobile phone, wherein information associated with the transaction is sent to an entity associated with an account associated with a consumer and associated with the mobile phone; and

receiving a balance alert message via the mobile phone when an amount associated with the transaction causes a balance of the account to surpass an account balance threshold.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein an application on the mobile phone provides the balance alert message to the consumer, and wherein the application is specific to the account.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the mobile phone determines an identifier that is in the balance alert message and that is associated with the account for launching the account-specific application.

25. The method of claim 22, further comprising:

creating, within a mobile application of the mobile phone, a request to be enrolled in a balance alter program of the issuer; and

receiving a message confirming the enrollment.

26. The method of claim 22, wherein the mobile application receives the confirmation message and displays the confirmation message to the consumer.

27. A system comprising:

a database server containing a data base that stores information for an account that is associated with a mobile phone of a consumer; and

a balance alert server that is configured to receive transaction information from a transaction conducted with the mobile phone and that is communicably coupled with the database server, wherein the balance alert server is also configured to send a balance alert to the mobile phone when an amount of the transaction causes a balance of the account to surpass an account balance threshold.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising:

a balance alert enrollment server that is configured to receive a request for enrollment from the mobile phone; and

an enrollment application server that is configured to cause account information in a database to be updated so that balance alerts will be sent to the mobile phone.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the balance alert enrollment server is configured to send a confirmation message to the mobile phone after the account information is updated.