PROCESSING TRANSACTIONS OF DIFFERENT PAYMENT DEVICES OF THE SAME ISSUER ACCOUNT

• US 20080179395A1
• Filed: 03/01/2007
• Published: 07/31/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dixon, Phil, Hammad, Ayman A., El-Awady, Khalid
• Granted Patent: US 8,256,666 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4016 involving fraud or risk level assessment in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/00 Arrangements or apparatus for collecting fares, tolls or entrance fees at one or more control points handling coins or valuable papers, e.g. banknotes, G07D; apparatus for vending or hiring articles or services activated by coins, credit cards, paper currency or the like G07F7/00, G07F17/00

Abstract

Each portable payment device associated with a single account within a payment processing system is distinguished using track data. The track data from the portable payment device is read at each of a plurality of merchant point of sale terminals (POS). Rather than relying on the PAN alone, a merchant may utilizes the track data, or a proxy thereof, as the unique identifier for the portable payment device. The merchant may then process transactions involving the portable payment device based on the unique identifier. For example, in the transit environment the transit fare for each rider with different portable payment devices but the same account can be calculated using the unique identifier, such as the full track data read from both tracks of the corresponding portable payment devices.

Claims

1. At each of a plurality of point of sale terminals (POS) of a merchant, for each of a plurality of consumers each seeking to conduct a transaction with the merchant for a good or service at a cost by using a payment device issued by an issuer in a payment system, a method comprising:

reading data from a data storage region of the payment device that includes an identifier for an account assigned by the issuer of the payment device;

for each account, assigning a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) to each unique said data read from the data storage region without information that changes with each said transaction; and

processing each said transaction to attribute each to;

a corresponding said account; and

the GUID within the corresponding said account.

2. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the data from the data storage region of the payment device conforms to a magnetic stripe data (MSD) configuration in a track one/track two format that includes a Primary Account Number (PAN) corresponding to said account and statically stored in the payment device.

3. The method as defined in claim 2, wherein the data from the data storage region of the payment device further comprises issuer discretionary data with:

an issuer discretionary track space in the data in the track one/track two format; and

data in one or more cardholder name locations of the data in the track one/track two format.

4. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the processing comprises deriving from the GUID and a list of said GUID a determination as to whether the merchant is to permit the corresponding said transaction.

5. The method as defined in claim 4, wherein, for each said transaction with the merchant, the reading, the assigning, and the processing all occur in less than one (1) second.

6. The method as defined in claim 1, wherein the payment device is within a mobile device selected from the group consisting of a personal digital assistant, a wireless telephone, and an expert system including a substrate having embedded therein a contactless element including a chip capable of use as a transaction payment mechanism for each said access transaction.

7. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, performs the method as defined in claim 1.

8. A method comprising:

receiving, for each of a plurality of access transactions, access transaction application data from a portable consumer device, wherein;

the access transaction application data of each said portable consumer device has a predetermined data field configuration for use with a reader of an transit agency;

the predetermined data field configuration of the access transaction application data includes a Primary Account Number (PAN) assigned by an issuer of the portable consumer device;

assigning a Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) to each unique said access transaction application data having same said PAN, wherein the uniqueness is determined without information that changes with each said access transaction;

processing the GUID of each said access transaction to attribute each said access transaction to;

a corresponding said account; and

the GUID within the corresponding said account.

9. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the portable consumer device comprises a contactless smart card device.

10. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, performs the method as defined in claim 8.

11. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein:

the predetermined data field configuration of the access transaction application data conforms to a magnetic stripe data (MSD) configuration in a track one/track two format; and

information in the track one/track two format includes the PAN.

12. The method as defined in claim 11, wherein the access transaction application data further comprises issuer discretionary data that includes:

an issuer discretionary track space in the data in the track one/track two format; and

data in one or more cardholder name locations of the data in the track one/track two format.

13. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the attribution of the GUID to a corresponding said PAN comprises checking the GUID against a list of said GUID to determine wherein the transit agency should permit the corresponding said access transaction.

14. The method as defined in claim 8, wherein the processing comprises calculating an access fare for the access transaction.

15. The method as defined in claim 14, wherein:

each said access transaction is for a rider each seeking access to a facility of the transit agency using the portable consumer device;

the calculating is selected from the group consisting of;

using an entrance to one said facility and an exit from another said facility to calculate said access fare on a basis of the length between the entrance and the exit;

using a transfer from one said facility to another said facility to calculate said access fare on a basis one or more said transfers;

using a time period between respective said transfers to calculate said access fare;

using the number said transfers after a first said access to one said facility to calculate said access fare; and

using a direction of travel period between different said facilities to calculate said access fare.

16. At each of a plurality of transit system readers in a transit system, for each of a plurality of riders each seeking to conduct an access transaction for access to a facility of the transit system using a payment device issued by an issuer in a payment system, a method comprising:

reading data from a data storage region of the payment device, wherein;

the data conforms to a magnetic stripe data (MSD) configuration in a track one/track two format;

data in the track one/track two format includes;

a Primary Account Number (PAN) determined by the issuer of the payment device and is statically stored in the payment device; and

issuer discretionary data;

for each PAN, assigning a GUID to each unique said data read from the data storage region without information in the issuer discretionary data that changes with each said access transaction; and

processing the GUID of each said access transaction to attribute each said access transaction to;

a corresponding said account; and

the GUID within the corresponding said account.

17. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the processing comprises deriving from the GUID and a list of said GUID a determination as to whether the transit system is to permit the corresponding said access transaction to permit the rider the sought access to the facility of the transit system.

18. The method as defined in claim 17, wherein, for each said access transaction with the transmit system, the reading, the assigning, and the processing all occur in less than one (1) second.

19. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the data from the data storage region of the payment device further comprises issuer discretionary data that includes:

an issuer discretionary track space in the data in the track one/track two format; and

data in one or more cardholder name locations of the data in the track one/track two format.

20. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein:

the processing comprises deriving an access fare for the access transaction in accordance with a predetermined fare policy for the transit system; and

the predetermined fare policy for the transit system comprises one or more classifications of each said access transaction selected from the group consisting of;

an entry into the facility of the transit system;

an exit from the facility of the transit system;

a distance for one said entry and a corresponding said exit;

a transfer from one said facility of the transit system to another said facility of the transit system;

the sequential number of each said transfer in a predetermined time period;

a direction of travel in the transit system;

a classification of the rider corresponding to the payment device;

peak and off peak travel time periods;

a calendar holiday travel time period; and

combinations of the foregoing.

21. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the data is contactlessly read from the data storage region of the payment device.

22. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the processing comprises deriving from the GUID a determination as to whether the transit system is to permit the corresponding said access transaction so as to permit the rider the sought access to the facility of the transit system by:

forming a balance inquiry communication addressed to the issuer of the corresponding said PAN; and

receiving, in response to the communication addressed to the issuer, a balance of corresponding said PAN in an communication.

23. The method as defined in claim 16, further comprising forming one of more communications each addressed to a member of the payment system for the collection by the transit system of one or more said access fares.

24. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein each said communication contains information about the collection in a classification selected from the group consisting of pay per said access fare, aggregation of a plurality of said access fares, and stored value against which the access fares are deducted, and combinations thereof.

25. The method as defined in claim 23, wherein the member is selected from the group consisting of the issuer, an acquirer, a payment processor for said access fares, and combinations thereof.

26. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the payment device is selected from the group consisting of a credit card, a debit card, a stored value card, and combinations thereof.

27. The method as defined in claim 16, wherein the payment device is within a mobile device selected from the group consisting of a personal digital assistant, a wireless telephone, and an expert system including a substrate having embedded therein a contactless element including a chip capable of use as a transaction payment mechanism for each said access transaction.

28. A computer readable medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, performs the method as defined in claim 16.