PREPAID EXPENSE CARD MANAGEMENT PLATFORM

• US 20090099965A1
• Filed: 08/20/2008
• Published: 04/16/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/21/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Prepaid Expense Card Solutions, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Prepaid Expense Card Solutions, Inc.
• Inventors: Grant, Francis C. IV
• Application Number:
  US12/194,628
• Publication Number:
  US 20090099965A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

In embodiments of the present invention capabilities are described for a prepaid expense card management platform, where the management platform may be presented as a graphical user interface. The prepaid expense card management platform allows businesses to increase spending control and decrease overhead time associated with the administering of reimbursement expenditures. Controls enabled include funds allocation, funds transfer, user account administration, user access, spend rules, reports generation, usage profiles, conditional access, time usage restrictions, location usage restrictions, settlements processing, and alerts.

Claims

1. A method of managing expenses using prepaid cards, comprising:

Providing a first account managed by a prepaid expense card management platform embodied in computer executable code to be executed using a processor;

Providing at least one other account managed by the prepaid expense card management platform; and

Providing an account administration facility for allowing a user of the first account to perform at least one administrative action in connection with the at least one other account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a prepaid expense card is associated with the at least one other account.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first account is a root account and the at least one other account comprises the accounts of at least two separate businesses.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first account is an account of a particular business and the at least one other account is an account of the same business.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the at least one administrative action is selected from the group consisting of creating an account, terminating an account and blocking an account.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising, providing a dashboard which displays information and can receive input associated with the at least one administrative action.

6. -7. (canceled)

9. -35. (canceled)

36. A method of managing expenses using prepaid cards, comprising:

Providing a first account managed by a prepaid expense card management platform embodied in computer executable code to be executed using a processor;

Providing at least one other account managed by the prepaid expense card management platform; and

Providing a funds management facility which transfers funds between the first account and the at least one other account.

37. The method of claim 36, wherein the funds are transferred based on a pre-defined rule.

40. The method of claim 36, wherein the funds are transferred on a pre-determined schedule.

43. The method of claim 36, wherein the funds are transferred in response to a certain event.

44. The method of claim 43, wherein the event is at least one of the transfer of funds to and the removal of funds from the first account.

46. The method of claim 43, wherein the event is a change in the balance of the at least one other account.

51. The method of claim 36, wherein a prepaid expense card is associated with the at least one other account.

38. -39. (canceled)

41. -42. (canceled)

45. (canceled)

47. -50. (canceled)

52. (canceled)

53. A method of managing expenses using prepaid cards, comprising:

Providing at least one account managed by a prepaid expense card management platform embodied in computer executable code to be executed using a processor;

Issuing at least one prepaid expense card associated with the at least one account to at least one user; and

Providing a spend rules facility for the administration of at least one spend rule in association with the at least one account.

54. The method of claim 53, wherein the administration of at least one spend rule involves at least one of the creation management and modification of spend rules.

57. The method of claim 53, wherein the at least one spend rule relates to at least one an attribute selected from the group consisting of:

MCC, category of expenditure, amount of expenditure, amount of series of expenditures, amount per transaction, frequency of expenditures, day of the week, time of day, employee working hours, contractor working hours, geographical zones, locations, and gratuity rules.

58. The method of claim 53, further comprising, providing a communication facility through which the at least one user may request changes to at least one spend rule.

61. The method of claim 53, further comprising, providing a communication facility through which the at least one user may obtain information regarding at least one spend rule.

68. The method of claim 53, wherein the spend rules facility represents the at least one spend rule in a graphical user interface.

78. The method of claim 53, wherein the user is not the owner of funds associated with the prepaid expense card issued to the user.

55. -56. (canceled)

59. -60. (canceled)

62. -67. (canceled)

69. -77. (canceled)

79. -106. (canceled)