GEOGRAPHIC AREA MULTIPLE SERVICE CARD SYSTEM

• US 20090144136A1
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Published: 06/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Freud, Aliza, Mayer, Birgitta, Cohagan, Perry A., Wood-Kulko, Penelope, Menichilli, Julia, Nanton, Jason, Sharp, Ray, Vosburgh, Scott, Fitzmaurice, Mary Ann
• Granted Patent: US 8,589,225 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/13
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• 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 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The invention provides consumers with the services of multiple cards or accounts while allowing consumers to carry a single card, transponder, code and/or other access device. Because the card may access combined services such as financial transaction services and transportation services, the system may facilitate charging the financial account for the transportation services. The system may allow the consumer to use loyalty points or geographic based loyalty points to pay for the transportation services. The system may also limit the use of certain loyalty points based upon the geographic area for certain transportation services in certain geographic areas.

Claims

1. A multiple service transaction device configured to:

access financial services provided by a provider of financial services, wherein said financial services are associated with a financial account, and wherein said financial account is accessed using said multiple service transaction device; and

,

access transportation services provided by a transportation services provider in response to payment of a fee, wherein said transportation services are associated with a transportation services provider account, wherein said transportation services provider account is accessed using said multiple service transaction device, and wherein said fee for access to said transportation system is transferred from said financial account to said transportation services provider account.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said payment of said fee comprises submission of at least one of a monetary amount or loyalty points.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said payment of said fee comprises submission of loyalty points in response to loyalty points being associated with said financial account.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said payment of said fee comprises submission of a monetary amount in response to a balance of loyalty points being insufficient to pay said fee.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is configured to provide said access to said transportation services provided by said transportation services provider in response to at least one of said transportation services provider or a user of said financial services account residing within a predefined geographical area.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said fee is credited to said transportation services provider account.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of said fee is paid using loyalty points, said loyalty points are converted to a monetary value and said monetary value is credited to said transportation services provider account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said fee comprises loyalty points which are associated with a geographic location of said transportation services provider.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said fee comprises loyalty points which are geographic area loyalty points obtained when a user of said financial account conducts purchases within a geographic area.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said fee comprises loyalty points which are geographic area loyalty points obtained when a user of said financial account conducts purchases within a geographic area, and wherein said transportation services provider is within a redemption area associated with said geographic area loyalty points based on location data.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein said transportation system includes at least one of a airplane, ferry, watercraft, vehicle, bus, subway or train.

12. A method for obtaining access to a transportation system by using a multiple service transaction device to charge a fee to a financial account, wherein said fee is related to said access, said method including:

receiving a charge request to charge said fee in response to an access request to access said transportation system, wherein said charge request includes information related to said transportation services provider;

determining that said transportation services provider is at least one of;

located within a predefined geographic location or affiliated with said provider of financial services;

adjusting at least one of;

a loyalty account or said financial account based upon said charge request and said fee; and

,

crediting said transportation services provider account based upon said charge request.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said charge request is received from said transportation services provider.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein said adjusting is completed in at least one of substantially real-time, batch mode, periodically, upon request, and based on an algorithm.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said fee comprises at least one of a monetary amount or loyalty points.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein said adjusting is in response to a balance of loyalty points being insufficient to pay said fee.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising determining if at least one of said transportation services provider or a user of said financial services account resides within a predefined geographical area.

18. The method of claim 12, further comprising converting said loyalty points to a monetary value and crediting at least a portion of said monetary value to said transportation services provider account.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein said fee comprises loyalty points which are at least one of associated with a geographic area of said transportation services provider, obtained when a user of said financial account conducts purchases within a geographic area, or geographic area loyalty points such that said transportation services provider is within a redemption area associated with said geographic area loyalty points based on location data.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said transportation system includes at least one of an airplane, ferry, watercraft, vehicle, bus, subway or train.