Methods for a Third Party Biller to Receive an Allocated Payment Authorization Request

• US 20090164324A1
• Filed: 01/13/2009
• Published: 06/25/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Saunders, Peter D., Bishop, Fred A.
• Granted Patent: US 8,820,633 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping 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 20/207 Tax processing
• 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 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A point of sale (POS) device may be configured to locate a payment system and transmit a payment authorization request from a remote location to a payment system, either directly, or via a payment system directory and/or a SSL Gateway. The invention also includes inserting third party account information into an encrypted portion of the payment request, so the payment request appears as a normal request to the issuing bank, but the third party account information may be used by the third party to bill the customer. The payment system directory is further configured to determine one or more payment processors to direct a payment authorization request, such that a single transaction may me allocated among multiple payment processors for authorization. Moreover, the payment system directory is able to format alternative payment methods into a format that is able to be processed over existing payment networks.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to facilitate a transaction at a point of sale (POS) device, comprising:

querying a payment system directory to locate a candidate payment system for processing at least a portion of said transaction, wherein said candidate payment system receives payment information related to said transaction at said POS device;

transmitting a payment authorization request related to said transaction from said POS device to said candidate payment system, wherein said candidate payment system transmits said payment information to a third party biller, which bills a consumer for said transaction; and

,

receiving payment authorization from said candidate payment system.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said locating said candidate payment system further comprises acquiring an allocation rule associated with said payment information and locating said payment system directory based on said allocation rule.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving said payment information from a second POS device and querying said payment system directory to locate said candidate payment system, wherein said transaction is conducted at said second POS device.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a tax rate relating to said transaction which was imposed by a taxing authority based on said payment information.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said POS, said payment processor and said candidate payment system determines a taxing authority capable of imposing a tax on said purchase, from a plurality of tax authorities stored within said tax information system, by evaluating said purchase information.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said POS, said payment processor and said candidate payment system request a tax rate.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said payment information includes a proxy account number.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein a proxy account number is associated with more than one transaction account, and wherein said proxy account number is authorized to be used for multiple transactions.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said candidate payment system is an Automated Clearing House (ACH).

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving said payment information having an account identifier in response to said transaction, wherein said account identifier is associated with an account issuer other than an account associated with an issuer of a transaction device utilized for said transaction.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a payment authorization request comprises transmitting a payment authorization request utilizing a wireless POS device.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting a payment authorization request comprises transmitting a payment authorization request utilizing a wireless POS device, wherein said wireless POS device is configured to access at least one of an Internet, a gateway, and an SSL Gateway.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said payment information is obtained by way of at least one of:

a magnetic stripe reader, bar code reader, biometric scanner, smart card reader and RFID reader.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting said payment authorization request comprises transmitting said payment authorization request over a wireless network.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said receiving payment authorization from said candidate payment system comprises receiving via said payment system directory.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein transmitting said payment authorization request comprises transmitting said payment authorization request to a billing system that is not associated with a transaction device.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 16, wherein an account identifier associated with said billing system is encrypted and at least one of:

encoded within a transaction device or stored at an issuer of said transaction device, and wherein an issuer of said transaction device processes said encrypted account identifier.

18. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions comprising:

instructions to query a payment system directory to locate a candidate payment system for processing at least a portion of said transaction, wherein said candidate payment system receives payment information related to said transaction at said POS device;

instructions to transmit a payment authorization request related to said transaction from said POS device to said candidate payment system, wherein said candidate payment system transmits said payment information to a third party biller, which bills a consumer for said transaction; and

,

instructions to receive payment authorization from said candidate payment system.