METHODS FOR LOCATING A PAYMENT SYSTEM UTILIZING A POINT OF SALE DEVICE

• US 20090164326A1
• 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 8,596,527 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/19
• 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 20/207 Tax processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks

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 point of sale device;

transmitting a payment authorization request related to said transaction from said point of sale device to said candidate payment system; 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 for said transaction 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 device, said payment processor or 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 device, said payment processor or said candidate payment system request a tax rate.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said candidate payment system transmits said payment information to a third party biller, and said third party biller bills a consumer for said transaction.

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

9. 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.

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

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said payment information includes third party account information, wherein said third party account information is associated with an account other than an account associated with an issuer of a transaction device utilized for said transaction.

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.

13. 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.

14. 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.

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

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

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said payment system directory includes at least one of a third party, an acquirer, an issuer, a third party biller, a non-acquirer, or a non-issuer.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said payment system directory is stored within at least one of local memory of said POS device, a second POS device or an SSL gateway.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 18, wherein said at least one of local memory of said POS device, said second POS device or said SSL gateway is periodically updated to correspond with said payment system directory.

20. 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 a transaction, wherein said candidate payment system receives payment information related to said transaction at a point of sale (POS) device;

instructions to transmit a payment authorization request related to said transaction from said POS device to said candidate payment system; and

,

instructions to receive payment authorization from said candidate payment system.

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

locating a candidate payment system for processing at least a portion of a transaction in response to receiving a query from a POS device;

receiving a payment authorization request related to at least a portion of said transaction from said POS device; and

transmitting said payment authorization request to said candidate payment system to facilitate said POS device receiving payment authorization from said candidate payment system.