Method and System for Distributing and Activating a Non-Personalized Purchase Card

• US 20110055082A1
• Filed: 04/09/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/29/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PrivaCash Incorporated
• Original Assignee: PrivaCash Incorporated
• Inventors: Sutton, David B., Blasiman, Douglas B.
• Granted Patent: US 8,219,474 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence

Abstract

The system includes a first and second computer systems and a purchase card associated with a major credit card organization. The card does not include information about any prospective card holder and is provided with a card number so that when activated, has an initial monetary value. The first computer system, located at a purchase outlet, is configured to transmit the card number over a communication network to the second computer system to activate the account, without requiring information from any person acquiring the card. The activated card is usable at retail establishments that accept credit cards. A method includes the steps of authorizing distribution of a plurality of non-activated purchase cards to purchase card outlets and authorizing activation of the purchase card account without requiring information from any person acquiring the card. Another method includes the steps of receiving a plurality of non-activated purchase cards at a purchase card outlet, and selling the purchase cards without acquiring information about the purchaser and initiating activation of the purchase card sold.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A method comprising:

authorizing distribution of a plurality of unactivated purchase cards to a plurality of purchase card outlets, each of the distributed purchase cards including a major credit card organization brand and an associated account number, each distributed card not including information associated with or provided by any prospective cardholder, and when activated, the card being a bearer instrument usable at retail establishments that accept credit cards of the major credit card organization, including retail establishments not associated with the plurality of purchase card outlets; and

authorizing activation of a purchase card account associated with one of the purchase cards for a specified amount of money without requiring any information from the person acquiring the card.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each of the purchase cards has an associated card date beyond which the card may not be used.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the card date is imprinted on the card.

18. The method of claim 15 or 16 wherein each of the purchase cards has imprinted thereon a predetermined monetary denomination.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein authorizing activation includes authorizing an intermediary to activate the purchase account.

20. The method of claim 15 or 19 wherein the purchase cards are distributed in blocks of cards.

21. The method of claim 15 or 19 wherein authorizing activation of a purchase card account is done using a software-implemented application.

22. The method of claim 15 or 19 wherein authorizing activation of a purchase card account is done by phone.

23. The method of claim 15 or 19 wherein each of the purchase cards, once activated, is usable at online retail establishments and bricks-and-mortar retail establishments.

24. The method of claim 15 or 19 wherein no information associated with any prospective cardholder is collected.

25. The method of claim 15 or 19 wherein the method further comprises the step of authorizing a purchase transaction against the activated card account after the purchase card account number and a monetary purchase amount have been transmitted to verify that the monetary purchase amount does not exceed the account'"'"'s available balance and without requiring any information from the cardholder.

26. The method of claim 25 wherein the one of the purchase cards has an associated card date beyond which the card may not be used and wherein authorizing a purchase transaction occurs after verifying that the date of the purchase transaction is not beyond the card date.

27. The method of claim 26 wherein the card date is imprinted on the card.

28. The method of claim 25 wherein authorizing activation of a purchase card account is done using a software-implemented application.

29. The method of claim 26 wherein the purchase cards are distributed in blocks of cards.

30. The method of claim 25 wherein each of the purchase cards, once activated, is usable at online retail establishments and bricks-and-mortar retail establishments.

38. The method of claim 17 or 35 wherein the card date is imprinted by embossing.

39. The method of claim 15 or 17 wherein the distributing step is on a consignment basis.

40. The method of claim 15 or 31 wherein the plurality of purchase card outlets includes banks.

31. A method comprising:

receiving a plurality of unactivated purchase cards at one of a plurality of purchase card outlets, each of the received purchase cards including a major credit card organization brand and an associated account number, each purchase card, when activated, being a bearer instrument usable at retail establishments that accept credit cards of the major credit card organization, including retail establishments not associated with the plurality of purchase card outlets;

selling one of the received purchase cards to a purchaser without requiring any information from the purchaser; and

initiating activation of the purchase card being sold without requiring any information from the purchaser.

32. The method of claim 31 wherein initiating activation includes contacting a purchase card provider via a software-implemented application.

33. The method of claim 31 or 32 wherein initiating activation includes contacting a purchasing intermediary associated with a purchase card provider via a software-implemented application.

34. The method of claim 31 wherein each of the purchase cards has an associated card date beyond which the card may not be used.

35. The method of claim 31 wherein the card date is imprinted on the card.

36. The method of claim 31 or 34 wherein each of the purchase cards has imprinted thereon a predetermined monetary denomination.

37. The method of claim 31 wherein the purchase cards are distributed in blocks of cards.

41. A system comprising:

(a) a card having a card number associated with a major credit card organization and when activated, having an initial monetary value for making purchases using the card, each card not including information associated with or provided by any prospective cardholder, the card being distributed to a plurality of purchase card outlets;

(b) a first computer system and second computer system, the first computer system located at one of the plurality of purchase card outlets and configured to transmit the card number over a communication network to the second computer system; and

(c) the second computer system configured to activate an account associated with the card by establishing an account balance equal to the initial monetary value of the card, wherein the activation occurs without requiring any information from the person acquiring the card, and upon activation, the card being a bearer instrument usable at retail establishments that accept credit cards of the major credit card organization, including retail establishments not associated with the plurality of purchase card outlets.

42. The system of claim 41 wherein the second computer system is further configured to receive the card number and a purchase amount over the communications network from a retail establishment and to approve an account purchase transaction when specified conditions are met without requiring any information from the cardholder.

43. The system of claim 41 wherein the second computer system tracks information to enable compensation of sellers of the cards on a consignment basis.

44. The system of claim 41 or 42 wherein the first computer system also transmits the initial monetary value of the card to the second computer system.

45. The system of claim 44 wherein the initial monetary value of the card is determined by the prospective cardholder.

46. The system of claim 42 wherein each of the purchase cards has an associated card date beyond which the card may not be used.

47. The system of claim 42 wherein each of the purchase cards has an associated card date beyond which the card may not be used.

48. The system of claim 41 or 43 wherein the card date is imprinted on the card.

49. The system of claim 41, 42 or 43 wherein each of the purchase cards has imprinted thereon a predetermined monetary denomination.

50. The system of claim 41 or 42 wherein the retail establishments include online retail establishments.

51. The system of claim 42 wherein the specified conditions comprise verification that the purchase amount does not exceed the account balance.

52. The system of claim 42 or 51 wherein the specified conditions further comprise verification that the date of the purchase transaction is not past the card date.

53. The system of claim 48 wherein the card date is imprinted by embossing.

54. The system of claim 41 wherein the plurality of purchase card outlets includes banks.