Tracking and Processing Discount Cards
First Claim
1. A stored value card system for tracking and processing discount cards, the system comprising:
- a point of sale system, including at least a portion of a software application, operable to process transactions using transaction cards including credit cards, stored value cards and discount cards, wherein the discount cards provide one or more discounts applicable to the purchase of one or more items; and
an authorization system, including at least a portion of a software application, operable to provide transaction card information to the point of sale system, the information being used to track transaction card balances, approve transactions, and generate error codes associated with the transaction cards, wherein the authorization system is further operable to;
i) generate a first error code that comprises a default error code for a condition that exists for certain transactions, wherein the default error code normally causes the transaction to be rejected, andii) determine when one of the discount cards is being used for transactions and to generate for certain of such transactions a second error code that comprises an alternative error code, wherein the alternative error code is generated when a discount card having a zero balance is used in a transaction;
wherein the point of sale system is further operable to determine whether discount cards used for transactions have a zero balance, to receive from the authorization system for such transactions the second error code, to process such transactions as null value transactions, and to approve and complete such transactions.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
In one example, a stored value card system is modified to process discount cards that are capable of providing varying percentage discounts on an array of products or services that can be purchased by a consumer. Implementations of the stored value card system can include modifications that allow a transaction using the discount card to pass through as an authorized transaction in spite of, for instance, application software logic that otherwise rejects transactions for stored value cards having a zero balance. For example, when the modified stored value card system detects a transaction involving a discount card, an authorization system within the modified stored value card system can generate an alternative error code that prevents the point of sale system from rejecting the transaction due to a zero balance.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A stored value card system for tracking and processing discount cards, the system comprising:
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a point of sale system, including at least a portion of a software application, operable to process transactions using transaction cards including credit cards, stored value cards and discount cards, wherein the discount cards provide one or more discounts applicable to the purchase of one or more items; and an authorization system, including at least a portion of a software application, operable to provide transaction card information to the point of sale system, the information being used to track transaction card balances, approve transactions, and generate error codes associated with the transaction cards, wherein the authorization system is further operable to; i) generate a first error code that comprises a default error code for a condition that exists for certain transactions, wherein the default error code normally causes the transaction to be rejected, and ii) determine when one of the discount cards is being used for transactions and to generate for certain of such transactions a second error code that comprises an alternative error code, wherein the alternative error code is generated when a discount card having a zero balance is used in a transaction; wherein the point of sale system is further operable to determine whether discount cards used for transactions have a zero balance, to receive from the authorization system for such transactions the second error code, to process such transactions as null value transactions, and to approve and complete such transactions. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method for tracking and processing discount cards, the method comprising:
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processing, in a point of sale system, transactions using transaction cards including credit cards, stored value cards and discount cards, wherein certain of said transaction cards serve as both stored value and discount cards; receiving, from a transaction system, a first notification for transactions involving transaction cards used to receive discounts on inventory items during a sales promotion, the first notification causing certain transactions to be rejected; receiving, from the transaction system, a second notification in place of the first notification, the second notification indicating that a transaction card that serves as both a stored value card and a discount card and has a zero balance is being used in connection with a transaction; rejecting, at the point of sale system, transactions when the first notification is received; and approving, at the point of sale system, transactions when the second notification is received in place of a first error code. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
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14. A physical computer-readable medium, embodied in a device, on which medium is encoded program code configured for execution by a processor to perform a method for tracking and processing discount cards, the method comprising:
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processing, in a point of sale system, transactions using transaction cards including credit cards, stored value cards and discount cards, wherein the stored value cards also serve as transaction cards; receiving, from a transaction system, a first error code that serves as a default error code for a condition that is raised for transactions involving transaction cards used to receive discounts on inventory items during a reward campaign, the default error code causing the affected transactions to be rejected; receiving, from the transaction system when the transaction system is further operable to determine when a discount card is being used, a second error code that serves as an alternative error code in place of the default error code for the discount card, the alternative error code being generated when a discount card having a zero balance is used in a transaction; and approving the transaction in the point of sale system, based on receiving, from the transaction system, the second error code. - View Dependent Claims (15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification