SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CHECKLESS CASH ADVANCE SETTLEMENT

• US 20120123943A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Payments, Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Global Cash Access Incorporated (Global Cash Advance Holdings Incorporated)
• Inventors: Potts, Craig K., Beer, Richard
• Granted Patent: US 9,171,303 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• 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 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 : Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 : for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/00 : Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines data processing equipment for bank accounting G06Q40/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 : Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for conducting a checkless cash access settlement are provided. In one embodiment, a cash advance method includes the following: a customer initiates a cash access transaction with a financial card via a cash access system; the customer receives authorization or denial; the customer provides identification and the financial card to a cashier or attendant; the cashier or attendant validates the customer'"'"'s identity, retrieves the transaction information, and completes the cash advance application; the application prints a non-negotiable instrument, such as a transaction receipt; the customer signs the receipt confirming the transaction with a physical receipt or electronic capture; the receipt image is stored electronically for subsequent transmittal to a central server; the transaction information, including the receipt image if applicable, is recorded on the central server; and the central server generates an ACH file and electronically transmits the ACH file to a designated financial institution.

Claims

1-7. -7. (canceled)

8. A method for conducting a checkless cash access settlement, comprising:

receiving, at a cash access system, a request from a customer for a cash access transaction using a financial account instrument;

obtaining authorization of the cash access transaction;

electronically capturing customer identification, the customer identification providing personal information of the customer;

validating an identity of the customer based on the customer identification and the financial account instrument;

completing the cash access transaction responsive to validation of the customer identification, resulting in a dispersal of cash requested in the cash access transaction to the customer; and

transmitting information of the cash access transaction for inclusion in an electronic deposit transaction, the electronic deposit transaction provided for a plurality of cash access transactions completed in a settlement period.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the cash access system is provided at a gaming station, and wherein the gaming station comprises a gaming table or a game machine.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the cash access system comprises a portable, remote control unit (RCU) operable by the customer.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the cash access system is selected from the group consisting of a kiosk, an ATM, a gaming station, and a wireless device.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein the financial account instrument comprises a debit card, bank card, or credit card, and wherein the cash access transaction comprises a cash advance, quasi-cash, or cash equivalent transaction.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein the customer identification includes an identification card distinct from the financial account instrument, and wherein electronically capturing the customer identification includes reading the identification card with one or more of:

a magnetic card reader, a barcode reader, or an optical reader.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the identification card comprises a government-issued identification card.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the government-issued identification card comprises a driver'"'"'s license.

16. The method of claim 8, wherein the customer identification includes an electronic identification file distinct from the financial account instrument, and wherein electronically capturing the customer identification includes transferring the electronic identification file from a customer device.

17. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

electronically validating the customer information received from a customer electronic device with identification information; and

sending the customer an electronic confirmation responsive to successfully validating the customer information.

18. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining a signature of the customer to be used for at least a future cash access transaction;

storing an electronic record of the signature responsive to obtaining the signature of the customer; and

accessing the electronic record in connection with the future cash access transaction.

19. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

obtaining a signature of the customer in connection with the cash access transaction; and

storing an electronic record of the signature responsive to obtaining the signature of the customer.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein obtaining a signature of the customer includes printing a transaction receipt for the cash access transaction and providing the transaction receipt to the customer to obtain a signature on the transaction receipt, and wherein storing an electronic record of the signature includes obtaining an electronic image of the transaction receipt and storing the electronic image in the electronic record.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the transaction receipt is a non-negotiable instrument providing proof of cash dispersal.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein obtaining a signature of the customer includes capturing the signature via a touch screen or signature pad associated with the cash access system.

23. The method of claim 8, wherein the electronic deposit transaction provided for a plurality of cash access transactions completed in a settlement period is an automated clearing house (ACH) transaction for the plurality of cash access transactions, wherein the plurality of cash access transactions are performed by a plurality of customers, and wherein an ACH file referencing the plurality of cash access transactions is used in connection with the ACH transaction.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising electronically transmitting the ACH file to at least one financial institution for processing and successive posting of electronic deposits correlating to the plurality of cash access transactions.

25. A cash advance device comprising:

a card reader;

a processor; and

a memory device having a plurality of instructions stored therein, that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations that;

receive a request for a cash access transaction with a financial card of a customer, the financial card identified using the card reader;

request authorization of the cash access transaction;

electronically capture customer identification from at least one personal identification card, the customer identification captured at least in part using the card reader, and the customer identification including personal information;

validate the customer identification in connection with use of the financial card in the cash access transaction;

facilitate completion of the cash access transaction responsive to validation of the customer identification, to result in a dispersal of cash requested in the cash access transaction to the customer; and

transmit information to a base processor for further processing of the cash access transaction, the further processing including performance of an electronic deposit transaction relating to the cash access transaction, and the information including the signature of the customer.

26. The cash advance device of claim 25, the instructions further causing the processor to perform operations that:

obtain a signature of the customer with a transaction receipt in connection with the dispersal of cash requested in the cash access transaction.

27. The cash advance device of claim 26, further comprising:

a printer configured to provide the transaction receipt to the customer for obtaining the signature of the customer;

wherein obtaining the signature of the customer includes obtaining an electronic copy of the transaction receipt.

28. The cash advance device of claim 26, further comprising:

a touch screen configured to electronically display a transaction receipt to the customer for obtaining the signature of the customer;

wherein obtaining the signature of the customer includes capturing a user input of the signature on the touch screen.

29. The cash advance device of claim 25, wherein the cash advance processing device is a portable remote control unit operable by the customer at a plurality of locations in a gaming environment, the plurality of locations including a gaming table and a gaming machine.

30. A system, comprising:

a cash access transaction device configured to;

receive a request from a customer for a cash access transaction with a financial card;

receive card information from the financial card;

receive customer identification information from the customer;

electronically capture the customer identification information; and

provide a transaction receipt to the customer for signature in connection with the cash access transaction;

a cash access transaction base processor, configured to;

obtain validation of the customer identification information and the financial card;

complete the cash advance transaction responsive to validation of the identification; and

store an electronic record for the transaction receipt;

wherein the cash access transaction device is further configured to communicate the request, the electronically captured customer identification information, and an electronic copy of the transaction receipt to the cash access transaction base processor responsive to completion of the cash access transaction.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the cash access processing device is provided at a gaming station in a gaming environment, the gaming station selected from the group consisting of a gaming table, bingo system, keno system, betting station, server-based gaming terminal, or a gaming machine.