Secure Payment Terminal

• US 20120290420A1
• Filed: 01/27/2011
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Advanced Payment Terminal Corporation
• Original Assignee: Advanced Payment Terminal Corporation
• Inventors: Close, Paul
• Application Number:
  US13/575,053
• Publication Number:
  US 20120290420A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0886 the card reader being portable for interacting with a POS or ECR in realizing a payment transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/14 Systems including one or more distant stations co-operating with a central processing unit data transmission in general H04L; telemetry systems for selectively calling a substation from a main station H04Q9/00

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments include a payment terminal, with corresponding methods, and computer-readable media, which includes a first interface and a second interface. The first interface receives transaction information from an existing interface of a sales device without modification to the sales device. The first interface also transmits first authorization information to the existing interface without requiring modification to the sales device, thereby enabling the sales device to monitor and authorize a transaction associated with the sales device. The second interface transmits authorization request information associated with the transaction to a payment authorization system. The authorization request information represents the payment information. The second interface receives authorization response information associated with the transaction from the payment authorization system. The first authorization information is based on the authorization response information, and the first authorization information does not include the payment information.

Claims

1. A payment terminal comprising:

a first interface, the first interface being configured to receive transaction information from an existing interface associated with a sales device without modification to the sales device, the first interface being configured to transmit first authorization information to the existing interface associated with the sales device without requiring modification to the sales device, thereby enabling the payment terminal to monitor and authorize a transaction associated with the sales device; and

a second interface, the second interface being configured to transmit authorization request information associated with the transaction to a payment authorization system, the authorization request information representing the payment information associated with a customer, the second interface being configured to receive authorization response information associated with the transaction from the payment authorization system, the first authorization information being based on the authorization response information, the first authorization information not comprising the payment information.

2. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the existing interface associated with the sales device comprises at least one of a (1) printer port, (2) journal port, and (3) digital video port.

3. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of the (1) first interface and (2) second interface is a wireless interface.

4. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal initiates communication with the payment authorization system in response to at least one of (1) initiation of the transaction on the sales device, (2) termination of a delay following initiation of the transaction on the sales device, and (3) entry of an account number before or after the transaction has started.

5. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal maintains a communication link with the payment authorization system until at least one of (1) the payment terminal receives the authorization response information, (2) the transaction is terminated, and (3) a timeout period with a reason code, the reason code being added to the transaction log and an alert being sent to a cashier, the payment terminal providing a method of entering a correction depending on the processor, thereby avoiding double-charging the customer.

6. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein at least one of (1) the first interface and (2) the second interface comprises at least one of a (1) magnetic stripe card reader, (2) magnetic card scanner, (3) printer, and (4) printer port.

7. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to activate a printer associated with the sales device or payment terminal.

8. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, further comprising a display configured to display the transaction information and information available from the sales device or payment terminal.

9. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to record printed transaction information, non-printed actions, and register reports in a transaction log, the payment terminal being configured to transmit the transaction log in response to the second interface being idle or when scheduled at end of day.

10. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to encrypt the payment information and identification information associated with the sales device and the payment terminal, the payment terminal being configured to transmit the encrypted information for authentication of the payment terminal.

11. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the authorization request information comprises secure information associated with the customer, the secure information comprising at least one of a PIN (personal identification number) if used, payment account, expiration date, and authorization information.

13. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal uses a plurality of bank identification numbers to determine a type of card associated with the transaction as being one of credit, debit, EBT, (electronic benefit transfer) or loyalty, the plurality of bank identification numbers being associated with cards used in transactions on the payment terminal for which the type of card has been approved by a processor as debit, or as credit after a user set number of approvals, thereby eliminating a need to query customers to identify the type of card used in the transaction as being debit or credit while enabling the customer to opt-out of a PIN with debit transaction to a signature transaction if the card type is non-PIN-only.

14. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to identify a debit payment transaction and prompt the customer to use PIN or a signature by comparing the payment amount associated with the transaction to a predetermined, user defined transaction amount threshold associated with a type of card.

15. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to query the customer to enter a PIN (personal identification number) based on an amount of the transaction, the payment terminal enabling the customer to opt-out of a PIN-based transaction.

16. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to query the customer for an amount of cash-back or omit querying the customer for an amount of cash-back in response to the sales device having insufficient funds.

18. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to transmit cash-back information to the sales device to at least one of (1) provide a cashier prompt to provide cash-back to the customer, (2) verify that an amount of the cash-back is correctly entered by the cashier, (3) provide a cashier prompt in response to an error in entry of the cash-back, and (4) verify that the amount of cash-back does not exceed the amount of debit card payments in the transaction.

19. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to enable splitting the transaction into a plurality of payments using at least one of (1) cash, (2) a pre-paid card, (3) a check, (4) a coupon or discount entered by the cashier on the sales device, (5) authentication information, and (6) an account number entered directly to the payment terminal from a magnetic stripe card, a magnetically scanned card comprising EMV (Europay, Mastercard, Visa), contactless, NFC (near-field communication), or optically scanned two-dimensional or UPC (universal produce code) bar code, the payment terminal enabling separate recording of each payment on a single receipt and sending information to the sales device.

20. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal or sales device in a foodservice facility is configured to display a table tab showing the total or detail and total plus tax and provide a customer prompt to enter a gratuity amount by selecting from at least one of (1) a choice of percentages, (2) leaving no gratuity, and (3) entering a gratuity amount or to print the table tab with the gratuity choices and prompt for customer signature before the transaction is authorized, thereby enabling a single authorization to submit the total, including gratuity, the payment terminal being configured to generate a complete receipt comprising a tab, tax, gratuity and total, thereby speeding service, eliminating a trip by a server, reducing table idle time, and eliminating a need for a second authorization requiring recall of the transaction and manual entry of the gratuity.

23. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to provide a prompt to query whether a receipt is to be printed or electronically sent based on an amount of the transaction or customer preference indicated to or in the payment terminal.

25. The payment terminal defined by claim 20, wherein the payment terminal is battery-operated, wireless, and configured to be brought to the customer to complete the transaction by entering an account number and print a receipt showing the gratuity amount and total.

26. The payment terminal defined by claim 20, wherein the payment terminal is configured to at least one of (1) provide a prompt to enter an amount of the gratuity on the sales device and (2) provide a cashier prompt indicating that the gratuity amount entered into the sales device is incorrect.

28. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to provide prompts to a plurality of customers to share in payment of the total tab, plus gratuity and added merchandise, the payment terminal being configured to provide separate receipts to each of the plurality of customers in equal or different shares to each customer.

29. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to suppress printing of receipts associated with transactions not requiring a signature, the payment terminal being configured to notify the customer that no signature is required.

30. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the terminal is configured to recall a transaction from a transaction log to print or send an electronic receipt, the payment terminal being configured to authorize payment using a gift card based on available balance sufficiency associated with the gift card.

31. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to refund in cash or other payment an available balance associated with a gift card in response to the available balance being less than a threshold, the payment terminal verifying that such refund is correctly entered into the sales device.

32. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the authorization request information comprises identification information associated with the payment terminal to enable verification that the payment terminal is correctly associated with a merchant.

33. The payment terminal defined by claim 1, wherein the payment terminal is configured to transmit cumulative transaction information to enable matching the cumulative transaction information with electronic payments approved by the payment authorization system, thereby enabling a plurality of transactions to be balanced.

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