Multiple-merchant credit card terminal

• US 5,557,087 A
• Filed: 04/13/1995
• Issued: 09/17/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/1995
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Sensor Technology
• Original Assignee: First Sensor Technology
• Inventors: Duyck, Margaret
• Primary Examiner(s): PITTS, HAROLD I
• Application Number:
  US08/423,674
• Time in Patent Office: 523 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• 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

The invention disclosed and claimed here is a multiple-merchant credit card authorization terminal ("CAT"). The CAT enables more than one merchant to input and obtain credit card authorization from a single CAT device. Likewise, transaction settlements may be handled for a single merchant or all of the merchants collectively at the same time. In the past, individual merchants had to use their own dedicated devices.

Claims

1. An improved method of allowing multiple merchants to obtain credit card authorization for customers, comprising:

providing a credit card authorization terminal, the terminal being adapted to obtain data from a credit card and connectable to a credit charge authorizing entity; and

allowing a plurality of merchants to request credit card authorization from the card authorization terminal.

2. An improved method of allowing multiple merchants to process financial transactions, comprising:

providing a transaction authorization terminal, the terminal being adapted to obtain transactional data from a merchant and being connectable to a transaction processing entity; and

allowing a plurality of merchants to request transaction authorization from the terminal.

3. An improved method of allowing multiple merchants to process financial transactions, comprising:

providing a transaction authorization terminal, the terminal being adapted to obtain transactional data from a merchant and being connectable to a transaction processing entity;

allowing a plurality of merchants to request transaction authorization from the terminal; and

enabling the terminal to selectively print transaction reports for any one or all of the merchants.

4. An improved method of allowing multiple merchants to process financial transactions, comprising:

providing a transaction authorization terminal, the terminal being adapted to obtain transactional data from a merchant and being connectable to a plurality of transaction processing entities;

allowing a plurality of merchants to request transaction authorization from the terminal; and

enabling the terminal to selectively settle transactions for any one or all of the merchants with any one of the transaction processing entities.