Pre-paid card system and method

• US 5,721,768 A
• Filed: 11/18/1996
• Issued: 02/24/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Call Processing Incorporated (Euronet Worldwide Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Call Processing Incorporated (Euronet Worldwide Incorporated)
• Inventors: Stimson, Charles J., Beshear, Brady S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): LOOMIS, PAUL A
• Application Number:
  US08/751,499
• Time in Patent Office: 463 Days
• Field of Search: 379/112, 379/114, 379/115, 379/121, 379/124, 379/125, 379/126, 379/127, 379/130, 379/131, 379/144, 235/380, 235/381, 235/279, 340/825.23, 340/825.34, 340/825.35
• US Class Current: 379/114.16
• 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 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 by keys or other credit registering devices
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/12 Card verification
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/00 Prepayment of wireline communication systems, wireless communication systems or telephone systems using a coded card to authorise calls from a telephone set H04M1/675
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/20 with provision for recharging the prepaid account or card, or for credit establishment
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods

Abstract

A pre-paid card system enables customers to make purchases using an authorized card. The system includes four main functional components: a plurality of cards, a host computer, a plurality of on-site activation terminals and a main processor. Each of the cards having a security number associated therewith. The card is typically formed of cardboard, paper or plastic and may include the security number in cleartext under a suitable blackout. The main management and processing of the system is effected by the host computer. The host includes a database for storing security numbers associated with authorized cards. The data terminals are remote from the host computer and connectible thereto for transmitting data between the terminals and the host computer. The processor is controlled by the host computer for enabling customer purchases using the authorized cards.

Claims

1. A method to enable customers to obtain pre-paid calling card accounts from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and to use the pre-paid calling card accounts to access a telephone network using a telephone, the method comprising:

transferring activation information associated with a particular pre-paid calling card account from a data terminal located at a particular one of the point of sale locations to a remote location having a database of pre-paid calling card accounts, the activation information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card account, the particular pre-paid calling card account being associated with a distributor of the particular pre-paid calling card account in order to track activation and distribution of the particular pre-paid calling card account;

activating the particular pre-paid calling card account in the database of prepaid calling card accounts in response to receipt of the activation information by associating an active call authorization amount with the particular pre-paid calling card account;

receiving access information transferred from a telephone to a call processor having access to the database of pre-paid calling card accounts, the call processor using the access information to identify the particular pre-paid calling card account and to establish a telephone call from the telephone to a desired number using the telephone network;

reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card account in correspondence with usage of the telephone network; and

terminating access to the telephone network when the active call authorization amount is exhausted.

2. A method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving recharge information for the particular pre-paid calling card account, the recharge information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card account and to indicate a recharge authorization; and

increasing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card account in the database of pre-paid calling card accounts in response to the recharge authorization.

8. A system as recited in claim 1, further comprising means for recharging the particular pre-paid calling card account by increasing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card account in the database of pre-paid calling card accounts.

3. A system for distributing and managing prepaid calling card accounts used to access a telephone network using a telephone, the prepaid calling card accounts being activated at a point-of-sale location, the system comprising:

a database of pre-paid calling card accounts located a location remote from the point-of-sale location;

a data terminal located at the point-of-sale location, the data terminal being used to transfer activation information associated with a particular pre-paid calling card account from the point-of-sale location to the remote location, the activation information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card'"'"'s account, the particular pre-paid calling card account being associated with a distributor of the particular pre-paid calling card account;

a processing unit coupled to the database of prepaid calling card accounts, the processing unit activating the particular pre-paid calling card account in the database of prepaid calling card accounts in response to receipt of the activation information by associating an active call authorization amount with the particular pre-paid calling card account; and

a call processor coupled to the database of pre-paid calling card accounts and to the telephone network, the call processor receiving, from a telephone, access information used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card account and to establish a telephone call from the telephone to a desired number using the telephone network, the call processor further reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card account in correspondence with usage of the telephone network.

4. A system as recited in claim 3, wherein the processing unit is further coupled to receive recharge information for the particular pre-paid calling card account, the recharge information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card account and to indicate a recharge authorization, the processor increasing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card account in the database of pre-paid calling card accounts in response to the recharge authorization.

5. A method to enable customers to obtain pre-paid calling card accounts from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and to use the pre-paid calling card accounts to access a telephone network using a telephone, the method comprising:

transferring activation information associated with one or more pre-paid calling card accounts from a data terminal located at a particular one of the point-of-sale locations to a remote location having a database of pre-paid calling card accounts, the activation information being used to identify the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts, the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts being associated with a distributor of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts;

activating the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts in the database of prepaid calling card accounts in response to receipt of the activation information from the particular point-of-sale location by associating active call authorization amounts with the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts;

receiving access information transferred from a telephone to a call processor having access to the database of pre-paid calling card accounts, the call processor using the access information to establish a particular one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts and to establish a telephone call from the telephone to a desired number using the telephone network;

reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts in correspondence with usage of the telephone network.

6. A method as recited in claim 5, further comprising:

receiving recharge information for the particular one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts, the recharge information being used to identify the particular one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts and to indicate a recharge authorization; and

increasing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts in the database of pre-paid calling card accounts in response to the recharge authorization.

7. A system for enabling customers to obtain pre-paid calling card accounts from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and to use the pre-paid calling card accounts to access a telephone network using a telephone, the method comprising:

a database of pre-paid calling card accounts located at a location remote from the point-of-sale locations;

means for transferring activation information associated with a particular pre-paid calling card account to the remote location, the activation information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card account, the particular pre-paid calling card account being associated with a distributor of the particular pre-paid calling card account;

means for activating the particular pre-paid calling card account in the database of prepaid calling card accounts in response to receipt of the activation information by associating an active call authorization amount with the particular pre-paid calling card account;

means for receiving access information transferred from a telephone and for identifying the particular pre-paid calling card account using the access information;

means for establishing a telephone call from the telephone to a desired number using the telephone network; and

means for reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card account in correspondence with usage of the telephone network, and for terminating access to the telephone network when the active call authorization amount is exhausted.

9. A method for distributing pre-paid calling cards, used to access a telephone network using a standard telephone, from a plurality of point-of-sale locations, the pre-paid calling cards being activated at the point-of-sale locations, the method comprising:

transferring activation information uniquely associated with a particular pre-paid calling card from a particular point-of-sale location to a remote location having a database of pre-paid calling card accounts associated with the pre-paid calling cards, the activation information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card and to indicate a particular distributor of the pre-paid calling card;

activating a particular pre-paid calling card account associated with the particular pre-paid calling card in the database of prepaid calling card accounts in response to the activation information by associating an active call authorization amount with the particular pre-paid calling card account;

receiving access information associated with the particular pre-paid calling card from a standard telephone at a call processor having access to the database of pre-paid calling card accounts;

identifying, with the call processor, the particular pre-paid calling card account using the access information;

establishing a telephone call from the standard telephone to a desired telephone number using the telephone network;

reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card in correspondence with usage of the telephone network; and

terminating access to the telephone network when the active call authorization amount is exhausted.

10. A method as recited in claim 9, further comprising:

receiving recharge information for the particular pre-paid calling card, the recharge information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card and to indicate a recharge authorization; and

increasing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card account in the database of pre-paid calling card accounts in response to the recharge authorization.

11. A computerized system used to activate pre-paid calling cards and to track usage of the pre-paid calling cards, the computerized system comprising:

a database storing information associated with a plurality of prepaid calling cards;

a host computer coupled to the database and having a port connected to a telephone network, the host computer receiving activation information associated with a particular pre-paid calling card from a remote point-of-sale location via the telephone network, the activation information being used to identify the particular pre-paid calling card, the particular pre-paid calling card being associated with a distributor of the particular pre-paid calling card, the host computer activating the particular pre-paid calling card in the database in response to receipt of the activation information by associating an active call authorization amount with the particular pre-paid calling card; and

a call processor coupled to the database and to the telephone network to receive access information transferred from a telephone, the access information being used by the call processor to identify the particular pre-paid calling card and to establish a telephone call from the telephone to a desired telephone number using the telephone network, the call processor reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card in correspondence with usage of the telephone network and halting communication with the desired telephone number when the active call authorization amount is exhausted.

12. A computerized system as recited in claim 11, wherein the host computer receives a recharge authorization associated with the particular pre-paid calling card from the telephone network, the host computer increasing the active call Authorization amount associated with the particular pre-paid calling card in response to the recharge authorization.