Method and apparatus for providing and processing installment plans at a terminal

• US 6,330,548 B1
• Filed: 01/25/2000
• Issued: 12/11/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew S., Jorasch, James A., Walker, Jay S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hafiz, Tariq R.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Jeanty, Romain
• Application Number:
  US09/490,898
• Time in Patent Office: 686 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/38, 705/40, 705/26, 705/39, 705/27
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• 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 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 : Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 : Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 : Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 15/005 : with dispensing of lottery tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 : for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 : involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 : Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/329 : Regular and instant lottery, e.g. electronic scratch cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 5/24 : with change-giving
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 9/02 : Devices for alarm or indication, e.g. when empty; Advertising arrangements in coin-freed apparatus alarms or warning devices indicating the interruption of flow to be metered G07F15/10
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/0036 : Checkout procedures
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 1/12 : electronically operated digital data processing aspects G06Q20/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07G 5/00 : Receipt-giving machines cash registers giving receipts G07G1/00

Abstract

A central controller receives from a POS terminal a purchase price and a financial account identifier. The financial account identifier specifies a financial account, such as a credit card account. The central controller, in turn, generates one or more installment plan identifiers defining installment plans for payment of the purchase price. The installment plan identifiers are based on the purchase price and/or the financial account identifier. For example, certain accounts or certain high purchase prices may merit preferred installment plans. The installment plan identifiers are transmitted to the POS terminal. A purchaser at the POS terminal selects whether he would like to pay for his purchase in installments and, if so, using which installment plan. The POS terminal generates a selection signal indicative of whether to accept any of the installment plans, and transmits the selection signal to the central controller. The central controller receives the selection signal. If the selection signal indicates acceptance of any installment plan, use of the accepted installment plan for the financial account is authorized. Thereafter, bills are generated which reflect installment charges to be paid.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving information specifying at least a purchase price and a financial account identifier, the financial account identifier identifying a financial account;

means for generating, in response to receiving the at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier, an installment plan identifier identifying an installment plan for payment of the purchase price, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier; and

means for transmitting the installment plan identifier.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving a selection signal indicative of whether to accept the installment plan; and

means for authorizing use of the installment plan for the financial account if the selection signal indicates acceptance of the installment plan.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising:

means for adjusting the purchase price if the selection signal indicates acceptance of the installment plan, wherein the installment plan is used for payment of the adjusted purchase price.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the means for generating an installment plan identifier further comprises:

means for generating a plurality of installment plan identifiers, each defining an installment plan for payment of the purchase price, the plurality of installment plan identifiers being based on at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier;

and wherein the means for transmitting further comprises means for transmitting the plurality of installment plan identifiers.

5. The apparatus of claim 4, further comprising:

means for receiving a selection signal indicative of whether to accept any one of the plurality of installment plans; and

means for authorizing use of the accepted installment plan for the financial account if the selection signal indicates acceptance of one of the plurality of installment plans.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining whether to allow installment payments on the purchase price;

and wherein the means for generating the installment plan identifier generates an installment plan identifier only if installment payments on the purchase price are allowed.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for determining whether to allow installment payments further comprises:

means for determining whether to allow installment payments, based on at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier.

8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the means for determining whether to allow installment payments comprises:

means for comparing the purchase price to a predetermined amount; and

means for determining to allow installment payments only if the purchase price exceeds the predetermined amount.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining whether application of the purchase price to the financial account is authorized;

and wherein the means for generating the installment plan identifier generates the installment plan identifier only if application of the purchase price is authorized.

10. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for receiving a merchant identifier indicating a merchant from which the purchase price and the financial account identifier were received; and

means for crediting the purchase price to the merchant.

11. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

means for determining an upsell to offer;

means for generating an upsell identifier defining the upsell to offer; and

means for transmitting the upsell identifier.

12. The apparatus of claim 11, further comprising:

means for receiving a response signal indicating whether the upsell was accepted.

13. The apparatus of claim 11, wherein the means for determining an upsell to offer comprises means for determining an upsell to offer based on at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, further comprising:

means for determining an upsell price; and

means for applying the purchase price to the financial account if the upsell was accepted.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprising:

means for receiving a merchant identifier indicating a merchant from which the purchase price and the financial account identifier were received; and

means for crediting the upsell price to the merchant.

16. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the financial account identifier specifies a credit card account.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on an average number of transactions over a predetermined period.

18. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on an account holder behavior score.

19. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on an account holder profitability score.

20. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on an account holder credit score.

21. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on an account holder performance score.

22. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on preference data generated by an account holder, the preference data representing finance option preferences.

23. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving information specifying at least a purchase price and a financial account identifier, the financial account identifier identifying a financial account;

means for generating, in response to receiving the at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier, an installment plan identifier identifying an installment plan for payment of the purchase price, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier; and

means for receiving an indication of an acceptance of the installment plan.

24. An apparatus, comprising:

means for receiving information specifying at least a purchase price and a financial account identifier, the financial account identifier identifying a financial account;

means for generating, in response to receiving the at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier, an installment plan identifier identifying an installment plan for payment of the purchase price, wherein the installment plan identifier is based on at least one of the purchase price and the financial account identifier;

means for determining an upsell to offer;

means for generating an upsell identifier defining the upsell; and

means for transmitting the installment plan identifier and the upsell identifier.