Credit card billing method and system

• US 6,360,209 B1
• Filed: 10/29/1999
• Issued: 03/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Walker Digital LLC (Walker Innovation Inc. (f/k/a Patent Properties, Inc.))
• Inventors: Walker, Jay S., Loeb, Michael R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Millin, Vincent
• Assistant Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US09/429,945
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 705/34, 705/40, 705/16, 705/23, 705/24
• US Class Current: 705/34
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/208 Input by product or record sensing, e.g. weighing or scanner processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

An improved credit card billing method and system is disclosed which permits multiple items purchased as part of a single transaction or order to be separately billed on a credit card in accordance with a payment schedule designed to minimize inquiries regarding the overall order by the customer. The billing system permits the billing descriptor appearing on the credit card billing statement to have sufficient detail to minimize subsequent customer inquiries. The billing descriptor preferably includes a different customer service number for each individual item. Goods or services are purchased from a merchant in a conventional manner. The customer provides the merchant with a list of the multiple items included in the order, as well as credit card information. The merchant will preferably establish a staggered schedule for billing each individual item in the order and submit the charge requests to the credit card issuer in accordance with the established billing schedule.

Claims

1. A method of billing an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said purchase from said customer;

examining said received purchase to identify each of said plurality of items included in said purchase;

generating, for each item of said plurality, a respective charge request for said account; and

transmitting said charge requests to an issuer of said account.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitted charge requests include an identifier for said account, a purchase price for said item, and a merchant identifier.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein said transmitted charge requests are staggered by a predefined period.

4. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of fulfilling said purchase when an authorization code is received from said issuer of said account.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of transmitting an authorization request for said purchase to said issuer of said account and fulfilling said purchase when said authorization is received from said issuer of said account.

6. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of delaying each of said transmissions of said charge requests at least until said customer has received at least one of said items.

7. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing an installment payment schedule for one or more of said items and wherein said step of transmitting said charge requests comprises the step of transmitting said charge requests for said one or more of said installment items in accordance with said installment payment schedule.

8. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of establishing a schedule to separately bill said customer for each of said items on said account and wherein said step of transmitting said charge requests is performed in accordance with said schedule.

9. A method of billing an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said purchase from said customer;

examining said received purchase to identify each of said plurality of items included in said purchase;

generating, for each item of said plurality, a respective charge request for said account; and

transmitting said charge requests to an issuer of said account, wherein said transmitted charge requests are staggered by a predefined period.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said transmitted charge requests include an identifier for said account, a purchase price for said item, and a merchant identifier.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of fulfilling said purchase when an authorization code is received from said issuer of said account.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of transmitting an authorization request for said purchase to said issuer of said account and fulfilling said purchase when said authorization is received from said issuer of said account.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of delaying each of said transmissions of said charge requests at least until said customer has received at least one of said items.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising the step of establishing an installment payment schedule for one or more of said items and wherein said step of transmitting said charge requests comprises the step of transmitting said charge requests for said one or more of said items in accordance with said installment payment schedule.

15. A method of billing an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said purchase from said customer;

examining said received purchase to identify each of said plurality of items included in said purchase;

establishing a schedule to separately bill said customer for each of said items on said account;

generating, for each item of said plurality, a respective charge request for said account; and

separately transmitting said charge requests to an issuer of said account in accordance with said schedule.

16. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of storing said established schedule in a billing schedule database and wherein said step of transmitting said charge requests accesses said billing schedule database to obtain said schedule.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein said transmitted charge requests include an identifier for said account, a purchase price for said item, and a merchant identifier.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein said transmitted charge requests are staggered by a predefined period.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of fulfilling said purchase when an authorization code is received from said issuer of said account.

20. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the steps of transmitting an authorization request for said purchase to said issuer of said account and fulfilling said purchase when said authorization is received from said issuer of said account.

21. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of delaying each of said transmissions of said charge requests at least until said customer has received at least one of said items.

22. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of establishing an installment payment schedule for one or more of said items and wherein said step of transmitting said charge requests comprises the step of transmitting said charge requests for said one or more of said items in accordance with said installment payment schedule.

23. A method of billing an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving said purchase from said customer;

examining said received purchase to identify each of said plurality of items included in said purchase;

generating a descriptor for each of said items, said descriptor including a merchant identifier, a product description of said item and a cost associated with said item; and

transmitting a plurality of charge requests for said account to an issuer of said account, each of said charge requests associated with a different one of said items, each of said charge requests including said descriptor.

24. The method according to claim 23, wherein said descriptor further comprises a unique customer service telephone number for each of said items.

25. A method of processing charges to an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said method comprising the steps of:

receiving an authorization request from a merchant to allocate a block of credit associated with said account for said purchase;

providing said merchant with an authorization code for said purchase;

receiving a plurality of charge requests from said merchant, each of said charge requests associated with a different one of said items of said purchase;

generating an account statement for said customer separately listing each of said charge requests associated with a different one of said items; and

transmitting said account statement to said customer.

26. The method according to claim 25, wherein said authorization request is at least equal to the total cost of said purchase.

27. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of receiving a product descriptor with each of said charge requests and wherein said step of generating an account statement includes the step of printing said product descriptor associated with each of said items.

28. The method according to claim 25, further comprising the step of transferring the cost of said purchase to an account associated with said merchant less any handling fee.

29. A system for billing an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said system comprising:

means for receiving said purchase from said customer;

processing means for examining said received purchase to identify each of said plurality of items included in said purchase;

means for generating, for each item of said plurality, a respective charge request for said account; and

communication means for transmitting said charge requests to an issuer of said account.

30. A system for billing an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said system comprising:

means for receiving said purchase from said customer;

processing means for examining said received purchase to identify each of said plurality of items included in said purchase;

means for generating a descriptor for each of said items, said descriptor including a merchant identifier, a product description of said item and a cost associated with said item; and

communication means for transmitting a plurality of charge requests for said account to an issuer of said account, each of said charge requests associated with a different one of said items, each of said charge requests including said descriptor.

31. A system for processing charges to an account for a purchase by a customer of a plurality of items, said system comprising:

communication means for receiving an authorization request from a merchant to allocate a block of credit associated with said account for said purchase;

communication means for providing said merchant with an authorization code for said purchase;

communication means for receiving a plurality of charge requests from said merchant, each of said charge requests associated with a different one of said items of said purchase;

a printer for generating an account statement for said customer separately listing each of said charge requests associated with a different one of said items; and

means for transmitting said account statement to said customer.