Automated systems and methods for authorization and settlement of fleet maintenance and repair transactions

• US 6,554,183 B1
• Filed: 06/30/1999
• Issued: 04/29/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: GE Capital Fleet Services (General Electric Company)
• Original Assignee: GE Capital Fleet Services (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Riesgraf, Susan M., Sticha, Mary T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frech, Karl D.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A.
• Application Number:
  US09/343,838
• Time in Patent Office: 1,399 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 705/26, 705/29, 705/44, 379/90.01, 379/91.01
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/0875 Itemisation or classification of parts, supplies or services, e.g. bill of materials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• 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 20/403 Solvency checks

Abstract

Systems and methods for the authorization and settlement of fleet maintenance and repairs are described. In one embodiment, the system includes an interactive voice recognition system, an acquiring bank system, an issuing bank pre-authorization system, and a fleet services provider pre-authorization system. The interactive voice recognition (IVR) system generally is utilized for handling authorizations and repair data capture for network providers. The acquiring bank system is coupled to the IVR system and, in general, assigns codes to the various requests that may be generated. The issuing bank pre-authorization system is coupled to the interactive voice recognition system and is a database for storing information relating to pre-authorized repair and maintenance services. The issuing bank pre-authorization system also is coupled to a vendor relations system and a merchant class code system. The vendor relations system generally includes both a data and a voice link to the IVR system so that in the event that a particular merchant is not an authorized service provider, a direct link can be established between the merchant and the vendor relations system so that the merchant can be set-up as an authorized provider. The acquiring bank system and pre-authorization system are electronically linked, e.g., via modem, to a credit card system, such as the Master Card system. The credit card system is electronically linked to an issuing bank system, e.g., via modem, so that if the credit card system determines that a charge is valid and authorized, the acquiring bank system actually issues the authorization to a service provider.

Claims

1. An authorization system for authorizing transactions relating to vehicle maintenance or repair on vehicles of a fleet, a fleet service provider having a network of merchants for performing the vehicle maintenance and repair work, said system comprising:

a smart acquirer comprising a processor and a database, said database comprising a pre-authorization table, said smart acquirer processor configured to assign a code from said pre-authorization table to an authorization request received from at least one of the fleet service provider and the merchant, said smart acquirer processor further configured to determine an amount to be paid to the fleet service provider and the merchant for work performed by the merchant upon receipt of a settlement file;

an acquiring bank system comprising a processor for processing an authorization request and code from said smart acquirer to determine whether to authorize work identified in the request, and if the work is authorized, transmitting a settlement file to the smart acquirer.

2. A system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a vendor relations system coupled to said smart acquirer, said vendor relations system comprising an interactive voice recognition system.

3. A system in accordance with claim 1 further comprising a credit card system coupled to said acquiring bank system, said credit card system comprising a processor configured for determining whether a valid charge can be made against a credit card account.

4. A system in accordance with claim 3 further comprising an issuing bank system coupled to said credit card system and configured so that if said acquiring bank system determines that a charge is valid and authorized, said issuing bank system issues or declines an authorization through said credit card system.

5. A system for authorizing work to be performed on a vehicle within a fleet of vehicles by network and non-network service providers and to be paid for by a driver using a credit card, a fleet service provider maintains the network of service providers and negotiates with non-network service providers, said system configured to:

determine whether a merchant is a network provider;

determine whether the credit card is an authorized fleet credit card;

assign a code to a proposed transaction;

issue an authorization based at least in part upon whether the merchant is a network provider, whether the credit card is an authorized fleet credit card, and the assigned code;

receive a settlement amount for work performed on the vehicle by the merchant; and

determine a percentage of the settlement amount to be paid to the fleet service provider and the merchant.

6. A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein to determine whether a merchant is a network provider, said system is configured to determine whether a merchant is identified in a merchant table stored in a database.

7. A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein to determine whether a credit card is an authorized fleet credit card said system is configured to determine whether a credit card is identified in a database.

8. A system in accordance with claim 5 wherein codes assigned to proposed transactions include designations for at least repair work and maintenance work.

9. A method for authorizing transactions related to repair and maintenance work for fleet vehicles, the transactions involving the use of credit cards, and a plurality of merchants having been designated as network service providers and being classified within predetermined classifications, the network of service providers is maintained by a fleet service provider, said method comprising the steps of:

determining whether the credit card is a fleet issued card;

determining whether the credit card is authorized for use in payment for maintenance services;

determining whether the merchant is an authorized merchant;

determining whether the work is maintenance work;

receiving a settlement amount for work performed on a vehicle by the merchant; and

determining a percentage of the settlement amount to be paid to the fleet service provider and the merchant.

10. A fleet maintenance and repair authorization system for authorizing maintenance and repair work on vehicles, said system comprising:

an interactive voice recognition system for handling authorizations and repair data capture for network providers;

an issuing bank pre-authorization system for storing information relating to pre-authorized repair and maintenance services and coupled to said interactive voice recognition system;

an acquiring bank system for assigning codes to the various requests that may be generated and coupled to said interactive voice recognition system;

a vendor relations system coupled to said issuing bank pre-authorization system, said vendor relations system includes at least one of a data and a voice link to said interactive voice recognition system so that in the event that a particular merchant is not an authorized service provider, a direct link can be established between the merchant and the vendor relations system to facilitate merchant set-up as an authorized provider;

a merchant identification system coupled to said issuing bank pre-authorization system; and

a fleet services provider pre-authorization system, said fleet services provider pre-authorization system linked electronically to a credit card system, so that if the credit card system determines that a charge is valid and authorized based on pre-defined criteria, said acquiring bank system issues the authorization to a service provider.

11. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said acquiring bank system coupled to said fleet service providers pre-authorization system, said acquiring bank system configured to assign codes to transactions received from said fleet service providers pre-authorization system.

12. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said merchant identification system matched to pre-authorization table codes for transactions.

13. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said credit card system coupled to said issuing bank pre-authorization system configured for determining whether a valid charge can be made against a credit card account.

14. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein said issuing bank pre-authorization system coupled to said credit card system and configured so that if said issuing bank pre-authorization system determines that a charge is valid and authorized, said issuing bank pre-authorization system issues or declines an authorization through said credit card system.

15. A system in accordance with claim 10 further comprising a service provider and a fleet service provider, wherein said issuing bank pre-authorization system determines a service provider payment and a fleet service provider payment.

16. A system in accordance with claim 15 wherein said issuing bank pre-authorization system transmits said service provider payment to said service provider and transmits a fleet service provider payment to said fleet service provider.

17. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein to determine whether a merchant is a network provider, said system is configured to determine whether a merchant is identified in a merchant table stored in a database.

18. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein to determine whether a credit card is an authorized fleet credit card, said system is configured to determine whether a credit card is identified in the centralized database.

19. A system in accordance with claim 10 wherein codes assigned to proposed transactions include designations for at least repair work and maintenance work.

20. A method for managing maintenance and repair transactions for a fleet of vehicles using a network-based authorization system including a server system coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a fleet service provider to maintain a network of merchants for performing maintenance and repair work on the vehicles;

determining the classification of a merchant based on pre-determined criteria and determining whether the merchant is an authorized merchant;

directing the merchant to an interactive voice recognition system;

determining whether the work to be performed is an authorized work;

issuing an authorization for the work to be performed;

receiving a settlement amount for work performed on a vehicle by the merchant; and

determining a percentage of the settlement amount to be paid to the fleet service provider and the merchant.

21. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein the authorization system further includes an interactive voice recognition system coupled to a pre-authorization system, and wherein if the merchant is not an authorized network merchant, the merchant is directed by the interactive voice recognition system to a vendor relations group to enable collection of information.

22. A method in accordance with claim 20 wherein said method further comprises the step of assigning a code to the transaction, the code indicating whether the transaction relates to repair and maintenance work.