System and method for providing feedback in an interactive payment system

• US 6,601,759 B2
• Filed: 10/04/2001
• Issued: 08/05/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Birbara, Linda H., Van Winkle, Laura K., Fife, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sanders, Allyson
• Application Number:
  US09/970,838
• Publication Number:
  US 20020082989A1
• Time in Patent Office: 670 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375,380,381,492 705/41,71,26,27,77
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/201 Accessories of ATMs

Abstract

A system and method for presentation of feedback cues to a user of an interactive payment system is disclosed, wherein in one application, a payment product logo is displayed substantially concurrent with user entry of a payment product identifier, such as a credit card number. The subject invention further provides for the reduction of user confusion and errors with respect to entry of information related to a payment transaction. Moreover, the invention provides for reinforcement of payment product and/or service loyalty and branding.

Claims

1. A method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction, comprising the steps of:

receiving data substantially corresponding to a method of payment associated with a financial instrument;

analyzing said data to determine the type of associated financial instrument;

correlating said analyzed data with at least a suitably adapted cue corresponding to said financial instrument; and

presenting said cue.

2. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 1, wherein said received data is substantially correlated to at least one of a credit card account number, stored value account number and a charge account number.

3. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 2, where said received data comprises biometric information.

4. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 1, wherein said step of analyzing said received data further comprises parsing the data to determine at least one of a BIN number, a checksum, indicia of fraud, merchant product capabilities, member group, issuing locale, loyalty points and eligibility for promotions based on product type.

5. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 1, wherein said cue is at least one of a visual cue, an audible cue, a tactile cue, a kinesthetic cue and an olfactory cue.

6. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 5, wherein said visual cue is a graphic user interface cue.

7. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 6, wherein said graphic user interface cue is an icon.

8. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 7, wherein said presentation of said icon comprises display on at least one of a Bluetooth appliance, a wireless phone, a PDA, a smartcard, a smartcard reader, a transponder and a transponder reader.

9. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 1, wherein said presentation of said cue is substantially concurrent with said reception of said data.

10. A method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction, comprising the steps of:

receiving data substantially corresponding to a method of payment associated with a financial instrument;

analyzing said data to determine the type of associated financial instrument;

correlating said analyzed data with at least a suitably adapted cue corresponding to said financial instrument; and

presenting said cue substantially concurrent with said reception of said data.

11. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 10, wherein said received data is substantially correlated to at least one of a credit card account number, stored value account number and a charge account number.

12. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 11, wherein said received data comprises biometric information.

13. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 10, wherein said step of analyzing said received data further comprises parsing the data to determine at least one of a BIN number, a checksum, indicia of fraud, merchant product capabilities, member group, issuing locale, loyalty points and eligibility for promotions based on product type.

14. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 10, wherein said cue is at least one of a visual cue, an audible cue, a tactile cue, a kinesthetic cue and an olfactory cue.

15. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 14, wherein said visual cue is a graphic user interface cue.

16. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 15, wherein said graphic user interface cue is an icon.

17. The method for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 16, wherein said presentation of said icon comprises display on at least one of a Bluetooth appliance, a wireless phone, a PDA, a smartcard, a smartcard reader, a transponder and a transponder reader.

18. A system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction, comprising:

means for receiving data substantially corresponding to a method of payment associated with a financial instrument;

means for analyzing said data to determine the type of financial instrument;

means for correlating said analyzed data to retrieve at least a suitably adapted cue corresponding to said financial instrument; and

means for presenting said cue.

19. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 18, wherein the means for data entry comprise at least one of a monitor, a keyboard, a keypad, a Bluetooth appliance, a mouse, a stylus, a lightpen, a digitizing tablet, a touch screen, a biometric device, a smartcard, a smartcard reader, a transponder, a transponder reader and speech recognition.

20. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 18, wherein said means for analyzing said received data comprises a data processor.

21. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 20, wherein said data processor further comprises a multifunction CPU.

22. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 18, wherein said means for analyzing received data comprises at least one suitably adapted datastore.

23. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 18, wherein said means for correlating received data comprises at least one suitably adapted datastore.

24. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 18, where said means for analyzing received data and said means for correlating said received data comprise a single, suitably adapted datastore.

25. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to any one of claims 22, wherein said datastore is at least one of an LDAP-compliant database, a relational database, a flat-file, an SQL-compliant database and an XML cache.

26. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to any one of claims 23, wherein said datastore is at least one of an LDAP-compliant database, a relational database, a flat-file, an SQL-compliant database and an XML cache.

27. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to any one of claims 24, wherein said datastore is at least one of an LDAP-compliant database, a relational database, a flat-file, an SQL-compliant database and an XML cache.

28. The system for providing feedback in an interactive payment transaction according to claim 18, wherein said presentation means include at least one of a monitor, a Bluetooth appliance, a wireless phone, a PDA, a smartcard, a smartcard reader, a transponder and a transponder reader.

29. A system for receiving feedback in an interactive payment transaction, comprising:

means for a payor to enter data corresponding to a method of payment associated with a financial instrument;

means for receiving said payor-entered data;

means for analyzing said data to determine the type of associated financial instrument;

means for correlating said analyzed data with at least a suitably adapted cue corresponding to said financial instrument; and

means for presenting said cue to said payor.

30. The system for receiving feedback according to claim 29, wherein said means for presenting said cue to said payor further comprises means for presenting said cue substantially concurrent with said entry of said payor-entered data.

31. The system for receiving feedback according to claim 29, wherein said cue comprises at least one of a visual cue, an audible cue, a tactile cue, a kinesthetic cue and an olfactory cue.

32. A system for providing visual feedback in an interactive electronic payment transaction, comprising:

means for receiving customer data substantially corresponding to a financial instrument comprising at least one of a credit card account number, stored value account number and a charge account number;

means for analyzing said customer data to determine the type of financial instrument;

means for correlating said analyzed customer data to retrieve at least a suitably adapted visual cue corresponding to said financial instrument; and

means for presenting said visual cue to the customer substantially concurrent with said reception of said customer data.