Cashless transactions without credit cards, debit cards or checks

• US 6,678,664 B1
• Filed: 04/26/1999
• Issued: 01/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Checkfree Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ganesan, Ravi
• Primary Examiner(s): Akers, Geoffrey R.
• Application Number:
  US09/299,102
• Time in Patent Office: 1,723 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 705/39, 364/406
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing

Abstract

Cashless transactions are performed by transmitting information identifying a purchaser of a product without identifying a payment account for the purchaser. The transmitted identifying information is received at a central processing point and processed to determine if the purchaser is a registered purchaser. A notice confirming registration, which may take the form of a purchase authorization, is transmitted from the central processing point if the purchaser is determined to be registered. The transmitted notice is received at the point of purchase and a bill is generated for the purchased product responsive to receipt of the notice.

Claims

1. A method for performing cashless transactions, comprising the steps:

transmitting information identifying a purchaser of a product without identifying a payment account for the purchaser;

receiving the transmitted identifying information at a central processing point;

processing the received identifying information at the central processing point to determine if the purchaser is a registered purchaser;

transmitting a notice confirming registration, from the central processing point, if the purchaser is determined to be a registered purchaser;

receiving the transmitted notice at the point of purchase; and

generating, at the point of purchase, a bill for the purchased product responsive to receipt of the notice.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

scanning a document to obtain the information identifying the purchaser.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the document is a government issued document.

4. A method according to claim 2, wherein the document is one of a drivers license and a passport.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the payment account includes one of credited funds and deposited funds.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting a purchase price of the product;

processing the received purchase price at the central processing point to determine if the purchase price exceeds a threshold amount; and

transmitting an authorization for the purchase if the purchase price is determined not to exceed the threshold amount.

7. A method according to claim 6, wherein the purchase price is transmitted from the point of purchase.

8. A method according to claim 6, wherein the notice and the authorization are transmitted as a unitary transmission.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

printing the generated bill at the point of purchase.

10. A method according to claim 9, further comprising the steps of:

obtaining a signature of the purchaser on the printed bill; and

digitizing the obtained signature.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the generated bill from the point of purchase; and

receiving the transmitted bill at the central processing point.

12. A method according to claim 11, further comprising the steps of:

centrally processing the transmitted bill to generate billing information representing the bill; and

storing the billing information in a central database so as to be accessible to the purchaser.

13. A method according to claim 12, further comprising the steps of:

associating a digitized signature of the purchaser with the bill at the point of purchaser;

transmitting the associated digitized signature from the point of purchase; and

storing the transmitted digitized signature in the central database with the stored billing information.

14. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the generated bill from the point of purchase;

receiving the transmitted bill at the central processing point;

selecting one of immediate payment of the bill and delayed payment of the bill;

centrally processing the transmitted bill to generate billing information representing the bill; and

storing the billing information in a central database so as to be accessible to the purchaser only if delayed payment is selected.

15. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

transmitting the generated bill from the point of purchase;

receiving the transmitted bill at the central processing point;

selecting one of immediate payment of the bill and delay payment of the bill; and

centrally processing the transmitted bill to automatically generate a directive to pay the transmitted bill if immediate payment is selected.

16. A method according to claim 1, wherein the information identifying the purchaser is transmitted to the central processing point from the point of purchase.

17. A cashless transaction network, comprising:

a central processing station configured to receive information identifying a purchaser of a product without identifying a payment account for the purchaser, to process the received identifying information to determine if the purchaser is a registered purchaser, and to transmit a notice confirming registration if the purchaser is determined to be a registered purchaser; and

a point of sale station configured to receive the transmitted notice, and to generate a bill for the purchased product responsive to the receipt of the notice.

18. A network according to claim 17, wherein the point of sale station is further configured to transmit the information identifying the purchaser to the central processing station.

19. A network according to claim 17, wherein the point of sale station includes a scanner configured to read the information identifying the purchaser from a document.

20. A network according to claim 17, wherein:

the point of sale station is further configured to transmit a purchase price of the product;

the central processing station is further configured to process the received purchase price to determine if the received purchase price exceeds a threshold amount; and

the notice includes a purchase authorization if the purchase price is determined not to exceed the threshold amount.

21. A network according to claim 17, wherein the point of sale station includes a printer configured to print the generated bill.

22. A network according to claim 21, wherein the point of sale station includes a electronic signature pad configured to digitize a signature of the purchaser on the printed bill.

23. A network according to claim 22, wherein the point of sale station is further configured to transmit the generated bill and the digitized signature to the central processing station.

24. A network according to claim 23, wherein the central processing station is further configured to receive the transmitted bill and the transmitted digitized signature, to store information corresponding to the received bill and the received digitized signature so as to be accessible to the purchaser.

25. A network according to claim 17, wherein the point of sale station is further configured to transmit the generated bill to the central processing station.

26. A network according to claim 25, wherein the central processing station is further configured to process the transmitted bill to generate billing information representing the bill, and includes a central database configured to store the billing information so as to be accessible to the purchaser.

27. A network according to claim 26, wherein:

the point of sale station includes an input device configured to receive an input representing a selection of one of immediate payment of the bill and delayed payment of the bill, and is further configured to generate payment selection information representing the input payment selection and transmit the payment selection information to the central processing station; and

the central processing station is further configured to direct the storage of the billing information in a central database only if the transmitted payment selection information represents the selection of delayed payment, and to automatically direct payment of the purchase only if the transmitted payment selection information represents the selection of immediate payment.

28. A system for cashless transaction system, comprising:

a processor configured to receive information identifying a purchaser of a product to be purchased from any one of a plurality of different sellers, without identifying a payment account for the purchaser, to transmit a purchase authorization, to receive a bill corresponding to a purchase price of the product, to generate billing information representing the received bill; and

a memory configured to store the billing information so as to be accessible to the purchaser on request.

29. A system according to claim 28, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive payment type selection information representing a selection of one of immediate payment and delayed payment,

to direct storage of the generated billing information in the memory if the received payment type selection information represents the selection of delayed payment, and

to automatically direct payment of the purchase price only if the received payment type selection information represents the selection of immediate payment.

30. A cashless transaction network, comprising:

a plurality of point of sale stations representing a plurality of different sellers; and

a central processing station configured to receive information from each of the plurality of point of sale stations, the received information identifying a plurality of different purchasers of different products without identifying payment accounts for the plurality of different purchasers, to process the received identifying information to determine if each of the plurality of purchasers is a registered purchaser, and to transmit notices confirming registration of those of the plurality of purchasers determined to be registered;

wherein the plurality of point of sale stations are configured to receive the transmitted notices, and to generate bills, each representing a purchase price of the one of the respective purchased products being purchased by those of the plurality of purchasers determined to be registered, responsive to receipt of the notices.

31. A network according to claim 30, wherein the plurality of point of sale stations are further configured to transmit the generated bills to the central processing station and the central processing station is further configured to generate billing information representing the transmitted bills, and further comprising:

a central database configured to store the billing information so as to be accessible to those of the plurality of purchasers determined to be registered.