System and method for selecting an account

• US 6,685,088 B1
• Filed: 12/13/2002
• Issued: 02/03/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Royer, Coby, Armes, David
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THIEN MINH
• Application Number:
  US10/318,438
• Time in Patent Office: 417 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380,381,382,382.5,379,375 705/72,71,1,42,10,65
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

A selecta-card system and method is disclosed which provides a means to use a single transaction card to facilitate transactions with a variety of transaction account devices. Accordingly, multiple accounts are associated with a selecta-card by pre-selected account identification numbers. To facilitate a transaction with a selecta-card, a cardholder enrolls in a selecta-card account system, providing account identification numbers corresponding to desired cardholder-identified transaction accounts. When making a purchase, the cardholder swipes the selecta-card through a remote terminal such as a POS device, wherein the selecta-card number is read and communicated to a selecta-card provider. To choose which transaction account to use for the purchase, the cardholder inputs an account identification number corresponding to a pre-defined transaction account, the selecta-card provider retrieves the corresponding transaction account and processes cardholder transaction request accordingly.

Claims

1. A transaction card system, comprising:

a selecta-card number;

a plurality of account identification numbers wherein a first account identification number is associated with a first transaction account and a second account identification number is associated with a second transaction account;

a selecta-card transaction processor configured to receive said selecta-card number and one or more of said plurality of account identification numbers to identify a specified transaction account.

2. The transaction card system of claim 1, further comprising a remote terminal with a keypad configured to communicate said selecta-card number and one or more of said plurality of account identification numbers to said selecta-card transaction processor.

3. The transaction card system of claim 1, further comprising:

a look-up database comprising transaction account information, a plurality of account identification numbers and selecta-card numbers;

wherein said look-up database is configured to identify transaction accounts based on the combination of a selecta-card number and said plurality of account identification numbers.

4. The transaction card system of claim 3, further comprising:

said selecta-card transaction processor, wherein said processor is configured to generate secondary transaction requests; and

one or more transaction processors configured to transmit said secondary transaction requests.

5. The transaction card system of claim 1, further comprising an internal transaction processor configured to facilitate cardholder transaction account processing.

6. The transaction card system of claim 1, further comprising:

a card processing network in communication with said selecta-card transaction processor;

a debit servicer; and

a debit gateway configured to communicate with said card processing network.

7. A transaction card system comprising:

a selecta-card card bearing a magnetic strip, wherein said magnetic strip encodes a selecta-card number;

a plurality of account identification numbers wherein a first account identification number is associated with a first transaction account and a second account identification number is associated with a second transaction account;

a selecta-card transaction processor configured to receive said selecta-card number and one or more of said plurality of account identification numbers so as to identify a specified transaction account.

8. A selecta-card process comprising the steps of:

receiving transaction request information from a cardholder via a remote terminal, wherein said request comprises a cardholder selecta-card number and an account identification number; and

processing said selecta-card number and said account identification number to determine which cardholder transaction account is associated therewith.

9. The selecta-card process of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

receiving transaction request information, via a remote terminal, from said cardholder;

determining if said transaction request information and said associated transaction account involves an internal transaction account;

communicating said transaction request information to an internal transaction processor if an internal transaction account is identified; and

processing said transaction request information with said associated transaction account to facilitate a cardholder transaction.

10. The selecta-card process of claim 9, wherein said transaction account is any one of the following:

a stored value account, a credit card account, a charge card account, or a debit card account.

11. The selecta-card process of claim 8, further comprising the steps of:

determining if said transaction request information and said associated transaction account involves an external transaction account; and

communicating said transaction request information to a third party financial institution via a card processing network to facilitate a cardholder transaction if said associated transaction account involves an external transaction account.

12. The selecta-card process of claim 11, wherein said transaction account is any one of the following:

a stored value account, a credit card account, a charge card account;

or a debit card account.

13. The selecta-card process of claim 8, wherein said remote terminal is a card reader.

14. The selecta-card process of claim 8, further comprising a settlement process comprising the steps of:

processing request for payment to said merchant when said merchant submits a settlement record;

recording transactions processed with a selecta-card as settlement records in a settlement table; and

paying said merchant.