System and method for using a multiple-use credit card

• US 6,732,919 B2
• Filed: 02/19/2002
• Issued: 05/11/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Inventors: Macklin, Lee, Pinsky, Maria, Kraemer, Jessica
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US10/078,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20030155416A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/330
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• 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 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The present invention includes a system and method for facilitating financial transactions including a device configured to interface with a multi-use card, using information from a multi-use card to access a database that includes account information for accounts at multiple financial institutions, presenting the associated account information to a user, accepting a selection from the user of a selected account and posting the charges onto the selected account.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating financial transactions comprising:

a terminal device configured to interface with a multi-use card, wherein said multi-use card was initially issued by an independent financial institution to represent a single independent credit account with said financial institution prior to use as a multi-use card, to present multi-use card information to a user, and to receive an input designating a selected account from said user;

a database storing account information for accounts at multiple financial institutions pertaining to said multi-use card; and

a processor configured to access said database, to send information to said terminal device, to receive information from said terminal device and said database, and to generate charges on said selected account wherein said processor queries said database to determine the types of accounts that can be used for said financial transactions and limits the information sent to said terminal device to said accounts that can be used for said financial transactions.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein said terminal device includes a card reader configured to read said multi-use card and a display screen configured to display information associated with said multi-use card.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein said display screen is a touch screen.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein said multi-use card is a credit card.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein said database is stored remotely and wherein said system further comprises:

a remotely located platform hosting said database; and

a communications system connecting said remotely located platform with said terminal device.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein said processor is configured to communicate via an Internet.

7. The system of claim 6 wherein said system is configured to permit a modification of said account information remotely.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein said generation of said charges is accomplished by providing selected account information to a retailer.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein said accounts are related to credit card issuers.

10. The system of claim 1 wherein said accounts are related to banking institutions.

11. A method for facilitating transactions comprising:

storing account information in a database, associating said account information with accounts at at least one financial institution, wherein said accounts are identified by electronic information on a multi-use card, wherein said multi-use card was initially issued by an independent financial institution to represent a single independent credit account with said financial institution prior to use as a multi-use card;

receiving said electronic information from said multi-use card;

accessing said account information on said database using said electronic information from said multi-use card;

presenting a plurality of account selection options representing said account information to a user wherein said plurality of account selection options is limited to accounts capable of facilitating said financial transaction;

accepting a selection designating a selected account from said plurality of account selection options; and

generating charges on said selected account.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein said receiving step further includes:

reading data from a card reader.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein said presenting step further includes:

displaying said account information on a display screen.

14. The method of claim 11 wherein said multi-use card is a credit card.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein said accessing step further includes:

communicating via an internet.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

modifying said account information remotely.

17. The method of claim 11 wherein said generating charges step further includes:

providing selected account information to the retailer.

18. The method of claim 11 wherein said accounts are related to credit card institutions.

19. The method of claim 11 wherein said accounts are related to banking institutions.

20. A method for providing access to multiple credit accounts via a single credit card, wherein said single credit card is to be used as a multi-use card, and was initially issued by an independent financial institution to represent a single independent credit account with said financial institution, wherein each account has an issued credit card, comprising:

identifying at least two independent credit accounts that are to be accessible via a single credit card;

storing information for each of said at least two independent credit accounts in a database;

designating a credit card for one of said at least two independent credit accounts as a multi-use credit card; and

associating said stored information for each of said at least two independent accounts with said designated multi-use credit card, wherein a user may use said multi-use credit card to complete financial transactions involving any of a selected one of said at least two independent credit accounts.