Electronic identifier payment systems and methods

• US 7,107,249 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2002
• Issued: 09/12/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Dively, Keith W., Hansen, Kurt L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Application Number:
  US10/112,258
• Publication Number:
  US 20020169719A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,628 Days
• Field of Search: 705/14, 705/16, 705/26, 705/34, 705/35, 705 39- 45, 705 65- 67, 705 74- 78, 235375-381, 379/114
• US Class Current: 705/74
• 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 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0855 involving a third party
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/1085 involving automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/3433 the counter having monetary units
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/351 Virtual cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3672 initialising or reloading thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 : insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 : Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/383 : Anonymous user system
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 : using an alias or single-use codes
• 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 20/401 : Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 : Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0207 : Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0224 : based on user history
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0234 : Rebates after completed purchase
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 : Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0267 : Wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0273 : Determination of fees for advertising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 : Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/02 : by keys or other credit registering devices
• 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

Abstract

Systems and methods for accepting payments for goods and services provided by a consumer provider. The methods can include associating consumers and consumer providers with a payment provider. The payment provider can receive payments destined for the consumer provider, associate the payments with one or more identifiers, and transfer at least portions of the receive payments to the consumer provider. The systems can include a point-of-sale device configured to accept payments from consumers on behalf of consumer providers. In some cases, the systems include a plurality of such point-of-sale devices in communication with a payment provider control. The payment provider control can be in communication with one or more consumer provider controls.

Claims

1. A payment service method, which comprises the steps of:

a) a payment service provider contracting with a client to provide payment accounts to customers of the client, wherein a customer of the client enrolls with the payment service provider and thereafter pays funds into the payment account and uses the funds to purchase goods or services from the client;

b) the payment service provider receiving account information comprising a set of account identifiers for the customers from the client, the set of identifiers forming a database comprising existing and future customer accounts, the set of identifiers being formatted into a customer database, the customer database being operated by the payment service provider;

c) storing the account information in the consumer database;

d) receiving a request from the customer to make a payment to a client account, wherein the customer is physically present at a payment service provider location;

e) receiving identifying information from the customer;

f) using the database to verify status of the client account;

g) the payment service provider receiving a payment from the customer to purchase goods or services;

h) using a computer to establish the payment account with the payment service provider for the customer, wherein the computer is capable of communicating with a storage medium;

i) storing the payment account in the storage medium;

j) the payment service provider issuing and assigning a unique identifier to the customer after enrolling with the payment service provider and for purposes of making payments, wherein the unique identifier is configured to provide the customer with access to the payment account to make further payments from the payment account without providing the identifying information;

k) crediting the payment account in an amount corresponding to the payment;

l) using a wire transfer to transfer the funds from the payment account to the client account upon receipt of the payment; and

m) printing a receipt for the customer, the receipt including the unique identifier and a commercial message to the customer.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial message includes a coupon.

3. The method of claim 2, which includes the additional step of identifying said payment account solely by the unique identifier.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial message is from the client.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the commercial message is from a third party that does not compete with the client.

6. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional step of:

a) maintaining the anonymity of the customer.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the unique identifier is a single, exclusive identifier and wherein the method includes the additional step of utilizing the single, exclusive identifier for the customer and associating the exclusive identifier with the payment account.

8. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional step of establishing an additional payment account for the customer and associating the additional payment account with an additional client.

9. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional step of said payment service provider reporting to the client activity associated with customers of said client.

10. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) said payment service provider maintaining an agent network; and

b) said customers communicating with said payment service provider through said agent network.

11. The method of claim 10, which includes the additional steps of:

a) enrolling the customers with said payment service provider through said agent network; and

b) said payment service provider paying a fee to an agent in the agent network for each of the customers enrolled by the agent.

12. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional step of:

(a) formatting a customer database of the client for use by the payment service provider.

13. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) establishing with said payment service provider an account group comprising the customers of the client; and

b) activating individual accounts upon enrollment of the customers.

14. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) the client designating products for the payment service;

b) the client designating payment denominations for each of the designated products;

c) establishing payment service provider fees;

d) inputting pricing bands based on the number of the customers of the client for the products;

e) inputting principle ranges for the products;

f) inputting associated fees for the products; and

g) setting a variable fee schedule for the payment service provider.

15. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) setting criteria for customer eligibility for said payment accounts; and

b) excluding ineligible customers from a database of eligible customers for said payment accounts.

16. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) activating a card for said customer; and

b) storing the unique identifier on the card.

17. The method of claim 16, which includes the additional step of:

a) concealing the unique identifier on the card.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein said card comprises one of the group comprising:

a credit card;

a debit card; and

a prepay card.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the customer interfaces with the payment service provider by one of a method from among the group consisting of:

a) telephone with voice recognition;

b) Internet global computer network;

c) mail;

d) in person;

e) e-mail; and

f) point-of-sale (POS) terminal with card reader.

20. The method of claim 1 which includes the additional steps of:

a) the payment service provider tabulating advertising and coupon impressions for the client;

b) the payment service provider tabulating coupon redemptions for the client;

c) the client paying the payment service provider for impressions;

d) the client paying the payment service provider for redemptions;

e) collecting customer data from coupon redemptions; and

f) reporting coupon redemption customer data to the client.

21. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) setting an interval for a discounted payment service;

b) counting customer payments; and

c) discounting a customer payment upon reaching said interval.

22. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) displaying a new customer screen upon enrollment of a new customer by said payment service provider;

b) capturing enrollment information concerning said new customer; and

c) promoting other services of one of said payment service provider and said client to said customer.

23. The method of claim 1 which includes the additional steps of:

a) establishing a maximum permissible inactivity period;

b) logging customer transactions and comparing same to said maximum inactivity period;

c) detecting accounts which exceed said maximum allowable inactivity period; and

d) retiring said accounts which exceed the maximum allowable inactivity period.

24. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) tracking customer transaction recurrences;

b) monitoring customer retention;

c) metering future marketing and rebate programs for the client based on transaction recurrences and customer retention; and

d) the payment service provider providing customer transaction records to the client.

25. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) setting a required number of transactions for rebate with the client;

b) counting said transactions with the client; and

c) rebating the cost of customer cards to the client upon reaching the number of transactions required for rebate eligibility.

26. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) the client identifying products to the payment service provider;

b) displaying the products to the customer;

c) the customer selecting one or more of the products to pay on;

d) the customer selecting one or more amounts to pay on the selected products; and

e) making said selected payments on said selected products.

27. The method of claim 1, which includes the additional steps of:

a) providing client-specific advertising;

b) the payment service provider enrolling customers for the client; and

c) the customer and the payment service provider selecting features and pricing offered by the client.