Airline ticket payment and reservation system and methods

• US 7,117,183 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2004
• Issued: 10/03/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/31/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Seifert, Dean, Blair, Paul, Hansen, Kurt L.
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Application Number:
  US10/767,365
• Publication Number:
  US 20040210476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 979 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 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• 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 20/0457 the tickets being sent electronically
• 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 20/367 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 30/0268 : at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 : Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 : Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 : Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 99/00 : Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 : for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• 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

A method for accepting payments from a consumer for a travel ticket from a travel company comprises receiving at a point of sale device a transaction request that includes a transaction identifier that identifies a travel arrangement made with the travel company and a payment amount. The payment amount and the transaction identifier is transmitted to a host computer system for validation. Also, a validation from the host computer system is received indicating that the transaction requested has been validated. A payment is received from the consumer, and at least a portion of the payment is electronically transmitted to the travel company.

Claims

1. A method for accepting payments from a consumer for a travel ticket from a travel company, the method comprising:

receiving at a point of sale device at a payment service provider location a transaction request that includes a transaction identifier that identifies a travel arrangement made with the travel company and a payment amount;

transmitting the payment amount and the transaction identifier to a host computer system for validation;

receiving a validation from the host computer system indicating that the transaction requested has been validated;

wherein the host computer system is operated by a payment service provider separate from the travel company, and wherein the host computer system includes a set of identifiers forming a database of customer travel arrangements;

receiving a payment from the consumer, wherein the consumer is physically present at the payment service provider location; and

electronically transmitting at least a portion of the payment to the travel company.

2. The method as in claim 1 further comprising storing a record of the payment and the associated transaction request in a database.

3. The method as in claim 1 further comprising contacting an airline reservation system to stage the transaction and obtain the transaction identifier and the payment amount prior to receiving the transaction request at the point of sale device.

4. The method as in claim 1 further comprising transmitting to the travel company a confirmation that the payment was made by the consumer.

5. The method as in claim 1 wherein sending at least the portion of the payment to the travel company comprises electronically sending at least the portion of the payment to an account of the travel company.

6. The method as in claim 3 further comprising electronically transmitting from the host computer system to the travel reservation system a request to validate the transaction request.

11. The method as in claim 1 further comprising providing a confirmation to the consumer after the receiving the payment.

12. The method as in claim 11 wherein the confirmation comprises a paper receipt.

13. The method as in claim 11 wherein the confirmation comprises a travel ticket.

14. The method as in claim 1 wherein the transaction request further includes the consumer'"'"'s name.

7. The method as 6 further comprising receiving from the travel reservation system a response to the request to validate the transaction, wherein the response includes an expected payment, and further comprising comparing at the host computer system the expected payment with the payment amount.

8. The method as in claim 7 wherein the validation is transmitted from the host computer system to the point of sale device if the expected payment matches the payment amount.

9. The method as in claim 8 wherein the validation further includes the expected payment in a currency where the point of sale device is located.

10. The method as in claim 8 wherein an error message is transmitted to the point of sale device is the expected payment does not match the payment amount, and further comprising re-entering the payment amount at the point of sale device.

15. A method for facilitating a payment from a consumer for travel tickets sold by a travel company, the method comprising:

receiving at a host computer system from a money transfer location a transaction request that includes a confirmation identifier and a payment amount generated by a travel reservation system that relates to a travel arrangement made with the travel company, wherein the host computer system is operated by a payment service provider separate from the travel company, and wherein the host computer system includes a set of identifiers forming a database of customer travel arrangement, and wherein the payment amount was made while the consumer was at a payment service provider location;

transmitting the confirmation identifier to the travel reservation system from the host computer system for validation;

receiving a confirmation from the travel reservation system that includes an expected payment amount;

comparing at the host computer system the expected payment with the payment amount; and

transmitting a validation to a money transfer location if the expected payment is the same as the payment amount.

16. A method as in claim 15, further comprising transmitting an error message to the money transfer location is the expected payment is different from the payment amount.

17. A method as in claim 15, further comprising receiving at the host computer system an indication that the payment amount has been received at the money transfer location, and transmitting a request to electronically transfer at least a portion of the payment amount to an account of the travel company.

18. A method facilitating a payment from a consumer for travel tickets sold by a travel company, the method comprising:

receiving a reservation request for a travel arrangement offered by a travel company;

storing a reservation in a travel reservation system that includes a confirmation identifier and a ticket price;

receiving a confirmation identifier from a host computer system along with a request to validate the confirmation identifier, wherein the host computer system is operated by a payment service provider separate from the travel company, and wherein the host computer system includes a set of identifiers forming a database of customer travel arrangements; and

transmitting from the reservation system to the host computer system an expected payment that is associated with the received confirmation identifier, wherein the expected payment is to be paid at a payment service provider location operated by the payment service provider, wherein the expected payment is to be made while a consumer is physically present at the payment service provider location.

19. A method as in claim 18, further comprising receiving a country code from the host computer system and transmitting to the host computer system customer service information related to the country code.

20. A method as in claim 18, further comprising receiving a currency code at the reservation system and transmitting to the host computer system the expected payment in a currency corresponding to the currency code.

21. A point of sale system for accepting payments from a consumer for a travel ticket from a travel company, the system comprising:

a processor;

an input device;

a communication device; and

a storage medium, wherein the storage medium includes instructions executable by the processor to;

receive a transaction request input from the input device that includes a transaction identifier that identifies a travel arrangement made with the travel company and a payment amount;

transmit the payment amount and the transaction identifier to a host computer system for validation using the communication device, wherein the host computer system is operated by a payment service provider separate from the travel company, and wherein the host computer system includes a set of identifiers forming a database of customer travel arrangements;

receive a validation from the host computer system indicating that the transaction requested has been validated using the communication device;

receive an indication of payment from the consumer using the input devices, wherein the payment amount is made by a consumer while physically present at the point-of-sale device; and

electronically transmit a message of the payment to a host computer system using the communication device so that at least a portion of the payment may be transmitted to the travel company.

22. The system as in claim 21 further comprising a printer adapted for printing a receipt.

23. A host computer system for facilitating payments from a consumer to a travel company for a travel ticket issued from a travel company, the system comprising:

a processor;

an input device;

an output device; and

a storage medium, wherein the storage medium includes instructions executable by the processor to;

receive from a money transfer location using the input device a transaction request that includes a confirmation identifier and a payment amount generated by a travel reservation system that relates to a travel arrangement made with the travel company;

transmit the confirmation identifier using the output device to the travel reservation system for validation;

receive a confirmation from the travel reservation system that includes an expected payment amount, wherein the expected payment amount is made at a payment service provider location separate from the travel company while the consumer is physically present at the payment service provider location;

compare the expected payment with the payment amount; and

transmit a validation to a money transfer location if the expected payment is the same as the payment amount.