Alternative payment devices using electronic check processing as a payment mechanism

• US 7,350,697 B2
• Filed: 08/11/2006
• Issued: 04/01/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/26/2002
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated), Western Union
• Inventors: Mollett, Cassandra, Swift, Amy, Tidwell, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Le; Thien M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): TAYLOR, APRIL ALICIA
• Application Number:
  US11/503,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20060273165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 599 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 705/16, 705/17, 705/26, 705 39- 41, 705/45, 705/29
• US Class Current: 235/375
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/0425 the cheque being electronic only
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• 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 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/04 by paper currency

Abstract

The present invention includes a merchant system that recognizes virtually any payment device or technology that uses electronic check processing as a payment mechanism. For example, the merchant system associates presentation of the payment device with information used to electronically debit a checking account, such as MICR data, and submits the same to a transaction processor capable of settling electronic debit transactions.

Claims

1. A merchant system configured to accept as payment for goods or services the presentation by a payor of a payment device other than a paper check, a credit card or a debit card, the merchant system comprising:

a payment device other than a paper check, a credit card or a debit card, where presentation of the payment device for goods or services indicates that funds are to be drawn on a checking account of a payor to pay for the goods or services, wherein the payment device comprises a transponder;

a point of sale device which receives from the payment device, identification information wherein the identification information does not contain MICR data; and

one or more computing devices which use the identification information to provide a transaction processing system with information to perform a risk assessment associated with the checking account and upon a result of the risk assessment, to transfer through a clearinghouse system at least a portion of the funds from the checking account as payment for the goods or services.

2. The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the transponder comprises one or more loyalty cards.

3. The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the transponder comprises one or more smart cards.

4. The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the transponder comprises a computing device.

5. The merchant system of claim 4, wherein the transponder comprises a personal digital assistant.

6. The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the transponder comprises a mobile telephone.

7. The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the point of sale device comprises a wireless receiver.

8. The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the point of sale device comprises a magnetic strip reader.

9. The merchant system of claim 1, further comprising an enrollment transaction designed to determine whether the payor meets predetermined criteria set by the merchant system.

10. The merchant system of claim 1, wherein the one or more computing devices receive results from the transaction processing system.

11. The merchant system of claim 10, wherein the results include an authorization to accept the presentation of the payment device as payment for the goods or services.

12. A merchant system configured to accept as payment for goods or services the presentation by a payor of a payment device other than a paper check, a credit card or a debit card, the merchant system comprising:

a payment device other than a paper check, a credit card or a debit card, where presentation of the payment device for goods or services indicates that funds are to be drawn on a checking account of a payor to pay for the goods or services, wherein the payment device comprises a transponder;

a point of sale device which receives from the payment device, identification information; and

one or more computing devices which use the identification information to provide a transaction processing system with information to perform a risk assessment associated with the checking account and upon a result of the risk assessment, to transfer through a clearinghouse system at least a portion of the funds from the checking account as payment for the goods or services, wherein the one or more computing devices include gateway computing devices which allow secondary merchants to accept presentation of the payment device for goods and services.

13. The merchant system of claim 12, wherein the point of sale device comprises a wireless receiver.

14. The merchant system of claim 12, wherein the point of sale device comprises a magnetic strip reader.

15. A merchant system configured to accept as payment for goods or services the presentation by a payor of a payment device other than a paper check, a credit card or a debit card, the merchant system comprising:

a payment device other than a paper check, a credit card or a debit card, where presentation of the payment device for goods or services indicates that funds are to be drawn on a checking account of a payor to pay for the goods or services, wherein the payment device comprises a transponder;

a point of sale device which receives from the payment device, identification information; and

one or more computing devices which use the identification information to provide a transaction processing system with sufficient information to perform a risk assessment associated with the checking account and upon a result of the risk assessment, to transfer through a clearinghouse system at least a portion of the funds from the checking account as payment for the goods or services, wherein the one or more computing devices receive results from the transaction processing system and wherein the results include an authorization to enroll the payor with the merchant system by providing the payor with the payment device.

16. The merchant computing system of claim 15, wherein the transponder comprises one or more loyalty cards.

17. The merchant system of claim 15, wherein the transponder comprises one or more smart cards.

18. The merchant computing system of claim 15, wherein the transponder comprises a computing device.

19. The merchant system of claim 15, wherein the transponder comprises a personal digital assistant.

20. The merchant computing system of claim 15, wherein the transponder comprises a mobile telephone.