Systems and method for risk triggering values

• US 7,398,918 B1
• Filed: 04/04/2005
• Issued: 07/15/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Schwartz, Jr., William S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess, Daniel A
• Application Number:
  US10/907,511
• Time in Patent Office: 1,198 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379, 235/380, 235/381, 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 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 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The invention includes systems and methods for facilitating risk assessment for point of sale transactions utilizing at least one risk triggering value (RTV) stored within a distributed (e.g., local and/or regional) processing site. An RTV is a condensed version of a set of complex risk data and strategies usually found in central processing sites. The distributed site, after receiving a request for payment authorization, a risk value is calculated for the request. The distributed processing site compares the risk value to the RTV to determine whether to authorize payment. If the risk value is less than or equal to the RTV, the payment is authorized while a risk value greater than the RTV will not be authorized. After one or more authorizations, the distributed processing site forwards the information from the transaction(s) to the central site, wherein the central site calculates a new RTV for the account and distributes the new RTV to the distributed processing site.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to facilitate authorization of a payment request at a distributed processing site comprising the steps of:

calculating a risk triggering value (RTV) for a transaction account based on historical transactions, wherein said historical transactions include at least one of;

purchases, cash advances, payments, and disputes relating to said transaction account;

receiving a request for payment authorization from a merchant point of sale device based on said transaction account, wherein said request for payment authorization is received at a distributed processing site;

determining, at said distributed processing site, whether to transmit payment authorization to said merchant POS device, wherein said payment authorization is based in part upon said RTV and wherein said request for payment authorization need not be sent to a central processing site; and

,

storing transaction information resulting from said request for payment authorization, wherein said transaction information includes at least one of;

an identifier of said transaction account, a transaction amount, an authorization message, and a decline message;

receiving a new RTV from said central processing site, wherein said new RTV is determined based on said transaction information, and wherein said new RTV is calculated upon receipt of said transaction information.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether to transmit payment authorization comprises the steps of:

calculating a risk value for said request,

comparing said risk value to said RTV, and

at least one of transmitting a payment authorization when said risk value is at least one of less than and equal to said RTV, and transmitting a decline message when said risk value is greater than said RTV.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether to transmit payment authorization comprises the steps of:

calculating a risk value for said request, wherein said risk value is based upon at least one outcome,

comparing said risk value to said RTV, and

at least one of transmitting a payment authorization when said risk value is at least one of less than and equal to said RTV, and transmitting a decline message when said risk value is greater than said RTV.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether to transmit payment authorization comprises the steps of:

calculating a risk value for said request, wherein said risk value is based in part upon at least one of a transaction variable and an environmental variable,

comparing said risk value to said RTV, and

at least one of transmitting a payment authorization when said risk value is at least one of less than and equal to said RTV, and transmitting a decline when said risk value is greater than said RTV.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

condensing a set of risk data and strategies by condensing at least one of a transactional variable and an environmental variable.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein said transactional variable includes at least one of a transaction instrument present, account type, account status, consumer location, merchant classification, merchant location, token type and transaction amount, and

wherein said environmental variable includes at least one of date and time, seasonal holidays, special event, and health of domain and nodes.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said step of determining whether to transmit payment authorization comprises the steps of:

calculating a risk value for said request, wherein said risk value is based upon at least one of a transaction variable and an environmental variable,

comparing said risk value to said RTV, and

transmitting a payment authorization when said risk value is at least one of less than and equal to said RTV; and

,

forwarding a risk strategy outcome of said request to said central processing site.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving an RTV at said distributed processing site, wherein said RTV was established by condensing a set of risk data and strategies, wherein said set of risk data and strategies are managed at a central processing site, and said condensed set of risk data and strategies comprise a risk triggering value (RTV).

9. A system to facilitate authorization of a payment request at a distributed processing site comprising:

a central processing site coupled to said distributed processing site configured to store a set of risk data and strategies, condense said set of risk data and strategies to calculate a risk triggering value (RTV), and transmit said RTV to said distributed processing site, wherein said risk data is based on historical transactions including at least one of;

purchases, cash advances, payments, and disputes relating to said transaction account;

said distributed processing site configured to receive and store said RTV from said central processing site, receive requests for payment authorization from a merchant point of sale (POS) device based on said transaction account, and transmit at least one of payment authorization and decline related to said requests to said merchant POS device, wherein said payment authorization and said decline is based in part on said RTV, and transmit transaction information to a central processing site based on said at least one of payment authorization and decline related to said requests;

said central processing site configured to receive and store transaction information resulting from said request for payment authorization, wherein said transaction information includes at least one of;

an identifier of said transaction account, a transaction amount, an authorization message, and a decline message; and

,

said central processing site configured to determine a new RTV based on said transaction information received from said distributed processing site, wherein said new RTV is determined upon receipt of said transaction information.

10. A machine-readable medium having stored thereon a plurality of instructions, said plurality of instructions when executed by a processor, cause said processor to perform a method comprising the steps of:

storing a set of risk data and strategies, condensing said set of risk data and strategies to calculate a risk triggering value (RTV), and transmitting said RTV to said distributed processing site, wherein said risk data is based on historical transactions including at least one of;

purchases, cash advances, payments, and disputes relating to said transaction account,

distributing said RTV to a processing site;

receiving and storing transaction information resulting from a request for payment authorization, wherein said transaction information is received from said distributed processing site and includes at least one of;

an identifier of said transaction account, a transaction amount, an authorization message, and a decline message; and

,

determining a new RTV based on said transaction information, wherein said new RTV is determined upon receipt of said transaction information.

11. A central processing site for establishing a risk triggering value (RTV), said site configured to:

said distributed processing site stores a set of risk data and strategies, condenses said set of risk data and strategies to calculate a risk triggering value (RTV), and transmits said RTV to said distributed processing site, wherein said risk data is based on historical transactions including at least one of;

purchases, cash advances, payments, and disputes relating to said transaction account;

said central processing site distributes said RTV to a distributed processing site;

said central processing site receives and stores transaction information resulting from a request for payment authorization, wherein said transaction information is received from said distributed processing site and includes at least one of;

an identifier of said transaction account, a transaction amount, an authorization message, and a decline message; and

,

said central processing site determines a new RTV based on said transaction information received from said distributed processing site, wherein said new RTV is determined upon receipt of said transaction information.

12. A distributed processing site which facilitates authorization of a payment request comprising:

said distributed processing site calculates a risk triggering value (RTV) for a transaction account based on historical transactions, wherein said historical transactions include at least one of;

purchases, cash advances, payments, and disputes relating to said transaction account;

said distributed processing site receives a request for payment authorization from a merchant point of sale device based on said transaction account;

said distributed processing site determines whether to transmit said payment authorization to said merchant POS device, wherein said payment authorization is based in part upon said RTV, and wherein said request for payment authorization need not be sent to a central processing site;

said distributed processing site receives and stores transaction information resulting from said request for payment authorization, wherein said transaction information includes at least one of;

an identifier of said transaction account, a transaction amount, an authorization message, and a decline message; and

,

said distributed processing site receives a new RTV from said central processing site, wherein said new RTV is determined based on said transaction information, and wherein said new RTV is calculated upon receipt of said transaction information.