Providing a customer one or more options for increasing a line of credit

• US 7,409,369 B1
• Filed: 09/05/2002
• Issued: 08/05/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Capital One Services LLC (Capital One Financial Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Capital One Financial Corporation
• Inventors: Mays, Amy E., Luo, Christopher M., Homuth, Brandon G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Abdi; Kambiz
• Assistant Examiner(s): Maguire; Lindsay M.
• Application Number:
  US10/235,274
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/1
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A method for providing a customer one or more options for increasing a line of credit includes communicating to a customer one or more solicitations offering the customer a credit account and providing the customer one or more options for increasing a line of credit associated with the credit account. The method also includes receiving a response to the one or more solicitations from the customer requesting the credit account and selecting at least one of the one or more options. The method also includes storing data associated with the credit account to book the credit account according to the response from the customer. At least some of the data reflects the one or more options selected by the customer and an increase of the line of credit provided as a result of the selection of the at least one option by the customer.

Claims

1. A system for providing a customer a plurality of options for increasing a line of credit, the system comprising one or more computer processors collectively programmed to:

receive data reflecting one or more options selected by a customer for increasing a line of credit associated with a credit account held by the customer, a credit card issuer having provided the customer a plurality of options for increasing the line of credit, at least some of the received data further reflecting an increase of the line of credit provided by the credit card issuer as a result of the selection of the one or more options by the customer, wherein;

the plurality of options are selected from the group consisting of;

enrolling in one or more particular services offered by the credit card issuer,

providing suitable verification of a bank account, phone bill, or utility bill of the customer,

adding a guarantor to the credit account,

adding an authorized user to the credit account,

paying one or more fees for the increase of the line of credit, and

securing the credit account, and

at least some of the received data further reflect that the customer actively selected the one or more options from among the plurality of options by performing the one or more actions that comprise the selected one or more options; and

store the received data.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the amount of the increase of the line of credit provided by the credit card issuer depends, at least in part, on the number of options selected by the customer.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the amount of the increase of the line of credit provided by the credit card issuer depends, at least in part, on the one or more options selected by the customer.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the credit card issuer provides the plurality of options only to certain customers of the credit card issuer.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the certain customers have particular credit histories.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the credit card issuer provides the customer the plurality of options in one or more solicitations communicated to the customer by the credit card issuer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the credit card issuer provides the customer the plurality of options in response to the customer contacting the credit card issuer to request activation of the credit account.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the credit card issuer provides the customer the plurality of options in response to the customer contacting the credit card issuer to request an increase of the line of credit.

9. A method for providing a customer a plurality of options for increasing a line of credit, the method comprising:

communicating to a customer one or more solicitations offering the customer a credit account and providing the customer a plurality of options for increasing a line of credit associated with the credit account, wherein the plurality of options are selected from the group consisting of;

enrolling in one or more particular services associated with the credit account,

providing suitable verification of a bank account, phone bill, or utility bill of the customer,

adding a guarantor to the credit account,

adding an authorized user to the credit account,

paying one or more fees for the increase of the line of credit, and

securing the credit account;

receiving an indication that the customer requested the credit account and actively selected one or more options from among the plurality of options by performing the one or more actions that comprise the selected one or more options; and

storing data to book the credit account according to the indication, at least some of the data reflecting the one or more options selected by the customer and an increase of the line of credit provided as a result of the selection of the one or more options.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the amount of the increase depends, at least in part, on the number of options selected by the customer.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the amount of the increase depends, at least in part, on the one or more options selected by the customer.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the plurality of options are provided only to certain customers.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the certain customers have particular credit histories.

14. A method for providing a customer a plurality of options for increasing a line of credit, the method comprising:

communicating to a customer one or more solicitations offering the customer a credit account;

receiving a response to the one or more solicitations from the customer requesting the credit account;

storing data to book the credit account according to the response from the customer;

providing the customer a plurality of options for increasing a line of credit associated with the booked credit account, wherein the plurality of options are selected from the group consisting of;

enrolling in one or more particular services associated with the credit account,

providing suitable verification of a bank account, phone bill, or utility bill of the customer,

adding a guarantor to the credit account,

adding an authorized user to the credit account,

paying one or more fees for the increase of the line of credit, and

securing the credit account;

receiving an indication that the customer actively selected one or more options from among the plurality of options by performing the one or more actions that comprise the selected one or more options; and

in response to receiving the indication, updating the stored data to reflect the one or more options selected by the customer and an increase of the line of credit provided as a result of the selection of the one or more options.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the amount of the increase depends, at least in part, on the number of options selected by the customer.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the amount of the increase depends, at least in part, on the one or more options selected by the customer.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of options provided to the customer are provided only to certain customers.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the certain customers have particular credit histories.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of options are provided to the customer in response to the customer contacting a credit card issuer to request activation of the booked credit account.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the plurality of options are provided to the customer in response to the customer contacting a credit card issuer to request an increase of the line of credit.