Co-branded correlated redeemable cards

• US 7,584,887 B1
• Filed: 07/18/2007
• Issued: 09/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Comdata SPA (NHI-2, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Comdata Stored Value Solutions Incorporated (Ceridian HCM Holding, Inc.)
• Inventors: Sanchez, Jose, Hill, William D.
• Primary Examiner(s): TRAIL, ALLYSON NEEL
• Application Number:
  US11/779,321
• Time in Patent Office: 783 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/448, 235/493
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/347 Passive cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/086 by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/765 Linked or grouped accounts, e.g. of users or devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/026 Constructional features
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/0192 Sponsored, subsidised calls via advertising, e.g. calling cards with ads or connecting to special ads, free calling time by purchasing goods
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2215/724 Linked accounts

Abstract

A card carrier is displayed for sale with at least two independently redeemable cards affixed thereto. A barcode is displayed on the package that is associated with an account number encoded on a magnetic stripe or barcode of each of the cards. Both cards are valued at a point of sale by a sales clerk scanning in the single bar code on the package. The cards can then be redeemed at a merchant associated with each of the cards.

Claims

1. A method of valuating at least two separate accounts, each account being associated with a separate retail entity or client, said method comprising:

creating a first account number that is associated with a first magnetic stripe card, said first account number further associated with a first retail entity or client;

creating a second account number that is associated with a second magnetic stripe card, said second account number further associated with a second retail entity or client; and

creating a third account number wherein said third account number specifies a relationship between said first account number and said second account number and said third account number is affixed to a card carrier on which said first magnetic stripe card and said second magnetic stripe card are mounted for resale, and wherein both of said first account number and second account number are valuated upon validation of said third account number.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said third account number is encoded in a barcode which is affixed to said card carrier.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein validation of said third account number may be performed by at least one of the first retail entity or client or the second retail entity or client.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the first retail entity or client further comprises a first retail entity operable to redeem the one or more cards associated with the first account, and wherein the second retail entity or client further comprises a second retail entity operable to redeem the one or more cards associated with the second account.

5. A card package for valuating multiple accounts with a single validation, the card package comprising:

a card package body having a first readable component encoded with an activation request tying number;

two or more cards attached to the card package body, at least one of the cards associated with a first account associated with a first retailer, and at least one of the cards associated with a second account associated with a second retailer, the activation request tying number linked to an account activation number operable to valuate the first account and the second account;

the first readable component on the card package body readable at a point of sale associated with either of the first retailer and the second retailer.

6. The card package of claim 5, wherein the first readable component comprises a barcode.

7. The card package of claim 5, wherein at least one of the cards further comprises a second readable component associated with the first account, and at least one of the cards further comprises a third readable component associated with the second account,

wherein one or more of the second and third readable components are readable at the point of sale of either the first retailer or the second retailer.

8. The card package of claim 7, wherein the second and third readable components further comprise magnetic stripes.

9. A method of activating a plurality of accounts associated with a like number of separate retail entities, the method comprising:

storing in a database one or more account tying numbers, each account tying number linked to a first account activation number operable to activate a first account associated with a first retail entity and a second account activation number operable to activate a second account associated with a second retail entity;

receiving a validation request tying number;

determining if the validation request tying number is associated with one or more of the account tying numbers in the database; and

if the validation request tying number is associated with one or more of the account tying numbers, transmitting the first account activation number and the second account activation number.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein transmitting the first account activation number and the second account activation number further comprises routing each of the account activation numbers to an account activation entity.