Method and system for restricting the usage of payment accounts

• US 7,739,194 B2
• Filed: 09/10/2007
• Issued: 06/15/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Blinn, Arnold N., Coco, Joseph N.
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, JAGDISH
• Application Number:
  US11/852,837
• Publication Number:
  US 20080033879A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/40, 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/41
• 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 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• 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: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A user'"'"'s ability to spend and/or receive funds for payment accounts maintained in an electronic wallet are limited. These limitations include restrictions on where the user is able to spend the funds in a payment account (e.g., at which merchants the funds can be spent, whether the funds can be withdrawn from an ATM, etc.). These limitations may also include restrictions on what other payment accounts the user can receive funds from and/or transfer funds to, thereby limiting person-to-person fund transfers.

Claims

1. One or more non-transient computer readable media having stored thereon a plurality of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes the one or more processors to perform acts including:

receiving a request to make a purchase at an on-line merchant using funds from a payment account that is identified in an electronic wallet corresponding to a particular user, wherein the request comprises identification of the payment account;

obtaining an identity of the on-line merchant;

identifying restrictions associated with the payment account, wherein the payment account stores information in the electronic wallet that identifies a particular set of one or more additional users that are allowed to add funds to the payment account;

comparing the restrictions associated with the payment account to the restrictions associated with the identity of the on-line merchant; and

determining, based on the comparing, whether to allow the purchase to proceed.

2. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment account comprises a debit card account.

3. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment account comprises a gift certificate account.

4. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment account comprises a rebate account.

5. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment account comprises a cash account.

6. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment account comprises a reward account.

7. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the payment account comprises an allowance account.

8. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the restrictions limit the payment account to being used at one or more on-line merchants that are part of a group of merchants that changes over time.

9. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the restrictions limit the payment account to being used at one or more on-line merchants that are part of a static group of merchants.

10. One or more computer readable media as recited in claim 1, wherein the plurality of instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further causes the one or more processors to perform acts including:

identifying an expiration date associated with the payment account;

comparing the expiration date to a current date; and

determining, based on the comparing of the expiration date to the current date, whether to allow the purchase to proceed.

11. A computer-implemented method for providing a suite of services that include an electronic wallet service, the method comprising:

receiving at a computer a request to make a purchase at an on-line merchant using funds from a payment account that is identified in an electronic wallet corresponding to a particular user, wherein the request comprises identification of the payment account;

obtaining by the computer an identity of the on-line merchant;

identifying via the computer restrictions associated with the payment account, wherein the payment account stores information in the electronic wallet that identifies a particular set of one or more additional users that are allowed to add funds to the payment account;

comparing by the computer the restrictions associated with the payment account to the restrictions associated with the identity of the on-line merchant; and

determining by the computer, based on the comparing, whether to allow the purchase to proceed.

12. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the payment account is selected from a group comprising:

a debit card account; and

a cash account.

13. The method as recited in claim 12, the group further comprising a gift certificate account.

14. The method as recited in claim 12, the group further comprising a rebate account.

15. The method as recited in claim 12, the group further comprising a reward account.

16. The method as recited in claim 12, the group further comprising an allowance account.

17. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the restrictions limit the payment account to being used at one or more on-line merchants that are part of a group of merchants that changes over time.

18. The method as recited in claim 11, wherein the restrictions limit the payment account to being used at one or more on-line merchants that are part of a static group of merchants.