Methods and systems for processing transactions for integrated credit and stored-value programs

• US 7,769,689 B2
• Filed: 10/27/2003
• Issued: 08/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: First Data Resources Incorporated (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Monk, Justin
• Primary Examiner(s): THEIN, MARIA TERESA T
• Application Number:
  US10/694,925
• Publication Number:
  US 20050091116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,472 Days
• Field of Search: 705/17
• 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 20/20 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 20/26 Debit schemes, e.g. "pay now"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• 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 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

Methods and systems enable a transaction to be processed with a customer at a point of sale with a combined stored-value and credit instrument. A cost for the transaction is received at a point-of-sale device. In addition, instrument-identification information is received identifying an instrument associated with a stored-value account and a credit account. The stored-value account and the credit account were linked substantially contemporaneously with issuance of the instrument to the customer. A request is generated to select a distribution of the cost for the transaction among the stored-value and credit accounts for presentation at the point-of-sale device. Instructions are transmitted from the point-of-sale device to apply the cost for the transaction to the stored-value and credit accounts in accordance with a received response to the request.

Claims

1. A method for processing a transaction with a customer at a point of sale, the method comprising:

receiving, at a point-of-sale device, a cost for the transaction;

receiving, at the point-of-sale device from an instrument, an instrument identifier identifying the instrument, wherein the instrument identifier is associated with a stored-value account and a credit account, and wherein the stored-value account and the credit account were linked to the instrument identifier at a remote host substantially contemporaneously with issuance of the instrument to the customer;

transmitting, from the point-of-sale device to the remote host, the instrument identifier;

receiving, at the point-of-sale device from the remote host, account information relating to the stored-value account and the credit account linked to the instrument identifier, the account information generated by the remote host based at least in part on the instrument identifier;

generating, based at least in part on the account information, a request to select a distribution of the cost for the transaction among the stored-value and credit accounts;

displaying, at the point of sale device, the request;

receiving, at the point of sale device, a response to the request that identifies a selected distribution identifying a first nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the stored-value account and a second nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the credit account; and

transmitting, from the point-of-sale device, instructions to apply the cost for the transaction to the stored-value and credit accounts in accordance with the received response.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein generating the request comprises generating a request for the customer to select one of the stored-value or credit accounts for application of the cost for the transaction.

3. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising verifying that the transaction qualifies for application of the cost to the stored-value account.

4. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising verifying that the transaction qualifies for application of the cost to the credit account.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the request identifies a current value stored in the stored-value account.

6. The method recited in claim 5 wherein the request includes an option to apply an amount of the cost for the transaction in excess of the current value stored in the stored-value account to the credit account.

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the cost for the transaction exceeds a current value stored in the stored-value account and the instructions include:

a request to apply a portion of the cost equal to the current value stored in the stored-value account to the stored-value account; and

a request to apply an excess of the cost over the current value stored in the stored-value account to the credit account.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the request includes an explicit option that all of the stored-value card value be applied to the transaction and excess be applied to the credit account.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a first maximum amount that may be applied to the credit account, the first maximum amount being less than the cost for the transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

modifying, with a writer at the point-of-sale device, the credit account information in the instrument to reflect use of the second nonzero portion.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the request includes a second maximum amount that may be applied to the stored-value account, the second maximum amount being less than the cost for the transaction.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

extracting the second maximum amount information from the instrument.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving the second maximum amount information from the host system.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein,

the request includes a minimum nonzero amount that is required to be paid in cash;

and

the minimum nonzero amount is included in the displayed request.

15. A system for processing a transaction with a customer at a point of sale, the system comprising:

a remote host, configured to store an instrument identifier identifying an instrument associated with a stored-value account and a credit account, wherein the stored-value account and the credit account were linked to the instrument identifier at the remote host; and

a point-of-sale device, remote to the host, and configured to;

receive a cost for the transaction;

receive the instrument identifier from the instrument;

transmit the instrument identifier to the remote host;

receive, from the remote host, account information relating to the stored-value account and the credit account linked to the instrument identifier, the account information being generated by the remote host based at least in part on the instrument identifier;

generate, based at least in part on the account information, a request to select a distribution of the cost for the transaction among the stored-value and credit accounts;

display the request;

receive a response to the request that identifies a selected distribution identifying a first nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the stored-value account and a second nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the credit account; and

transmit instructions to apply the cost for the transaction to the stored-value and credit accounts in accordance with the received response.

16. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

verify that the transaction qualifies for application of the cost to at least one of the stored-value account or the credit account.

17. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

identify a current value stored in the stored-value account.

18. The system recited in claim 17, wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

apply an amount of the cost for the transaction in excess of the current value stored in the stored-value account to the credit account.

19. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

extract an amount of the cost for the transaction from the instrument.

20. The system recited in claim 15, wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

receive maximum amount information from the remote host relating to a maximum amount that may be applied for the transaction to at least one of the credit account or the stored-value account.