Payment card processing system and methods

• US 7,774,274 B2
• Filed: 09/05/2003
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/10/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Synchrony Bank (Synchrony Financial)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Capital Corporation (General Electric Company)
• Inventors: Jones, Peter, Carolan, Lockie, MacPhail, Stewart, Humphreys, Robert, Manchester, Jeffrey V., Schreurs, Jeremy, Richards, Paul F., Falkingbridge, Deborah, Mitchell, Jim, Brumfitt, Mike, Marshall, Ros, Atherton, Amanda
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi; Hani
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rankins; William E
• Application Number:
  US10/656,798
• Publication Number:
  US 20040117300A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,531 Days
• Field of Search: 705/30, 705/39
• 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 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/025 by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered

Abstract

A payment card processing system and method is provided that allows an account holder to upgrade a private label card to a dual card. The dual card may be used for both private label transactions and bankcard transactions. Methods for upgrading to the dual card account include selecting a private label account having associated monetary and non-monetary data and maintained on a first processing platform for upgrade to a dual card account, creating the dual card account on a second processing platform, transferring the non-monetary data associated with the private label account from the first processing platform to the second processing platform for association with the dual card account, and initiating a trailing activity process to identify monetary and non-monetary activity associated with the private label account and update a cross reference table to associate the trailing activity with the dual card account.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

selecting a private label account maintained on a first processing platform for upgrade to a dual card account, said private label account associated with an account holder and having associated monetary and non-monetary data;

determining that the account holder agrees to terms associated with the dual card account;

creating said dual card account with a dual account identifier and a zero balance on a second processing platform that is separate and distinct from said first processing platform in response to the determining that the account holder agrees to the terms;

extracting the associated monetary and non-monetary data from a private label database associated with said private label account and said first processing platform;

transferring said non-monetary data associated with said private label account from said first processing platform to said second processing platform for association with said dual card account;

causing a dual card associated with said dual card account to be transmitted to said account holder, said dual card and said dual card account being inactive until activated;

transferring said monetary data associated with said private label account from said first processing platform to said second processing platform for association with said dual card account in response to an activation of said dual card and said dual card account;

blocking said private label account from further use; and

initiating a trailing activity process to identify monetary and non-monetary activity associated with said private label account, wherein said initiating of said trailing activity process includes updating a cross reference table associating said private label account with said dual card account to include the monetary and non-monetary activity identified by trailing activity process.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting a private label account for upgrade further comprises:

receiving a conversion request from said cardholder, said request received by at least one of;

a front line associate;

an interactive voice response unit; and

a Web site.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting a private label account for upgrade includes selecting a plurality of private label accounts for upgrade, the method further comprising:

creating a plurality of dual card accounts with a dual card account identifier and a zero balance on said second processing platform;

transferring said non-monetary data associated with said plurality of private label accounts to said second processing platform for association with said plurality of dual card accounts; and

causing a plurality of dual cards associated with said plurality of dual card accounts to be transmitted to said account holders, said plurality of dual cards and dual card accounts being inactive until activated.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating, to said plurality of cardholders, an opportunity to upgrade said private label account to said dual card account.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving an activation request from said account holder;

confirming that said account holder remains eligible for said dual card account; and

activating said dual card account.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

retrieving said non-monetary data from said second processing platform; and

confirming with said account holder that said non-monetary data is accurate.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein said non-monetary data includes data identifying said cardholder.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said selecting further comprises:

updating a status flag associated with said private label account to indicate that said account has been selected for said conversion to said dual card account.

9. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

determining that said account holder has not declined said opportunity by determining that a time period for declining said opportunity has expired.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said private label account is identified by a private label account identifier and said dual card account is identified by said dual card account identifier, the method further comprising:

generating a table including a cross-reference between said private label account identifier and said dual card account identifier.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said private label account is associated with a private label merchant, the method further comprising:

generating account information associated with said dual card account, said account information including an overall credit limit and a retailer reserve presented to said account holder, said retailer reserve usable for purchases at said private label merchant.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said generating account information further comprises generating a rate associated with said dual card account.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

creating said dual card.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said creating said dual card includes at least one of:

(1) embossing a magnetic stripe card with said account holder information and a dual card account identifier; and

(2) storing information identifying said account holder and said dual card account identifier in a memory of a smart card.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said dual card account identifier is routable over both a private label network and a bankcard network.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

updating a cross-reference database table with said extracted associated monetary and non-monetary data, wherein said cross-reference database table is associated with both said private label account and said dual card account.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein transferring said non-monetary data associated with said private label account is from said cross-reference database table to said second processing platform, and wherein transferring said monetary data associated with said private label account is from said cross-reference database table to said second processing platform.

18. A payment card processing apparatus comprising:

a processor; and

a storage device in communication with said processor and storing instructions adapted to be executed by said processor to;

select a private label account maintained on a first processing platform for upgrade to a dual card accounts, aid private label account associated with an account holder and having associated monetary and non-monetary data;

determine that the account holder agrees to terms associated with the dual card account;

create said dual card account with a zero balance on a second processing platform in response to the determining that the account holder agrees to the terms;

extract the associated monetary and non-monetary data from a private label database associated with said private label account and said first processing platform;

transfer said non-monetary data associated with said private label account from said first processing platform t˜

said second processing platform for association with said dual card account;

cause a dual card associated with said dual card account to be transmitted to said account holder, said dual card and said dual card account being inactive until activated;

transfer said monetary data associated with said private label account from said first processing platform to said second processing platform for association with said dual card account in response to an activation of said dual card and said dual card account;

blocking said private label account from further use; and

initiating a trailing activity process to identify monetary and non-monetary activity associated with said private label account, wherein said initiating of said trailing activity process includes updating a cross reference table associating said private label account with said dual card account to include the monetary and non-monetary activity identified by trailing activity process.

19. A payment card processing system, comprising:

means for selecting a private label account maintained on a first processing platform for upgrade to a dual card account, said private label account associated with an account holder and having associated monetary and non-monetary data;

means for determining that the account holder agrees to terms associated with the dual card account;

means for creating said dual card account with a dual account identifier and a zero balance on a second processing platform that is separate and distinct from said first processing platform in response to the determining that the account holder agrees to the terms;

means for extracting the associated monetary and non-monetary data from a private label database associated with said private label account;

means for transferring said non-monetary data associated with said private label account from said first processing platform to said second processing platform for association with said dual card account;

means for causing a dual card associated with said dual card account to be transmitted to said account holder, said dual card and said dual card account being inactive until activated;

means for transferring said monetary data associated with said private label account from the cross-reference database table from said first processing platform to said second processing platform for association with said dual card account in response to an activation of said dual card and said dual card account;

means for blocking said private label account from further use; and

means for initiating a trailing activity process to identify monetary and non-monetary activity associated with said private label account, wherein said initiating of said trailing activity process includes updating a cross reference table associating said private label account with said dual card account to include the monetary and non-monetary activity identified by trailing activity process.

20. A non-transitory medium storing instructions adapted to be executed by a processor to perform a payment card processing method comprising:

instructions for selecting a private label account maintained on a first processing platform for upgrade to a dual card account, said private label account associated with an account holder and having associated monetary and non-monetary data;

instructions for determining that the account holder agrees to terms associated with the dual card account;

instructions for creating said dual card account with a dual account identifier and a zero balance on a second processing platform in response to the determining that the account holder agrees to the terms;

instructions for extracting the associated monetary and non-monetary data from a private label database associated with said private label account;

instructions for transferring said non-monetary data associated with said private label account from said first processing platform to said second processing platform for association with said dual card account;

instructions for causing a dual card associated with said dual card account to be transmitted to said account holder, said dual card and said dual card account being inactive until activated;

instructions for transferring said monetary data associated with said private label account from said first processing platform to said second processing platform for association with said dual card account;

instructions for blocking said private label account from further use; and

instructions for initiating a trailing activity process to identify monetary and non-monetary activity associated with said private label account, wherein said initiating of said trailing activity process includes updating a cross reference table associating said private label account with said dual card account to include the monetary and non-monetary activity identified by trailing activity process.