Overdraft threshold analysis and decisioning

• US 8,061,592 B1
• Filed: 11/09/2009
• Issued: 11/22/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Original Assignee: The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc.
• Inventors: Clem, Andrew L., Eberhardt, Joseph A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Hess; Daniel
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mikels; Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/614,747
• Time in Patent Office: 743 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/379, 235/380, 705/5, 705 35- 45
• US Class Current: 235/379
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

Systems and methods of providing for processing a banking transaction, such as a debit card transaction, with an overdraft threshold. If a transaction drives an associated account to a negative balance, the amount of the transaction may be compared to an overdraft threshold. If the amount of the transaction does not exceed the overdraft threshold, an overdraft fee may be waived.

Claims

1. A system for processing a banking transaction, the system comprising:

an electronic payment network;

a database for storing an account;

a processor; and

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

receive a request for an amount of funds from the account for a debit card transaction via the payment network;

determine if the requested fund amount exceeds an available fund amount in the account;

determine if the requested fund amount for the debit card transaction is less than a threshold fund amount; and

waive an overdraft fee when the requested fund amount is less than the threshold fund amount and the requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the storage device stores instructions adapted to be executed by the processor to charge an overdraft fee when the requested fund amount for the debit card transaction exceeds the threshold fund amount and the requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold fund amount is selected from the range of $1.00 to $20.00.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the threshold fund amount is variable.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the available fund amount is determined by an average balance of the debit card account during a time period.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the available fund amount is determined by one of a maximum and a minimum of a balance during a time period.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a first threshold fund amount is associated with a first debit card account and a second threshold fund amount is associated with a second debit card account, and the first threshold fund amount is different from the second threshold fund amount.

8. A system for processing a banking transaction, the system comprising:

an electronic payment network;

a database for storing a debit card account;

a processor; and

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

receive a first request for an amount of funds from a first debit card account for a first debit card transaction;

determine if the first requested fund amount exceeds an available fund amount in the first debit card account;

determine if the first requested fund amount for the first debit card transaction is less than a first threshold fund amount;

waive a first overdraft fee for the first debit card account when the requested fund amount is less than the first threshold fund amount and the first requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount;

receive a second request for an amount of funds from a second debit card account for a second debit card transaction;

determine if the second requested fund amount exceeds an available fund amount in the second debit card account;

determine if the second requested fund amount for the second debit card transaction is less than a second threshold fund amount;

waive a second overdraft fee for the second debit card account when the requested fund amount is less than the second threshold fund amount and the second requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount, and wherein the first threshold fund amount is different from the second threshold fund amount.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the available fund amount in the first debit card account is determined by an average balance of the first debit card account during a time period.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the available fund amount in the first debit card is determined by one of a maximum and a minimum of a balance during a time period.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the first threshold fund amount is selected from the range of $1.00 to $20.00.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the second threshold fund amount is selected from the range of $1.00 to $20.00.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the first threshold fund amount and the second threshold fund amount are variable.

14. A system for processing a banking transaction, the system comprising:

an electronic payment network;

a database for storing a debit card account;

a processor; and

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

determine a threshold fund amount;

establish in the database a debit card account for an account holder;

receive a request for an amount of funds from the debit card account for a debit card transaction via a payment network;

determine if the requested fund amount exceeds an available fund amount in the debit card account;

determine if the requested fund amount for the debit card transaction is less than the threshold fund amount;

assess a first overdraft fee against the account holder when the requested fund amount is less than the threshold fund amount and the requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount; and

assess a second overdraft fee for the account holder when the requested fund amount is greater than the threshold fund amount and the requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the first overdraft fee is greater than the second overdraft fee.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first overdraft fee is variable.

17. The system of claim 14, wherein the second overdraft fee is variable.

18. The system of claim 14, wherein the first overdraft fee is less than $30.00.

19. A system for processing a banking transaction, the system comprising:

means for receiving a request for an amount of funds from a debit card account for a debit card transaction;

means for determining if the requested fund amount exceeds an available fund amount in the debit card account;

means for providing overdraft protection to the debit card account if the requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount;

means for determining if the requested fund amount for the debit card transaction is less than a threshold fund amount; and

means for waiving an overdraft fee for the account holder of the debit card account when the requested fund amount is less than the threshold fund amount and the requested fund amount exceeds the available fund amount.