Customer controlled account, system, and process

• US 8,069,084 B2
• Filed: 07/12/2007
• Issued: 11/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 07/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Original Assignee: Wells Fargo Bank NA (Wells Fargo & Company)
• Inventors: Mackouse, Jack
• Primary Examiner(s): ALMATRAHI, FARIS S
• Application Number:
  US11/879,048
• Publication Number:
  US 20080021787A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,601 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• 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 20/40 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 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/00 Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines data processing equipment for bank accounting G06Q40/02

Abstract

Enhanced access devices, e.g. credit cards and/or check cards, are issued with enhanced security features and processes that allow a customer to control circumstances under which their account can be accessed. If a fraudster tries to access the account without knowledge of the consumer set controls, the system can take remedial action with reduced instances of false positives. An account is typically established for an account holder through a central entity, e.g. an issuer. At least one access device is established for the account, wherein at least one user is associated with the access devices for one or more transactions. Use of the access devices is defined by a set of rules defined by the central entity and a set of rules that are controllable by the customer, typically comprising any of the account holder and the user of the account. The customer can input, control, and/or update at least one parameter associated with the customer-controllable rules. Subsequent authorization of the access devices is then controlled based on the customer input and other controls.

Claims

1. A process for managing account security implemented across a network, comprising the steps of:

establishing an account for at least one account holder through a network through a computer associated with a central entity;

establishing at least one access device associated with the account, wherein at least one user is associated with at least one of the access devices for one or more transactions, wherein use of the established access devices is defined by at least one rule defined by the central entity and at least one rule that is controllable by at least a customer associated with the account;

defining a first configuration of the customer-controllable rules including;

receiving from the customer, by the computer, via a user interface presented to the customer, a first input specifying a selection of at least one parameter associated with the customer-controllable rules;

storing the at least one parameter in a database to define the first configuration of the customer-controllable rules;

modifying the customer-controllable rules from the first configuration to a second configuration of the customer-controllable rules, including;

receiving from the customer, by the computer, via the user interface presented to the customer, a second input specifying a selection of at least one parameter associated with the customer-controllable rules;

storing the at least one parameter in the database to define the second configuration of the customer-controllable rules;

responding to a request for a transaction associated with at least one of the established access devices, including, by the computer, accessing the at least one parameter from the database, applying the at least one customer-controllable rule, and transmitting the response over the network, wherein the response is based at least in part on the customer-controllable rules.

2. The process of claim 1, wherein the transaction response comprises any of:

an approval of the requested transaction if the transaction request complies with both the first set of rules and the second set of rules; and

a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the transaction response comprises a decline of the requested transaction based upon both the first set of rules and the second set of rules, and a notification of the decline to any of the customer and another entity.

4. The process of claim 1, wherein the transaction response comprises an approval of the requested transaction and an initiation by the central entity of a notification and a communication with the customer, if the requested transaction complies with each of the second set of rules and does not comply with at least one of the first set of rules.

5. The process of claim 1, wherein the transaction response comprises an approval that is conditionally based upon customer input.

6. The process of claim 1, wherein the access device comprises at least one of a credit card, debit card, a gift card, a gift certificate, and a coupon.

7. The process of claim 1, wherein the access device is configured to access by at least one of an account number, a user name, a CVC value, an expiration date, information associated with the customer, and other account verification information.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein at least one of the customer-controllable rules is preset by at least one of the central entity and a service provider associated with the central entity at the time the access devices are established.

9. The process of claim 1, further comprising the steps of:

receiving a transaction request at least one of a merchant, a store, a service and a payee from at least one of an authorized user of the access device and a user other than an authorized user;

determining whether the request is acceptable based on the rules defined by the central entity and the user-controllable rules; and

authorizing the requested transaction if the requested transaction complies with each of the rules defined by the central entity and each of the rules defined by the customer.

10. The process of claim 9, further comprising the step of:

notifying at least one of the account holders and one of the users of the account if the transaction request is denied based on at least one rule defined by any of the central entity and the customer.

11. The process of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

allowing the customer to update at least one of the customer-controllable rules such that the requested transaction complies with each of the rules defined by the central entity and each of the rules defined by the customer; and

authorizing the requested transaction.

12. The process of claim 1, further comprising the step of:

allowing the customer to update at least one customer-controllable rule.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein the rules defined by the customer allow different levels of control between different established access devices associated with the account.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein the rules defined by the customer comprise at least one transaction based on at least one of a country and region, transactions based on at least one of gaming and gambling, transactions over an amount, online transactions, cash advances, cash withdrawals, transactions based on date, transactions based on day, transactions based on time of day, transactions based on a selectable user of the account, and transactions based on merchant.

15. The process of claim 1, further comprising:

sending the customer a notification when a request for a transaction would be declined based on at least one customer-controlled rules;

further comprising allowing the customer to override the at least one customer-controlled rules to permit the transaction that would be declined.

16. The process of claim 15, wherein the override by the customer permits no more than one transaction and wherein the override fails to change the at least one customer controlled rule for another transaction that may occur after the transaction.

17. The process of claim 15, wherein allowing the customer to override modifies the at least one customer-controlled rules.

18. The process of claim 1, wherein the customer is the account holder.