Real-time card balance on card plastic

• US 8,215,560 B2
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Issued: 07/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Granucci, Nicole Janine, Vriheas, Carrie Elaine, Hammad, Ayman A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lee, Michael G
• Assistant Examiner(s): ELLIS, SUEZU Y
• Application Number:
  US11/904,335
• Publication Number:
  US 20090078777A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,749 Days
• Field of Search: 235/492, 235/487, 235/493, 235379-381, 235/384, 235/382, 705/39, 705/41, 705/13, 705/40, 705/35
• US Class Current: 235/492
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0833 Card having specific functional components
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/125 Offline card verification

Abstract

A system, method and prepaid payment card configured to display a current card balance on the prepaid payment card. The prepaid payment card receives a balance request from a button on the card. After retrieving the current card balance encoded on the prepaid payment card, the card displays the current card balance. Remote terminals may be configured to support the real-time display of a balance on a prepaid payment card by writing the current balance to the card after a payment transaction has occurred.

Claims

1. A method of encoding a current card balance on a prepaid payment card comprising:

conducting a financial transaction using the prepaid payment card at a point-of-sale (POS) terminal;

determining the current card balance after the financial transaction;

prompting a user for presentation of the prepaid payment card at the POS terminal after the financial transaction; and

encoding the current card balance on the prepaid payment card with the POS terminal after the financial transaction,

wherein the prepaid payment card comprises a plastic body, a non-volatile programmable memory for encoding the current card balance, and a display configured to show the current card balance after the current balance has been encoded on the prepaid payment card,

wherein the current card balance is determined by subtracting a transaction amount from a previous card balance.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the current card balance is determined by querying an acquirer, payment processor, or issuer.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the non-volatile programmable memory is a magnetic stripe on the prepaid payment card and the current card balance is encoded on the magnetic stripe.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the current card balance is encoded on track 3 of the magnetic stripe on the prepaid payment card.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the display is further configured to prompt the user for input of a personal identification number (PIN) and the PIN is stored on the magnetic stripe on the prepaid payment card.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepaid payment card comprises a button configured to receive a request for the current card balance, wherein the display is configured to show the current card balance after the button receives the request for the current card balance.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the display is further configured to prompt the user for input of a personal identification number (PIN).

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the prepaid payment card further comprises:

a processor configured to determine whether the PIN is valid.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the current card balance is displayed only if the PIN is determined to be valid.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the prepaid payment card further comprises:

a first button; and

a second button, wherein the PIN is entered by the user pressing at least one of the first button or the second button.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the PIN is stored in the non-volatile programmable memory on the prepaid payment card.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the prepaid payment card further comprises a power supply.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the POS terminal can read and write to payment cards.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the user presents the prepaid payment card at the POS terminal after the financial transaction by swiping the prepaid payment card, wherein the prepaid payment card includes a magnetic strip.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, encoded with data and instructions, such that when executed by a point-of-sale (POS) terminal, the instructions causes the POS terminal to:

conduct a financial transaction using the prepaid payment card at the POS terminal;

determine a current card balance of a prepaid payment card after the financial transaction;

prompt a user for presentation of the prepaid payment card at the POS terminal after the financial transaction; and

encode the current card balance on the prepaid payment card with the POS terminal after the financial transaction,

wherein the prepaid payment card comprises a plastic body, a non-volatile programmable memory for encoding the current card balance, and a display configured to show the current card balance after the current balance has been encoded on the prepaid payment card,

wherein the current card balance is determined subtracting a transaction amount from a previous card balance.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the current card balance is determined by querying an acquirer, payment processor, or issuer.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 16, wherein the non-volatile programmable memory is a magnetic stripe on the prepaid payment card and the current card balance is encoded on the magnetic stripe.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the current card balance is encoded on track 3 of the magnetic stripe on the prepaid payment card.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the instructions further cause the POS terminal to display the current balance on a display coupled to the POS terminal.