System, method, and business method for settling micropayment transactions to a pre-paid instrument

• US 8,244,613 B1
• Filed: 04/27/2010
• Issued: 08/14/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/04/2001
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: West Corporation
• Original Assignee: West Corporation
• Inventors: Pettay, Mark J, Kempkes, Rodney J
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel, Jagdish
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamilton, Sara C
• Application Number:
  US12/768,469
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

The invention provides a method for conducting a transaction between a first and second consumer, and a merchant using one or more electronic communication devices. The method includes issuing a first prepaid calling card to a first consumer and issuing a second dependent prepaid calling card dependent on the first prepaid calling card, to a second consumer dependent on the first consumer, based on a second specified criteria. In the invention, the second specified criteria is specified by the first consumer, wherein both the first and second specified criteria are stored as imbedded data in the respective prepaid calling cards. The invention further involves conducting, at a merchant network node a micropayment transaction and receiving into the merchant network node from the at least one consumer electronic communications device first prepaid-calling card data or second dependent prepaid-calling card data as payment for the item of value.

Claims

1. A method for conducting a transaction between a first and second consumer, and a merchant using one or more electronic communication devices, the method comprising the steps of:

issuing a first prepaid calling card to a first consumer based on a first specified criteria and issuing a second dependent prepaid calling card dependent on the first prepaid calling card, to a second consumer dependent on the first consumer, based on a second specified criteria, wherein the second specified criteria is specified by the first consumer, wherein both the first and second specified criteria are stored as imbedded data in the respective prepaid calling cards;

conducting, at a merchant network node a micropayment transaction with at least one of the first consumer or second consumer via at least one consumer electronic communication device, wherein the micropayment transaction has a small economic value exchanged during the transaction as compared to the per-transaction costs, wherein the merchant provides an item of value to the at least one of the first consumer or second consumer,

receiving into the merchant network node from the at least one consumer electronic communications device first prepaid-calling card data or second dependent prepaid-calling card data as payment for the item of value, wherein when the second dependent prepaid-calling card data is used for payment, it must be validated at the merchant network node using validation data determined through the specified criteria extracted from the first prepaid-calling card data or validated for access to the transaction or validated or restricted from the transaction, wherein validating the second dependent prepaid calling-card data includes determining that a type of second dependent prepaid calling-card is valid for a type of the micropayment transaction sought by the second consumer at the merchant network node,

accessing a database storing-data regarding the first prepaid-calling card or the second dependent prepaid-calling card;

validating, by the merchant network node, the micropayment transaction for the second dependent prepaid calling card, wherein the step of validating includes extracting and using validation data determined through the specified criteria from the first prepaid calling card data to determine whether the micropayment transaction sought by the second consumer is accessible or restricted by the specified criteria,

obtaining, by a card registration system, a value remaining on the first prepaid calling card or the second dependent prepaid-calling card from the database and determining whether the value remaining on the first prepaid-calling card or the second dependent prepaid-calling card is sufficient to approve the micropayment transaction for settlement by extracting and using the imbedded data from the first prepaid-calling card as an index for the database,

when the first prepaid-calling card data is received as payment for the item of value, when the first prepaid-calling card is not restricted and the value remaining on the first prepaid-calling card is sufficient to approve the micropayment transaction for settlement,

when the second dependent prepaid-calling card data is received as payment for the item of value, when the second dependent prepaid-calling card is not restricted and the value remaining on the second dependent prepaid is sufficient to approve the micropayment transaction for settlement, in association with the micropayment transaction, offering, from the merchant network node to the at least one consumer electronic communication device, a prospective upsell transaction for a good or service different from the item of value for which the micropayment transaction was made comprising;

accessing one or more databases,

collecting, by the merchant network node, input information from the one or more databases; and

selecting, by the merchant network node, the upsell transaction to offer the first consumer or the second consumer based on the input information from the one or more databases.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an offer of a prospective upsell transaction to the consumers prior to the micropayment transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an offer of a prospective upsell transaction to the consumers at the conclusion of the micropayment transaction.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an offer of a prospective upsell transaction to the consumers during the course of the micropayment transaction.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an offer of a prospective upsell transaction for purchase by the consumers of a specific good or service.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing an offer of a prospective upsell transaction for purchase by the consumers of information.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing the offer of a prospective upsell transaction to the consumers of an item of value in exchange for the consumers'"'"' agreement to be exposed to an advertisement.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the advertisement that includes an offer for purchase by the consumers of a specific good, service, or information available from a merchant.

9. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the item of value which is an increase in the value of a prepaid calling card.

10. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the item of value which is a magazine subscription.

11. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the item of value which is an increase in a value of an affinity account.

12. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing the item of value which is an item of value for cellular telephone use.

13. The method of claim 7, wherein coupons are the item of value for use in purchasing goods, services, or information.

14. The method of claim 7, further comprising providing a club subscription when the item of value is a buying club subscription.

15. The method of claim 7, further comprising accepting the offer.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising transferring the item of value to the at least one of the consumers.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising exposing the at least one of the consumers to the advertisement.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein the upsell transaction is a micropayment transaction.