Machine, methods, and program product for electronic order entry

• US 8,407,100 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 03/26/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pathward National Association
• Original Assignee: MetaBank (Meta Financial Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Miller, Eric D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Smith, Jeffrey A
• Assistant Examiner(s): Desai, Resha
• Application Number:
  US13/601,720
• Publication Number:
  US 20120323740A1
• Time in Patent Office: 207 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• 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 30/0603 Catalogue ordering
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0633 Lists, e.g. purchase orders, compilation or processing

Abstract

Systems, methods, and program product for facilitating electronic ordering of goods, services, or goods and services, or other products, through messaging over a financial services electronic payment network, are provided. A customer provides electronic order registration activation information for an electronic order transaction card. The customer is provided an electronic order card having a unique electronic payment network compatible electronic order card identifier including a non-financial transaction IIN and a customer number, and is provided a catalogue or list including product order codes each associated with a different product, to enable electronic ordering over the financial services electronic payment network. An electronic order card configured to interface with a conventional point-of-sale terminal can be used to facilitate the electronic ordering over the existing financial services electronic payment network when presented to the point-of-sale terminal with a product order code identifying a selected product.

Claims

1. A computer to facilitate the management and electronic ordering of goods and services over an existing electronic financial network, the computer comprising:

one or more input/output units;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory memories encoded with computer programs, the computer program comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, operates to perform the operations of;

associating a plurality of products of one or more products providers with a plurality of product order codes;

determining receipt of a purchase order message including a unique transaction card identifier and one or more of the plurality of product order codes, the purchase order being sent from a computer associated with an issuer of the unique transaction card identifier through an existing financial services electronic payment network, the unique transaction card identifier comprising an issuer identifier number; and

matching each of the one or more of the plurality of product order codes in the purchase order message with one or more of a plurality of corresponding products of one or more product providers when the purchase order message satisfies rule-based criteria to thereby create a valid product order.

2. A computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the transaction card identifier is associated with a monetary account so that the computer can facilitate financial settlement of the valid product order in addition to the ordering of the one or more of the plurality of corresponding products.

3. A computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises instruction that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the operation of:

generating a business transaction report for the one or more product providers that indicates number of orders that have been transmitted, processed or fulfilled.

4. A computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the computer program further comprises instruction that, when executed by the one or more processors, perform the operation of:

maintaining one or more database tables comprising the plurality of product order codes, a plurality of transaction identifiers associated with a plurality of cardholders, and valid purchase orders.

5. A computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the rule-based criteria includes one or more of the following:

acknowledgement of sufficient payment for the one or more of the plurality of products, valid transaction card identifier, allowable quantity of the one or more of the plurality of products, and valid electronic card security code associated with the customer transaction card.

6. A computer as defined in claim 1, wherein the purchase order message is responsive to an electronic payment network interface receiving one or more of the plurality of product order codes and the transaction card identifiers, the electronic payment network interface being configured to transmit one or more of the received plurality of product order codes and the one or more of the plurality of transaction card identifiers via the existing financial services electronic payment network to the issuer of the transaction cards identifiers responsive to the existing financial services electronic payment network identifying the issuer.

7. Non-transitory memories encoded with computer programs, the computer program comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by a computer, operates to perform the operations of:

associating, by a computer adapted to facilitate the management and electronic ordering of goods to define a member interface protocol computer, a plurality of products of one or more products providers with a plurality of product order codes;

configuring, by the member interface protocol computer, a plurality of customer order transaction card accounts to be used by a plurality of customers, each of the transaction card accounts being associated with one or more of a plurality of transaction cards each having a unique transaction card identifier comprising an issuer identifier number;

determining receipt by the member interface protocol computer of a purchase order message including one or more of the plurality of unique transaction card identifiers and one or more of the plurality of product order codes, the purchase order being sent from a computer associated with an issuer of the plurality of unique transaction card identifiers through an existing financial services electronic payment network;

matching, by the member interface protocol computer, each of the one or more of the plurality of product order codes in the purchase order message with one or more of a plurality of corresponding products of one or more product providers when the purchase order message satisfies rule-based criteria to thereby create a valid product order.

8. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 7, wherein one or more of the plurality of transaction card identifiers are associated with one or more monetary accounts so that the member interface protocol computer can facilitate financial settlement of the valid product order in addition to the ordering of the one or more of the plurality of corresponding products.

9. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

generating, by the member interface protocol computer, a business transaction report for the one or more product providers that indicates number of orders that have been transmitted, processed or fulfilled.

10. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 7, wherein the method further comprises the step of:

maintaining, by the member interface protocol computer, one or more database tables comprising the plurality of product order codes, a plurality of transaction identifiers associated with a plurality of cardholders, and valid purchase orders.

11. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 7, wherein the rule-based criteria includes one or more of the following:

acknowledgement of sufficient payment for the one or more of the plurality of products, valid transaction card identifier, allowable quantity of the one or more of the plurality of products, and valid electronic card security code associated with the customer transaction card.

12. Non-transitory memory as defined in claim 7, wherein the purchase order message is responsive to an electronic payment network interface receiving one or more of the plurality of product order codes and the transaction card identifiers, the electronic payment network interface being configured to transmit one or more of the received plurality of product order codes and the one or more of the plurality of transaction card identifiers via the existing financial services electronic payment network to the issuer of the transaction cards identifiers responsive to the existing financial services electronic payment network identifying the issuer.

13. A computer associated with a financial institution and adapted to facilitate the management and electronic ordering of goods and services over an existing electronic financial network to define an issuer computer, the computer comprising:

one or more input/output units;

one or more processors; and

one or more non-transitory memories encoded with computer programs, the computer program comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by a computer associated with a financial institution to define a issuer computer, operates to perform the operations of;

issuing a plurality of unique transaction card identifiers, each of the identifiers comprising an issuer identifier number associated with the financial institution;

associating a plurality of products of one or more products providers with a plurality of product order codes;

determining receipt of a purchase order message including one of the plurality of unique transaction card identifiers and one or more of the plurality of product order codes, the purchase order being sent from a computer associated with an merchant through an existing financial services electronic payment network; and

matching each of the one or more of the plurality of product order codes in the purchase order message with one or more of a plurality of corresponding products of one or more product providers when the purchase order message satisfies rule-based criteria to thereby create a valid product order.

14. A computer as defined in claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises instruction that, when executed by the issuer computer, perform the operation of:

generating a business transaction report for the one or more product providers that indicates number of orders that have been transmitted, processed or fulfilled.

15. A computer as defined in claim 13, wherein one or more of the plurality of unique transaction card identifiers are associated with one or more monetary accounts so that the issuer computer can facilitate financial settlement of the valid product order in addition to the ordering of the one or more of the plurality of corresponding products.

16. A computer as defined in claim 15, wherein the one or more monetary accounts are maintained by the financial institution.

17. A computer as defined in claim 16, wherein the purchase order message is responsive to an electronic payment network interface receiving one or more of the plurality of product order codes and the transaction card identifiers, the electronic payment network interface being configured to transmit one or more of the received plurality of product order codes and the one or more of the plurality of transaction card identifiers via the existing financial services electronic payment network to the issuer computer responsive to the existing financial services electronic payment network identifying the issuer.

18. A computer as defined in claim 13, wherein the purchase order message is responsive to an electronic payment network interface receiving one or more of the plurality of product order codes and the transaction card identifiers, the electronic payment network interface being configured to transmit one or more of the received plurality of product order codes and the one or more of the plurality of transaction card identifiers via the existing financial services electronic payment network to the issuer computer responsive to the existing financial services electronic payment network identifying the issuer.

19. A computer as defined in claim 13, wherein the rule-based criteria includes one or more of the following:

acknowledgement of sufficient payment for the one or more of the plurality of products, valid transaction card identifier, allowable quantity of the one or more of the plurality of products, and valid electronic card security code associated with the customer transaction card.

20. A computer as defined in claim 13, wherein the computer program further comprises instruction that, when executed by the issuer computer, perform the operation of:

maintaining one or more database tables comprising the plurality of product order codes, the plurality of transaction identifiers, and valid purchase orders.