Interactive interchange rate decisioning

• US 8,560,393 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2009
• Issued: 10/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Original Assignee: Bank of America Corp.
• Inventors: Giordano, Joseph A., Whitler, Elbert Lee, Fellman, Herbert M.
• Primary Examiner(s): ADE, OGER GARCIA
• Application Number:
  US12/491,433
• Publication Number:
  US 20100250379A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,573 Days
• Field of Search: 705/20
• US Class Current: 705/20
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/201 Price look-up processing, e.g. updating
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for providing transaction fee information to a customer. The apparatus and methods may provide to a customer at a merchant point of sale terminal information regarding a transaction fee. The transaction may be based on the customer'"'"'s credit card or other purchasing instrument. The transaction fee may be imposed by an issuer of the credit card. The merchant may be required to pay the fee. The point of sale terminal may be configured to provide an opportunity for the customer to decide, based on the transaction fee, whether to continue the transaction or obtain information about fees associated with other credit cards.

Claims

1. A method for providing transaction fee information to a customer, the method comprising:

using a receiver module in communication with an electronic communication network, receiving a transaction data object;

using a processor module in communication with the receiver, identifying a transaction fee based on the transaction data object; and

using a transmitter module in communication with the electronic communication network, transmitting to the customer at a point of sale platform a transaction fee data object that comprises the transaction fee information.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the transaction data object is a first transaction data object, receiving, using the receiver module, a second transaction data object, the second transaction data object including a transaction fee selection.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

using the processor module, selecting a merchant offer; and

using the transmitter module, transmitting the merchant offer to the point of sale platform.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the selecting comprises applying a transaction fee offer rule to the transaction fee information.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, when the transaction data object corresponds to a transaction initiated with a first purchasing instrument, identifying, using the processor module, a second purchasing instrument that corresponds to the customer.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising transmitting to the customer, using the transmitter, second purchasing instrument information that corresponds to the second purchasing instrument.

7. The method of claim 5 wherein the second purchasing instrument information comprises:

an issuer identifier; and

a network identifier.

8. One or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, perform a method for providing transaction fee information to a customer, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction data object from a point of sale (“

POS”

) interactive device;

identifying a transaction fee based on the transaction data object; and

transmitting to the POS a transaction fee data object that comprises the transaction fee information.

9. The media of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises, when the transaction data object is a first transaction data object, receiving from the POS interactive device a second transaction data object, the second transaction data object including a transaction fee selection.

10. The media of claim 8 wherein the method further comprises:

selecting a merchant offer; and

transmitting the merchant offer to the POS interactive device.

11. The media of claim 10 wherein, in the method, the selecting comprises applying a transaction fee offer rule to transaction fee information.

12. The media of claim 8 wherein, when the transaction data object corresponds to a transaction initiated with a first purchasing instrument, the method further comprises identifying a second purchasing instrument that corresponds to the customer.

13. The media of claim 12 wherein the method further comprises transmitting to the customer second purchasing instrument information that corresponds to the second purchasing instrument.

14. The media of claim 13 wherein, in the method, the second purchasing instrument information comprises:

an issuer identifier; and

a network identifier.