Geographic area multiple service card system

• US 8,589,225 B2
• Filed: 02/05/2009
• Issued: 11/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Menichilli, Julia, Nanton, Jason, Sharp, Ray, Vosburgh, Scott, Wood-Kulko, Penelope, Cohagan, Perry A, Fitzmaurice, Mary Ann, Freud, Aliza, Mayer, Birgitta
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba
• Application Number:
  US12/366,128
• Publication Number:
  US 20090144136A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,748 Days
• Field of Search: 705/13, 705/1, 705/1.1, 705/7.34, 705/14.1, 705/14.7, 705/14.3, 705/14.31, 705/14.32
• US Class Current: 705/14.3
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• 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: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The invention provides consumers with the services of multiple cards or accounts while allowing consumers to carry a single card, transponder, code and/or other access device. Because the card may access combined services such as financial transaction services and transportation services, the system may facilitate charging the financial account for the transportation services. The system may allow the consumer to use loyalty points or geographic based loyalty points to pay for the transportation services. The system may also limit the use of certain loyalty points based upon the geographic area for certain transportation services in certain geographic areas.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computer-based system for obtaining access to transportation services and from a multiple service transaction device, a location identifier describing a location of a transportation services provider, and a charge request to charge a fee to a financial account in response to an access request to access said transportation services using said multiple service transaction device, wherein said charge request includes information related to said transportation services provider;

determining, by said computer-based system, that said location identifier is associated with a predefined geographic area comprising a plurality of service providers, wherein said predefined geographic area comprises at least one of a street, a city, a county, a state, a country, a continent, and a region;

determining, by said computer-based system and based on said location identifier, that said transportation services provider is located within said predefined geographic area;

adjusting, by said computer-based system, and based upon said determination that said transportation services provider is located within said predefined geographic area, and based upon said charge request and said fee, at least one of;

a loyalty account or said financial account associated with said multiple service transaction device; and

crediting, by said computer-based system, a transportation services provider account based upon said charge request, in response to said transportation services provider being located within said predefined geographic area, wherein said transportation services provider account is associated with said multiple service transaction device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said charge request is received from said transportation services provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting is completed in at least one of substantially real-time, batch mode, periodically, upon request, and based on an algorithm.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said fee comprises at least one of a monetary amount or loyalty points.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said adjusting is in response to a balance of loyalty points being insufficient to pay said fee.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by said computer-based system, if a user of said financial services account resides within a predefined geographical area.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting, by said computer-based system, said loyalty points to a monetary value and crediting at least a portion of said monetary value to said transportation services provider account.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein said fee comprises loyalty points which are at least one of associated with a geographic area of said transportation services provider, obtained when as user of said financial account conducts purchases within a geographic area, or geographic area loyalty points such that said transportation services provider is within a redemption area associated with said geographic area loyalty points based on location data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein said transportation services includes services associated with at least one of an airplane, ferry, watercraft, vehicle, bus, subway or train.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein said access request comprises access within said predefined geographic area to said transportation services.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined geographic area is a street.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined geographic area is a city.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined geographic area is a county.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined geographic area is a state.

17. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined geographic area is a country.

18. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined geographic area is a continent.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein said predefined geographic area comprises an entirety of at least one of a street, a city, a county, a state, a country, and a continent.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said predefined geographic comprises all merchants within said predefined geographic area.

11. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system for obtaining access to transportation services, cause the computer-based system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by said computer-based system and from a multiple service transaction device, a location identifier describing a location of a transportation services provider, and a charge request to charge a fee to a financial account in response to an access request to access said transportation services using said multiple service transaction device, wherein said charge request includes information related to said transportation services provider;

determining, by said computer-based system, that said location identifier is associated with a predefined geographic area comprising a plurality of service providers, wherein said predefined geographic area comprises at least one of a street, a city, a county, a state, a country, a continent, and a region;

determining, by said computer-based system and based on said location identifier, that said transportation services provider is located within said predefined geographic area;

adjusting, by said computer-based system, and based upon said determination that said transportation services provider is located within said predefined geographic area, and based upon said charge request and said fee, at least one of;

a loyalty account or said financial account associated with said multiple service transaction device; and

crediting, by said computer-based system, a transportation services provider account based upon said charge request, in response to said transportation services provider being located within said predefined geographic area, wherein said transportation services provider account is associated with said multiple service transaction device.

12. A system comprising:

a processor for obtaining access to transportation services,

a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor,

the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving, by said processor and from a multiple service transaction device, a location identifier describing a location of a transportation services provider, and a charge request to charge a fee to a financial account in response to an access request to access said transportation services using said multiple service transaction device, wherein said charge request includes information related to said transportation services provider;

determining, by said processor, that said location identifier is associated with a predefined geographic area comprising a plurality of service providers, wherein said predefined geographic area comprises at least one of a street, a city, a county, a state, a country, a continent, and a region;

determining, by said processor and based on said location identifier, that said transportation services provider is located within said predefined geographic area;

adjusting, by said processor and based upon said determination that said transportation services provider is located within said predefined geographic area, and based upon said charge request and said fee, at least one of;

a loyalty account or said financial account associated with said multiple service transaction device; and

crediting, by said processor, a transportation services provider account based upon said charge request, in response to said transportation services provider being located within said predefined geographic area, wherein said transportation services provider account is associated with said multiple service transaction device.