Computerized funding of a second financial account by a first financial card

• US 8,612,341 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2004
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/23/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: JP Morgan Chase & Co
• Original Assignee: JP Morgan Chase Bank, N.A. (JP Morgan Chase & Co)
• Inventors: Sullivan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Kazimi, Hani M
• Application Number:
  US10/758,262
• Publication Number:
  US 20040193539A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,623 Days
• Field of Search: 705/35, 705/36.R, 705/39, 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange

Abstract

A computerized method and system for implementing such method, the method comprising establishing a card payment instrument account for an approved customer and an investment account for the benefit of the approved customer. A rebate is calculated periodically based on credit card usage and the rebate is applied to fund the investment account periodically. The rebate is the only funding of the investment account accomplished through the card payment instrument account.

Claims

1. A computerized method for establishing and implementing multiple accounts, wherein the multiple accounts include at least one card payment instrument account from a card issuer and at least one investment account from a financial institution, the method comprising:

simultaneously offering the multiple accounts including the card payment instrument account through the card issuer and the investment account from the financial institution by providing an investment fund card application to an applicant, the investment fund card application entitling an approved cardholder to establish the card payment instrument account with the card issuer and the investment account with the financial institution, wherein the card issuer and the financial institution are independent entities;

when a recipient of an offer for multiple accounts accepts the offer for multiple accounts by completing the investment fund card application and submitting the investment fund card application to the card issuer, approving a submitted investment fund card application through an application processor system including one or more computer processors and maintained by the card issuer, the application processor system consulting a credit bureau database prior to approving the investment fund card application;

establishing the card payment instrument account through the application processor system maintained by the card issuer for the approved cardholder upon approval, wherein the card payment instrument account includes a reward feature available to the cardholder;

automatically creating the investment account for the approved cardholder through the financial institution, creation of the investment account triggered based on notification from the card issuer to the financial institution upon issuance of the card payment instrument;

linking, using the application processor system, the card payment instrument account from the card issuer to the investment account from the financial institution in an account database maintained by the card issuer;

issuing a card payment instrument linked to the multiple accounts, the card payment instrument bearing the name of the financial institution and the name of the card issuer;

establishing a reward structure through an agreement between the financial institution and the card issuer;

implementing the reward feature, using a rewards processing system maintained by the card issuer, by tracking expenditures made through the card payment instrument account and calculating a monetary reward amount based on the tracked expenditures;

selecting, using a reward issue and transfer system operated by the card issuer, a transfer destination for the reward, wherein the transfer destination is selected from the established investment account and an alternative destination;

depositing the monetary reward amount generated by the rewards processing system into the selected transfer destination at a predetermined time interval using the reward issue and transfer system; and

allowing independent funding of the investment account by the cardholder.

2. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the card payment instrument account includes at least one of a credit card account, a stored value card account, a debit card account, and a multi-featured credit on a debit card account.

3. The computerized method of claim 1, wherein the investment account includes at least one of a mutual fund account, a stock account, an individual retirement account, a 401(k) plan account, a savings account, a certificate of deposit account, a money market fund, and an employee stock purchase account.

4. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising calculating the monetary reward amount each month as a percentage of net purchases in the card payment instrument account.

5. The computerized method of claim 1, further comprising transferring the monetary reward amount to the investment account at least once a year.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the alternative destination is an additional account maintained by the cardholder.