System and method for delegating management of a financial transaction account to a designated assistant

• US 8,700,523 B2
• Filed: 10/11/2005
• Issued: 04/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Liberty Peak Ventures, LLC (Dominion Harbor Enterprises, LLC)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Edwards, Brent M., Wright, Andre R., Thompson, Jane H. C., Sondermeyer, Robert J., Rosenfeld, Marc C.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, GREGORY L
• Application Number:
  US11/246,135
• Publication Number:
  US 20060282377A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,108 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/39
• 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 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/00 Information and communication technology [ICT] specially adapted for implementation of business processes of specific business sectors, e.g. utilities or tourism healthcare informatics G16H

Abstract

Systems, methods and computer program products for enabling a holder of a transaction account linked to a financial transaction instrument to delegate management of the transaction account to an assistant. Information relating to the transaction account, including at least identification information relating to the holder of the transaction account, is stored in a database. The database stores financial transaction data relating to financial transactions performed using the financial transaction instrument. A designation of at least one assistant to manage the transaction account on behalf of the holder is accepted and stored. Assistant management authentication data associated with the transaction account is established, to be used by the assistant to execute management instructions at a designated level of management access. An instruction from the assistant is accepted to access transaction data associated with the transaction account.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

enabling, by a computer based system for delegating authorization, a first transaction account holder to delegate management of transaction account data associated with a transaction account to a second user, wherein the first transaction account holder has transaction account usage authorization and the second user does not have transaction account usage authorization;

accepting, by the computer based system, a transaction account data access designation of the second user from the first transaction account holder;

enabling, by the computer based system, review of transaction account usage data, based on the designation; and

enabling, by the computer based system, inquiries of a transaction account issuer regarding transaction account usage data, based on the designation.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising storing, by the computer based system, a respective level of management access defining the transaction account data access designations that the second user is authorized to perform in managing the transaction account data.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling, by the computer based system, a second account holder to delegate management of second transaction account data associated with a second transaction account to the second user, wherein the second transaction account holder has second transaction account usage authorization and the second user does not have second transaction account usage authorization.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein enabling the first transaction account holder to delegate management of the transaction account usage data associated with the transaction account to the second user is performed contemporaneously with an opening of the transaction account.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the enabling the first transaction account holder to delegate management of the transaction account usage data associated with the transaction account to the second user is performed after the transaction account is opened and used in a financial transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises enabling alteration of a stored level of management access of the second user to a new level of management access.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling the first transaction account holder to terminate transaction account data access of a second user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user may communicate via the Internet with the computer based system to review transaction account usage data and inquire of the transaction account issuer regarding transaction account usage data.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user may communicate via a communication device with the computer based system to review transaction account usage data and inquire of the transaction account issuer regarding transaction account usage data.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the communication device comprises at least one of a telephone, a cellular telephone, and a facsimile.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the second user is an employee working for the holder of the transaction account.

12. A computer based system, comprising:

a computer network communicating with a memory;

the memory communicating with a processor; and

the processor, when executing a computer program for delegating authorization, is configured to;

enable a first transaction account holder to delegate management of transaction account data associated with a transaction account to a second user, wherein the first transaction account holder has transaction account usage authorization and the second user does not have transaction account usage authorization;

accept a transaction account data access designation of the second user from the first transaction account holder;

enable review of transaction account usage data, based on the designation; and

enable inquiries of a transaction account issuer regarding transaction account usage data, based on the designation.

13. The computer based system of claim 12, wherein the processor, when executing a computer program for delegating authorization, is further configured to store a respective level of management access defining the access designations that the second user is authorized to perform in managing the transaction account data.

14. The computer based system of claim 12, wherein the processor, when executing a computer program for delegating authorization, is further configured to enable a second account holder to delegate management of second transaction account data associated with a second transaction account to the second user, wherein the second transaction account holder has second transaction account usage authorization and the second user does not have second transaction account usage authorization.

15. The computer based system of claim 12, wherein enabling the first transaction account holder to delegate management of the transaction account usage data associated with the transaction account to the second user is performed contemporaneously with an opening of the transaction account.

16. The computer based system of claim 12, wherein the enabling the first transaction account holder to delegate management of the transaction account usage data associated with the transaction account to the second user is performed after the transaction account is opened and used in a financial transaction.

17. The computer based system of claim 12, further comprising enabling alteration of a stored level of management access of the second user to a new level of management access.

18. The computer based system of claim 12, further comprising enabling the first transaction account holder to terminate the transaction account data access of the second user.

19. The computer based system of claim 12, wherein the second user is an employee working for the holder of the transaction account.

20. A non-transitory computer readable medium having stored thereon sequences of instruction, the sequences of instruction including instruction which, when executed by a computer-based system for delegating authorization, causes the computer based system to perform operations comprising:

enabling, by the computer based system, a first transaction account holder to delegate management of transaction account data associated with a transaction account to a second user, wherein the first transaction account holder has transaction account usage authorization and the second user does not have transaction account usage authorization;

accepting, by the computer based system, a transaction account data access designation of the second user from the first transaction account holder;

enabling, by the computer based system, review of transaction account usage data, based on the designation; and

enabling, by the computer based system, inquiries of a transaction account issuer regarding transaction account usage data, based on the designation.