System, program product, and method for debit card and checking account autodraw

• US 8,744,915 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2010
• Issued: 06/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/04/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Pathward National Association
• Original Assignee: MetaBank (Meta Financial Group Incorporated)
• Inventors: Ahlers, Rebecca, Crowe, Andrew B, Galit, Scott H, Sorbe, Trent
• Primary Examiner(s): Zeender, Ryan
• Assistant Examiner(s): ORTIZ ROMAN, DENISSE Y
• Application Number:
  US12/877,524
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055080A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,364 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/17
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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 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 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof

Abstract

A consumer is prequalified for a line of credit attached to a checking account by a lending institution computer responsive to consumer underwriting data. The lending institution computer makes available draws to the line of credit line in an authorization stream for a proposed payment from the checking account. When the line of credit is accessed, the checking account is credited with an additional value equal to one or more preselected loan increments so that the account then has a new amount totaling a previous amount plus the amount of value of the one or more preselected loan increments and so that the new amount exceeds or equals the value of a proposed payment. Next, a new value for the line of credit balance available is determined, accounting for value credited to the checking account and a preselected loan advance fee for each loan increment credited to the account.

Claims

1. A system to allow a debit card user to access a line of credit associated with one or more of a plurality of checking accounts when using a debit card, the system comprising:

a computer associated with a lending institution defining a lending institution computer, the lending institution computer having non-transitory memory, being associated with an electronic communications network, and being positioned to control access to funds from a line of credit associated with a checking account; and

a computer program product associated with the lending institution computer, stored on a tangible computer memory media, and operable on a computer, the computer program product comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by the computer, cause the computer to perform the operations of;

prequalifying, by the lending institution computer, a debit card user for a line of credit to be associated with one or more of a plurality of checking accounts responsive to consumer underwriting data and predetermined qualification parameters,

establishing, by the lending institution computer, the line of credit associated with one or more of the plurality of the checking accounts responsive to approval of the line of credit, the line of credit having a total credit limit and adapted to be drawn in at least one of a plurality of separate predetermined loan increments each being equal in value and less than the total credit limit,

determining, by the lending institution computer responsive to receipt of transaction data, when a debit card associated with the one or more of the plurality of the checking accounts is being used as payment for a proposed purchase and when a value of the proposed purchase is greater than a value associated with the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts,

determining, by the lending institution computer, responsive to the value of the proposed purchase being greater than the value associated with the one or more of the plurality of the checking accounts, a number of separate predetermined loan increments to be added to the value associated with the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts so that the number of separate predetermined loan increments multiplied by the value of one of the plurality of separate predetermined loan increments and plus the value associated with the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts exceeds the value of the proposed purchase by less than the value of one of the plurality of separate predetermined loan increments,

loading, by the lending institution computer, the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts with one or more of the plurality of separate predetermined loan increments that corresponds with the number of separate predetermined loan increments to thereby define one or more loaded predetermined increments when the one or more of the loaded predetermined increments and a total value of a predetermined loan advance fee corresponding thereto collectively do not exceed a line of credit balance available, the total value of the predetermined loan advance fee being equal to the value of one of the plurality of separate predetermined loan increments multiplied by the number of separate predetermined loan increments,

determining, by the lending institution computer, a new value of the line of credit balance available, the new value being a previous value of the line of credit balance available minus the one or more loaded predetermined increments to the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts and minus the total value of the predetermined loan advance fee, and

determining, by the lending institution computer, a new value of a line of credit balance, the new value being a previous value of the line of credit balance plus the one or more loaded predetermined increments loaded to the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts plus the total value of the predetermined loan advance fee, the total value of the predetermined loan advance fee being less than the loaded predetermined increments loaded to the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein allow a debit card user to access a line of credit associated with one or more of a plurality of checking accounts when using a debit card in the proposed payment involves one or more of the following:

an electronic check, a debit card, an electronic bill payment, an automated teller machine (ATM) withdrawal, and a wire transfer.

3. A system of claim 2, wherein the first portion of the new value of line of credit balance repaid includes at least the total value of the predetermined loan advance fee, wherein the value of the proposed purchase includes adjustments for one or more of the following:

coupons, discounts, instant rebates, and sales tax, wherein the lending institution is a federally-chartered bank subject to federal banking laws and regulations and not subject to state banking laws and regulations, and wherein the line of credit is bank product so that the line of credit complies with federal Regulation Z.

4. A system of claim 3, wherein the line of credit is one of a plurality of line of credits associated with the lending institution computer, and wherein the one or more of the plurality of checking accounts are associated with one or more of a plurality of financial institutions and one or more of a plurality of financial institution computers positioned remote from the lending institution computer.