Methods and systems for managing transaction card accounts enabled for use with particular categories of providers and/or goods/services

• US 8,844,810 B1
• Filed: 12/22/2011
• Issued: 09/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/02/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Citicorp Credit Services Incorporated (Citigroup Incorporated)
• Inventors: Johnson, William
• Primary Examiner(s): VO, TUYEN KIM
• Application Number:
  US13/334,627
• Time in Patent Office: 1,013 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/383, 235/375
• US Class Current: 235/380
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• 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 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3555 Personalisation of two or more cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• 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 30/0229 Multi-merchant loyalty card systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0237 at kiosk
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system for managing transaction card accounts involves enabling a transaction card account by a card issuer for use with pre-defined categories of providers of goods/services and goods/services sold and issuing a transaction card and establishing an associated pre-qualified category card account. Upon receiving data for a transaction with the transaction card at a transaction terminal by a processing platform of the card issuer via a card association processing network, the category of the provider and goods/services is interrogated to determine whether or not the transaction can be posted on the pre-qualified category card account of the cardholder, and the transaction is approved and posted to the pre-qualified category card account if the transaction falls within the pre-qualified category of the cardholder.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for processing a payment from a transaction card, the method comprising:

receiving, from a point-of-sale terminal of a merchant, a transaction request from a cardholder of the transaction card, wherein the transaction request comprises indicia of a location of where the cardholder is requesting the transaction;

transmitting the transaction request through a card association network to a card issuer for the transaction card;

receiving, by a computer of the card issuer, the transaction request;

determining, by the computer of the card issuer, whether to approve the transaction request as a private label transaction based upon the location of the transaction request based upon the indicia in the transaction request;

approving the transaction request as a private label card transaction if the location of the transaction request is qualified; and

approving the transaction request if the location of the transaction request is not qualified.

2. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction card is a private label card.

3. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the indicia in the transaction request further comprises a code to identify the location of the merchant.

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the location of the merchant comprises a category of merchants, and wherein the transaction request is approved if the merchant is qualified for the category of merchants.

5. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the location identifies the merchant'"'"'s mode of business.

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the location identifies the merchandise or services sold by a merchant.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein a plurality of merchants have the same location.

8. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the location is assigned to a category of goods or services.

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction card is branded by the card issuer.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein an account associated with the transaction card is pre-qualified for transactions associated with the location.

11. The computer-implemented method according to claim 10, wherein approving the transaction request further comprises determining whether the location for the merchant in the transaction request is the same location that is pre-qualified for the account.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, further comprising posting the payment to a second account of the cardholder if the transaction request is denied.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the second account is a card association branded account of the cardholder.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the location is a geographic location.

15. A computer-implemented method for managing a transaction card account, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer of a card issuer, account transaction data from a transaction terminal of a provider having a card reader through which a transaction card of a cardholder read in connection with a transaction;

receiving, by the computer of the card issuer, an identifier of goods or services in the transaction;

determining, by the computer of the card issuer, whether the transaction can be posted on the transaction card account of the cardholder based upon the identifier of goods or services in the transaction; and

approving, by the computer of the card issuer, the transaction and posting the transaction to the transaction card account if the goods or services in the transaction with the provider is classified as a pre-qualified goods or services for the transaction card.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the account transaction data is received by the card issuer after processing the account transaction data through a credit card association network according to pre-defined credit card association processing procedures for credit card association branded transaction cards.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising denying the transaction if the transaction falls outside the pre-qualified category.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising posting the transaction to another account of the cardholder with the card issuer based on pre-defined parameters if the credit transaction falls outside the pre-qualified category.

19. The method of claim 15, further comprising posting the transaction to a card association branded account of the cardholder if the transaction falls outside the pre-qualified category.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein a plurality of providers associated with the category are allowed to accept payment from the transaction card without requiring each provider to qualify separately with the card issuer.