Method, apparatus, and computer program product for topping up prepaid payment cards for offline use

• US 8,949,152 B2
• Filed: 12/21/2012
• Issued: 02/03/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Mastercard International Incorporated (MasterCard Incorporated)
• Inventors: Cowen, Michael J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US13/723,506
• Publication Number:
  US 20130185211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 774 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/105 involving programming of a portable memory device, e.g. IC cards, "electronic purses"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• 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 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/349 Rechargeable cards
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

A card holder carries out an initial top-up of a balance of a pre-paid payment card. The prepaid payment card is configured for use in an infrastructure in accordance with a payment specification requiring different behavior for normal transactions in the infrastructure versus that required for topping-up of the balance. Contemporaneously with the initial top-up, the card holder registers risk mitigation information in association with the pre-paid payment card. Subsequent to the initial top-up, an indicator is written to the pre-paid payment card during a transaction with the pre-paid payment card outside the infrastructure. The indicator identifies the pre-paid payment card as having the risk mitigation information associated therewith. During subsequent presentation of the pre-paid payment card to the infrastructure, the pre-paid payment card is treated as a token backed up by the risk mitigation information, based on presence of the indicator on the pre-paid payment card.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

obtaining a registration of a backup payment account for association with a pre-paid payment card contemporaneously with an initial top-up of the pre-paid payment card;

reading the pre-paid payment card at a terminal during a contactless transaction, the pre-paid payment card being configured for use in an infrastructure comprising the terminal in accordance with a payment specification requiring a contactless procedure for normal transactions and an online contact procedure for top-up of the pre-paid payment card;

determining at the terminal whether the pre-paid payment card includes an indicator written to an electronic memory thereon during a prior online contact transaction evidencing a link of the pre-paid payment card to the backup payment account;

making an offline decision to allow the contactless transaction without immediate payment based at least in part on presence of the indicator;

subsequent to the decision to allow the contactless transaction, determining whether funds are available to pay for the contactless transaction, and

obtaining payment from at least one of;

     1) a central balance stored on a central server and associated with the pre-paid payment card and

     2) via a payment network, the backup payment account.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the pre-paid payment card is an EMV compliant card.

3. The method of claim 2, further including the step of obtaining payment from the backup payment account following a predetermined period after the contactless transaction.

4. The method of claim 2, further including the step of accepting funds into the central balance during an online top-up.

5. The method of claim 2, further including the step of opening a fare gate responsive to said offline decision.

6. The method of claim 1, further including the step of writing the indicator to the electronic memory of the pre-paid payment card evidencing the link of the pre-paid payment card to the backup payment account while the prior online contact transaction with the pre-paid payment card is conducted subsequent to the initial top-up and the registration of the backup payment account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of writing the indicator to the electronic memory of the pre-paid payment card further includes causing a script to be generated at an issuer host.