System and method for checkless cash advance settlement

• US 9,224,143 B2
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Issued: 12/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Everi Payments, Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Everi Payments, Inc. (Everi Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Potts, Craig, Beer, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Thien M
• Assistant Examiner(s): KIM, TAE W
• Application Number:
  US14/231,029
• Publication Number:
  US 20140214680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 638 Days
• Field of Search: 235/379
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/00157 Casino or betting games horse races A63F3/00082
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/042 characterized in that the payment protocol involves at least one cheque
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/045 using payment protocols involving tickets
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/06 Private payment circuits, e.g. involving electronic currency used among participants of a common payment scheme
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/18 involving self-service terminals [SST], vending machines, kiosks or multimedia terminals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• 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 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3223 Architectural aspects of a gaming system, e.g. internal configuration, master/slave, wireless communication
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3246 involving coins and/or banknotes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3248 involving non-monetary media of fixed value, e.g. casino chips of fixed value
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3251 involving media of variable value, e.g. programmable cards, programmable tokens
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 : Type of games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/42 : for ticket printing or like apparatus , e.g. apparatus for dispensing of printed paper tickets or payment cards
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/00 : Complete banking systems; Coded card-freed arrangements adapted for dispensing or receiving monies or the like and posting such transactions to existing accounts, e.g. automatic teller machines data processing equipment for bank accounting G06Q40/02
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 19/20 : Automatic teller machines [ATMs]
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 : by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

Methods, devices, and systems for conducting a checkless cash access settlement are provided. In one embodiment, a cash advance method includes the following: a customer initiates a cash access transaction with a financial card via a cash access system; the customer receives authorization or denial; the customer provides identification and the financial card to a cashier or attendant; the cashier or attendant validates the customer'"'"'s identity, retrieves the transaction information, and completes the cash advance application; the application prints a non-negotiable instrument, such as a transaction receipt; the customer signs the receipt confirming the transaction with a physical receipt or electronic capture; the receipt image is stored electronically for subsequent transmittal to a central server; the transaction information, including the receipt image if applicable, is recorded on the central server; and the central server generates an ACH file and electronically transmits the ACH file to a designated financial institution.

Claims

1. A method for making funds available for gaming, the method comprising:

allowing a customer to select a quasi-cash transaction at a terminal, the quasi-cash transaction allowing cash access based on a customer credit account, and said quasi-cash transaction creating a negotiable instrument which represents an amount of money and which may be redeemed for cash or casino credit;

reading customer information from a card at said terminal to obtain customer identification information;

generating a request for authorization of the quasi-cash transaction when the customer selects the quasi-cash transaction;

transmitting said request to a station for processing; and

processing said request presented to said station,

wherein when said request is approved and an identity of the customer is verified,

generating the negotiable instrument, the negotiable instrument comprising at least some of the obtained customer identification information and is endorsable by the customer; and

either;

(a) printing a hard copy of the negotiable instrument for endorsement by the customer, whereby said customer may utilize said endorsed negotiable instrument to receive funds;

or

(b) receiving an electronic endorsement for the negotiable instrument from the customer at said terminal and transmitting said endorsement to said station, whereby said customer may utilize the endorsed negotiable instrument to receive funds.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said step of receiving an electronic endorsement comprises receiving input from said customer with a stylus to an electronic display.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a step of storing said electronic endorsement as an electronic image at an image repository associated with said station.

4. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising the step of printing out a receipt by the station.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said terminal comprises a wireless control unit located remote from said station.

6. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein a printer is associated with said station and said step of printing a hard copy of said negotiable instrument comprises printing said hard copy using said printer associated with said station.

7. The method as set forth in claim 1, wherein said negotiable instrument comprises a check.

8. A method for making funds available for gaming, the method comprising:

allowing a customer to select a quasi-cash transaction at a terminal in a gaming area of a casino, the quasi-cash transaction allowing cash access based on a customer credit account, and said quasi-cash transaction creating a negotiable instrument which represents an amount of money and which may be redeemed for cash or casino credit;

reading customer information from a card at said terminal to obtain customer identification information;

generating a request for authorization of the quasi-cash transaction when the customer selects the quasi-cash transaction;

transmitting said request to a station for processing; and

processing said request presented to said station,

wherein when said request is approved and an identity of the customer is verified,

generating the negotiable instrument, the negotiable instrument comprising at least some the obtained customer identification information and is endorsable by the customer; and

either;

(a) printing, via a printer associated with said station, a hard copy of the negotiable instrument for endorsement by the customer in said gaming area of said casino, whereby said customer may utilize said endorsed negotiable instrument to receive funds;

or

(b) receiving an electronic endorsement from the customer at said terminal for the negotiable instrument and transmitting said endorsement to said station, whereby said customer may utilize the endorsed negotiable instrument to receive funds.

9. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said step of receiving an electronic endorsement comprises receiving input from said customer with a stylus to an electronic display.

10. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising a step of storing said electronic endorsement as an electronic image at an image repository associated with said station.

11. The method as set forth in claim 8, further comprising the step of printing out a receipt by the station.

12. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said terminal comprises a wireless control unit located remote from said station.

13. The method as set forth in claim 8, wherein said negotiable instrument comprises a check.