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

• US 9,230,253 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2014
• Issued: 01/05/2016
• 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:
  US14/486,594
• Publication Number:
  US 20150006307A1
• Time in Patent Office: 477 Days
• Field of Search: 235/375, 235/380, 235/383, 235/449, 235/451, 235/492, 235/493
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer of a card issuer from a point-of-sale terminal of a merchant, transaction data associated with a transaction from a transaction card of a cardholder, wherein the transaction data comprises an identification of a category of a product associated with the transaction;

receiving, by the computer of the card issuer from the point-of-sale terminal of the merchant, the transaction data through a card association network for the transaction card, the transaction data comprising the identification of the category of the product;

comparing, by the computer of the card issuer, the identification of the category of the product to a pre-qualified category of products associated with the transaction card of the cardholder;

transmitting, from the computer of the card issuer to the point-of-sale terminal of the merchant, approval of the transaction as a health care transaction when the product is categorized in a pre-qualified health care category, and approving, by the card issuer, the transaction as the health care transaction; and

transmitting, from the computer of the card issuer to the point-of-sale terminal of the merchant, approval of the transaction as a general transaction when the product is not categorized in a pre-qualified health care category, and approving, by the card issuer, the transaction request as the general transaction.

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

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

4. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, wherein approving the transaction further comprises determining whether the location for the merchant identified in the transaction data is the same location that is pre-qualified for the account.

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

6. The computer-implemented method according to claim 5, wherein the second account is a card association branded account of the cardholder.

7. The computer-implemented method according to claim 3, wherein the location is a geographic location.

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

9. The computer-implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the transaction data further comprises a code to identify a location of the merchant.

10. The computer-implemented method according to claim 9, wherein identifying the location of the merchant further comprises identifying the code in the transaction data.

11. A computer-implemented method, the method comprising:

receiving, by a computer of a card issuer from a point-of-sale terminal of a merchant, transaction data associated with a transaction from a transaction card of a cardholder, wherein the transaction data comprises an identification of a category of a service;

receiving, by the computer of the card issuer from the point-of-sale terminal of the merchant, the transaction data through a card association network for the transaction card, the transaction data comprising the identification of the category of the service;

comparing, by the computer of the card issuer, the identification of the category of the service to a pre-qualified category of services associated with the transaction card of the cardholder;

transmitting, from the computer of the card issuer to the point-of-sale terminal of the merchant, approval of the transaction as a health care transaction when the service is categorized in a pre-qualified health care category and approving, by the card issuer, the transaction as the health care transaction; and

transmitting, from the computer of the card issuer to the point-of-sale terminal of the merchant, approval of the transaction as a general transaction when the service is not categorized in a pre-qualified health care category, and approving, by the card issuer, the transaction as the general transaction.

12. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the transaction card is branded by the card issuer.

13. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein an account associated with the transaction card is pre-qualified for transactions associated with a location.

14. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein approving the transaction further comprises determining, by the computer of the card issuer, whether a location for the merchant indicated in the transaction data is the same location that is pre-qualified for the account.

15. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, further comprising posting, by the computer of the card issuer, payment to a second account of the cardholder if the transaction is denied.

16. The computer-implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the second account is a card association branded account of the cardholder.

17. The computer-implemented method according to claim 13, wherein the location is a geographic location.

18. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the transaction card is a private label card.

19. The computer-implemented method according to claim 11, wherein the transaction data further comprises a code to identify a location of the merchant.

20. The computer-implemented method according to claim 19, wherein identifying the location of the merchant further comprises identifying the code in the transaction data.