Automatically adding gratuity to amount charged in electronic transaction
First Claim
1. A method, comprising the steps of:
- (a) receiving, from a customer by a merchant, a card for payment from an account associated with the card of a certain amount owed;
(b) electronically communicating, by the merchant for receipt by a card issuer for authorization to charge to the account associated with the card the certain amount owed,(i) card information representative of information read from the card that was presented for payment,(ii) an identification of the merchant, and(iii) the certain amount owed;
(c) electronically receiving, by the merchant in response to the electronic communication to the card issuer, (i) authorization to charge the certain amount owed to the account associated with the card and (ii) data that is indicative of a gratuity to be charged to the account associated with the card;
(d) printing, by the merchant, a document that includes both (i) the certain amount owed and (ii) the gratuity as indicated by the data received by the merchant from the card issuer; and
(e) presenting, by the merchant to the customer, the printed document for signature by the customer.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method includes receiving a payment object for payment of a certain amount owed by a first party to a second party. The payment object carries sufficient account information for the payment from an account associated with the payment object. The second party communicates the account information from the payment object and an identification of the second party for receipt by a third party; and receives in return data that is indicative of a gratuity to be charged against the account. The second party prints a document that includes the certain amount owed and the gratuity, as indicated by the data received by the second party, and presents the document for signature by the first party. The printed document preferably includes the total of the amount owed and the gratuity. The payment object may be a credit card, charge card, debit card, rebate card, or stored-value card.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. A method, comprising the steps of:
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(a) receiving, from a customer by a merchant, a card for payment from an account associated with the card of a certain amount owed; (b) electronically communicating, by the merchant for receipt by a card issuer for authorization to charge to the account associated with the card the certain amount owed, (i) card information representative of information read from the card that was presented for payment, (ii) an identification of the merchant, and (iii) the certain amount owed; (c) electronically receiving, by the merchant in response to the electronic communication to the card issuer, (i) authorization to charge the certain amount owed to the account associated with the card and (ii) data that is indicative of a gratuity to be charged to the account associated with the card; (d) printing, by the merchant, a document that includes both (i) the certain amount owed and (ii) the gratuity as indicated by the data received by the merchant from the card issuer; and (e) presenting, by the merchant to the customer, the printed document for signature by the customer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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Specification