Mobile phone charge card notification and authorization method

• US 9,406,069 B2
• Filed: 04/18/2011
• Issued: 08/02/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Calabrese Stemer LLC
• Original Assignee: Calabrese Stemer LLC
• Inventors: Calabrese, Gerry, Stemer, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Ahshik
• Application Number:
  US13/088,514
• Publication Number:
  US 20110196792A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,933 Days
• Field of Search: 235/380, 235/379, 235/382, 705/77
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• 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 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/425 using two different networks, one for transaction and one for security confirmation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

An added level of security is provided for charge card transactions. Upon presenting a charge card number for a purchase, for example, the cardholder receives a message (e.g., SMS) on his cell phone or PDA that a charge authorization request has been received. The message may include the merchant, a charge amount, and a time and date.

Claims

1. In a charge card payment authorization method, wherein a charge is requested at a merchant'"'"'s, account information including a charge card account number for payment of a customer'"'"'s purchase is acquired at the merchant'"'"'s, an authorization request with the charge card account number and information relating to the customer'"'"'s purchase is transmitted to a remote charge processing facility, and the charge request is processed, the improvement which comprises:

transmitting a notification of the charge request through a cellular network to a wireless device associated with the customer no later than immediately after authorizing the charge request and processing the charge request without requiring a response from the wireless device associated with the customer.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises transmitting the notification immediately upon receiving the charge request and prior to authorizing the charge request.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the authorization request includes the account information and a monetary amount, and the notification to the communications device associated with the customer in an SMS message including the monetary amount.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the notification includes a maximum amount authorized for the transaction and a time period within which the authorization is valid.

5. A charge card payment processing method, which comprises:

when a charge is requested by a charge card holder at a merchant'"'"'s and information regarding the charge card account number, an identification of the charge card holder, and related information regarding the charge are acquired at the merchant'"'"'s, and an authorization request including at least the charge card account number and information relating to the charge is transmitted from the merchant'"'"'s to a remote charge processing facility, the charge request is processed, and an authorization or an authorization denial, as appropriate, is returned to the merchant'"'"'s,

transmitting a notification of the charge request through a cellular network to a wireless device associated with an owner of the charge card account substantially concomitantly with a receipt of the authorization request by the remote charge processing facility, the notification including information relating to the charge and being a one-way notification without a request for a response.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the notification is an SMS message containing a monetary amount and information relating to the merchant'"'"'s.