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

• US 9,558,495 B1
• Filed: 12/30/2015
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• 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 K
• Application Number:
  US14/983,936
• Time in Patent Office: 398 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 comprising:

reading, from a card reader of the transaction terminal, transaction data of a transaction card of a cardholder;

assigning, by a processor of the transaction terminal, transaction request code configured for determining whether the transaction pertains to a pre-qualified transaction category by a card issuer of the transaction card;

transmitting, by the processor of the transaction terminal, the transaction request code and transaction data to a card association network for approval of the transaction by the card issuer;

receiving, by the processor of the transaction terminal and from the card association network, an approval of the transaction as a qualified transaction when the transaction request code pertains to a pre-qualified transaction category;

receiving, by the processor of the transaction terminal and from the card association network, an approval of the transaction request as a general transaction when the transaction request code does not pertain to a pre-qualified transaction category; and

identifying, by the processor of the transaction terminal, whether the transaction is approved as the qualified transaction or the general transaction.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction terminal is a computerized point-of-sale terminal in communication with the card association network.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request code sent from the transaction terminal is processed exclusively through the card association network according to a pre-qualified merchant category code scheme.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request code includes data associated with a geographic location of the merchant.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request code includes data associated with a particular industry of the merchant.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request code includes data associated with a particular category of merchandise or service of the merchant.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request code comprises a merchant category code to identify a particular category of merchandise or service.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, wherein a plurality of merchants are assigned to the same merchant category code.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the transaction request code sent by the transaction terminal comprises credit transaction data to be processed according to pre-defined credit card association processing procedures for the transaction card.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the approved qualified transaction is processed by the transaction terminal and posted to a first merchant account of the cardholder, and the approved general transaction is processed by the transaction terminal and posted to a second merchant account that is different than the first merchant account.

11. A computer-implemented method comprising:

obtaining, via an I/O device of a transaction terminal, a transaction request from a transaction card of a cardholder;

processing, by the transaction terminal, the transaction request and generating a merchant category code pertaining to the transaction request;

transmitting, by the transaction terminal, the transaction request comprising the merchant category code to a card issuer for the transaction card through a card association network;

receiving, by the transaction terminal and from the card association network, an approval of the transaction request as a qualified transaction when the merchant category code is classified by the card issuer as a qualified merchant category code, and processing the transaction;

receiving, by the transaction terminal and from the card association network, an approval of the transaction request as a general transaction when the merchant category code is not classified by the card issuer as a qualified merchant category code, and processing the transaction; and

identifying, by the transaction terminal, whether the transaction request is approved as the qualified transaction or the general transaction.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the transaction terminal is a computerized point-of-sale terminal that communicates with the card association network.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the transaction request sent from the transaction terminal is processed exclusively through the card association network according to a pre-qualified merchant category code scheme.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the transaction request further comprises data associated with a geographic location of the merchant.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the transaction request further comprises data associated with a particular industry of the merchant.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the transaction request further comprises data associated with a particular category of merchandise or service of the merchant.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the merchant category code identifies a particular category of merchandise or service.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 17, wherein a plurality of merchants are assigned to the same merchant category code.

19. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the transaction request sent by the transaction terminal further comprises credit transaction data to be processed according to pre-defined credit card association processing procedures for the transaction card.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the approved qualified transaction is processed by the transaction terminal and posted to a first merchant account of the cardholder, and the approved general transaction is processed by the transaction terminal and posted to a second merchant account that is different than the first merchant account.