System and method for collecting and distributing digital receipts

• US 9,626,663 B2
• Filed: 01/21/2011
• Issued: 04/18/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Integrated Bank Technology, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Integrated Bank Technology, Inc.
• Inventors: Capel, Charles W., Kunze, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Assistant Examiner(s): KING JR., JOSEPH W
• Application Number:
  US13/011,132
• Publication Number:
  US 20120191597A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,279 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 15/16 Combinations of two or more digital computers each having at least an arithmetic unit, a program unit and a register, e.g. for a simultaneous processing of several programs coordinating program control therefor G06F9/52; in regulating and control system G05B
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 69/329 in the application layer [OSI layer 7]

Abstract

According to certain embodiments of the present invention, a method for coordinating the provision of a digital receipt associated with a financial transaction is provided. According to the method, a digital receipt and an identifier corresponding to the digital receipt are communicated from an acquirer and received at a digital receipt server. The digital receipt and the corresponding identifier may be communicated through a second network, such as the Internet. The digital receipt and the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt are then stored in the digital receipt server. The digital receipt server also receives an inquiry and an identifier corresponding to the inquiry, which are communicated from an issuer. The inquiry and the corresponding identifier may be communicated through the second network. Prior to this, the identifier is transmitted from the acquirer to the issuer, for example, through a first network such as an electronic funds transfer (“EFT”) network.

Claims

1. A method for coordinating the provision of a digital receipt associated with a financial transaction, the method comprising:

receiving, at a digital receipt server and from an acquirer over the Internet, a digital receipt and an identifier corresponding to the digital receipt, wherein the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt uniquely identifies the digital receipt, wherein the digital receipt includes an itemized list of costs for a plurality of different items, and wherein each of the plurality of different items is at least one of a purchased good or service;

transmitting, from the acquirer to an issuer, the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt over an electronic funds transfer network using ISO 8583 messaging;

in response to said receiving a digital receipt and the identifier at the digital receipt server, storing, in the digital receipt server, the digital receipt and the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt;

subsequent to said storing the digital receipt and the identifier at the digital receipt server, receiving, at the digital receipt server and from the issuer over the Internet, an inquiry and an identifier corresponding to the inquiry;

comparing the identifier corresponding to the inquiry with the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt;

determining, by the digital receipt server, that the issuer is valid;

in response to said determining that the issuer is valid, transmitting the digital receipt from the digital receipt server and to the issuer over the Internet when the identifier corresponding to the inquiry corresponds to the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt; and

subsequent to transmitting the digital receipt to the issuer, retrieving from the issuer over the Internet by a device associated with a customer of the acquirer, information contained in the digital receipt including the itemized list of the costs for the plurality of different items.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein a bandwidth of the Internet is substantially greater than a bandwidth of the electronic funds transfer network.

3. A system for coordinating the provision of a digital receipt associated with a financial transaction, the system comprising:

an acquirer configured to;

transmit a digital receipt and an identifier corresponding to the digital receipt over the Internet, wherein the digital receipt includes an itemized list of costs for a plurality of different items, and wherein each of the plurality of different items is at least one of a purchased good or service; and

transmit the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt over an electronic funds transfer network using ISO 8583 messaging;

an issuer configured to receive the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt over the electronic funds transfer network;

a digital receipt server configured to;

receive, from the acquirer over the Internet, the digital receipt and the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt;

receive, from the issuer over the Internet, an inquiry and an identifier corresponding to the inquiry;

compare the identifier corresponding to the inquiry with the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt;

determine that the issuer is valid; and

transmit the digital receipt to the issuer over the Internet when the identifier corresponding to the inquiry corresponds to the identifier corresponding to the digital receipt; and

send over the Internet, to a device associated with a customer of the acquirer, information contained in the digital receipt including the itemized list of the costs for the plurality of different items.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein a bandwidth of the Internet is substantially greater than a bandwidth of the electronic funds transfer network.