Geographic area multiple service card system

• US 10,176,475 B2
• Filed: 10/23/2013
• Issued: 01/08/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Original Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc. (American Express Company)
• Inventors: Cohagan, Perry A., Fitzmaurice, Mary Ann, Freud, Aliza, Mayer, Birgitta, Menichilli, Julia, Nanton, Jason, Sharp, Ray, Vosburgh, Scott, Wood-Kulko, Penelope
• Primary Examiner(s): Allen, Akiba K
• Application Number:
  US14/061,603
• Publication Number:
  US 20140046839A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,903 Days
• Field of Search: 705 1417, 705 1425, 705 2663, 705310, 705 11, 705 711, 1 1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/341 Active cards, i.e. cards including their own processing means, e.g. including an IC or chip
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/357 Cards having a plurality of specified features
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3574 Multiple applications on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/363 with the personal data of a user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G07B 15/02 taking into account a variable factor such as distance or time, e.g. for passenger transport, parking systems or car rental systems G07B15/06 takes precedence; taximeters G07B13/00; parking meters per se G07F17/24; car rental systems per se G07B15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/0014 for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00 meter-controlled dispensing of liquid, gas or electricity G07F15/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/0866 by active credit-cards adapted therefor G07F7/1008 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/1008 Active credit-cards provided with means to personalise their use, e.g. with PIN-introduction/comparison system

Abstract

The invention provides consumers with the services of multiple cards or accounts while allowing consumers to carry a single card, transponder, code and/or other access device. Because the card may access combined services such as financial transaction services and transportation services, the system may facilitate charging the financial account for the transportation services. The system may allow the consumer to use loyalty points or geographic based loyalty points to pay for the transportation services. The system may also limit the use of certain loyalty points based upon the geographic area for certain transportation services in certain geographic areas.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, by a computer-based system and via a card service engine, a multiple service transaction account application from a transportation services provider;

transmitting, by the computer-based system, information from the multiple service transaction account application to a card generator device, wherein the card generator device physically fabricates a multiple service transaction device;

authorizing, by the computer-based system, a purchase from a non-transportation service provider using the multiple service transaction device;

crediting, by the computer-based system and in response to the authorizing, a loyalty reward to a transferor loyalty account associated with a second geographic area;

adjusting, by the computer-based system, in response to a barcode on the multiple service transaction device being scanned by the transportation services provider within a first geographic area, a transportation services provider account associated with the multiple service transaction device, based upon the transportation services provider being located within the first geographic area, and based upon a charge request and a fee for accessing transportation services using the multiple service transaction device;

converting, by the computer-based system and in response to the charge request, a first loyalty point value for the transferor loyalty account associated with the second geographic area to a second loyalty point value for a transferee loyalty account associated with the first geographic area, wherein a balance of the transferee loyalty account is insufficient to pay the fee;

transferring, by the computer-based system and in response to the converting, the first loyalty point value from the transferor loyalty account to the transferee loyalty account;

deducting, by the computer-based system and based upon the charge request, the second loyalty point value from the transferee loyalty account associated with the transportation services provider account; and

causing a crediting, by the computer-based system, of the fee to the transportation services provider account based upon the charge request.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving, by the computer-based system, a location identifier describing a location of the transportation services provider.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the multiple service transaction device is associated with a financial account.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge request includes information related to the transportation services provider.

5. The method of claim 2, further comprising determining, by the computer-based system and based on the location identifier, that the transportation services provider is located within the first geographic area.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation services provider account is associated with the multiple service transaction device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the charge request is received from the transportation services provider.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting is completed in at least one of substantially real-time, batch mode, periodically, upon request, or based on an algorithm.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the fee comprises at least one of a monetary amount or loyalty points.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the adjusting is in response to the balance of the transferee loyalty account being insufficient to pay the fee.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining, by the computer-based system, that a user of the multiple service transaction device resides within the second geographic area.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting, by the computer-based system, loyalty points to a monetary value and crediting at least a portion of the monetary value to the transportation services provider account.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the fee comprises loyalty points which are at least one of associated with a geographic area of the transportation services provider, obtained when a user of the multiple service transaction device conducts purchases within the first geographic area or the second geographic area, or geographic area loyalty points such that the transportation services provider is within a redemption area associated with the geographic area loyalty points based on location data.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the transportation services include services associated with at least one of an airplane, ferry, watercraft, vehicle, bus, subway or train.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic area comprises at least one of a street, a city, a county, a state, a country, or a continent.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein the first geographic area comprises a set of merchants within the first geographic area.

17. An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computer-based system, cause the computer-based system to perform operations comprising:

receiving, by the computer-based system and via a card service engine, a multiple service transaction account application from a transportation services provider;

transmitting, by the computer-based system, information from the multiple service transaction account application to a card generator device, wherein the card generator device physically fabricates a multiple service transaction device;

authorizing, by the computer-based system, a purchase from a non-transportation service provider using the multiple service transaction device;

crediting, by the computer-based system and in response to the authorizing, a loyalty reward to a transferor loyalty account associated with a second geographic area;

adjusting, by the computer-based system, in response to a barcode on the multiple service transaction device being scanned by the transportation services provider within a first geographic area, a transportation services provider account associated with the multiple service transaction device, based upon the transportation services provider being located within the first geographic area, and based upon a charge request and a fee for accessing transportation services using the multiple service transaction device;

converting, by the computer-based system and in response to the charge request, a first loyalty point value for the transferor loyalty account associated with the second geographic area to a second loyalty point value for a transferee loyalty account associated with the first geographic area, wherein a balance of the transferee loyalty account is insufficient to pay the fee;

transferring, by the computer-based system and in response to the converting, the first loyalty point value from the transferor loyalty account to the transferee loyalty account;

deducting, by the computer-based system and based upon the charge request, the second loyalty point value from the transferee loyalty account associated with the transportation services provider account; and

causing a crediting, by the computer-based system, of the fee to the transportation services provider account based upon the charge request.

18. A system comprising:

a processor;

a tangible, non-transitory memory configured to communicate with the processor;

a card service engine in communication with the processor and configured to approve a multiple service transaction account application received from a transportation services provider;

a card generator device in communication with the processor and configured to physically fabricate a multiple service transaction device based on application information in the multiple service transaction account application;

an authorization module in communication with the processor and configured to authorize a purchase from a non-transportation service provider using the multiple service transaction device;

a loyalty crediting module in communication with the processor and configured to credit, in response to the authorizing, a loyalty reward to a transferor loyalty account associated with a second geographic area;

an adjusting module in communication with the processor and configured to adjust, in response to a barcode on the multiple service transaction device being scanned by the transportation services provider within a first geographic area, a transportation services provider account associated with the multiple service transaction device, based upon the transportation services provider being located within the first geographic area, and based upon a charge request and a fee for accessing transportation services using the multiple service transaction device;

a converting module in communication with the processor and configured to convert, in response to the charge request, a first loyalty point value for the transferor loyalty account associated with the second geographic area to a second loyalty point value for a transferee loyalty account associated with the first geographic area, wherein a balance of the transferee loyalty account is insufficient to pay the fee;

a transferring module in communication with the processor and configured to transfer, in response to the converting, the first loyalty point value from the transferor loyalty account to the transferee loyalty account;

a deducting module in communication with the processor and configured to deduct, based upon the charge request, the second loyalty point value from the transferee loyalty account associated with the transportation services provider account; and

a fee crediting module in communication with the processor and configured to cause a crediting of the fee to the transportation services provider account based upon the charge request.

19. The system of claim 18, further comprising a receiving module configured to receive a location identifier describing a location of the transportation services provider.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the charge request includes provider information related to the transportation services provider.