Communication systems and methods to transmit data among a plurality of computing systems in processing benefit redemption

• US 10,650,398 B2
• Filed: 06/12/2015
• Issued: 05/12/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/16/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Nancy L., Salmon, Diane C., Taylor, Mary Theresa, Maniulit, Jocelyn G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Refai, Sam
• Application Number:
  US14/738,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20150363810A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,796 Days
• Field of Search: 705 141- 1473
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0215 Including financial accounts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user

Abstract

Communication systems and methods to transmit data among a plurality of computing systems in processing benefit redemption, including a portal configured to communicate with transaction terminals, reward hosts and issues processors. In response to a reward balance inquiry from a transaction terminal, the portal communicates with a respective reward host to obtain the balance, communicates with an issuer processor to obtain a one-time use account number, and provides the transaction terminal with the balance and the account number. The transaction terminal an authorization request for a payment transaction made using the account number. In response to the authorization request being received in the issuer processor, the portal communicates with the issuer processor to identify the payment transaction and communicates with the reward host to perform a reward redemption to support the payment transaction.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

providing a portal in an electronic payment processing network having a plurality of separate computing systems coupled with computer networks, the plurality of separate computing systems including a plurality of reward hosts, a plurality of acquirer processors, a plurality of issuer processors and a transaction handler interconnecting the plurality of acquirer processors and the plurality of issuer processors;

receiving, in the portal, a balance request comprising a user identifier from a transaction terminal;

in response to the balance request;

determining, by the portal, a reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request;

transmitting, by the portal, a reward balance communication to a first reward host of the plurality of reward hosts based on the reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request,

receiving, by the portal, a response to the reward balance communication comprising a balance of the reward account,

transmitting, by the portal, an account setup communication to a predetermined issuer processor of the plurality of issuer processors based on the user identifier of the balance request,

receiving, by the portal, a response to the account setup communication comprising an account number selected from a plurality of account numbers controlled by the predetermined issuer processor based on the balance request,

storing, by the portal, data associating the account number with the reward account, and

transmitting, by the portal, a response to the balance request to the transaction terminal, wherein the response includes the balance of the reward account and the account number, wherein the response to the balance request causes the transaction terminal to initiate a payment transaction by transmitting a first authorization request in the electronic payment processing network using the account number provided in the response to the balance request; and

in response to the first authorization request received in the predetermined issuer processor for the payment transaction made using the account number;

receiving, in the portal from the predetermined issuer processor, a first communication identifying the payment transaction made using the account number,

determining, by the portal, the reward account based on the data associating the account number with the reward account,

transmitting, by the portal to the first reward host, a second communication to process a reward redemption from the reward account according to a transaction amount identified by the authorization request,

receiving, by the portal from the first reward host, a message indicating the reward redemption is successful, and

transmitting, by the portal to the predetermined issuer processor, a response to the first communication indicating the reward redemption is successful, wherein the response to the first communication causes the predetermined issuer processor to provide a first authorization response for the first authorization request based on the reward redemption,

wherein the first authorization response causes the transaction terminal to determine a balance of a purchase in view of the reward redemption and generate a second authorization request for the payment transaction made using the account number for the balance of the purchase.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction terminal is configured to generate the first authorization request using the account number, transmit the first authorization request to an acquirer processor of the plurality of acquirer processors controlling a merchant account corresponding to the transaction terminal;

wherein the transaction handler is configured to route the first authorization request from the acquirer processor to the predetermined issuer processor according to the account number identified in the authorization request.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the transaction handler is configured to route the first authorization response from the predetermined issuer processor to the acquirer processor in the electronic payment processing network;

and the acquirer processor is configured to further transmit the first authorization response to the transaction terminal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein processing of the reward redemption at the first reward host includes deducting from the reward account rewards corresponding to the transaction amount of the payment transaction made using the account number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the account number is for a virtual account issued by the predetermined issuer processor.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

in response to receiving the response to the balance request, presenting, on the transaction terminal, a user interface configured for the user to request redemption of at least a portion of the reward balance, wherein the transaction terminal initiates the payment transaction in response to the user requesting redemption.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the transaction terminal, the response to the balance request from the portal, the response including the balance of the reward account and the account number;

in response to receiving the response to the balance request, extracting, with the transaction terminal, the account number from the response to the balance request; and

generating, with the transaction terminal, the first authorization request using the account number extracted from the response to the balance request.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

determining, with the transaction terminal, the balance of the purchase in view of the reward redemption; and

generating, with the transaction terminal, the second authorization request for the payment transaction in response to receiving the authorization response.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising transmitting the second authorization request to the predetermined issuer processor, wherein the transaction terminal generates the second authorization request without requesting account information between receiving the authorization response and transmitting the second authorization request.

6. A transaction terminal comprising:

at least one microprocessor;

at least one computer network interface connected, via one or more computer networks, to a portal and a first acquirer processor of an electronic payment processing network having a plurality of separate computing systems coupled with computer networks, the plurality of separate computing systems including a plurality of reward hosts, a plurality of acquirer processors, a plurality of issuer processors and a transaction handler interconnecting the plurality of acquirer processors and the plurality of issuer processors;

a memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to;

transmit, via the at least one computer network interface to the portal, a balance request comprising a user identifier, wherein in response to the balance request, the portal is configured to;

determine a reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request;

transmit a reward balance communication to a first reward host of the plurality of reward hosts based on the reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request,

receive a response to the reward balance communication comprising a balance of the reward account,

transmit an account setup communication to a predetermined issuer processor of the plurality of issuer processors based on the user identifier of the balance request,

receive a response to the account setup communication comprising an account number selected from a plurality of account numbers controlled by the predetermined issuer processor based on the balance request,

store data associating the account number with the reward account, and

transmit to the transaction terminal a response to the balance request;

receive the response to the balance request from the portal, the response including the balance of the reward account and the account number; and

in response to receiving the response to the balance request;

extract the account number from the response,

generate a first authorization request for a payment transaction in the electronic payment processing network using the account number provided in the response to the balance request, and

transmit the first authorization request to the predetermined issuer processor via the first acquirer processor and the transaction handler in the electronic payment processing network;

wherein in response to the authorization request received in the predetermined issuer processor for a payment transaction made using the account number, the portal is configured to;

receive, from the predetermined issuer processor, a first communication identifying the payment transaction made using the account number,

determine the reward account based on the data associating the account number with the reward account,

transmit to the first reward host a second communication to process a reward redemption from the reward account according to a transaction amount identified by the authorization request,

receive, from the first reward host, a message indicating the reward redemption is successful, and

transmit, to the predetermined issuer processor, a response to the first communication indicating the reward redemption is successful, wherein the response to the first communication causes the predetermined issuer processor to provide a first authorization response for the first authorization request based on the reward redemption,

wherein the first authorization response causes the transaction terminal to determine a balance of a purchase in view of the reward redemption and generate a second authorization request for the payment transaction made using the account number for the balance of the purchase.

7. The transaction terminal of claim 6, further comprising:

a user interface, wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to present the balance of the reward account on the user interface.

8. The transaction terminal of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to receive a user input in the user interface, the user input identifying an amount of rewards to be redeemed from the balance of the reward account.

9. The transaction terminal of claim 7, wherein the instructions are further configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to receive a data input identifying the reward account, prior to the balance request being transmitted from the transaction terminal to the portal.

10. The transaction terminal of claim 9, wherein the data input identifies a consumer payment account issued by a second issuer processor.

11. The transaction terminal of claim 6, wherein the second authorization request is generated in response to the first authorization response without requesting account information between the receiving of the first authorization response and the transmitting of the second authorization request.

12. The transaction terminal of claim 10, wherein the reward account is a first reward account;

and wherein the portal stores registration data associating the consumer payment account with a plurality of reward accounts, including the first reward account.

13. The transaction terminal of claim 12, wherein the user interface is configured to present balances of the plurality of reward accounts received in the response to the balance request.

14. A portal server, comprising:

at least one computer networking interface to communicate with a plurality of reward hosts and a transaction terminal configured in an electronic payment processing network that has a plurality of separate computing systems coupled with computer networks, the plurality of separate computing systems including the plurality of reward hosts, a plurality of acquirer processors, a plurality of issuer processors and a transaction handler interconnecting the plurality of acquirer processors and the plurality of issuer processors;

at least one microprocessor; and

a memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one microprocessor to

receive, in the portal, a balance request comprising a user identifier from the transaction terminal;

in response to the balance request;

determine, by the portal, a reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request,

transmit, by the portal, a reward balance communication to a first reward host of the plurality of reward hosts based on the reward account associated with the user identifier of the balance request,

receive, by the portal, a response to the reward balance communication comprising a balance of the reward account,

transmit, by the portal, an account setup communication to a predetermined issuer processor of the plurality of issuer processors based on the user identifier of the balance request,

receive, by the portal, a response to the account setup communication comprising an account number selected from a plurality of account numbers controlled by the predetermined issuer processor based on the balance request,

store, by the portal, data associating the account number with the reward account, and

transmit, by the portal, a response to the balance request to the transaction terminal, wherein the response includes the balance of the reward account and the account number, wherein the response to the balance request causes the transaction terminal to initiate a payment transaction by transmitting a first authorization request in the electronic payment processing network using the account number provided in the response to the balance request; and

in response to the first authorization request received in the predetermined issuer processor for the payment transaction made using the account number;

receive, in the portal from the predetermined issuer processor, a first communication identifying the payment transaction made using the account number,

determine, by the portal, the reward account based on the data associating the account number with the reward account,

transmit, by the portal to the first reward host, a second communication to process a reward redemption from the reward account according to a transaction amount identified by the authorization request,

receive, by the portal from the first reward host, a message indicating the reward redemption is successful, and

transmit, by the portal to the predetermined issuer processor, a response to the first communication indicating the reward redemption is successful, wherein the response to the first communication causes the predetermined issuer processor to provide a first authorization response for the first authorization request based on the reward redemption,

wherein the first authorization response causes the transaction terminal to determine a balance of a purchase in view of the reward redemption and generate a second authorization request for the payment transaction made using the account number for the balance of the purchase.

15. The portal of claim 14, wherein the user identifier comprises an account identifier of a consumer account;

wherein the memory of the portal further stores registration data associating the account identifier of the consumer account with the reward account;

wherein the balance request includes the account identifier of the consumer account; and

wherein, in response to the balance request identifying the account identifier of the consumer account, the portal is configured via the instructions to determine the reward account from the registration data.