Restricted-use transaction systems

• US 20040111329A1
• Filed: 12/10/2002
• Published: 06/10/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2002
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Western Union
• Original Assignee: First Data Corporation (Fiserv Incorporated)
• Inventors: Moore, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US10/316,977
• Publication Number:
  US 20040111329A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and system are provided for authorizing commercial transactions subject to certain transaction criteria. A purchaser of goods and/or services presents a transaction instrument at the time of a transaction. Transaction criteria that have been defined by a third party and that are associated with the transaction instrument are accessed. A determination is then made whether the transaction request is consistent with the transaction criteria.

Claims

1. A method for authorizing a commercial transaction, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction request, wherein the transaction request identifies a transaction instrument and one or more items;

accessing transaction criteria associated with the transaction instrument, wherein the transaction criteria have been defined by a customer; and

determining, for each item, whether the transaction request is consistent with the transaction criteria.

2. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising approving a first portion of the transaction request and denying a second portion of the transaction request.

3. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the transaction criteria provide a temporal limit on when the transaction request may be approved.

4. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the transaction criteria provide a geographical limit on where the transaction request may be approved.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the transaction criteria provide a limit on a transaction party identified in the transaction request that may be approved.

6. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the transaction criteria provide a limit on a transaction subject identified in the transaction request that may be approved.

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the transaction instrument is selected from the group consisting of a credit card, a debit card, a chip card, a prepaid card, a coupon, and a government-issued coupon.

8. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the transaction instrument is disposable.

9. A method for managing a commercial-transaction system, the method comprising:

maintaining records for a plurality of transaction instruments, wherein the records comprise transaction criteria defined by a customer and are associated with each of such transaction instruments;

receiving instructions for changing the transaction criteria associated with one of the transaction instruments; and

modifying the records to reflect the changed transaction criteria.

10. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the records further comprise an identification of a prepaid limit for at least one of the transaction instruments.

11. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the at least one of the transaction instruments is disposable.

12. The method recited in claim 10 wherein the prepaid limit is established by a cumulative value of contributions from a plurality of customers.

13. The method recited in claim 9 wherein receiving instructions for changing the transaction criteria comprises receiving instructions through an Internet interface.

14. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the transaction criteria provide a temporal limit on when transaction requests may be approved.

15. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the transaction criteria provide a geographical limit on where transaction requests may be approved.

16. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the transaction criteria provide a limit on transaction parties in transaction requests that may be approved.

17. The method recited in claim 9 wherein the transaction criteria provide a limit on transaction subjects in transaction requests that may be approved.

18. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a computer system including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the computer system to authorize a commercial transaction in accordance with the following:

receiving a transaction request with the communications system, wherein the transaction request identifies a transaction instrument;

accessing transaction criteria stored on the storage device, wherein the transaction criteria are associated with the transaction instrument and have been defined by a customer; and

determining with the processor whether the transaction request is consistent with the transaction criteria.

19. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the computer-readable program further includes instructions for approving a first portion of the transaction request and denying a second portion of the transaction request.

20. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the transaction criteria provide a limit on whether the transaction request may be approved, the limit being selected from the group consisting of a temporal limit, a geographical limit, a limit on a transaction party, and a limit on a transaction subject.

21. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 18 wherein the transaction instrument is selected from the group consisting of a credit card, a debit card, a chip card, a prepaid card, a coupon, and a government-issued coupon.

22. A computer-readable storage medium having a computer-readable program embodied therein for directing operation of a computer system including a communications system, a processor, and a storage device, wherein the computer-readable program includes instructions for operating the computer system to authorize a commercial transaction in accordance with the following:

maintaining records for a plurality of transaction instruments on the storage device, wherein the records comprise transaction criteria defined by a customer and are associated with each of such transaction instruments;

receiving instructions with the communications system for changing the transaction criteria associated with one of the transaction instruments; and

modifying the records with the processor to reflect the changed transaction criteria.

23. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22 wherein the records further comprise an identification of a prepaid limit for at least one of the transaction instruments.

24. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 23 wherein the prepaid limit is established by a cumulative value of contributions from a plurality of customers.

25. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22 wherein the transaction criteria provide a limit on approval of transaction requests, the limit being selected from the group consisting of a temporal limit, a geographical limit, a limit on a transaction party, and a limit on a transaction subject.

26. The computer-readable storage medium recited in claim 22 wherein the transaction instruments are selected from the group consisting of a credit card, a debit card, a chip card, a prepaid card, a coupon, and a government-issued coupon.