GEOGRAPHIC AREA MULTIPLE SERVICE CARD SYSTEM

• US 20070084914A1
• Filed: 10/17/2006
• Published: 04/19/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/21/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• 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: Freud, Aliza, Mayer, Birgitta, Wood-Kulko, Penelope, Menichilli, Julia, Sharp, Ray, Cohagan, Perry, Vosburgh, Scott, Fitzmaurice, Mary Ann, Nanton, Jason
• Granted Patent: US 7,360,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 235/380
• 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 multiple service transaction device configured to:

access financial services provided by a provider of financial services via a financial account, wherein said financial account is associated with said multiple service transaction device;

access transportation services provided by a service partner via a service partner account, wherein said service partner account is associated with said multiple service transaction device;

provide, based on a location identifier received from said service partner, a consumer access to a transportation system provided by said service partner; and

,

provide a consumer access to said transportation system provided by said service partner upon payment of a fee, wherein said fee associated with said transportation system is transferred from said financial account to said service partner account.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is configured to provide said consumer access to said transportation system provided by said service partner in exchange for loyalty points.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is configured to provide said consumer access to said transportation system provided by said service partner upon payment of a fee and in exchange for loyalty points when a balance of said loyalty points is not sufficient to pay said fee.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is configured to provide said consumer access to said transportation system provided by said service partner in exchange for loyalty points, wherein said loyalty points are exchanged for access to said transportation system when said loyalty points exist.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein said device is configured to provide said consumer access to said transportation system provided by said service partner when said service partner resides within a predefined geographical area.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein said device configured to access said transportation services includes said device configured to credit an account of said service partner.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein said transportation system includes at least one of a bus, subway and train.

8. A method for obtaining access to a transportation system by using a multiple service transaction device to charge a fee to a financial account, wherein said fee is related to said access, said method including:

maintaining, by a provider of credit services, said financial account corresponding to said multiple service transaction device of a consumer;

receiving a request to charge said fee from said service partner, wherein said request includes location data indicative of a geographic location of said transportation system;

determining that said service partner is at least one of located within a predefined geographic location and affiliated with said provider of credit services;

adjusting at least one of a loyalty account and said financial account based upon said request and said fee; and

,

crediting said service partner account.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising providing said multiple service transaction device to a consumer, wherein said multiple service transaction device is configured to provide funds from said financial account to a service partner account.

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

11. A method for obtaining a service of a service partner by using a multiple service transaction device to redeem loyalty points, said method including:

maintaining, via a provider of credit services, a database for storing loyalty points in a loyalty account corresponding to a consumer;

receiving a request, from said multiple service transaction device, to redeem an amount of said loyalty points to obtain said service of said service partner, wherein said request includes location data indicative of a geographic location of said service partner;

determining that said service partner is at least one of located within a predefined geographic location and affiliated with said provider of credit services;

adjusting said loyalty account based upon said requested amount of said loyalty points to redeem; and

,

crediting said service partner account.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein said crediting said service partner account includes at least one of crediting said account of said service partner with said loyalty points, and converting said loyalty points to a monetary value and crediting said monetary value to said account of said service partner.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein said loyalty points are associated with said geographic location of said service partner.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein said loyalty points are geographic area loyalty points obtained when said consumer conducts purchases within a geographic area.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein said loyalty points are geographic area loyalty points obtained when said consumer conducts purchases within a geographic area and further comprising determining that said service partner is within a redemption area associated with said geographic area loyalty points based on said location data.