METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR MOBILE FLEET CARD ACTIVATION

• US 20160321665A1
• Filed: 04/29/2016
• Published: 11/03/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WEX Inc.
• Original Assignee: WEX Inc.
• Inventors: Baker, Philip S., Singh, Maninder, Thomas, John Lind
• Granted Patent: US 10,262,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3226 Use of secure elements separate from M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/354 Card activation or deactivation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 15/001 for gas

Abstract

Disclosed are fleet mobile payment methods and systems. In an embodiment, a plurality of vehicle cards are assigned to a plurality of vehicles associated with the company, each of the plurality of vehicle cards being assigned to one vehicle. The states of the vehicle cards are initially set to suspended status. A virtual token is sent from an activation server to a mobile device corresponding to a user of the mobile device. The vehicle card may be activated by receipt of the virtual token, together with vehicle identification, by the activation server. Additional authentication may be required to complete the transaction. In preferred embodiments, the vehicle cards revert to suspended status following each authorized use.

Claims

1. A fleet mobile payment method, the method comprising:

assigning a fleet account to a company;

assigning a plurality of vehicle cards to a plurality of vehicles associated with the company, wherein each of the plurality of vehicle cards is assigned to one vehicle of the plurality of vehicles for paying from the fleet account for sales made for the one vehicle;

setting states of each of the plurality of vehicle cards to suspended states, wherein in the suspended state a vehicle card cannot be used for payments;

sending, to a mobile device, a virtual token corresponding to a user of the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device, information that includes;

the virtual token;

a vehicle identification corresponding to a vehicle of the plurality of vehicles,

wherein the vehicle is used by the user;

identifying, based on the information, a vehicle card assigned to the vehicle;

activating the vehicle card by changing, based on the information, the state of the vehicle card from the suspended state to an activated state, wherein in the activated state the vehicle card can be used for payments;

receiving, from a point of sale, sale information requesting authorization of a sale to be performed via the vehicle card; and

authorizing payment for the sale via the vehicle card.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the method further comprises receiving, from the mobile device, an odometer reading of the vehicle; and

changing the state of the vehicle card from the suspended state to an activated state is further based on the odometer reading.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the fleet account is to a fleet payment account associated with the company.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the sale corresponds to a fuel sale incurred at a fuel point of sale; and

the sale information includes the fuel sale.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the vehicle card is a physical vehicle card placed in the vehicle; and

the user presents the vehicle card at the point of sale for performing the sale.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising upon identifying the vehicle card, receiving additional information associated with the vehicle card or associated with the fleet account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the additional information is receiving from the mobile device.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional information is entered by the user into the mobile device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional information is collected automatically by the mobile device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the additional information includes one or more of a reading of an odometer of the vehicle, an identification of a job on which the user is working, an identification information about the user, a password, a time indication, a location indication.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

deactivating the activated vehicle card by changing its state from the activated state to the suspended state.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the deactivation occurs upon occurrence of a deactivation trigger event.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the deactivation trigger event includes one or more of authorizing a specific number of sales after the last activations, passage of some duration of time after the last activation, completion of a scheduled route by the vehicle, completion of driver'"'"'s scheduled driving of the vehicle, entry of the vehicle in a specific region, and distancing of the vehicle from a scheduled route.