Implementing a counter offer for an on line credit card application

• US 6,795,812 B1
• Filed: 06/15/2000
• Issued: 09/21/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/1998
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: NextCard LLC
• Original Assignee: NextCard, Inc.
• Inventors: Lent, Jeremy, Coltrell, Timothy, Reddi, Munnamgi S., Tracy, Christopher O., Huang, TaChung
• Primary Examiner(s): Rosen, Nicholas D.
• Application Number:
  US09/595,601
• Time in Patent Office: 1,559 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for offering credit to an applicant. A plurality of offers are determined using information about the applicant. A displayed offer is displayed and a withheld offer is withheld. An indication that the displayed offer is unacceptable is received and the withheld offer is displayed.

Claims

1. A method of offering credit to an applicant over a network, comprising:

determining a plurality of offers using information about the applicant;

displaying a displayed offer and withholding a withheld offer;

receiving over the network an indication that the displayed offer is unacceptable;

adding a condition to the withheld offer; and

displaying the withheld offer;

wherein the condition is a requirement that a specified number of purchases be made.

2. A method of offering credit to an applicant over a network, comprising:

determining an offer using information about the applicant;

displaying the offer to the applicant;

receiving over the network an indication that the displayed offer is unacceptable;

determining an attribute of the offer that is unacceptable; and

in the event that the unacceptable attribute is the amount of the credit limit;

recalulating the credit limit for the applicant, including by determining whether the credit limit is too low for new purchases or too low for a balance transfer.

3. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 2 further including, in the event that the credit limit is too low for new purchases, raising the credit limit and decreasing a required balance transfer to provide more credit for new purchases.

4. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 2 further including, in the event that the credit limit is too low for a requested balance transfer, raising the credit limit to a predetermined amount above the requested balance transfer and checking whether the raised credit limit is acceptable.

5. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 4 wherein the information about the applicant includes a FICO score.

6. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 2 further including determining whether the credit limit can be raised enough to meet a requested amount of credit for new purchases based on information about the applicant.

7. A method of offering credit to an applicant comprising:

determining a first offer using information about the applicant;

displaying the first offer to the applicant;

receiving an indication that the offer is unacceptable;

activating a chat interface between the applicant and a customer service agent upon receiving said indication that the offer is unacceptable;

determining a second offer for the applicant based on chat between the applicant and the customer service agent; and

displaying the second offer to the applicant.

8. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 7 further including instructing the applicant via the chat interface to activate a refresh button to view the second offer.

9. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 7 further including writing a data value using the chat interface that causes the applicant'"'"'s browser to refresh and view the second offer.

10. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 9 wherein writing a data value using the chat interface includes setting a flag.

11. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 7 wherein the customer service agent determines an attribute of the first offer that is unacceptable from on line chat between the customer service agent and the applicant.

12. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 7 wherein the first offer is determined by an application server in communication with an application database used to generate the first offer to the applicant and wherein the customer service agent communicates an attribute of the first offer that is unacceptable to the application server.

13. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 12 wherein the second offer is communicated to the customer service agent from the application server.

14. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 13 wherein the application server includes a web server for initial offers and a counter offer server for counter offers, wherein the web server and the counter offer server both have access to the application database.

15. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 13 further including describing the second offer to the applicant via the chat interface.

16. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 15 further including instructing the applicant via the chat interface to activate a refresh button to view the second offer.

17. A method of offering credit as recited in claim 15 wherein the attribute is selected by a customer service agent based on line chat between the customer service agent and the applicant.