Card management system and method

• US 7,451,113 B1
• Filed: 03/21/2003
• Issued: 11/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Consumerinfo.com Incorporated (Experian plc)
• Original Assignee: Mighty Net, Inc. (Experian plc)
• Inventors: Kasower, Sheldon
• Primary Examiner(s): Patel; Jagdish N
• Assistant Examiner(s): HAMILTON, SARA CHANDLER
• Application Number:
  US10/393,699
• Time in Patent Office: 2,062 Days
• Field of Search: 705/38
• US Class Current: 705/38
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3555 Personalisation of two or more cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/03 Credit; Loans; Processing thereof
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/122 Online card verification

Abstract

A method of registering a credit card user'"'"'s credit card information by a credit card management organization. A card user accesses the card management computer system in a computer network. The method provides a user interface whereby the user grants authorization to the card management organization to obtain the card user'"'"'s credit report from a credit reporting bureau. The method further transmits a request for the user'"'"'s credit report to a credit reporting bureau and automatically downloads the user'"'"'s credit report when received. The method further parses the credit report to determine a card issuer for each card on the credit report using a database of card issuer aliases. The method then fully or partially automatically registers each card with the user'"'"'s account in the card management association and then presents the opportunity to the user to review and edit each card.

Claims

1. A computerized method of on-line card management wherein a card is issued to a card user by an issuing organization, the computerized method comprising:

presenting an authorization user interface to the card user to authorize a card management organization to obtain the card user'"'"'s credit report from a credit reporting bureau;

requesting the card user'"'"'s credit report from the credit reporting bureau over a computer network;

receiving the user'"'"'s credit report having real-time card information of the card user'"'"'s cards from the credit reporting bureau;

parsing the real-time card information into a database connected to the card management'"'"'s computer system;

automatically marking selected credit card type trade lines from the real-time card information as potential cards to be automatically registered in the card management organization'"'"'s computer;

determining a credit card issuer from the real-time card information using the card management organization'"'"'s database of known card issuer aliases;

automatically and in real-time fully or partially registering the potential cards according to one of the following conditions;

(a) if the card issuer and its respective card are fully identified;

(b) if only the card issuer of a respective card is known;

or (c) if either the card issuer or its respective card do not match;

submitting the automatically registered cards to the card user for editing and approval; and

storing registration data of the automatically registered cards in the card management organization'"'"'s computer system.

2. The method as set forth in claim 1 further comprising presenting the card user with one or more of the following card management services to edit the registration data:

report a lost or stolen card, report a new card wherein the card user inputs associated new card data, report a change of address, request a new card, notification of a billing dispute, request a copy of a bill, report a change in marital status, report a change in name, and request an increase in credit line.

3. The method as set forth in claim 1 further including the step of maintaining a record of the data edited by the card user in the card management organization'"'"'s computer system.

4. The method as set forth in claim 3 including the step of informing the card user that the card issuing organization has been provided the data edited by the card user.

5. The method as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:

providing at least one user interface wherein the card user can select at least one of a plurality of card management services provided by the card management organization'"'"'s computer system and input updated data associated with the selected card management service; and

transmitting the updated data to the card management organization.

6. A computer program product in a computer-readable medium having machine-coded instructions thereon such that when loaded the machine-coded instructions cause a processing device to:

present an authorization user interface to the card user to authorize a card management organization to obtain the card user'"'"'s credit report from a credit reporting bureau;

request the card user'"'"'s credit report from the credit reporting bureau over a computer network;

receive the user'"'"'s credit report having real-time card information of the card user'"'"'s cards from the credit reporting bureau;

parse the real-time card information into a database connected to the card management'"'"'s computer system;

automatically mark selected credit card type trade lines from the real-time card information as potential cards to be automatically registered in the card management organization'"'"'s computer;

determine a credit card issuer from the real-time card information using the card management organization'"'"'s database of known card issuer aliases;

automatically and in real-time fully or partially register the potential cards according to one of the following conditions;

(a) if the card issuer and its respective card are fully identified;

(b) if only the card issuer of a respective card is known;

or (c) if either the card issuer or its respective card do not match;

submit the automatically registered cards to the card user for editing and approval; and

store registration data of the automatically registered cards in the card management organization'"'"'s computer system.

7. The computer program product of claim 6, further comprising machine-coded instructions to cause the processing device to:

present real-time card information pertaining to each potential card to the user; and

allow the user to approve automatic registration of each potential card.

8. The computer program product of claim 7, further comprising machine-coded instructions to cause the processing device to:

allow the user to edit the real-time card information of each potential card.