Method and system for facilitating electronic dispute resolution

• US 7,657,441 B2
• Filed: 07/09/2007
• Issued: 02/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/13/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa USA, Inc. (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Richey, David, King, Marie, Van Horn, David, Bernhard, Lisa
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca; Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US11/774,802
• Publication Number:
  US 20080059351A1
• Time in Patent Office: 939 Days
• Field of Search: 705/1, 705/30
• US Class Current: 705/1.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/1097 Task assignment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/389 Keeping log of transactions for guaranteeing non-repudiation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0253 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/182 Alternative dispute resolution
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/188 Electronic negotiation

Abstract

A system for facilitating payment transaction disputes is provided. According to one aspect of the system, a user, such as an issuer, is allowed to use the system to resolve a disputed transaction. Based on information provided by a cardholder, the issuer is able to use the system to retrieve transactional information relating to the disputed transaction reported by the customer for review. When the issuer uses the system to retrieve information relating to the disputed transaction, a case folder is created. The case folder is a repository for storing all the relevant information and documentation relating to the disputed transaction. Using the information retrieved by the system, the issuer then determines whether to initiate a dispute. Alternatively, the system can also be used by an acquirer to respond to a dispute, usually on behalf of one of its merchant. If a dispute is responded to, a questionnaire is then created by the system. Alternatively, the issuer may decline to initiate a dispute and either seek additional information from the cardholder or deny the cardholder'"'"'s inquiry. The case folder and the questionnaire are created for a specific disputed transaction. The questionnaire is designed to capture information from the cardholder and/or the issuer relating to the disputed transaction. The questionnaire may be pre-populated with previously retrieved transactional information which is stored in the case folder. Relevant documents in support of the disputed transaction may also be attached as part of the questionnaire. Various parties to the dispute may then provide relevant information (including supporting documentation) to the system. The relevant information provided by the parties is maintained in the case folder. The system then keeps track of the relevant timeframes for the case folder to ensure that each party to the dispute is given the correct period of time to respond during the processing of a dispute. Prior to filing the dispute for arbitration or compliance, the system permits the parties to resolve the dispute amongst themselves without the help of an arbiter through pre-arbitration and pre-compliance. If the parties to the dispute are unable to resolve the dispute on their own, the system also permits the parties to resolve the dispute via arbitration or compliance with the help of an arbiter. The system provides the arbiter with access to the case folder to allow the arbiter to render an informed decision on the dispute.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

displaying a questionnaire to a first user on a display of an electronic device after the first user initiates a dispute with a second user regarding a disputed card payment transaction between the first user and the second user;

transmitting by means of an electronic communications network to an online dispute resolution system a response to the questionnaire from the first user, the response including information relating to the disputed card payment transaction and including information regarding the card account used in the disputed card payment transaction, the card account information being used by the online dispute resolution system to access information about the disputed transaction; and

displaying an electronically generated alert to the first user for an action that needs to be completed by the first user as part of a resolution process for resolving the disputed card payment transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying information from the second user who is a party to the disputed card payment transaction.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying information to the first user of a timeframe with respect to a pre-compliance period or a pre-arbitration period before the disputed card payment transaction is permitted to move into compliance or arbitration.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the disputed card payment transaction is linked to one or more other disputed transactions.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising receiving a chargeback.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising electronically attaching one or more supporting documents with the questionnaire before transmitting the questionnaire to the online dispute resolution system.

7. The method of claim 2, wherein the response to the questionnaire includes at least one response to a question, where the question is generated in response to information provided by the first user.

8. A system comprising:

control logic programmed to display a questionnaire to a first user on a display of an electronic device after the first user initiates a dispute with a second user regarding a disputed card payment transaction between the first user and the second user;

control logic programmed to transmit by an electronic communications network to an online dispute resolution system a response to the questionnaire from the first user, the response including information relating to the disputed card payment transaction and including information regarding the card account used in the disputed card payment transaction, the card account information being used by the online dispute resolution system to access information about the disputed transaction; and

control logic programmed to display an electronically generated alert to the first user for an action that needs to be completed by the first user as part of a resolution process for resolving the disputed card payment transaction.

9. The system of claim 8 further comprising control logic programmed to display information from the second user who is a party to the disputed card payment transaction.

10. The system of claim 8 further comprising control logic programmed to display information to the first user of a timeframe with respect to a pre-compliance period or a pre-arbitration period before the disputed card payment transaction is permitted to move into compliance or arbitration.

11. The system of claim 8 further comprising control logic programmed to allow the user to link the disputed card payment transaction to one or more other disputed transactions.

12. The system of claim 8 further comprising control logic programmed to receive a chargeback.

13. The system of claim 8 further comprising control logic programmed to allow the first user to electronically attach one or more supporting documents with the response to the questionnaire.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the response to the questionnaire includes at least one response to a question, where the question is generated in response to information provided by the first user.

15. A system comprising:

a transaction record data storage system electronically storing transactional information relating to a plurality of card payment transactions; and

an online dispute resolution system operatively coupled to the transaction record data storage system, wherein the online dispute resolution system comprises

control logic allowing a first user to query and receive information relating to a card payment transaction involving the first user and a second user,

control logic allowing the first user to initiate a dispute with respect to the card payment transaction with the second user, wherein the transaction is thereafter a disputed transaction,

control logic allowing the first user to submit information using an electronic communications network supporting fraud in regards to the disputed card payment transaction, and

control logic allowing the online dispute resolution system to electronically communicate with external fraud sources.

16. The system of claim 15 wherein the online dispute resolution system further comprises control logic allowing the first user to search the transaction record data storage system for at least one of the following:

fraud trends;

excessive chargeback patterns;

identification of cardholders disputing similar transactions;

credit to transaction ratios; and

activity below a floor limit.

17. The system of claim 15 wherein the online dispute resolution system further comprises control logic calculating a merchant fraud score.

18. The system of claim 15 wherein the external fraud sources comprise one or more of the following:

risk identification service (RIS),

convenience check fraud reporting, and

Better Business Bureau interface.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein the online dispute resolution system further comprises control logic allowing the first user to authorize card payment transaction data to be exchanged with other parties during a fraud investigation.

20. A method comprising:

storing transactional information relating to a plurality of card payment transactions in an electronic data storage medium;

receiving a request from a first user over an electronic communications network for information relating to a card payment transaction involving the first user and a second user;

retrieving the requested information relating to the card payment transaction involving the first user and the second user from the electronic data storage medium;

communicating the requested information to the first user over the electronic communications network;

allowing the first user to electronically initiate a dispute with respect to the card payment transaction with the second user, wherein the transaction is thereafter a disputed transaction;

receiving information supporting fraud from the first user in regards to the disputed transaction over the electronic communications network; and

communicating with external fraud sources over the electronic communications network.

21. The method of claim 20 further comprising searching the plurality of card payment transactions for at least one of the following:

fraud trends;

excessive chargeback patterns;

identification of cardholders disputing similar transactions;

credit to transaction ratios; and

activity below a floor limit.

22. The method of claim 20 further comprising allowing the first user to authorize card payment transaction data to be exchanged with other parties during a fraud investigation.