Registers – Systems controlled by data bearing records – Banking systems
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-22
2001-07-31
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Systems controlled by data bearing records
Banking systems
C235S380000, C380S029000, C705S035000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06267292
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of funds and/or credit line transfers and, more particularly, to funds and/or credit line transfers between credit card accounts.
B. Description of the Related Art
People exchange money using a variety of methods. For example, in lieu of paying cash for goods and services, people often choose to pay for such purchases using credit cards or checks. In a typical credit card transaction, a merchant calculates the amount of a purchase and asks the buyer for payment. The buyer then presents the merchant with a credit card. The merchant runs the credit card through a point of sale unit with the amount of the sale entered either manually or automatically by a cash register. Once entered, the merchant's acquiring bank, or credit card processor, receives the credit card data and sales amount with a request for authorization of the sale. The credit card data includes the credit card number, which identifies the type of card, the issuing bank, and the cardholder's account.
After processing the transaction, the acquiring bank routes an authorization request to the buyer's credit card issuing bank. If the cardholder has enough credit to cover the sale, the issuing bank authorizes the transaction and generates an authorization code. The issuing bank sends this code to the acquiring bank and puts a hold on the cardholder's account for the amount of the sale. Based on the code received from the issuing bank, the acquiring bank sends an approval or denial code to the merchant's point of sale unit, which has a separate terminal identification number to enable credit card processors to route data back to the particular unit. The point of sale unit or cash register then prints out a sales draft or slip to be signed by the buyer, which obligates the buyer to reimburse the card-issuing bank for the amount of the sale.
At a later time, generally the end of the day, the merchant reviews all authorizations stored in the point of sale unit against the signed sales drafts. When all the credit card authorizations have been verified to match all the actual sales drafts, the merchant captures, or transmits, the data on each authorized credit card transaction to the acquiring bank for deposit. This action is in lieu of depositing the actual signed paper drafts with the bank.
The acquiring bank performs an interchange for each sales draft with the appropriate card-issuing bank. The card-issuing bank transfers the amount of the sales draft to the acquiring bank, minus an interchange fee, which is typically between 2-4% of the transaction value. The acquiring bank then deposits the amount of all the sales drafts submitted by the merchant, less a discount fee, into the merchant's bank account.
To confirm validity of a credit card, the issuing bank reviews the credit card account number using a checksum algorithm that prevents others from creating valid account numbers. For example, a standard Visa or MasterCard account number is 16 digits and the algorithm reduces the probability of someone fraudulently creating a valid number to approximately 1 in 500,000.
Due to the perceived risk of fraud and the potential for monetary loss, most consumers prefer not to provide credit card account numbers to another person, particularly when the consumer has no way of knowing the identity or trustworthiness of the recipient of this information. Many consumers thus hesitate to use a credit card for telephone orders, such as catalog orders, for fear that some catalog company operators may misuse their card number.
Credit card institutions also offer so-called “convenience checks.” Convenience checks can be used to purchase goods and services in the same manner as a conventional check, except that the convenience check clears against the cardholder's available credit line. The convenience check amount is generally recorded as a cash advance on the cardholder's monthly billing statement.
Credit cards today have become a pervasive method of payment for goods and services. They not only offer convenience, security, and flexibility in the commercial transaction process, but also provide some limited flexibility in the assignment of debt obligation. For example, it is well known in the art that credit card holders are free to transfer debt between accounts, thereby taking advantage of different account features, such as lower interest rates. Such transfers are typically done by paying off the old account with a convenience check or electronic funds transfer, which draws the old account balance onto the new credit card account.
Credit card companies also offer limited-use credit cards that permit employees to charge debt against a company account. For example, when relocating employees, some companies pay relocation expenses by issuing a credit card on the company's account with a predetermined credit limit for the card. The employee may use the card for purchases and cash advances up to the limit. The corporation maintains liability for the account debt, thus essentially taking the responsibility of paying the relocation expenses.
Credit card companies also offer co-signed accounts and accounts with multiple, or supplemental, cards. With co-signed accounts, a co-signer assumes direct liability for any credit card debt reneged on by the principal cardholder. Supplemental card systems permit a principal account owner to provide cards issued on the same account to other family members. The principal account owner maintains liability for all debt accrued by the other users. Similar to supplemental cards, corporate cards provide employees with access to a corporate credit line and the corporation maintains liability for all debt accrued by the employees.
For the limited-use, co-signed, supplemental, and corporate credit card accounts, unused available credit line represents a level of risk exposure by the party liable for the debt. For example, available credit could be misused by the employee or by a thief if the card is lost or stolen. In fact, many corporate cards have higher risk exposure than consumer cards, in part because many state and federal laws limiting liability apply to consumer-issued cards, but not to corporate-issued cards.
Besides credit cards, another widely-used payment method involves the use of personal checks. Consumers use personal checks to settle debts, pay bills, or make a variety of purchases. In general, banks issue personal checks to consumers following the establishment of an account with the bank. The bank, however, typically requires that consumers have sufficient funds in their accounts to cover all payments made using personal checks.
Banks also provide consumers with the option of using “certified checks” or “bank checks” as a payment method. With a certified check, a bank prints special indicia on a personal check that verifies that the bank has segregated sufficient funds in the consumer's account to cover the value of the check. The bank will not release those funds to anyone other than the check's presenter except under narrow and defined circumstances, e.g., proof that the check was destroyed or lost. Certified checks provide the transferee with a high degree of confidence that the check can be cashed for the value stated on its face.
Bank checks are drawn on the bank's own account instead of a consumer's account. It is made out to a transferee specified by the party who paid the bank in advance for the value of the check. Unlike certified checks that are returned to the transferor after being cashed, bank checks are returned to the bank because they are drawn on the bank's own account. Bank checks can be used, for example, when the issuing party does not want to reveal his identity, or when the receiving party wants to minimize the chance of revocability.
Another method of transferring money involves the use of money orders. A money order is very similar to a bank check except that it is issued by a non-bank party such as
Jindal Sanjay K.
Jorasch James A.
Walker Jay S.
Alderucci Dean P.
Cyr Daniel St.
Frech Karl D.
Walker Digital, LLC
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