Abstract: It is desirable to implement security features that can prevent the unauthorized use of a customer's sensitive account information from an RFID sticker. The methods and systems described herein attempt to resolve the deficiencies with the conventional RFID stickers. In a more secure implementation, a financial institution allows a customer to activate or deactivate the account for use with the RFID sticker by submitting a request to the financial institution using internet banking, mobile banking, SMS texting, or other communications method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for conducting transactions, such as standard banking transactions, using a wireless device, such as a cellular telephone, personal digital assistant, and other web-enabled wireless devices utilizing software downloaded to the wireless device. The software provides a user with interface screens on the display of the wireless device for facilitating information requests to a service provider having access to at least one account of the user.

Abstract: Methods and systems for routing payment transactions electronically involve interrogating by computer logic each payment transaction received by a payments interface processor to identify a payment destination and a payment source and to determine, according to pre-defined parameters, whether the payment transaction is eligible for processing via an internal payment transaction processor of the financial institution that minimizes processing costs. Eligible payment transactions may be routed, for example, to an internal debit or credit card processor or ACH processor, and ineligible payment transactions may be routed to external card processing networks.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing directory information, such as onboarding a LDAP server, employing a processor coupled to memory and other computer hardware and software components for receiving a request related to one or more applications from a requestor in pre-determined business logic, acknowledging the request by an approver function without requiring the requestor to negotiate, for example, with an LDAP administrator to justify the request, and provisioning the request into the enterprise LDAP server in the pre-determined business logic.

Abstract: A system and method for allowing a user to access enterprise resources comprising authentication devices and an authentication server. The authentication devices allow a user to enter authentication data. The authentication server is in communication with the authentication devices. The authentication server comprises a policy database storing a policy. The policy comprises guidelines including a first guideline establishes a qualification necessary for the user to access enterprise resources and a second guideline establishes a qualification necessary for the user to activate a silent signal. The authentication server is adapted to request assistance for the user if the silent signal is activated.

Abstract: CIMS can provide users with essential resources; provide a mechanism for instantly creating, modifying, and delivering infrastructure data that used to take hours or days; improve the efficiency of systems interfacing with it while reducing costly infrastructure; ensure audit and regulatory requirements are satisfied by automatically creating and recording a history of all application transactions; eliminate the cost overhead and human error associated with manual, time-consuming work currently performed by many systems administrators on each disparate system; and be transparent to end users, thereby defraying the costs of time off the job normally incurred with retraining CIMS offers the functionality of the disparate applications and consistently interfaces with the underlying infrastructure. As a result, infrastructure providers do not have to communicate directly with a vast array of business applications.

Abstract: Methods and systems for optimizing marketing strategy to financial institution customers or prospective customers employ a processor coupled to memory and other computer hardware and software components for receiving customer profile data with a plurality of transaction card issuers other than the financial institution, developing models based at least in part on the customer profile data and at least in part on financial institution customer account and credit data, and generating estimated spend and balance behaviors for at least one financial institution customer with the plurality of transaction card issuers other than the financial institution based at least in part on said models. Based at least in part on the estimated spend and balance behaviors, financial institution marketing initiatives are created.

Abstract: Methods and systems for modeling a replication topology involve, for example, representing a plurality of replication components of a replication topology in a first binary matrix using a processor coupled to memory and generating a result matrix based at least in part on the first binary matrix likewise using the processor. Thereafter, also using the processor, replication components of the replication topology may be identified that are either enabled or non-enabled to receive replications from other replication components of the replication topology based at least in part on the result matrix.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing communication streams from multiple sources while utilizing a single short code employ a processor coupled to memory and other computer hardware and software components for establishing at least one conversation session with an outbound message to a recipient and defining a lifespan of the outbound message of the at least one conversation session. At least one reply to a response from the recipient to the outbound message of the at least one conversation session is delivered during the lifespan of the outbound message of the at least one conversation session.

Abstract: Methods and systems for managing cardholder spending on a transaction card account employ a processor coupled to memory and other computer hardware and software components to receive a monthly spending budget for a cardholder, track expenditures of the cardholder in a current month against the monthly spending budget, and adjust the monthly spending budget for a succeeding month when expenditures exceed a credit limit of the cardholder. The adjustment may be made according to an order of a predetermined prioritization of a plurality of budget categories or by a proportional amount in each of the plurality of budget categories in the absence of a predetermined prioritization.

Abstract: A method and system for automated settlement and on-line debiting of a financial transaction, such as an emergency-cash transaction, is provided. A bank customer enters a foreign-branch bank and indicates a need for emergency cash. The customer is given a telephone by which the customer communicates with an interactive-voice response system in the customer's language. The system bridges the customer with the customer's home bank, which approves the requested emergency cash. A network in communication with the voice response system and with the issuer automatically initiates an on-line debiting of an account of the customer. The network also initiates and carries out settlement between the acquirer and the issuer by way of settlement accounts.

Abstract: A method and system for securely logging onto a banking system authentication server so that a user credential never appears in the clear during interaction with the system in which a user's credential is DES encrypted, and the DES key is PKI encrypted with the public key of an application server by an encryption applet before being transmitted to the application server. Within the HSM of the application server, the HSM decrypts and re-encrypts the credential under a new DES key known to the authentication server, the re-encrypted credential is forwarded to the authentication server, decrypted with the new DES key known to the authentication server, and verified by the authentication server.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for offering mandatorily convertible securities (e.g., DECS) with associated forward purchase contracts and call options. Each mandatorily convertible security combines a forward purchase contract, a mandatory portable remarketable security, and a call option to form a single investment unit. The call option provides additional capital to the issuer of the investment unit and profits to the remarketing agent handling the mandatory portable remarketable security.

Abstract: It is desirable to implement security features that can prevent the unauthorized use of a customer's sensitive account information from an RFID sticker. The methods and systems described herein attempt to resolve the deficiencies with the conventional RFID stickers. In a more secure implementation, a financial institution allows a customer to activate or deactivate the account for use with the RFID sticker by submitting a request to the financial institution using internet banking, mobile banking, SMS texting, or other communications method.

Abstract: An anti-skimming assembly for a card reader device includes, for example, a displacement bar mountable on a front plate of a card reader device proximate a card entry opening formed in the front plate, which displacement bar has first and second legs. The displacement bar is mountable on the front plate with the first leg aligned with an internal read head inside the card entry opening of the card reader device. An infrangible fastener is connectible to the first leg through a first fastener opening formed in the front plate, and a non-conductive frangible or breakable fastener is connectible to the second leg through a second fastener opening formed in the front plate. In addition, first and second electrically conductive leads are carried by the non-conductive frangible fastener electrically connected to one another via an electrically conductive spring and connectible to an alarm circuit.

Abstract: A magnetic stripe card reader assembly and method includes a panel having portions defining a card entry opening of a card entry path provided for receiving a magnetic stripe card with the magnetic stripe disposed perpendicular to the card entry path. A card swipe path in communication with the card entry path is provided for swiping the card with the magnetic stripe disposed parallel to the card swipe path, and a magnetic stripe read head is disposed proximate the card swipe path for reading only a pre-determined segment of the magnetic stripe. The panel is also provided with portions defining a card withdrawal opening of a card withdrawal path in communication with the card swipe path and partly overlapping the card entry opening for withdrawal of the card with the magnetic stripe disposed perpendicular to the card withdrawal path.

Abstract: Methods and systems of processing payments globally over one of a plurality of payment processing paths employ computer hardware and software for receiving a request to access a global payment utility, presenting a plurality of payment options by the global payment utility, and receiving information by the global payment utility consisting at least in part of a source of payment, a payment destination, and a user-designated payment vehicle. Upon receiving the information, one of a plurality of payment processing paths for the payment is selected according to a clearing rules aspect of a rules engine of the global payment utility, and the payment is routed for processing via the selected payment processing path.

Abstract: A library of jobs is created, with the jobs performing predetermined functions. The jobs include a termination indication, which is success or failure. Input file formats of known file types are determined and a job stream to process the input files is constructed of the jobs linked according to the termination success or failure of the preceding job.

Abstract: A magnetic stripe card reader assembly and method includes a panel having portions defining a card entry opening of a card entry path provided for receiving a magnetic stripe card with the magnetic stripe disposed perpendicular to the card entry path. A card swipe path in communication with the card entry path is provided for swiping the card with the magnetic stripe disposed parallel to the card swipe path, and a magnetic stripe read head is disposed proximate the card swipe path for reading only a pre-determined segment of the magnetic stripe. The panel is also provided with portions defining a card withdrawal opening of a card withdrawal path in communication with the card swipe path and partly overlapping the card entry opening for withdrawal of the card with the magnetic stripe disposed perpendicular to the card withdrawal path.

Abstract: Methods and systems for routing payment transactions electronically for multinational vendors in a transnational business environment in which an integrated payments platform processor is used in receiving payment transactions related to a plurality of different countries by a financial institution for online purchases. Each payment transaction is interrogated, using the integrated payments platform processor, to identify the payment transaction as an internal type of transaction or an external type of transaction and a country to which the payment transaction relates. Internal types of transactions are routed to an internal transaction processing path and external types of transactions to an external processing path, and the financial institution may arrange settlement of each payment transaction likewise using the processor.

Abstract: Methods and systems for routing payment transactions electronically involve interrogating by computer logic each payment transaction received by a payments interface processor to identify a payment destination and a payment source and to determine, according to pre-defined parameters, whether the payment transaction is eligible for processing via an internal payment transaction processor of the financial institution that minimizes processing costs. Eligible payment transactions may be routed, for example, to an internal debit or credit card processor or ACH processor, and ineligible payment transactions may be routed to external card processing networks.

Abstract: A method and system for managing transaction card accounts involves providing a customer a transaction card account by a financial institution against which the customer can charge predetermined types of transactions during predefined account statement periods and sending a statement of charges against the account to the customer at an end of each account statement period specifying a due date, after which a predefined late fee is assessed on the account if the statement is not paid. However, the late fee is automatically waived on the account within specified products if the customer makes a purchase or secures a cash advance during the account statement period for which the payment is due. Further, a voice response unit of the financial institution gives the customer a first menu option to opt out of a voice response unit scripted call and speak directly to a live representative about the account at any time during the call.

Abstract: Methods and systems for real-time, interactive solutioning and visualization of working capital for an enterprise employ a processor coupled to memory and other computer hardware and software components for storing fixed data consisting at least in part of information regarding financial institution products and information regarding governmental regulations; storing variable data consisting at least in part of information regarding operations of the enterprise; receiving variable data interactively consisting at least in part of information regarding enterprise preferences; and generating at least one recommendation for a proposed structure for the enterprise based at least in part on the fixed data and the variable data.

Abstract: A method and system for performing a cash transaction with a self-service financial transaction terminal makes use of computer hardware and software that allows a financial institution cardholder to authorize a recipient to withdraw a specified amount of cash at an ATM of the particular financial institution. The cardholder can set up the transaction, for example, from any telephone using an interactive voice response (IVR) system, or by utilizing the application at a financial institution ATM, or by using an Internet website application. The originator can set up the recipient's ATM transaction to be either cardless or card-initiated.

Abstract: Methods and systems of processing payments globally over one of a plurality of payment processing paths employ computer hardware and software for receiving a request to access a global payment utility, presenting a plurality of payment options by the global payment utility, and receiving information by the global payment utility consisting at least in part of a source of payment, a payment destination, and a user-designated payment vehicle. Upon receiving the information, one of a plurality of payment processing paths for the payment is selected according to a clearing rules aspect of a rules engine of the global payment utility, and the payment is routed for processing via the selected payment processing path.

Abstract: A method and system for building an Internet portal provides a portal toolkit platform consisting at least in part of a portal application server and a web server associated with the portal toolkit platform that is accessible by at least one end user. A business is allowed to access the portal application server and fill one or more content management templates from a selection of content management templates governing content elements to be presented to end users via the website server. When an end user accesses the website server, content governed by the template is presented for the end user by the portal application server via the web server. The business can populate a database with content and populate the web server, for example, with a set of images, HTML files, and other assets such as PDF files and build an Internet portal on top of the toolkit as an approach to integrating transaction systems.

Abstract: A method and system for managing employment candidate data utilizes a pre-screen application to enable pre-screening of employment candidates who log on to a website and are prompted to enter additional information and schedule pre-employment tests via the website. The method and system for managing employment candidate data also uses a tracking and testing application to handle screening of candidates' paper-based applications, administration of interviews, hiring pool management, job offer support, and scheduling of training, and is integrated with an applicant tracking system. A resume tracking application of the method and system for managing employment candidate data automatically identifies and merges duplicate resume information to create a single unique resume in the tracking system.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating customer incentive awards involve receiving, using a processor coupled to memory, information regarding a balance of a deposit account, such as a savings account, of at least one customer for determination of an award amount related to a loan account of the customer. Using the processor, the award amount may be computed based on at least in part on the balance of the deposit account and at least in part on an interest rate of the loan account of the customer. Thereafter, likewise using the processor, the award amount may be applied to an account designated by the customer, such as a mortgage loan account of the customer.

Abstract: A delivery system and method allow a financial institution to provide financial services to a plurality of remote devices. The system is comprised of a set of re-usable global components which are modular and are organized into services sets. The system and method operate in sessions and, for instance, employ a dialog component for gathering information from a customer, a rule broker component for providing answers to the various legal and regulatory rules in a particular country, a language man component for selecting appropriate language, a transaction executor component for performing transactions, and a presentation manager component for formatting outputs to the customer. The system and method provide state-of-the art interfaces that can be configured and delivered to the customer in a globally consistent format that is based on the customer's account profile, various languages, various currencies, different legal regulatory requirements, as well as, different sets of business products.

Abstract: A financial institution can provide financial services to a plurality of remote devices, such as personal computers, personal data assistants, screen phones, automatic teller machines, external service providers, and internally to staff terminals and individual branches. By separating the components of the system into independent components, the system and method can be developed and tested on a component level rather than the entire system level, thereby reducing the development and maintenance cycle time. The system and method operate in sessions and can employ a dialog component for gathering information from a customer, a rule broker component for providing answers to the various legal and regulatory rules in a particular country, a language man component for selecting appropriate language, a transaction executor component for performing transactions, and a presentation manager component for formatting outputs to the customer.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing a pre-staged financial transaction using a computing device involve, for example, receiving, using a self-service transaction terminal processor, pre-staged transaction data in a session at the self-service financial transaction terminal, which pre-staged transaction data was entered on a mobile computing device at a time preceding a time of the session. Thereafter, using the self-service transaction terminal processor, a transaction is executed, based at least in part on the pre-staged transaction data.

Abstract: Methods and systems for routing payment transactions electronically involve interrogating by computer logic each payment transaction received by a payments interface processor to identify a payment destination and a payment source and to determine, according to pre-defined parameters, whether the payment transaction is eligible for processing via an internal payment transaction processor of the financial institution that minimizes processing costs. Eligible payment transactions may be routed, for example, to an internal debit or credit card processor or ACH processor, and ineligible payment transactions may be routed to external card processing networks.

Abstract: Methods and systems for performing mobile collections utilize computer hardware and software for receiving delivery information including, for example, an agent identifier, a delivery identifier and details of a scheduled delivery, and a buyer identifier. Upon receiving the delivery identifier and a submit request from a communication device of the agent, an authorization request is sent to a communication device of the buyer. On receiving the buyer identifier and an authorization response from the communication device of buyer, a settlement request for the delivery is sent to a banking network. Thereafter, payment for the delivery is received in an account of the supplier.

Abstract: The present invention relates particularly to a method and system for consolidating a plurality of a consumer's payment and non-payment source accounts into a consolidated platform with a customer identification or available proxy account numbers that can be assigned to source accounts. The source accounts can be, for example, credit card accounts, ATM accounts, debit card accounts, demand deposit accounts, stored-value accounts, merchant-loyalty card accounts, membership accounts, and identification card numbers. The consumer can access and modify any of the source accounts and manage funds across the source accounts by accessing the consolidated platform with a single access device or mode.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for offering mandatorily convertible securities (e.g., DECS) with associated forward purchase contracts and call options. Each mandatorily convertible security combines a forward purchase contract, a mandatory portable remarketable security, and a call option to form a single investment unit. The call option provides additional capital to the issuer of the investment unit and profits to the remarketing agent handling the mandatory portable remarketable security.

Abstract: A method and system for the clearing and settlement of funds among a plurality of participants facilitates the integration of a “closed” special purpose industry sector, such as the transit industry, within an open financial payment system. A method for clearing and settling funds among a plurality of participants comprises receiving data relating to transactions from the plurality of participants, organizing the data into groups associated with each of the plurality of participants, summing the data in the groups to determine a total funds due to and from each of the plurality of participants, and settling the difference among the plurality of participants by transferring funds to the participants owed funds and collecting funds from the participants who owe funds.

Abstract: A system and method that allows a group of organizations, e.g. a group of transit agencies, to provide their users with a stored value smart card payment method that rewards them for actual use. The system and method include a card interface device and a smart card for storing respective reward applications, wherein the card interface device reward application retrieves transaction and reward data from the smart card and processes the data within the card interface device in order to determine a transaction reward.

Abstract: A method performed by a transfer instrument issuer involves issuing, to a recipient, a certificate which is linked to a national card account obtained by the transfer instrument issuer from an account issuer different from the transfer instrument issuer, without both issuing and providing a physical card for the national card account to the recipient of the certificate, the certificate having been purchased by a purchaser, who is not also the recipient, and containing all information necessary for the purchase of goods or services from any merchant who is capable of processing economic transactions involving one of the plurality national card accounts for which a physical card has issued, but without presentment of the physical card.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating customer incentive awards involve receiving, using a processor coupled to memory, information regarding a balance of a deposit account, such as a savings account, of at least one customer for determination of an award amount related to a loan account of the customer. Using the processor, the award amount may be computed based on at least in part on the balance of the deposit account and at least in part on an interest rate of the loan account of the customer. Thereafter, likewise using the processor, the award amount may be applied to an account designated by the customer, such as a mortgage loan account of the customer.

Abstract: A method for updating web pages on a web server without republishing the web pages involves providing a live version on a production database and a quality assurance version on a quality assurance web server. A maker at a business workstation can access the quality assurance database server and enter a change to data on the quality assurance version of the business data tables, and a checker at the business workstation accesses the quality assurance database server to review and approve or reject changes to the data on the quality assurance version of the business data tables, and if the checker approves the changes, the changes to the data on the quality assurance version of the business data tables are replicated from the quality assurance database server to the live version on the production database server.

Abstract: A method and system for making on-line payments makes use of computer hardware and software and utilizes, for example, a payment engine that facilitates the making of payments via the Internet. A user enrolls for the on-line payments service, designates a source account for the on-line payments, and is provided a transaction account as a money deposit account with an account number that the user can use as a source and a destination of funds and with one or more service levels. The user can make, for example, on-line payments, on-line and/or off-line purchases, cash withdrawals at an ATM, credit card account payments, bill payments, and/or international payments with funds in the transaction account and/or a line of credit associated with the transaction account.

Abstract: Methods and systems for routing payment transactions electronically involve interrogating by computer logic each payment transaction received by a payments interface processor to identify a payment destination and a payment source and to determine, according to pre-defined parameters, whether the payment transaction is eligible for processing via an internal payment transaction processor of the financial institution that minimizes processing costs. Eligible payment transactions may be routed, for example, to an internal debit or credit card processor or ACH processor, and ineligible payment transactions may be routed to external card processing networks.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system for assessing the risks and/or exposures associated with financial transactions using various statistical and probabilistic techniques. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method and system for identifying plausible sources of error in data used as input to financial risk assessment systems using Bayesian belief networks as a normative diagnostic tool to model relationships between and among inputs/outputs of the risk assessment system and other external factors.

Abstract: A method and system for securely logging onto a banking system authentication server so that a user credential never appears in the clear during interaction with the system in which a user's credential is DES encrypted, and the DES key is PKI encrypted with the public key of an application server by an encryption applet before being transmitted to the application server. Within the HSM of the application server, the HSM decrypts and re-encrypts the credential under a new DES key known to the authentication server, the re-encrypted credential is forwarded to the authentication server, decrypted with the new DES key known to the authentication server, and verified by the authentication server.

Abstract: The present invention relates particularly to a method and system for consolidating a plurality of a consumer's payment and non-payment source accounts into a consolidated platform with a customer identification or available proxy account numbers that can be assigned to source accounts. The source accounts can be, for example, credit card accounts, ATM accounts, debit card accounts, demand deposit accounts, stored-value accounts, merchant-loyalty card accounts, membership accounts, and identification card numbers. The consumer can access and modify any of the source accounts and manage funds across the source accounts by accessing the consolidated platform with a single access device or mode.

Abstract: Methods and systems for assessing data involve, collecting samples of data elements from a database storing a population of data elements representing attributes of each numerous different financial transactions. Critical data elements from the collected samples are determined. Data quality rules are built and data dimensions are calculated for the critical data elements. A quality of data within the critical data elements for different data quality dimensions is monitored. Critical data elements that produce a high number of outliers are identified and causes for the outliers are identified. Thereafter, a corrective action plan to address a solution for the causes for the outliers may be developed and executed.

Abstract: Methods and systems for generating and reusing dynamic web content involve, for example, automatically generating client-side code on a server at run time, and automatically downloading the client-side code to the client side at run time. The client-side code is executed on the client side to become a widget with dynamic behavior attributes displayed as a component of a web page on a display screen of a client-side computing device. Dynamic behavior of the client-side code may triggered via an event handler mechanism wherein properties of the client-side code are dynamically changed without affecting any other content on the web page. The widget may be redisplayed on a subsequent occasion with a change in the widget without regenerating the client-side code.

Abstract: A method performed by a transfer instrument issuer involves issuing, to a recipient, a certificate which is linked to a national card account obtained by the transfer instrument issuer from an account issuer different from the transfer instrument issuer, without both issuing and providing a physical card for the national card account to the recipient of the certificate, the certificate having been purchased by a purchaser, who is not also the recipient, and containing all information necessary for the purchase of goods or services from any merchant who is capable of processing economic transactions involving one of the plurality national card accounts for which a physical card has issued, but without presentment of the physical card.

Abstract: Methods and systems for communicating information from a specially programmed smart point-of-sale terminal involve receiving transaction information at the terminal, recognizing that the transaction relates to a redemption function, adjusting the transaction amount accordingly, and routing an approval request for the adjusted amount to a card issuer processor via a card association transaction processing network. In another aspect, information is received at the terminal which recognizes that the information relates to a third party function and routes a message to the third party processor via a merchant acquirer processor while bypassing the card association transaction processing network. Thereafter, the third party processor performs the third party function and returns a message related at least in part to the performance of the third party function to the smart point-of-sale terminal processor via the merchant acquirer processor.

Abstract: Methods and systems for activating an electronic payments infrastructure employ, for example, a token consisting at least in part of a unique identifier assigned to an inactive header account which is provided on a customer's electronic device. The unique identifier is processable via a transaction processing network. A request, which includes customer information, is received to verify that activation of the header account for the customer is compliant with predefined customer identification rules. A determination is made that activation of the header account for the customer is compliant with the predefined customer identification rules. An activation message is sent to the customer's device using the interface processor, the header account is linked to a digital wallet on a database, and the customer's designation of a source account for the digital wallet is received on the database. The header account can be used in transactions with either on-us or off-us source accounts.