CREDIT ACCOUNT LINKING SYSTEM
A method for authorizing access to a customer's credit account is described. The method includes: accessing a set of customer information particular to a customer to achieve an accessed set of customer information; comparing the assessed set of customer information to stored customer information; based on the comparing, determining if a match between the received set of customer information and the stored customer information exists, wherein if the match exists, identifying a matched stored customer information; identifying a customer credit account, of the set of credit accounts, linked to the matched stored customer information to achieve an identified customer credit account; and generating a credit verification for the customer, enabling the customer to cause a set of charges to be applied to the identified customer credit account.
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This application claims priority to and benefit of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 61/947,347, filed on Mar. 3, 2014 entitled “DRIVERS LICENSE LOOK-UP” by Tim Pontious, having Attorney Docket No. ADS-063.PRO, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.
This application is related to co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ filed on XXX entitled “DRIVERS LICENSE LOOK-UP”, by Tim Pontious, having Attorney Docket No. ADS-063A, and assigned to the assignee of the present application.
BACKGROUNDPresently, when customers forget to take their credit cards with them while shopping, even if the customer has photo identification, the customer is not able to purchase desired goods and services.
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments and, together with the Description of Embodiments, serve to explain principles discussed below. The drawings referred to in this brief description should not be understood as being drawn to scale unless specifically noted.
The following is a summary of at least one embodiment of the present technology:
A method for authorizing access to a customer's credit account is described. The method includes: accessing a set of customer information particular to a customer to achieve an accessed set of customer information; comparing the assessed set of customer information to stored customer information, wherein the stored customer information comprises information associated with a set of customers and is linked to a set of credit accounts associated with the set of customers; based on the comparing, determining if a match between the received set of customer information and the stored customer information exists, wherein if the match exists, identifying a matched stored customer information; identifying a customer credit account, of the set of credit accounts, linked to the matched stored customer information to achieve an identified customer credit account; and generating an a credit verification for the customer, enabling the customer to cause a transactional activity to occur in association with the identified customer credit account. In a further embodiment, the foregoing described method further includes: sending the credit verification to a point of service station.
DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTSReference will now be made in detail to various embodiments, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While various embodiments are discussed herein, it will be understood that they are not intended to be limiting. On the contrary, the presented embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope the various embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in this Description of Embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding. However, embodiments may be practiced without one or more of these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the described embodiments.
Notation and NomenclatureUnless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present Description of Embodiments, discussions utilizing terms such as “accessing,” “comparing”, “finding”, “identifying”, “generating”, “sending” or the like, often refer to the actions and processes of an electronic computing device (or portion thereof), module or system, such as, but not limited to, a credit account linking system (See
The following definitions apply:
“Client”: A retail partner of the system described herein for linking a credit account to a consumer.
“Client System”: the client's Point-of-Service system.
“Customer”: The client's consumer/customer.
“Customer Facing Device”: A device that allows direct interaction or communication with customers (such as a signature capture or pin pad device).
“Driver's License”: The term, “driver's license”, includes any government issued identification. For example, but not limited to such example, a government issued identification may refer to a state issued driver's license, a state identification, a military identification, a federal identification, a locally-issued identification, a province in Canada, etc. The government issued identification may be issued by any governmental authority.
“Points of Service”: Any channel where a transaction can be processed for a customer (e.g., Catalog, Web, Retail, Mobile, etc.).
“Request”: The client's system initiated transaction sent to the system described herein for linking a credit account to a customer.
“Response”: the transactional answer/response the system described herein for linking a credit account to a customer sends to the client.
“SSN”: Any governmentally assigned social security number (e.g., United States, Canada, etc.).
Overview of Embodiments and DiscussionPresently, when a customer forgets to take his credit cards with him while shopping, even if the customer has a photo identification, the customer is not able to purchase desired goods and services. Embodiments enable a customer to purchase items at a store location using his credit card account without having his credit card in-hand.
The following is a high-level non-limiting example of embodiments. In this example, the customer has accidentally left his credit card at home. Embodiments enable the customer to purchase items at a store without having his credit card. For example, the customer selects merchandise to purchase and begins the checkout process. The store associate enters the merchandise into the point of sale (POS) station (e.g., check-out register), totals the transaction, and asks the customer if she would like to place his order on his store-branded credit card. If the customer asks to place an order on his store-branded credit card, the store associate initiates the process of trying to apply the purchase to the customer's store-branded credit card. The store associate initiates this process by selecting an option (of several selectable options) presented at the point of sale station. For example, the selectable options may include, but are not limited to, the following: a new account, a loyalty/database; an account lookup; a transaction; a tender type; a customer; pricing; etc. In this example, the store associate selects the “account lookup” option.
Before or after selecting the “account lookup” option, the store associate asks the customer to enter personal customer information into the input/output device. In addition to initiating the “account lookup” option, and asking the customer to input his personal information, the store associate also requests a valid photo identification from the customer; the store associate determines if the photo on the valid identification matches the image of the customer.
The customer enters his personal information into a customer-facing device (input/output device). For example, this personal information may be the last four digits of his social security number. The customer confirms that the information that he entered is correct and “submits” this personal information (via clicking, etc.). In one embodiment, the customer and/or the sales associate scans the customer's driver's license with a two dimensional scanner.
The submitted personal information (including, in some embodiments, the scanned driver's license information) then is transmitted to a remote server (a server that is remote from the point of service “POS” station). This remote server includes a database of customer information linked with customer credit accounts (in one example, credit card accounts)j. The stored customer information is organized according to an identity of each customer in the database. The identity of each customer is linked to a credit account particular to that consumer. The remote server determines if the personal information that was input by the customer matches any of the stored customer information. Of note, it should be appreciated that the set of customer information includes information that was input from the customer who is trying to purchase items. Whereas, the stored customer information includes information that could potentially relate to the customer.
If the remote server determines that the personal information submitted by the customer matches stored customer information, then the remote server generates and sends a credit verification to the POS station, validating that a charge may be applied to the customer's credit account. (The customer's credit account is linked to the matched stored customer information for the purchase of the selected items.) If the store associate determines that the customer, who presented the valid photo identification, is that who is indicated in the photo, then the store associate proceeds to charge the customer's credit account (that is linked to the stored customer information having the entered social security information and zip code).
The following discussion will begin with a description of a credit account linker, with reference to
Embodiments of a Credit Account Linker
The customer information accessor 105 is configured for accessing a set of customer information 135 that is particular to a customer 185. This set of customer information includes a predetermined amount of customer information. For example, in one embodiment, the predetermined amount of customer information is a predetermined number of digits of a social security number of the customer 185. For example, the predetermined number of digits is the last four digits of the social security number 140 of the customer 185. In another embodiment, the predetermined amount of customer information is a zip code 145 of the customer 185. In yet another embodiment, the predetermined amount of customer information is a password 150 for the customer 185. Of note, the predetermined amount of customer information may be any type and quantity of customer information. The customer-facing device 155 provides a request to the customer 185 for entry of a predetermined amount of customer information that is particular to the customer 185. Further, it should be appreciated that the set of customer information 135 may include one or more pieces of information about the customer 185. It should further be appreciated, that in various embodiments, the customer 185 may not be the person who is entering the set of customer information 135. A person at a call center or a store associate may be entering the set of customer information 135 into a system, the set of customer information 135, of which, is accessed by the customer information accessor 105.
The customer information comparor 110 compares the received set of customer information 135 to the stored consumer information 170. The set of customer information 135, after being accessed and/or received, is stored at the memory store 165. In one embodiment, the memory store 165 is a database coupled to the credit account linker 100. In another embodiment, the memory store 165 resides on the memory device described with reference to
In one embodiment, a credit card associated with the credit account is a store-branded credit card. The store-branded credit card is associated with an entity (business, not-for-profit organization, etc.) that provides goods and/or services. The “store” may be a merchant that provides goods and/or services, regardless as to whether or not the store is an actual physical place. In other embodiments, the credit card associated with the credit account is not a store-branded credit card. In another embodiment, a credit account is store-branded (“branded-credit account”). In yet another embodiment, a credit account in not a store-branded (“non-branded-credit account”). For example, the credit account may be connected with, but is not limited to being, a retail store, a virtual store, an automobile loan account, etc.
The match determiner 115 is configured for, based on the comparing performed by the customer information comparor 110, finding a match between the received set of customer information 135 and the stored customer information 170 to achieve a matched stored customer information 190. In one embodiment, the match determiner 115 determines if a predetermined amount of information of the set of customer information 135 that is input by the customer 185 is the same as the stored customer information 170. Of note, and as discussed herein, the set of customer information 135 may be input by other entities (e.g., store associate, call center employee, etc.) other than the customer 185. This predetermined amount of information may be one or more items of information, such as, but not limited to such, the last four digits of the customer's social security number, the zip code of the customer's address, the customer's prearranged password, etc.
If the match determiner 115 does not find a match, then a matched stored consumer information 190 is not achieved. Instead, in one embodiment, when the match determiner 115 does not find a match, a “not found” message is generated by a not found message generator. The not found message is sent to the transmitter (see
The customer credit account identifier 120 is configured for identifying a customer credit account, of the set of credit accounts 180, linked to the matched stored customer information 190 to achieve an identified customer credit account 195.
The credit verification generator 125 generates a credit verification 197 for the customer 185, such that the customer 185 may cause (has the option to cause) a set of charges to be applied to the identified consumer credit account 195. The credit verification 197 indicates, at the POS station 160, that, as to the customer 185, a particular transactional activity (e.g., sale, payment, return, void, etc.) is allowed to be processed using the identified customer credit account 195. In one embodiment, the identified customer credit account 195 is associated with a store for the particular store at which the customer 185 entered into the customer-facing device 155 his set of customer information 135. In another embodiment, the identified customer credit account 195 is associated with a store other than the store at which the customer 185 entered his set of customer information 135 into the customer-facing device 155.
Additionally, in one embodiment, the credit verification 197 includes information in addition to the determination of allowing the customer 185 to cause a transactional activity to be processed using the customer credit account 195, such as, but not limited to, the following types of information: the customer's 185 amount of available credit remaining; the sales history for the customer 185; rewards and loyalty information connected with the customer's 185 customer credit account 195; and offers, such as reward incentives, for the customer 185.
The credit verification sender 130 sends the credit verification 197 to a transmitter. The transmitter transmits the credit verification 197 to the point of service station 160, as will be described below with reference to the system 200 for linking a customer to a credit account to enable the consumer to purchase items at a store without having his credit card for presentation to the store associate. As already noted herein, the point of service station 160 may be any channel at which a transaction can be processed for a customer (e.g., Catalog, Web, Retail, Mobile, etc.), and is not limited to being that of a “brick and mortar” retail store.
The system 200 is communicatively coupled, via wire and/or wirelessly, to the customer-facing device 155 and the POS station 160. In one embodiment, the customer-facing device 155 and the POS station 160 are communicatively coupled, via wire and/or wirelessly, to each other.
In one embodiment, the receiver 205 is configured to receive the set of customer information 135. In one embodiment, the receiver 205 receives the set of customer information 135 from the customer-facing device 155. In another embodiment, the receiver 205 receives the set of customer information 135 from the POS station 160.
In one embodiment, the processor 210 is configured to process the computer-readable and computer-executable instructions (that may reside in any tangible computer readable storage media) such as the following modules described herein: the customer information accessor 105; the customer information comparor 110; the match determiner 115; the customer credit account identifier 120; the credit verification generator 125; and the credit verification sender 130.
Example Methods of OperationThe following discussion sets forth in detail some example methods of operation of embodiments. With reference to
At step 305 of method 300, in one embodiment and as described herein, the set of customer information 135 particular to the customer 185 is accessed to achieve an accessed set of customer information 135. In one embodiment, the set of customer information 135 includes a predetermined amount of customer information particular to the customer 185. The predetermined amount of customer information particular to the customer 185 may be any kind and amount of information that may be accessed (received or captured) at the credit account linker 100, and may be transmitted via one or more components of the customer-facing device 155 and/or the POS station 160.
At step 310 of method 300 in one embodiment, and as described herein, the accessed set of customer information is compared to the stored customer information 170, wherein the stored customer information 170 includes information associated with the set of customers 175 and is linked to a set of credit accounts 180 associated with the set of customers 175. In one embodiment, the credit cards associated with the credit accounts 180 are credit cards. In another embodiment, the credit cards associated with the credit accounts 180 are credit cards associated with a store different from the store in which the customer enters the set of customer information 135 into the customer-facing device 155.
At step 315 of method 300, in one embodiment, and as described herein, based on the comparing performed at step 310, a match between the received set of customer information 135 and the stored customer information 170 is determined if it exists. If the match is found to exist, then the matched stored customer information 190 is identified.
At step 320 of method 300, in one embodiment, and as described herein, a customer credit account, of the set of credit accounts 180, which is linked to the matched stored customer information 170, is identified to achieve an identified customer credit account 195.
At step 325, in one embodiment and as described herein, a credit verification 197 for the customer 185 is generated. The credit verification 197 indicates, at the POS station 160, that, as to the customer 185, a particular transactional activity (e.g., sale, payment, return, void, etc.) is allowed to be processed using the identified customer credit account 195. It should be appreciated that the credit verification 197 may allow more than one transactional activities. At step 330, in one embodiment, if the match, as determined in step 315, does not exist, then a “not found” message is generated. The not found message indicates, via the POS station 160 that the match is determined to not exist.
At step 335, in one embodiment and as described herein, the credit verification 197 is sent to the POS station 160. In one embodiment, the sending of the credit verification 197 to the POS station 160 includes sending the credit verification 197 to the transmitter 215. The transmitter 215 then transmits this credit verification 197 to the POS station 160. As noted herein, the POS station 160 may be any channel at which a transaction can be processed for a customer (e.g., Catalog, Web, Retail, Mobile, etc.)
Example Computer SystemWith reference now to
System 400 of
System 400 also includes computer usable non-volatile memory 410, e.g., read only memory (ROM), coupled with bus 404 for storing static information and instructions for processors 406A, 406B, and 406C. Also present in system 400 is a data storage unit 412 (e.g., a magnetic or optical disk and disk drive) coupled with bus 404 for storing information and instructions. System 400 also includes an optional alphanumeric input device 414 including alphanumeric and function keys coupled with bus 404 for communicating information and command selections to processor 406A or processors 406A, 406B, and 406C. System 400 also includes an optional cursor control device 416 coupled with bus 404 for communicating user input information and command selections to processor 406A or processors 406A, 406B, and 406C. In one embodiment, system 400 also includes an optional display device 418 coupled with bus 404 for displaying information.
Referring still to
Referring still to
Claims
1. A computer-implemented method for authorizing access to a customer's credit account, said method comprising:
- accessing a set of customer information particular to a customer to achieve an accessed set of customer information;
- comparing said accessed set of customer information to stored customer information, wherein said stored customer information comprises information associated with a set of customers and is linked to a set of credit accounts;
- based on said comparing, determining if a match between said accessed set of customer information and said stored customer information exists, wherein if said match exists, identifying a matched stored customer information;
- identifying a customer credit account, of said set of credit accounts, linked to said matched stored customer information to achieve an identified customer credit account; and
- generating a credit verification for said customer, enabling said customer to cause a transactional activity to occur in association with said identified customer credit account.
2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
- sending said credit verification to a point of service station.
3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
- if said match is determined not to exist, then generating a not found message, wherein said not found message indicates that said match is determined not to exist.
4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said set of customer information comprises a predetermined amount of customer information particular to said customer, wherein said predetermined amount is a number of digits of a social security number of said customer.
5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said set of customer information comprises a predetermined amount of customer information particular to said customer, wherein said predetermined amount is a zip code of said customer.
6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said set of customer information comprises a predetermined amount of customer information particular to said customer, wherein said predetermined amount is a password for said customer.
7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said credit account is associated with a credit card that is store-branded credit card.
8. An article of manufacture, which comprises a computer readable medium having stored therein a computer program for authorizing access to a customer's credit account, said computer program comprising:
- a first code segment which, when executed on a computer, accesses a set of customer information particular to a customer to achieve an accessed set of customer information;
- a second code segment which, when executed on said computer, compares said accessed set of customer information to stored customer information, wherein said stored customer information comprises information associated with a set of customers and is linked to a set of credit accounts;
- a third code segment which, when executed on said computer, based on said comparing, determines if a match between said accessed set of customer information and said stored customer information exists, wherein if said match exists, identifying a matched stored customer information;
- a fourth code segment which, when executed on said computer, identifies a customer credit account, of said set of credit accounts, linked to said matched stored customer information to achieve an identified customer credit account; and
- a fifth code segment which, when executed on said computer, generates a credit verification for said customer, enabling said customer to cause a transactional activity to occur in association with said identified customer credit account.
9. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein said computer program further comprises:
- a sixth code segment which, when executed on said computer, sends said credit verification to a point of service station.
10. The article of manufacture of claim 8, wherein said computer program further comprises:
- a seventh code segment which, when executed on said computer, if said match is determined not to exist, then generates a not found message, wherein said not found message indicates that said match does not to exist.
11. A credit account linker comprising:
- a customer information accessor coupled with a computer, said customer information accessor configured for accessing a set of customer information particular to a customer to achieve an accessed set of customer information;
- a customer information comparer coupled to said computer, said customer information comparer configured for comparing said accessed set of customer information to stored customer information, wherein said stored customer information comprises information associated with a set of customers and is linked to a set of credit accounts;
- a match determiner coupled to said computer, said match determiner configured for, based on said comparing, determining if a match between said accessed set of customer information and said stored customer information exists, wherein if said match exists, identifying a matched stored customer information;
- a customer credit account identifier coupled to said computer, said customer credit account identifier configured for identifying a customer credit account, of said set of credit accounts, linked to said matched stored customer information to achieve an identified customer credit account; and
- an credit verification generator coupled to said computer, said credit verification generator configured for generating a credit verification for said customer, enabling said customer to cause a transactional activity to occur in association with said identified customer credit account.
12. The credit account linker of claim 11, further comprising:
- an credit verification sender coupled with said computer, said credit verification sender configured for sending said credit verification to a point of service station.
13. The credit account linker of claim 11, further comprising:
- a not found message generator coupled with said computer, said not found message generator configured for, if said match is determined not to exist, then generating a not found message, wherein said not found message indicates that said match is determined not to exist.
14. The credit account linker of claim 11, wherein said set of customer information comprises a predetermined amount of customer information particular to said customer, wherein said predetermined amount is a number of digits of a social security number of said customer.
15. The credit account linker of claim 11, wherein said set of customer information comprises a predetermined amount of customer information particular to said customer, wherein said predetermined amount is a zip code of said customer.
16. The credit account linker of claim 11, wherein said set of customer information comprises a predetermined amount of customer information particular to said customer, wherein said predetermined amount is a password for said customer.
17. The credit account linker of claim 11, wherein said credit associated with said credit card accounts is a store-branded credit card.
18. A system for authorizing access to a customer's credit account, said system comprising:
- a receiver configured for receiving a set of customer information particular to a customer to achieve an accessed set of customer information;
- a memory device configured for storing customer information, wherein stored customer information comprises information associated with a set of customers and is linked to a set of credit accounts;
- a processor configured for: accessing said set of customer information received by said receiver to achieve an accessed set of customer information; comparing said accessed set of customer information to said stored customer information, wherein said stored customer information comprises information associated with a set of customers and is linked to a set of credit and accounts; based on said comparing, determining if a match between said received set of customer information and said stored consumer information exists, wherein if said match exists, identifying a matched stored consumer information; identifying a customer credit account, of said set of credit accounts, linked to said matched stored customer information to achieve an identified customer credit account; and generating an credit verification for said customer, enabling said customer to cause a transactional activity to occur in association with said identified customer credit account; sending said credit verification to a transmitter; and
- a transmitter configured for transmitting said credit verification to said point of service station.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein said processor further comprises:
- if said match is determined not to exist, then generating a not found message, wherein said not found message indicates that said match is determined not to exist.
Type: Application
Filed: Mar 3, 2015
Publication Date: Sep 3, 2015
Applicant: COMENITY LLC (Columbus, OH)
Inventor: Tim PONTIOUS (Columbus, OH)
Application Number: 14/637,327