Patents Assigned to American Express Travel Related Service Company, Inc.
-
Publication number: 20130073340Abstract: A system for generating business insights is disclosed. The method may comprise analyzing internal data based upon a merchant request, generating a business insight based upon the analysis of the internal data and the merchant request, wherein the business insight is in a category of at least one of: customer intelligence, competitive intelligence, and market intelligence, and transmitting the business insight to a merchant associated with the merchant request. Customer intelligence may comprise information about a customer's spending behavior, demographics, and lifestyle characteristics. Likewise, competitive intelligence may comprise information about the competitive performance of the merchant, customer loyalty trends associated with the merchant, and market share of the merchant, and market intelligence may comprise market demographics, growth drivers, and industry-wide trends. Internal data may comprise data a credit issuer possesses pertaining to a particular consumer.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 20, 2011Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Joakim Alex, David Bonalle, Nadine Davey-Rogers, Asaf Zentler
-
Publication number: 20130073903Abstract: A system and method for distributing prepaid cash alternatives and resolving exceptions related to the sale of prepaid cash alternatives such as traveler's cheques or prepaid cards. Reports of sales may be reviewed to identify exceptions, and information explaining the exceptions may be made available electronically. Sellers may be notified of exceptions by e-mail, which may include a link or address to information explaining the exceptions. The information may be provided in real time through a secure site on a network, such as the Internet. A company may contract with business partners to sell the prepaid cash alternatives to customers, and the business partners may report the sales to the company via reports. After being notified of exceptions, business partners may provide corrected information or new information to resolve the exceptions.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 14, 2012Publication date: March 21, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventor: American Express Travel Related Services Compa
-
Patent number: 8401947Abstract: Consumer spend by industry is modeled based on the industry sizes of wallet of consumers having a high share of wallet with a financial institution. A size of wallet is calculated for each consumer in a plurality of consumers. A share of wallet for each consumer is also calculated. A subset of the plurality of consumers whose share of wallet is above a given percentage of their size of wallet is then determined. For each consumer in the subset, an industry size of wallet is determined. A correlation between the industry size of wallet of a given consumer and one or more characteristics of the given consumer is then derived using the industry size of wallet for the consumers in the subset.Type: GrantFiled: June 29, 2012Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Service Company, Inc.Inventors: Prashant Kalia, Karlyn Heiner Crotty, Iwao Fusillo
-
Patent number: 8401889Abstract: The spend capacity of a consumer typically increases as the number of consumers in the household increases, since the consumer can draw on the spending power of other consumers in the household. The size of wallet of the household is thus a better indicator of the consumer's spend capacity than an individual size of wallet. All consumers in a given household can be aggregated based on, for example, their address of record. Duplicate tradelines within each household are removed from consideration in a size of wallet estimate. A spend capacity is then estimated for each tradeline using calculations derived from a consumer behavior model. The spend capacities for all tradelines in the household are combined to determine a household size of wallet. Each consumer in the household is then tagged with the household size of wallet, rather than their individual size of wallet.Type: GrantFiled: March 28, 2012Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Jeffrey A. Chwast, Kathleen Haggerty, Jing J. Wang, Di W. Xu, Chao M. Yuan
-
Patent number: 8401539Abstract: Enabling remote customer service and maintenance using a visual identifier is disclosed. In response to a user enrolling in a service capability associated with a mobile device, the process utilizes a visual identifier to associate the service capability with the customer account, the service and the mobile device. The system allocates a visual identifier for each service capability and enables customer service agents to identify the service capability and mobile device, verify the user and retrieve information for the service interaction.Type: GrantFiled: January 31, 2012Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Blayn W. Beenau, Williams J. Gray, Jeffrey D. Langus, David P. Whittington
-
Patent number: 8401898Abstract: The present invention involves spending loyalty points over a computerized network to facilitate a transaction. With this system, a loyalty program participant is able to use an existing transaction card to purchase an item over a computerized network, while at the same time offsetting the cost of that transaction by converting loyalty points to a currency value credit and having the credit applied to the participant's financial transaction account. Currency credit from converted loyalty points may also be applied to stored value cards, online digital wallet accounts and the like. Further, currency credit may also be applied to other accounts to effect a gift or donation.Type: GrantFiled: August 16, 2012Date of Patent: March 19, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Emily Chien, Trish Sanchez, Daniela Saunders, Jill Wiseman, C. R. Balagopal, Al Kinderknecht, Jon W. Parson, Ray Preston
-
Publication number: 20130066662Abstract: A system and method to optimize the yield of a restaurant having perishable inventory is described. Through a card company, a restaurant can market incentives to make reservations during an off-peak time to enrolled card members. Offer marketing is based on stated customer preferences, and conducted via, for example, a website, email, or text message. Reservations are made, for example, via a centralized booking service. The incentive is fulfilled to the card member in a coupon-less manner. The card company receives a commission from the participating restaurant for every such sale.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2012Publication date: March 14, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventor: American Express Travel Related Services Compnay, Inc.
-
Publication number: 20130066763Abstract: The present invention provides an automated system configured to facilitate transfers of cash value from one or more lines of credit to one or more deposit accounts or payment systems. An automated system ensures that requested funds are available in a customer's one or more lines of credit and electronically deposits the requested funds into one or more designated deposit accounts or payment systems. An automated system provides a means for customers to manage lines of credit, setup transfer transactions, define rules governing transfers and view transactional history. The automated system, in network connection with the lending organization's backend systems, may authenticate customer identities and credit accounts as well as insure that the requested funds are available for transfer into a deposit account.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 9, 2012Publication date: March 14, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventor: American Express Travel Related Services Compa
-
Publication number: 20130066751Abstract: A solution is provided for a method for a user to shop online in a three dimensional (3D) virtual reality (VR) setting by receiving a request at a shopping server to view a shopping location, having at least one store, and displaying the shopping location to the user's computer in a 3D interactive simulation view via a web browser to emulate a real-life shopping experience for the user. The server then obtains a request to enter into one of the stores and displays the store website to the user in the same web browser. The store website has one or more enhanced VR features. The server then receives a request to view at least one product and the product is presented in a 3D interactive simulation view to emulate a real-life viewing of the product.Type: ApplicationFiled: November 6, 2012Publication date: March 14, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventor: American Express Travel Related Services Compa
-
Publication number: 20130060716Abstract: Commercial size of spending wallet (“CSoSW”) is the total business spend of a business including cash but excluding bartered items. Commercial share of wallet (“CSoW”) is the portion of the spending wallet that is captured by a particular financial company. A modeling approach utilizes various data sources to provide outputs that describe a company's spend capacity. A mutual fund rating company can use this CSoW/CSoSW modeling approach to predict the performance of funds that invest in a particular industry or sector. In addition, since mutual funds often provide guidelines for selecting stocks, rating companies can use this modeling approach to predict the performance of companies in a fund's portfolio.Type: ApplicationFiled: September 19, 2012Publication date: March 7, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventor: American Express Travel Related Services Compa
-
Patent number: 8387873Abstract: Methods, systems and computer program products are provided for enabling payment of transit system fees using a financial transaction instrument. Entry is permitted onto a transit system by recognition of information included in an identification number stored on a financial transaction instrument. The identification number stored on the financial transaction instrument is associated with a transit system fee registered for each use of the transit system. A plurality of transit system fees associated with the same identification number from use of the financial transaction instrument is aggregated, and payment for the aggregated transit system fees is requested from a transaction account associated with the financial transaction instrument.Type: GrantFiled: August 12, 2011Date of Patent: March 5, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Peter D. Saunders, Lee J. Peart, Brian T. Barnes
-
Publication number: 20130054341Abstract: The loyalty system allows a consumer to accumulate general loyalty points from one or more merchants, and convert any desired subset of general points to loyalty dollars associated with a specific merchant. The system stores, for each consumer, the merchant loyalty dollars (or monetary equivalent) by merchant within a remotely-accessible host database or within a smart card database. Upon conducting a purchase at a particular merchant, the consumer may utilize a code key to facilitate access to the consumer's own loyalty dollars for the particular merchant. The loyalty dollars are then applied to the purchase transaction as a discount or rebate. The consumer may also re-load the merchant loyalty dollar accounts.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 23, 2012Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventor: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.
-
Publication number: 20130054337Abstract: A process of conducting a contactless payment in an online transaction comprises initiating, at a computer-based system, an online transaction based on a consumer selection, transmitting, from an RF device, consumer information to the computer-based system. The consumer information may provide at least one of shipping information, account information, and billing information for completing the online transaction. Further, the method includes populating a check-out screen with consumer information from the radio frequency device. The consumer is able to confirm the online transaction and associated information prior to submission for processing. In various embodiments of conducting the contactless payment of an online transaction, the RF device may be at least one of a transponder, a mobile phone, a smart phone, or a fob. The contactless-enabled device may at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, or a smart phone.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services company, Inc.Inventors: Brian Brendell, I-Hsin Chuang, Carlos Korten, Nicole Lewis
-
Publication number: 20130054413Abstract: A contactless payment system for merchant transactions (e.g., a restaurant) comprises generating, at the contactless payment system, a total bill of purchases associated with a consumer, associating a unique identifier of a RFID tag or a QR code with the total bill, transmitting the total bill and associated unique identifier to a consumer accessible payment network, and receiving payment from the consumer for satisfaction of the total bill. The consumer submits the payment using a contactless-enabled device, such as a smartphone. The contactless-enabled device may interrogate the RFID tag or read the QR code to receive the unique identifier and a payment network link. Furthermore, the contactless-enabled device submits a payment transaction request to the payment network, where the payment transaction request includes the unique identifier and an account identifier. The payment network receives the payment transaction request and locates the total bill using the unique identifier as a key.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company Inc.Inventors: Brian Brendell, I-Hsin Chuang, Carlos Korten, Nicole Lewis
-
Publication number: 20130054412Abstract: A process of conducting a contactless payment in an online transaction comprises initiating, at a computer-based system, an online transaction based on a consumer selection, transmitting, from an RF device, consumer information to the computer-based system. The consumer information may provide at least one of shipping information, account information, and billing information for completing the online transaction. Further, the method includes populating a check-out screen with consumer information from the radio frequency device. The consumer is able to confirm the online transaction and associated information prior to submission for processing. In various embodiments of conducting the contactless payment of an online transaction, the RF device may be at least one of a transponder, a mobile phone, a smart phone, or a fob. The contactless-enabled device may at least one of a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a notebook computer, a mobile phone, or a smart phone.Type: ApplicationFiled: August 22, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Brian Brendell, I-Hsin Chuang, Carlos Korten, Nicole Lewis
-
Publication number: 20130048717Abstract: A coordination server of a contactless payment system may receive a total bill of purchases for a customer from a merchant POS terminal, associate the total bill of purchases with a unique identifier of an RFID tag of a check presenter, and receive notification that payment of the total bill of purchases is authorized. The coordination server may receive the unique identifier and payment information from a contactless-enabled device, and transmit the payment information and the total bill to the merchant POS terminal for transmittal to a merchant acquirer for completion of the transaction under business as usual standards. In one embodiment, the coordination server transmits the payment information and the total bill to a merchant acquirer, which then routes the payment request to an appropriate payment network. In another embodiment, the coordination server transmits the payment information and the total bill directly to the appropriate payment network.Type: ApplicationFiled: October 25, 2011Publication date: February 28, 2013Applicant: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Brian Brendell, I-Hsin Chuang, Carlos Korten, Nicole Lewis
-
Patent number: 8386348Abstract: A method of comparing and analyzing expenditures and savings for a first and a second time period includes a first step of receiving consumption data, expenditure data and market price data for the first and second time periods, a second step of calculating data representing a change in savings from the first time period to the second time period, based on differences between the market price data and the expenditure data for the two time periods, and a third step of outputting the data representing the change in savings from the first to the second time period. The consumption data represents a type and an amount of a commodity consumed during a given time period, the expenditure data represents an actual cost paid for the commodity consumed during that given time period, and the market price data represents a market price of the commodity consumed during that given time period.Type: GrantFiled: December 1, 2005Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Dionino Di Florio, Olivier Sauser
-
Patent number: 8386379Abstract: The present disclosure generally relates to financial data processing, and in particular it relates to lender credit scoring, lender profiling, lender behavior analysis and modeling. More specifically, it relates to rating lenders based on data derived from their respective consumers. Also, the present disclosure relates to rating consumer lenders based on the predicted spend capacity of their consumers.Type: GrantFiled: April 18, 2012Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Kathleen Haggerty, Aashish Prakash, Prasanta Sahu, Di Xu, Chao Yuan
-
Patent number: 8386376Abstract: Processes for reducing fraud risk in credit transactions, particularly those involving airline ticket purchases, include collecting the following additional transaction variables and their use in real-time authorization decisions: credit card holder name, reservation code, passenger name, origin city, destination city, travel date, routing description, class of service, e-ticket indicator, number of passengers traveling and carrier code. The additional transaction variables received during a transaction involving the purchase of airline tickets are passed, in addition to the transaction variables traditionally included in a real-time authorizations request, to a fraud risk evaluation model maintained by a financial institution or other entity responsible for authorizing a payment for the transaction. The fraud-risk models use historical behavior and optimal risk decision-making factors to authorize or reject the transaction in real time, without slowing standard authorization processing times.Type: GrantFiled: February 9, 2005Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventors: Kristin Hoyne Gomes, Stuart Goulden, Vernon Marshall, Sabyasachi Mohanty, Ian Webb
-
Patent number: 8386623Abstract: A comprehensive platform for merchandising intellectual property (IP) and conducting IP transactions is disclosed. A standardized data collection method enables IP assets to be characterized, rated and valuated in a consistent manner. Project management, workflow and data security functionality enable consistent, efficient and secure interactions between the IP Marketplace participants throughout the IP transaction process. Business rules, workflows, valuation models and rating methods may be user defined or based upon marketplace, industry or technology standards.Type: GrantFiled: July 29, 2011Date of Patent: February 26, 2013Assignee: American Express Travel Related Services Company, Inc.Inventor: Tracey R. Thomas