Patents Assigned to Visa U.S.A. Inc.
  • Patent number: 8793186
    Abstract: A system and method for using derived account identifiers. The derived account identifiers are associated with a single permanent account identifier. Each derived account identifier is associated with a communication channel or portable consumer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 30, 2012
    Date of Patent: July 29, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Babara Patterson
  • Patent number: 8788284
    Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods in accordance with the present invention relate to a centralized portal for making healthcare information of a patient accessible to a plurality of entities, including but not limited to the patient himself/herself, healthcare providers authorized by the patient, and healthcare payers (insurance carriers) authorized by the patient. In one embodiment, the portal comprises a website associated with a portable consumer device (such as a HSA magnetic stripe credit/debit card) of the patient, and hosted on a server accessible over the world wide web or another computer network. The patient sets a privacy level associated with his or her medical record on the host site, the privacy level granting certain entities (for example healthcare providers or insurance carriers) access to particular medical records of the patient.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 27, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Nigel Smith
  • Patent number: 8788382
    Abstract: Embodiments of the invention provide systems and methods for automatically migrating a consumer from one prepaid financial account to another prepaid financial account based on preset trigger criteria. A prepaid payment device, such as a payroll card, may be issued to the consumer and associated with a prepaid financial account. The prepaid financial account may include a profile for the consumer. The issuer of the prepaid payment device may monitor the account activity and set trigger criteria that control when the consumer is automatically migrated from the current prepaid financial account and which type of new account the consumer is migrated into.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 19, 2010
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Justin T. Monk
  • Patent number: 8788329
    Abstract: A method and system for linking multiple pre-existing reward programs is disclosed. The method includes receiving information about a first pre-existing reward program for a first product, where the first reward program provides for a first reward, and receiving information about a second pre-existing reward program for a second product, wherein the second reward program provides a second reward. A combination reward program is provided, and the combination reward program provides a combination reward that is greater than each of the first reward and the second reward.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 25, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 22, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Corinne Bortolin, Loc Nguyen
  • Patent number: 8781881
    Abstract: A benchmarking tool generates reports for delivery to a merchant illustrating a performance of the merchant as compared to the performance of the merchant's peers. The performance is illustrated through metrics that algorithmically combine data on transactions of consumers with the merchant or its peers, respectively. The metrics may be further subdivided into consumer groups such as new consumers, consumers that have shopped within the merchant in the past, consumers that no longer shop within the merchant, or consumers that use a commercial account to pay for purchases. The reports may be rendered in a graphical display for use by the merchant.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 14, 2008
    Date of Patent: July 15, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Jeffrey Rolland Olives, Jay Allen DeWitt, Dennis Norman Moser, James C. Salters, Laura DiGioacchino, Alex Epelman
  • Patent number: 8775241
    Abstract: A system for facilitating reward selection and redemption for a loyalty program is disclosed. The system includes a point-of-sale (POS) device that is capable of monitoring and processing a reward redemption. The POS device informs a participant of the loyalty program as to what rewards are available for redemption. The participant is given an opportunity by the POS device to select the desired reward for redemption. Alternatively, the POS device allows the participant to defer redemption of the available rewards.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 27, 2013
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Corinne Bortolin, Jean Elizabeth Farnsworth, Chris S. Nelson, James G. Gordon
  • Patent number: 8770470
    Abstract: A consumer device is disclosed. The device comprises a body, and a memory comprising a computer readable medium disposed on or within the body. The computer readable medium comprises a form factor indicator element coupled to the body. The form factor indicator element indicates the form factor for the consumer device.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 8, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Ayman Hammad, Brian Maw
  • Patent number: 8768802
    Abstract: A system and method for matching transaction records to merchant records of a merchant profile database is provided, the transaction records containing transaction data of financial presentation devices that are presentable to a plurality of merchants, the transaction data including merchant identifying data that identifies the merchant for the transaction. The system includes a memory storing a plurality of transaction records, a merchant profile database storing a plurality of merchant profile records, a processor, and a match logic module executable by the processor and adapted to recognize a plurality of variations in the merchant identifying data contained in the transaction records, the match logic module operable to match each of the transaction records to an associated merchant profile record in the merchant profile database according to the recognized variations in the merchant identifying data.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 3, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Traci Engle, Bryan Carroll
  • Patent number: 8768832
    Abstract: There is provided financial transaction funds collection and distribution methodology and system. A financial service provider assists in providing information to a third party transaction processor, who is engaged to process financial transactions such as insurance claims. Payors enroll as participants with the financial service provider, and information about the payors' banks, funding sources, or other financial institutions are linked to the payors in a database maintained by the payment system. Once a payor and the payor's financial institution are enrolled, funds may be obtained from the payor's bank by the financial service provider on behalf of the third party transaction processor, and without transaction-by-transaction involvement from the payor, significantly reducing the time, expense, and costs associated with financial transaction collection and payment.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 6, 2007
    Date of Patent: July 1, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Karen L. Cervenka
  • Patent number: 8762239
    Abstract: A financial transaction system includes a computer readable storage medium and a processor in communication with the computer readable storage medium. The processor is configured for receiving a plurality of messages. The plurality of messages including financial transaction authorization messages for performing a financial transaction. At least one of the plurality of messages includes non-financial data. The processor is further configured for parsing each of the plurality of messages to identify data for performing the financial transaction and the non-financial transaction data contained in the plurality of messages, and for storing the data for performing the financial transaction and the non-financial transaction data in a computer readable storage medium such that the non-financial transaction data is associated with data for performing the financial transaction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 12, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Brian Jeffrey Maw
  • Patent number: 8762263
    Abstract: A method and system for using a secured account number for processing proximity types of wireless financial transactions associated with portable consumer proximity devices is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes receiving a proximity type of wireless financial transaction request along with a secured account number from a portable proximity consumer device such as a contactless smart card, converting the secured account number to the user's real account number, and transmitting the financial transaction request along with the user's real account number to the issuer of the user's real account number for authorization and processing.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 5, 2006
    Date of Patent: June 24, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Gauthier, Brian Maw, Patrick Faith, Barbara Patterson
  • Patent number: 8746556
    Abstract: At each of a plurality of point of sale terminals (POS) of a transit system, for each of a plurality of riders, where each rider seeks access into a facility of the transit facility by using a payment device issued by an issuer in a payment system, data is read from the payment device. The data can include an identifier for an account issued by an issuer. For each such access, a communication including the account is addressed to a network address of a system remote from the payment processing system and remote from each of POS terminals. A response to the communication is received that includes information as to the validation of the access based upon the account being on a list keep by remote system. When the received information contains the validation of the access, the rider is permitted access to the facility of the transit system and the payment device is unchanged for the fare of the access to the facility of the transit system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 29, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Phil Dixon, Ayman Hammad, Khalid El-Awady
  • Patent number: 8751347
    Abstract: A method begins with a payment entity device receiving an accounts payable data file from a client entity processing module. The method continues with the payment entity device determining a method of payment for an account payable of the accounts payable data file in accordance with a payables profile. The method continues with the payment entity device initiating a first type of payment for the account payable when the method of payment is a first type; initiating a second type of payment for the account payable, when the method of payment is a second type, or initiating a third type of payment for the account payable when the method of payment is a third type.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 9, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Matthew James Mullen, John Nicholas Marchetti
  • Patent number: 8751400
    Abstract: Devices and methods for signature authentication of a bearer of a payment processing device during financial transactions are provided. The payment processing device is provided with a signature input panel configured to receive user input signature information for the purpose of authenticating the signature. After the bearer of the payment processing device writes her signature into the signature input panel, the input signature information is compared to a pre-stored signature profile stored in the payment processing device for authentication.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 10, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: James Douglas Evans
  • Patent number: 8745166
    Abstract: A gateway service platform is disclosed that provides access to a payment processing system via an open network such as the internet. The gateway service platform also provides access to service systems that provide a variety of services and applications offered by or affiliated with the payment processing system. The gateway service platform allows the payment processing system to reach users and to facilitate transactions on a wide variety of devices that may not otherwise be able to connect to payment processing system. Other devices, such as payment terminal devices, can also interact with a payment processing system through the gateway service platform using the same network and protocol. Embodiments of the invention allow devices on these open networks to connect with the payment processing system without having to change the existing infrastructure of the payment processing system.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2009
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Patrick Faith, Mark Carlson, Krishna Prasad Koganti
  • Patent number: 8744906
    Abstract: In one aspect, a computing apparatus is configured to receive a request for a profile to customize information for presentation to a user identified in the request and, responsive to the request identifying the user, provide the profile that is generated based on transaction data of the user. The profile summarizes the transaction data of the user using a plurality of values representing aggregated spending in various areas. The information includes an advertisement selected, prioritized, adjusted, or generated based on the profile. The advertisement includes at least an offer, such as a discount, incentive, reward, coupon, gift, cash back, benefit, product, or service.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 30, 2011
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Edward W. Fordyce, III, Michelle Eng Winters, Kevin Paul Siegel, Leigh Amaro, Charles Raymond Byce, Nurtekin Savas, James Alan VonDerheide, Diane C. Salmon
  • Patent number: 8744958
    Abstract: Systems, methods, and apparatus for handling and/or authorizing payment requests by a consumer for a transaction are provided. Payment information can be sent directly from a consumer to a non-merchant, thereby allowing no new entities to obtain the payment information. Transaction identifiers can be used to facilitate communications among the entities. The payment information can be sent to the non-merchant via a merchant application with a submit payment button directed to the non-merchant so little or no deviations from standard practices are required.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 8, 2013
    Date of Patent: June 3, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U. S. A. Inc.
    Inventors: Mark Carlson, Surendra Keshan, Patrick Faith
  • Patent number: 8738429
    Abstract: A platform for a loyalty program provides an interface allowing a consumer to create a benefit tailored for his/her needs. In one embodiment, a consumer accesses the platform via a web-based interface, and selects benefit/reward parameters including but not limited to the nature of the event triggering award of the benefit, the source (i.e. retailer) of the benefit, the nature of the benefit (i.e., discount based upon purchase price or accumulated loyalty points), and/or the events allowing accrual of loyalty points. The interface communicates the inputted parameter to an engine of the loyalty program. The platform would then check the inputted parameter against any constraints, such as parameters of an existing loyalty program in which the consumer is already enrolled.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 25, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: David Shepard
  • Patent number: 8738418
    Abstract: In one aspect, a system includes a transaction handler to process transactions, a data warehouse to store data recording the transactions, a portal configured to communicate with a search engine and to provide a user interface to receive a request from a merchant, and at least one processor coupled with the data warehouse and the portal. In response to the request received from the merchant via the portal, the at least one processor identifies a set of first statistics based on search activities of the search engine, identifies a set of second statistics based on the transactions relevant to the search activities, and uses the portal to juxtapose the set of first statistics and the set of second statistics.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 17, 2011
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventor: Michelle Eng Winters
  • Patent number: 8738485
    Abstract: Transaction processing in an offline environment for a prepaid product comprising a portable consumer device includes responding to presentation of the prepaid product at a reader for offline processing by initiating operation of the prepaid product, receiving data from the prepaid product at the reader that indicates the prepaid product is associated with a prepaid account balance, determining that the prepaid product is in a negative balance condition, and taking preventive action in response to the negative balance condition such that future acceptance of the prepaid product at a reader is prevented.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 28, 2007
    Date of Patent: May 27, 2014
    Assignee: Visa U.S.A. Inc.
    Inventors: Philip B. Dixon, Ayman Hammad, Khalid El-Awady