Automated Teller Machines (ATMs) provide an interface that allows credit card and debit card users to receive and/or deposit funds. Credit cards typically allow account holders to receive a cash advance against a credit line of the credit card account using an ATM. That is, credit card users borrow money against a credit line provided by their credit card account. Debit cards function in a similar manner as credit cards, but instead of drawing against a credit line, the account holder draws against their own money already deposited in a demand deposit account maintained by a financial institution, such as a bank, using an ATM.
While ATMs provide a convenient mechanism for interfacing with accounts associated with credit cards and accounts associated with debit cards, conventional ATM systems limit ATM transactions that can be performed based on whether the user presents a credit card or a debit card. Such limitations typically require a user to use a debit card to perform one set of transactions and a credit card to perform another set of transactions at the ATM.
In one aspect, a method of processing an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction is disclosed. The method includes receiving a transaction request from an ATM. The transaction request includes account information read from a transaction card by the ATM and a request to perform an ATM transaction. The account information corresponds to a first account. The transaction request is incapable of being processed using the first account for which the transaction card was issued. The method also includes identifying a second account. The second account is a different type of account than the first account. The transaction request is capable of being processed using the second account. The method further includes processing the transaction request using the second account to perform the ATM transaction requested.
In another aspect, a computer readable medium that stores instructions executable by a computing system, which includes at least one computing device, wherein execution of the instructions a method for processing an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction is disclosed. The method implemented by the execution of the instructions includes receiving a transaction request from an ATM and identifying a second account. The transaction request includes account information read from a transaction card by the ATM and a request to perform an ATM transaction. The account information corresponds to a first account. The transaction request is incapable of being processed using the first account for which the transaction card was issued. The second account is a different type of account than the first account, the transaction request is capable of being processed using the second account. The method implemented by the execution of the instructions further includes processing the transaction request using the second account to perform the ATM transaction requested.
In yet another aspect, a system for processing an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction is disclosed. The system can include a payment network having at least one debit switch. The debit switch is configured to receive a transaction request from an ATM. The transaction request includes account information read from a transaction card by the ATM and a request to perform an ATM transaction. The account information corresponds to a first account. The transaction request is incapable of being processed using the first account for which the transaction card was issued. The debit switch is also configured to identify a second account. The second account is a different type of account than the first account. The transaction request is capable of being processed using the second account. The debit switch is further configured to forwarding the request to a financial institution network associated with the second account.
Other objects and features will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.
Exemplary embodiments are directed to an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) transaction system configured to facilitate non-traditional ATM transactions. In some embodiments, the ATM transaction system can allow a debit card holder to engage in a cash advance transaction against a credit line without requiring a credit card to be read by the ATM. In some embodiments, the ATM transaction system can allow a credit card holder to engage in a cash withdrawal from a demand deposit account without requiring a debit card to be read by the ATM.
Transaction cards can be debit cards and credit cards having account information embedded therein. The account information can include a card number, the account holder's name, a security code, and the like. A debit card is a transaction card issued for a demand deposit account. A credit card is a transaction card issued for a credit card account. Debit cards and credit cards can be formed using, for example, a plastic card with a magnetic stripe embedded with account information disposed thereon. The magnetic strips can be swiped at the ATM to allow the ATM to read the account information from the transaction cards.
The ATMs 110 can be configured to facilitate ATM transactions via the payment network 120 and the financial institution networks 140. The ATMs 110 read account information from transaction cards. To ensure that the user has authorization to perform transactions at the ATM, the ATM can request the user to enter a personal identification number (PIN). The ATM can be configured to allow a user to submit transaction requests including cash withdrawals from accounts, cash or check deposits into accounts, fund transfers between accounts, balance inquiries for accounts, cash advances from accounts, and the like. A cash withdrawal refers to drawing against funds currently available in a demand deposit account such that the amount of funds debited or drawn from the account is subtracted from the account total reducing the amount of available funds in the account. A cash advance refers to borrowing funds against a credit line that must be repaid, typically with interest, at a future time in exchange for receiving cash at the present time.
The ATM transfers the transaction requests to the payment network 120 for processing. The payment network 120 is communicatively coupled to the ATMs and the financial institution networks 140 to facilitate processing of ATM transactions. The payment network 120 can route transaction requests from the ATMs 110 to the appropriate financial institution network based on the transaction information included in the transaction request and can route transaction responses from the financial institution network to the ATMs 110. The payment network 120 can include debit switches 122. The debit switches 122 of the payment network 120 can be communicatively connected to each other to facilitate the transfer of information between the debit switches 122 of the payment network 120.
The debit switches 122 are electronic devices in the payment network 120 for routing ATM transaction requests and ATM transaction responses. The debits switches 122 interface with the ATMs 110 to provide initial processing of a transaction request by the payment network 120 and to forward a transaction response to the ATMs 110. The debit switches 122 are configured to route the transaction requests through the payment network 120 and ultimately to the appropriate one of the financial institution networks 140. The debit switches 122 can use transaction information included in the transaction request to determine how a transaction request should be routed. For example, the debit switches 122 can use at least a portion of the card number, such as a bank identification number (BIN), read from the user's credit card or debit card by the ATM. A BIN typically includes the first six numbers of a credit card number or a debit card number and can identify the financial institution that issued the transaction card, as well as the type of transaction card being used (e.g., credit card, debit card). In some embodiments, the debit switches 122 can use transaction routing tables and/or an account association tables, which can be stored in the debit switches 122 and/or stored separate from the debit switches in one or more database devices 124 that are accessible by the debit switches 122, to determine the routing path and to determine to which one of the financial institution networks 140 the transaction requests should be routed. The transaction routing table can include route information identifying one or more routes a transaction request and/or transaction response can travel to reach a destination, such as a financial institution network or an ATM. The account association table includes account information, such as card numbers, account numbers, PINs, security codes, card holder names, and the like. Accounts included in the account association table can allow a user to perform non-traditional ATM transactions.
The financial institution networks 140 can include one or more servers 142 to receive and process the transaction requests routed to them from the payment network 120, and to generate transaction responses to the transaction requests in accordance with rules and/or other predetermined parameters established by the financial institutions associated with the financial institution networks. The servers 142 are implemented using computing devices. Card holders can have accounts, such as demand deposit accounts 144 including checking accounts and/or saving accounts, and/or can have credit card accounts 146 with one or more of the financial institutions associated with the financial institution networks 140. A demand deposit account is a type of an account in which an account holder's funds are held and from which the account holder can withdraw funds on demand. A credit card account is a type of an account having a credit line that an account holder can draw against without a present requirement that the account holder have available funds. A credit card account holder must repay the funds borrowed against the credit line and in some instance must be interest on the funds. The account can be managed and maintained by servers 142 of the financial institution networks 140.
The financial institution networks 140 can determine whether to process or deny/block the transaction requests received from the payment network 120. If the transaction is denied, a transaction response corresponding to the denial is transmitted to the ATM via the payment network 120. If the transaction request is accepted, a transaction response corresponding to the acceptance is transmitted to the ATM via the payment network 120. If the transaction request is approved, the financial institution can update the card holder's account to reflect the transaction. For example, if a user withdraws funds from a demand deposit account, the financial institution network can deduct the amount of the funds from the user's demand deposit account. Upon relaying the transaction response to the ATM, the ATM performs the service requested from the user, such as, for example, dispensing funds, accepting funds for deposit, providing an account balance, providing an account statement, and the like.
Applications 210, such as a routing engine 212, for facilitating processing and routing of transaction requests and transaction responses between the ATMs and the financial institution networks, can be resident in the storage 204. The storage 204 can be local and/or remote to the debit switch 200.
The routing engine 212 can interface with a transaction routing table 206 and/or the account association table 208 stored in the storage 204 to determine how to route the transaction requests and responses. The routing engine 212 can extract account information from the transaction request, including a BIN associated with the card number, to determine the identity of the issuing financial institution. An issuer or issuing financial institution refers a bank that issues credit cards and/or debit cards to an account holder for accounts that the account holder has with the financial institution. A non-issuer refers to a financial institution, such as a bank, that did not issue the particular transaction card being used in the ATM transaction.
The routing engine 212 can also extract a type of transaction being requested in the transaction request. In some embodiments, the routing engine 212 can naively transfer the transaction request to the financial institution network associated with the issuing financial institution, which is referred to herein as an “issuing financial institution network”. In some embodiments, the routing engine 212 can determine whether the type of transaction being request can be performed based on the account information included in the transaction request.
For embodiments in which the transaction requests are naively routed to the issuing financial institution network, the routing engine 212 identifies the issuing financial institution associated with the transaction card (e.g., debit card or credit card) using the BIN of the card number read by the ATM. Based on the BIN, the routing engine determines the appropriate path through the payment network to the issuing financial institution network. When the issuing financial institution network receives the transaction request from the payment network, the issuing financial institution network processes the transaction request to determine whether the requested transaction should be performed.
For embodiments in which the routing engine 212 can determine whether the transaction can be performed, the routing engine 212 identifies the issuing financial institution associated with the transaction card (e.g., debit card or credit card) read by the ATM using the BIN of the card number. Using the BIN, the routing engine 212 can determine a type of transaction card (e.g., credit or debit card) being used to initiate the transaction request as well as the issuer of the transaction card. For example, the payment network can maintain a list of BINs associated with credit cards and a list of BINs associated with debit cards in the transaction routing table, and the routing engine 212 of the debit switch 200 can access the lists to determine whether the BIN included in the transaction request is associated with a debit card or a credit card. The routing engine 212 extracts the type of transaction (e.g., cash withdrawal, cash advance) being requested in the transaction request and using this information with the identified type of card, the routing engine 212 can determine whether the transaction request should be denied or processed. If the transaction request is denied, the debit switch 200 can send a response to the ATM denying the transaction. Otherwise, the transaction request can be forwarded to the appropriate financial institution for processing.
The debit switch 200 includes a network interface 214 for communicating with other components of the payment network, such as other debit switches, as well as with the ATMs and the financial institution networks. The processor 202 operates to execute instructions included in the applications 210 to facilitate operation of the debit switch to process transaction requests from an ATM and transaction responses from a financial institution network.
Upon receiving the transaction request, a debit switch of the payment network determines which financial institution issued the debit card (302) and determines whether to route the transaction request to the issuing financial institution network (304). In the present example, the debit switch routes the transaction request to the issuing financial institution network that maintains the user's demand deposit account (306). The financial institution network processes the transaction request using one or more servers and authorizes the cash withdrawal from the user's demand deposit account (308). A transaction response is transmitted to the ATM, via the payment network, and the ATM completes the transaction by dispensing cash to the user (310).
Upon receiving the transaction request, the debit switch of the payment network identifies the financial institution that issued the credit card (402) and determines whether to route the transaction request to the issuing financial institution network (404). In the present example, the debit switch routes the transaction request to the issuing financial institution network that maintains the user's credit card account (406). The issuing financial institution network processes the transaction request and authorizes the cash advance against the credit line of the credit card account (408). A transaction response is transmitted to the ATM, via the payment network, and the ATM completes the transaction by dispensing funds to the user (410).
The ATM transaction system can be configured to facilitate non-traditional ATM transactions, which would conventionally be denied. For example, the payment network and/or participating financial institution networks can be configured to facilitate cash withdrawals from a demand deposit account when a user presents a credit card, issued for a credit card account, at the ATM, and can facilitate cash advances from a credit line when a user presents a debit card, issued for a demand deposit account. To achieve this, the debit switches of the payment network can be configured with enhanced routing capabilities and/or the servers of participating financial institution networks can be updated to permit these non-traditional ATM transactions. In some embodiments, the system can be configured to facilitate non-traditional ATM transactions for which an issuing financial institution maintains both a demand deposit account and a credit card account for a user. When a financial institution maintains both types of accounts (i.e. a demand deposit account and a credit card account) for a user, the financial institution typically issues a debit card for the demand deposit account, with only the account information for the debit card embedded therein, and a credit card for the credit card account, with only the account information for the credit card embedded therein. In some embodiments, the system can be configured to facilitate non-traditional ATM transaction for which a user's demand deposit account and credit card account are maintained by different financial institutions, where one financial institution issues a debit card for the demand deposit account and another financial institution issues a credit card for the credit card account.
In some embodiments, the ATM can read account information from a credit card issued for credit card account, including a card number and/or account number, and can receive a PIN number from the user. When the user selects a cash withdrawal option, the cash withdrawal cannot be processed using the credit card account for which the transaction card was issued.
When the credit card holder has a credit card account and a demand deposit account with the issuing financial institution (i.e. the financial institution that issued the credit card), as shown in
Upon determining that a credit card has been used to initiate the transaction and that a cash withdrawal (e.g., a type of transaction) has been requested (604), the issuing financial institution network, via one or more of the servers, determines that the transaction requested cannot be completed using the credit card account maintained by the issuing financial institution network (606). The one or more servers of the issuing financial institution network can determine whether a demand deposit account belonging to the ATM user is also maintained by the issuing financial institution network (608). If a demand deposit account is not maintained by the issuer (610), the servers deny the transaction and transmit a transaction response to the ATM denying the transaction request (612).
Otherwise, the servers of the financial institution network can determine whether the credit card holder has authorized cash withdrawal from the demand deposit account in response to the presentation of the credit card at the ATM (614). For example, to allow a user to withdraw funds from a demand deposit account when the user presents a credit card, the user may be required to preauthorize such transactions. This preauthorization can be stored and maintained by the one or more servers of the issuing financial institution network. If the servers of the issuing financial network identify such preauthorization (616), the issuing financial institution network processes the transaction request using the demand deposit account (618) and sends a transaction response to the ATM instructing the ATM to dispense the requested funds (620). Otherwise, the servers transmit a transaction response to the ATM denying the transaction request (612).
In some embodiments, referring to
Upon determining that a credit card has been used to initiate the transaction and that the transaction type cannot be completed using the credit card account for which the credit card was issued (704), the debit switch of the payment network can perform a look-up in the account association table to determine whether the an account association exists (706). If the account association exists (708), the debit switch can route the transaction request to the appropriate financial institution network (710). Otherwise, the transaction is denied (712). In some embodiments, the appropriate financial institution network can be the financial institution that issued the credit card. In some embodiments, the financial institution can be different from the financial institution that issued the credit card such that the transaction request is routed to a non-issuing financial institution network.
In some embodiments, referring to
In some embodiments, referring to
Although
Referring again to
Upon determining that a debit card (e.g., a type of transaction card) has been used to initiate the transaction and that a cash advance (e.g., a type of transaction) has been requested (604), the issuing financial institution network, via one or more of the servers, determines that the transaction requested cannot be completed using the demand deposit account (e.g., a type of account for which the debit card was issued) maintained by the issuing financial institution network (606). The one or more servers of the issuing financial institution network can determine whether a credit card account (e.g., another type of account) belonging to the ATM user, which can be used to process the cash advance transaction, is maintained by the issuing financial institution network (608). If a credit card account is not maintained by the issuer (610), the servers deny the transaction and transmit a transaction response to the ATM denying the transaction request (612). Otherwise, the servers of the financial institution network can determine whether the debit card holder has authorized cash advance from the credit card account in response to the presentation of the debit card at the ATM (614). For example, to allow a user wishes to receive a cash advance from a credit card account when the user presents a debit card, the user may be required to preauthorize such transactions. This preauthorization can be stored and maintained by the one or more servers of the issuing financial institution network. If the servers of the issuing financial network identify such preauthorization (616), the issuing financial institution network processes the transaction request using the credit card account (618) and sends a transaction response to the ATM instructing the ATM to dispense the requested funds (620). Otherwise, the servers transmit a transaction response to the ATM denying the transaction request (612).
With reference again to
Upon determining that a debit card has been used to initiate the transaction and that the transaction type cannot be completed using the demand deposit account for which the debit card was issued (704), the debit switch of the payment network can perform a look-up in the account association table to determine whether the an account association exists (706). If the account association exists (708), the debit switch can route the transaction request to the appropriate financial institution network (710). Otherwise, the transaction request is denied. In some embodiments, the appropriate financial institution network can be the financial institution that issued the debit card. In some embodiments, the financial institution can be different from the financial institution that issued the debit card such that the transaction request is routed to a non-issuing financial institution network.
In some embodiments, referring to
In some embodiments, referring to
The list of the options can include, for example, withdrawal cash, deposit funds, check balance, review statement, cash advance, and the like. In the present example, the user selects the withdraw cash option, and the ATM transmits a transaction request to the payment network. The transaction request can include the account number read from the debit card and can identify that the user has selected the withdraw cash option.
While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described herein, it is expressly noted that the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, but rather the intention is that additions and modifications to what is expressly described herein also are included within the scope of the invention. Moreover, it is to be understood that the features of the various embodiments described herein are not mutually exclusive and can exist in various combinations and permutations, even if such combinations or permutations are not made express herein, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.