System, method, and computer program for funding a payment card account from an external source just-in-time for a purchase

Abstract

The present disclosure is directed to a system, method, and computer program for funding a payment card account from an external funding gateway just-in-time for a purchase. A payment card processing system maintains a payment card account for a user for funds from a third party funding source. Funds from the funding source are controlled by an external funding gateway. In order to approve a purchase authorization transaction, the payment card account must have a positive balance equal to or greater than the purchase amount. Funding requests are sent from the payment card processing system to the external funding gateway in response to receiving a purchase authorization request for the payment card, and, if the funding request is approved by the external funding gateway, the system credits to the payment card account with the funds just-in-time for approval of a purchase authorization request.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Field of the Invention

This invention relates generally to a payment card system and, more particularly, to a system and method for funding a payment card account from an external source just-in-time for a purchase.

Background

When a user desires to make a purchase using a funding source, such as home equity line or other loan, the user typically must either transfer funds from the funding source into his bank account or use a debit card processed by the funding source (e.g., a bank). In the case of the former, this requires preplanning by the user prior to the purchase, and it also requires a user to estimate the amount of the purchase. If the funding source is a loan, this results in interest accruing before the time of the purchase, and, as the user is likely to transfer more than the amount of an estimated purchase, in the user paying more interest than is necessary.

Because of the disadvantages of transferring funds from a funding source to a bank account in advance, it is often desirable for the user to have a payment card in which funds from the funding source can be used on demand and only in the amounts needed. However, many funding sources do not have their own payment card processing systems. If they contract with a traditional payment card processor, they have to hand over control of funds to the payment card processor. Therefore, there is a need for a system that enables funding source recipients to have the convenience of a payment card without requiring a funding source to be a payment card processor or to hand over control of funds to a payment card processor.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure is directed to a system, method, and computer program for funding a payment card account from an external funding gateway just-in-time for a purchase. A payment card processing system maintains a payment card account for a user for funds from a third party funding source. The funds from the third party funding source are the only source of funds for the account, and the payment card processing system does not control or hold funds for the third party funding source. Funds from the third party funding source are credited to the payment card account only just-in-time for approval of a purchase authorization request. This enables users to use funds from a funding source on demand and only in the amounts needed.

In response to a user using the payment card for a purchase, a transaction authorization request for the payment card account is forwarded to payment card processing system via a payment card network (e.g., DISCOVER, VISA, etc.). The payment processing system generates and sends a funding request in real time for the transaction to a third party funding gateway, which may be the third party funding source itself or an entity that services user accounts for the funding source (e.g., determines whether to authorize funds for a purchase). The funding request is for funds equal to the amount of the purchase transaction.

In response to the third party funding gateway approving the funding request, the payment card processing system adjusts the available balance of the payment card to reflect the amount of the funding and approves the purchase authorization request. If the third party gateway declines the funding request, then the payment card processing system declines the transaction. All transaction authorization requests have a response deadline (e.g., 6 seconds) in which the payment card processing system must authorize or decline the request, and, therefore, communications with the funding gateway happen in real time.

In certain embodiments, a payment card may be associated with multiple funding gateways, and, in such embodiments, the system maintains a separate subaccount (or purse) for each funding gateway on the payment card.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart that illustrates a method, according to one embodiment of the disclosure, for funding a payment card account from an external funding source just-in-time for a purchase transaction.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a payment card network according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIGS. 3a-e are a sequence flows that illustrates an example transaction according to one embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1 illustrates a method, performed by a payment card processing system, for funding a payment card account from an external funding source just-in-time for a purchase transaction. The funding source is external in that it is not controlled by or under common control with the payment processing system. Examples of external funding sources are a loan or line of credit from a bank or other creditor, or a multi-currency wallet. The method is described with respect to network 200.

A user 210 initiates a transaction online, at a physical store, at an ATM, or elsewhere using a payment card that enables the user to use a third party funding source for the transaction (step 105). A purchase authorization request is routed to a payment card processing system 230 via a payment network 220 (step 110). The payment network 220 is a network that routes payment card communications between merchants (and Merchant Acquirers) and payment card processing systems (e.g., system 230), which are the systems that process transactions for payment cards and maintain payment card balances.

The payment processing system 230 receives and parses the transaction authorization request (step 115). In order to approve a purchase authorization request, the system 230 requires a positive balance in an account sufficient to cover the purchase amount, and, at the time of receipt of the purchase authorization request, the payment card account has a balance of zero (except, in certain cases, there may be funds from a return of an item). This is because the sole source of funds for the payment card account is the external funding source, and the payment payment process system 230 neither holds nor controls the external funds. Consequently, the payment processing system 230 generates a funding request for the transaction (step 120). The amount of funding requested is equal to the purchase price in the purchase authorization request. It then sends the funding request to a third party funding gateway 240 (the “funding gateway”). The request is generated and sent in real time, as there is a time deadline to respond to the the purchase authorization request, typically seven seconds.

The funding gateway 240 may be the funding source itself (e.g., a bank that granted the user a loan), or it may be a company that manages or services user accounts for a funding source. The funding gateway 240 determines whether the user has sufficient funds for the purchase (or whether the user is otherwise authorized to use funds for the purchase) (steps 125, 130, 133)), and responds to the funding request from the payment card processing system accordingly (steps 135, 160). In one embodiment, the funding gateway 240 must respond to the funding request within three seconds.

In response to the funding gateway 240 declining the funding request, the payment card processing system 230 declines the purchase authorization request prior to the payment network 220 deadline (e.g., 7 seconds) for responding to such request (steps 140-155) (i.e., the payment card processing system 230 sends a declination response to the user/merchant via the payment network 220). In response to the funding gateway 240 approving the funding request, the payment card processing system 230 adjusts the available balance of the payment card account to reflect the amount of the funding request (i.e., the purchase amount) and approves the transaction authorization request prior to the payment network 220 deadline for responding to such request (steps 160-185) (i.e., the payment card processing system 230 sends an approval request to the user/merchant via the payment card network). The available balance of the payment card account is adjusted “just in time” to approve the purchase authorization request (see step 170). As the payment card processor does not extend credit to the user itself, the available balance in the payment card account must be at least equal to the purchase amount in order to approve the purchase authorization request (unless partial authorizations are permitted). Upon approving the purchase authorization request, the available balance in the payment card account is returned to zero (see step 178).

In one embodiment, when the transaction is settled, the payment card processing system sends funds for the purchase to the merchant (or merchant acquirer), and the third party funding gateway sends an equivalent amount of funds to the payment card processing system.

In one embodiment, the payment card processing system processes transactions for prepaid payment cards, such as the system described in U.S. Patent Publication No. US-2012-0215605-A1, filed on Feb. 21, 2012 with Ser. No. 13/400,888 and titled “System and Method for Providing a User with a Single Payment Card on which Prepaid and/or Reward Balances Are Tracked for Multiple Merchants,” the contents of which are incorporated by reference as if fully disclosed herein. In such a system, the payment card account for external funds is treated like a prepaid account that is funded just-in-time for a purchase.

In certain embodiments, a single payment card has multiple types of accounts associated with it. For example, there may be an account for funds from an external funding source (as discussed above), as well as prepaid accounts/purses, multi-currency wallets, and credit card accounts. In such cases, the system separately tracks balances and payments for each account associated with the payment card.

In certain embodiments, a payment card may be associated with multiple funding sources, and, in such embodiments, the system maintains a separate subaccount for each funding source. In such case, the user may declare his preferred funding account in advance of the payment card transaction.

If a user returns an item purchased with payment card account (i.e., with funds from the funding source), the refunded amount may be passed on to the funding gateway or held in the user's prepayment card account, depending on funding gateway and how the payment card processing system is configured. In embodiments in which refunds are help in the prepayment card account, the account balance is first checked in response to receiving a purchase authorization request for the prepayment card. If the balance covers the purchase price, the purchase authorization request is approved without a call to the funding gateway. However, the sole source of funds for the account is still the external funding source, as the refunded amount originated from the external funding source.

As used herein, a payment card may be a physical card, an electronic card, or any other payment device that a user can use to purchase goods and services.

FIGS. 3a-3e illustrates an example of the method described with respect to FIG. 1. In this example, the user desires to user the payment card for a $100 purchase. In FIG. 3a, a merchant acquirer 320 sends the payment card processing system 340 a purchase authorization request for a $100 purchase. The request is sent via payment network 320. At this time the user's account balance on the payment card is zero.

In FIG. 3b, the payment card processing system 330 sends a funding request to the funding gateway 340. At this time, the user account balance is still zero. A state is associated with the funding request, and, at this point, the state indicates that the funding request is pending.

In FIG. 3c, the payment card processing system receives approval of the funding request from the funding gateway 350. The payment card processing system adjusts the available balance for the payment card to $100 and changes the funding request state indicating that the funding request was approved.

In FIG. 3d, the payment card processing system 330 approves the purchase authorization request and sets the account balance to $0. The state of the funding request continues to indicate that the funding request is approved.

In FIG. 3e, the transaction is cleared and settled. The account balance is still $0 and the state of the funding request indicates the transaction is complete and settled.

The methods described with respect to FIGS. 1-3 are embodied in software and performed by a computer system (comprising one or more computing devices) executing the software. A person skilled in the art would understand that a computer system has one or more memory units, disks, or other physical, computer-readable storage media for storing software instructions, as well as one or more processors for executing the software instructions.

As will be understood by those familiar with the art, the invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. Accordingly, the above disclosure is intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the invention, which is set forth in the following claims.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising: parsing, by one or more processors of one or more computing devices of a payment card processing system maintaining a payment card account, a transaction authorization request to determine a transaction amount and a response time deadline, the transaction authorization request routed from one or more computing devices of a payment network to the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system;generating, by the one or more processors of the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, a funding request to authorize an electronic payment transaction with an additional response time deadline less than the response time deadline of the transaction authorization request, the additional response time deadline comprising a sub-time period of the response time deadline for receiving a response to the funding request;sending, by the one or more processors of the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system to one or more computing devices of an external gateway that is separate from the payment card processing system and external to the payment network in response to the transaction authorization request, the funding request to authorize and fund an electronic payment transaction for the transaction amount according to the response time deadline via the one or more computing devices of the external gateway based on the payment card account comprising a funding source external to the payment card processing system and serviced by the one or more computing devices of the external gateway;receiving, by the one or more processors of the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system and from the one or more computing devices of the external gateway, an approval message comprising authorization of the funding request within the additional response time deadline;modifying, by the one or more processors of the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, a balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount in real-time in response to receiving the approval message from the one or more computing devices of the external gateway, wherein modifying the balance comprises: increasing the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount within the response time deadline;generating a response indicating the authorization of the funding request in response to increasing the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount; andreducing, in response to generating the response indicating the authorization of the funding request, the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount within the response time deadline in connection with the response indicating the authorization of the funding request, wherein the payment card processing system does not control funds for the transaction amount; andsending, by the one or more processors of the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system to the one or more computing devices of the payment network, the response indicating the authorization of the funding request by the one or more computing devices of the external gateway prior to the response time deadline.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein: generating the funding request comprises generating, in response to the transaction authorization request, the funding request to authorize and fund the electronic payment transaction for the transaction amount on demand utilizing the funding source via the external gateway; andsending the funding request comprises sending the funding request to the external gateway prior to the response time deadline to authorize and fund the electronic payment transaction just-in-time via the funding source external to the payment card processing system and serviced by the external gateway.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein sending the funding request comprises sending the funding request to the external gateway comprising the funding source to determine whether the funding source has sufficient funds for the electronic payment transaction.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating the funding request further comprises generating the funding request in response to determining that the payment card account at the payment card processing system has a balance less than the transaction amount.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein generating the funding request with the additional response time deadline comprises generating the additional response time deadline indicating a three second response time deadline.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein increasing the balance of the payment card account comprises increasing the balance of the payment card account prior to receiving funds for the transaction amount from the external gateway.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein reducing the balance of the payment card account comprises reducing the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount prior to settlement of funds for the transaction amount with the payment network.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein receiving the approval message comprises: receiving an indication that a user associated with the electronic payment transaction is authorized to use funds from the funding source for the electronic payment transaction.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising: selecting the payment card account from a plurality of payment card accounts associated with a payment card according to the transaction authorization request; anddetermining, from a plurality of funding sources corresponding to the plurality of payment card accounts, the funding source in connection with the external gateway in response to selecting the payment card account from the plurality of payment card accounts.

10. A system comprising: at least one processor; anda non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:parse, by one or more computing devices of a payment card processing system maintaining a payment card account, a transaction authorization request to determine a transaction amount and a response time deadline, the transaction authorization request routed from one or more computing devices of a payment network to the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system;generate, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, a funding request to authorize an electronic payment transaction with an additional response time deadline less than the response time deadline of the transaction authorization request, the additional response time deadline comprising a sub-time period of the response time deadline for receiving a response to the funding request;send, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system to one or more computing devices of an external gateway that is separate from the payment card processing system and external to the payment network in response to the transaction authorization request, the funding request to authorize and fund an electronic payment transaction for the transaction amount according to the response time deadline via one or more computing devices of the external gateway based on the payment card account comprising a funding source external to the payment card processing system and serviced by the one or more computing devices of the external gateway;receive, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system and from the one or more computing devices of the external gateway, an approval message comprising authorization of the funding request within the additional response time deadline;modify, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, a balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount in real-time in response to receiving the approval message from the one or more computing devices of the external gateway, wherein modifying the balance comprises: increasing the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount within the response time deadline;generating a response indicating the authorization of the funding request in response to increasing the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount; andreducing, in response to generating the response indicating the authorization of the funding request, the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount within the response time deadline in connection with the response indicating the authorization of the funding request, wherein the payment card processing system does not control funds for the transaction amount; andsend, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system to the one or more computing devices of the payment network, the response indicating the authorization of the funding request by the one or more computing devices of the external gateway prior to the response time deadline.

11. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to: generate the funding request by generating, in response to the transaction authorization request, the funding request to authorize and fund the electronic payment transaction for the transaction amount on demand utilizing the funding source via the external gateway; andsend the funding request by sending the funding request with the additional response time deadline to the external gateway prior to the response time deadline of the transaction authorization request to authorize and fund the electronic payment transaction just-in-time via the funding source external to the payment card processing system and serviced by the external gateway according to the additional response time deadline.

12. The system of claim 11, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to generate the funding request with the additional response time deadline by generating the additional response time deadline indicating a three second response time deadline.

13. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to modify the balance of the payment card account by: increasing, at the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount within the response time deadline prior to receiving funds for the transaction amount from the external gateway; andreducing, at the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount prior to settlement of the funds for the transaction amount with the payment network.

14. The system of claim 13, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to modify the balance of the payment card account at the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system by reducing the balance of the payment card account by setting the balance of the payment card account to zero after generating the response indicating the authorization of the funding request and before sending the response indicating the authorization of the funding request to the one or more computing devices of the payment network.

15. The system of claim 10, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to determine, from a plurality of funding sources, the funding source in connection with the external gateway in response to determining the payment card account based on the transaction authorization request.

16. The system of claim 15, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the system to: maintain, at the payment card processing system, a plurality of subaccounts corresponding to the plurality of funding sources for the payment card account; andmodify the balance of the payment card account by modifying a subaccount of the plurality of subaccounts according to the funding source.

17. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, cause a computing device to: parse, by one or more computing devices of a payment card processing system maintaining a payment card account, a transaction authorization request to determine a transaction amount and a response time deadline, the transaction authorization request routed from one or more computing devices of a payment network to the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system;generate, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, a funding request to authorize an electronic payment transaction with an additional response time deadline less than the response time deadline of the transaction authorization request, the additional response time deadline comprising a sub-time period of the response time deadline for receiving a response to the funding request;send, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system to one or more computing devices of an external gateway that is separate from the payment card processing system and external to the payment network in response to the transaction authorization request, the funding request to authorize and fund an electronic payment transaction for the transaction amount according to the response time deadline via the one or more computing devices of the external gateway based on the payment card account comprising a funding source external to the payment card processing system and serviced by the one or more computing devices of the external gateway;receive, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system and from the one or more computing devices of the external gateway, an approval message comprising authorization of the funding request within the additional response time deadline;modify, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, a balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount in real-time in response to receiving the approval message from the one or more computing devices of the external gateway, wherein modifying the balance comprises: increasing the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount within the response time deadline;generating a response indicating the authorization of the funding request in response to increasing the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount; andreducing, in response to generating the response indicating the authorization of the funding request, the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount within the response time deadline in connection with the response indicating the authorization of the funding request, wherein the payment card processing system does not control funds for the transaction amount; andsend, by the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system to one or more computing devices of the payment network, the response indicating the authorization of the funding request by the one or more computing devices of the external gateway prior to the response time deadline.

18. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the computing device to send the funding request to the one or more computing devices of the external gateway to determine whether the funding source has sufficient funds for the electronic payment transaction.

19. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the computing device to modify the balance of the payment card account by: increasing, at the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system and prior to receiving funds for the transaction amount from the external gateway, the balance of the payment card account prior to receiving funds for the transaction amount from the external gateway; andreducing, at the one or more computing devices of the payment card processing system, the balance of the payment card account by the transaction amount prior to settlement of the funds for the transaction amount with the payment network.

20. The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the computing device to send the response indicating the authorization of the funding request to the one or more computing devices of the payment network within the response time deadline indicating a seven second time deadline.