Systems and Methods for Providing Value Added Services in Association with Payment Transactions

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

Embodiments of the disclosure relate generally to the processing of payment transactions, and more specifically to the provision of value added services in association with the processing of payment transactions.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Merchants and service providers typically conduct a wide variety of processing in association with payment transactions. This processing often includes processing conducting before and after a payment authorization. For example, a typical purchase experience at a grocery store involves a store clerk receiving a bar-coded loyalty card and coupons that are processed by a merchant point of sale (“POS”) device prior to payment authorization. A consumer payment device is then typically swiped or tapped to facilitate the payment authorization. Following payment authorization, a receipt and additional coupons (i.e., coupons for a next visit) are typically provided to the consumer.

A merchant POS terminal and/or register, such as a grocery store POS terminal, typically utilizes “point-to-point” integrated solutions to provide each value added service, such as loyalty services and payment processing services. Because the addition of a new service typically requires large scale reintegration of the POS terminal and register infrastructure, it is typically difficult and relatively time consuming to add additional services to a consumer experience at a merchant. Accordingly, there is an opportunity for improved system and methods for providing value added services in association with payment transactions.

SUMMARY

Embodiments of the disclosure can relate to systems and methods for providing value added services in association with the processing of payment transactions. Certain embodiments of the disclosure can relate to provision of value added services in association with the processing of payment transactions. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method for processing proposed transactions can be provided. The method can include receiving, from a merchant device by a service provider system comprising one or more computers, information associated with a purchase transaction; identifying, by the service provider system, one or more value added services applicable to the purchase transaction; and implementing, by the service provider system, the one or more applicable value added services.

In one aspect of one embodiment, the computer-implemented method wherein identifying one or more applicable value added services can further include identifying one or more applicable value added services based at least in part upon one or more consumer parameters associated with a consumer for the purchase transaction.

In one aspect of one embodiment, the one or more value added services can include at least one of (i) a loyalty service, (ii) a coupon redemption service, (iii) a consumer device location-based service, (iv) an electronic receipt service, (v) a product registration service, (vi) a product warranty service, (vii) a coupon issuance service, (viii) a targeted advertisement service, or (ix) an auditing service.

In another embodiment, a system for processing proposed transactions can be provided. The system can include at least one memory configured to store computer-executable instructions; and at least one processor configured to access the at least one memory and execute the computer-executable instructions. The compute-executable instructions can be operable to receive information associated with a purchase transaction; identify one or more value added services applicable to the purchase transaction; and implement the one or more applicable value added services.

In one aspect of an embodiment, the computer-executable instructions to identify one or more applicable value added services can further include instructions to identify one or more applicable value added services based at least in part upon one or more consumer parameters associated with a consumer for the purchase transaction.

In one aspect of an embodiment, the one or more value added services can include at least one of (i) a loyalty service, (ii) a coupon redemption service, (iii) a consumer device location-based service, (iv) an electronic receipt service, (v) a product registration service, (vi) a product warranty service, (vii) a coupon issuance service, (viii) a targeted advertisement service, or (ix) an auditing service.

In yet another embodiment, a method for processing proposed transactions can be provided. The method can include receiving information associated with a purchase transaction; identifying one or more value added services applicable to the purchase transaction; and implementing the one or more applicable value added services.

In one aspect of an embodiment, identifying one or more applicable value added services can further include identifying one or more applicable value added services based at least in part upon one or more consumer parameters associated with a consumer for the purchase transaction.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of an example system that may be utilized in accordance with various embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of an example process for providing value added services in association with a payment transaction, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of one example process for allowing a consumer to customize value added services that are provided, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example process for providing value added services prior to a payment authorization, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example process for providing value added services during and/or following a payment authorization, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DISCLOSURE

Various embodiments of the disclosure are directed to the processing of provision of value added services (“VAS”) in association with payment transactions. In certain embodiments, an open-ended framework for the provision of VAS may be provided. For example, an open-ended framework of services may be provided at a network or cloud level. Additionally, a wide variety of interfaces may be provided for these services. For example, the framework may include a set of one or more Web services that are accessed via the Internet. As desired, these network-based or cloud services may be invoked by a wide variety of different parties to a payment transaction, such as a merchant POS terminal, a POS register, a merchant Web server and/or Web site, a consumer-facing Web site, a wallet application stored on a consumer device (e.g., a mobile device, etc.), one or more payment networks (e.g., branded payment networks, debit payment networks, etc.), payment device and/or payment account issuers, and/or any number of third-party value added service providers.

Additionally, the framework of services may be extensible. In other words, a new service may be added at the cloud level, and the new service may be invoked by existing functionality situated at devices associated with other parties to payment transactions. For example, VAS functionality may be integrated or otherwise associated with a POS device. The VAS functionality may facilitate interaction between the POS device and a cloud level service provider. For example, the VAS functionality may facilitate communication before, during, and/or following the authorization of a payment. The VAS functionality may invoke any of the VAS provided by the service provider. In the event that a new VAS is added at the cloud level, the VAS functionality of the POS device may be capable of invoking the new VAS with relative ease. In other words, with the inventive framework, large scale reintegration and/or alterations to a POS device framework may be avoided.

A wide variety of different types of VAS may be supported as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. These VAS may include services that are invoked and/or implemented prior to payment authorization, in conjunction with payment authorization, and/or following payment authorization. Examples of suitable VAS that may be provided include, but are not limited to, loyalty services, coupon processing and/or application services, location-based mobile services, electronic receipt services, product registration and/or warranty services, receipt reconciliation with issuer statement services, the provision of coupons and/or other offers for later use, purchase history tracking services, and/or advertisement services.

In certain embodiments, one or more parties to a payment transaction may be able to access a VAS service provider and customize the provision of VAS. For example, consumers may provide a wide variety of preferences and/or parameters to the service provider that are associated with the provision of VAS. In certain embodiments, a consumer may access a Web server provided by the service provider, and consumer preferences may be selected and/or otherwise provided to the service provider via one or more Web pages and/or other graphical user interfaces hosted by the Web server. A wide variety of consumer preferences and/or parameters may be utilized as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. For example, a consumer may opt into various VAS or activate certain services for different merchants. Additionally, the consumer may view consumer-specific data and control access rights to the consumer-specific data.

Embodiments of the disclosure now will be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments of the disclosure are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those skilled in the art. Like numbers refer to like elements throughout.

System Overview

FIG. 1 represents a block diagram of an example system 100 for providing a network of cloud-based framework for VAS, according to one embodiment of the disclosure. The system 100 may facilitate the provision of a wide variety of VAS in association with payment transactions. As shown in FIG. 1, the system 100 may include one or more service provider computers 105 associated with a VAS service provider, one or more merchant devices 110 (e.g., merchant computers, merchant POS terminals, merchant registers, merchant Web servers, etc.), and/or one or more consumer devices 115. As desired, the system 100 may include a wide variety of other entities associated with payment transactions, such as one or more issuer and/or financial institution system and/or one or more systems associated with third-party value added service providers. Any number of suitable networks, such as the illustrated networks 120, 125 may facilitate communication between various components of the systems. Each of these components will now be discussed in further detail.

First, each service provider computer 105 may include any number of processor-driven devices, including but not limited to, a server computer, a mainframe computer, one or more networked computers, a desktop computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a mobile computer, or any other processor-based device. A service provider computer 105 may utilize one or more processors 140 to execute computer-readable instructions that facilitate the provision of VAS in association with payment transactions. Additionally, the service provider computer 105 may utilize the one or more processors 140 to execute computer-readable instructions that facilitate the storage and/or application of a wide variety of rules, preferences, and/or parameters associated with VAS (e.g., consumer preferences, etc.). As a result of executing these computer-readable instructions, a special purpose computer or particular machine may be formed that facilitates the provision of VAS at a network or cloud level.

In addition to having one or more processors 140, the service provider computer 105 may further include one or more memory devices 141, input/output (“I/O”) interface(s) 142, and/or network interface(s) 143. The memory 141 may be any computer-readable medium, coupled to the processor(s) 140, such as random access memory (“RAM”), read-only memory (“ROM”), and/or removable storage devices. The memory 141 may store a wide variety of data files 144 and/or various program modules, such as an operating system (“OS”) 145, a database management system (“DBMS”) 146, one or more host modules 147, one or more VAS modules 148, and/or a transaction processing module 149. The data files 144 may include any suitable data that facilitates the operation of the service provider computer 105 and/or interaction of the service provider computer 105 with one or more other components of the system 100. For example, the data files 144 may include merchant identification information, card issuer identification information, third-party service provider identification information, consumer identification information, data utilized to communicate with the card issuers, merchants, third-party service providers, and/or consumers, data that facilitates the storage of VAS and/or transaction processing rules, and/or data that facilitates the processing of a proposed transaction or an authorized transaction in order to facilitate the provision of VAS. The OS 145 may be suitable module that facilitates the general operation of the service provider computer 105, as well as the execution of other program modules. For example, the OS may be, but is not limited to, Microsoft Windows®, Apple OSX™, Unix, a mainframe computer operating system (e.g., IBM z/OS, MVS, OS/390, etc.), or a specially designed operating system. The DBMS 146 may be a suitable program module that facilitates management of the data files 144, data stored in the memory 141, and/or data stored in one or more separate databases, such as one or more services databases 150.

The services databases 150 may be configured to store a wide variety of information associated with VAS provided by the service provider computer 105. For example, the services database 150 may be configured to store information associated with VAS that are available for provision by the service provider. A wide variety of different types of VAS may be supported as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. These VAS may include services that are invoked and/or implemented prior to payment authorization, in conjunction with payment authorization, and/or following payment authorization. Examples of suitable VAS that may be provided include, but are not limited to, loyalty services, coupon processing and/or application services, location-based mobile services, electronic receipt services, product registration and/or warranty services, receipt reconciliation with issuer statement services, the provision of coupons and/or other offers for later use, purchase history tracking services, and/or advertisement services.

Additionally, the services databases 150 may include a wide variety of different preferences and/or parameters associated with the implementation of VAS. For example, the services databases 150 may include a wide variety of consumer preferences associated with the implementation of VAS. Example consumer preferences include, but are not limited to, consumer opt-in information for various VAS that are available (e.g., overall opt-in information, merchant-specific opt-in information, merchant type (e.g., merchant category code, etc.) opt-in information, etc.), consumer preferences associated with the implementation of VAS (e.g., coupon processing preferences, loyalty preferences, receipt generation and/or delivery preferences, etc.), and/or consumer preferences associated with access rights to consumer data by other entities, such as merchants, issuers, and/or third-party service providers. Indeed, the consumer preferences may allow a consumer to customer VAS in a wide variety of different ways. For example, the consumer may specify that coupons will be utilized in association with certain merchants that may offer double coupons or other special offers. As another example, the consumer may elect different types of loyalty rewards when multiple rewards are available. As yet another example, the consumer may provide for electronic delivery of receipts to any number of consumer devices, electronic mail addresses, etc.

In addition to storing consumer preferences, the services databases 150 may additionally and/or alternatively store preferences associated with other parties to payment transactions, such payment account issuers and/or merchants. These preferences may include a wide variety of preferences associated with the invocation of VAS. For example, the preferences may include opt-in information for various services and/or preferences associated with the provision of VAS, such as loyalty award preferences, coupon processing preferences (e.g., supported coupons, etc.) transaction processing preferences, and/or coupon and/or special offer issuance preferences. Indeed, the provision of VAS may be customized utilizing a wide variety of suitable techniques and/or parameters.

In certain embodiments, one or more host modules 147 may be associated with the service provider computer 105, and the host modules may facilitate interaction with other components of the system 100. For example, one or more Web servers may be provided and/or associated with the host modules 147, and the Web servers may facilitate the presentation of any number of suitable graphical user interfaces to collect rules and/or preferences from consumer devices 115 and/or other components in communication with the service provider computers 105. Other example host modules may facilitate inter-process communications and/or other types of communications in order to facilitate the receipt of processing rules and/or preferences. Yet other example host modules may facilitate the receipt of proposed transactions to be processed.

As desired, any number of VAS modules 148 may be provided. Each VAS module 148 may be a suitable software module or application that facilitates the provision of one or more VAS in association with a payment transaction. A wide variety of different types of VAS may be supported by the VAS modules 148. These VAS may include services that are invoked and/or implemented prior to payment authorization, in conjunction with payment authorization, and/or following payment authorization. Examples of suitable VAS that may be provided include, but are not limited to, loyalty services, coupon processing and/or application services, location-based mobile services, electronic receipt services, product registration and/or warranty services, receipt reconciliation with issuer statement services, the provision of coupons and/or other offers for later use, purchase history tracking services, and/or advertisement services (e.g., targeted marketing, etc.). In certain embodiments, the VAS modules 148 may direct the operations of a host module (e.g., the Web server) to facilitate the receipt a wide variety of different preferences and/or parameters from issuers, merchants, and/or consumers. The VAS modules 148 may evaluate received preferences, resolve conflicts between the preferences, and/or establish a hierarchy for applying the rules to a proposed transaction. The VAS modules 148 may then direct storage of the preferences in one or more suitable databases 150.

The transaction processing module 149 may include any number of suitable software modules and/or applications that facilitate the storage of transaction processing rules and/or parameters, as well as the evaluation of proposed transactions. In operation, the transaction processing module 149 may be configured to receive information associated with a proposed transaction. For example, proposed transaction information may be received from a merchant device 110 (e.g., a merchant point of sale device, etc.). As another example, proposed transaction information may be received from a merchant acquiring platform or merchant gateway associated with a merchant device 110. Following receipt of a proposed transaction, the transaction processing module 149 may evaluate the proposed transaction and determine whether the proposed transaction may be routed to an issuer for approval and/or settlement processing. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the transaction processing module 149 may facilitate the routing of the proposed transaction to an issuer. In other embodiments, the transaction processing module 149 may direct the routing of the proposed transaction to an issuer. A wide variety of evaluation services may be provided by the transaction processing module 149. For example, the transaction processing module 149 may select a payment account to utilize in association with the transaction or the transaction processing module 149 may determine whether a designated payment account is appropriate.

A few examples of the operations that may be performed by the VAS modules 148 and/or the transaction processing module 149 are described in greater detail below with reference to FIGS. 2-5.

With continued reference to the service provider computer 105, the one or more I/O interfaces 142 may facilitate communication between the service provider computer 105 and one or more input/output devices; for example, one or more user interface devices, such as a display, a keypad, a mouse, a pointing device, a control panel, a touch screen display, a remote control, a microphone, a speaker, etc., that facilitate user interaction with the service provider computer 105. The one or more network interfaces 143 may facilitate connection of the service provider computer 105 to one or more suitable networks, for example, the network(s) 125, 130, 135 illustrated in FIG. 1. In this regard, the service provider computer 105 may receive and/or communicate information to other components of the system 100.

With continued reference to FIG. 1, any number of merchant devices 110 may be provided. In certain embodiments, a merchant device 110 may be a suitable point-of-sale (“POS”) device (e.g., a POS terminal) located at a physical merchant location. In other embodiments, a merchant device 110 may be a suitable server that facilitates the processing of online purchase transactions. As desired, each merchant device 110 may include any number of processor-driven devices, including but not limited to, a server computer, a mainframe computer, one or more networked computers, a desktop computer, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a mobile computer, or any other processor-based device. A merchant device 110 may utilize one or more processors 160 to execute computer-readable instructions that facilitate the processing of transaction requests, the generation of one or more VAS requests, the generation of proposed transactions, and/or the communication of proposed transactions and/or VAS requests to one or more processing entity (e.g., an acquiring platform, a service provider computer 105, etc.). As a result of executing these computer-readable instructions, a special purpose computer or particular machine may be formed that facilitates the generation and/or output of VAS requests and/or proposed transactions. Additionally, in certain embodiments, a merchant device 110 (which may or may not be located at a POS) may utilize the one or more processors 160 to execute computer-readable instructions that facilitate the provision of merchant rules and/or parameters to the service provider computer 105.

In addition to having one or more processors 160, the merchant device 110 may further include and/or be associated with one or more memory devices 161, consumer device readers 162, input/output (“I/O”) interface(s) 163, and/or network interface(s) 164. The memory 161 may be any computer-readable medium, coupled to the processor(s) 160, such as random access memory (“RAM”), read-only memory (“ROM”), and/or a removable storage devices. The memory 161 may store a wide variety of data files 165 and/or various program modules, such as an operating system (“OS”) 166, a services module 167, and/or a transaction module 168. The data files 165 may include any suitable data that facilitates the operation of the merchant device 110 and/or interaction of the merchant device 110 with one or more other components of the system 100. For example, the data files 165 may include acquiring platform information, service provider information, and/or routing information for proposed transactions. The OS 166 may be suitable module that facilitates the general operation of the merchant device 110, as well as the execution of other program modules. For example, the OS 166 may be, but is not limited to, Microsoft Windows®, Apple OSX™, Unix, a mainframe computer operating system (e.g., IBM z/OS, MVS, OS/390, etc.), or a specially designed operating system. As desired, the merchant device 110 may additionally include one or more host modules that facilitate interaction with remote consumer devices 115. For example, a suitable Web server and/or Web server module may facilitate online shopping by consumers and/or the receipt of transaction requests.

The services module 167 may include any number of suitable software modules and/or applications that facilitate the collection of transaction-related information, the generation of one or more requests for VAS, the output of the generated requests, and/or the receipt and processing of responses to the VAS requests. In certain embodiments, the services module 167 may be a suitable module that includes extensible functionality for requesting the invocation of available VAS at a cloud or network level. For example, the services modules 167 may include information that facilitates interactions with the service provider computer 105 and/or the provision of transaction-related information utilized in association with VAS. In the event that additional VAS become available, a services module 167 may be modified (e.g., plug-in modification) or a new services module (e.g., a new module executed by a master services module) may be added to facilitate the provision of additional transaction-related information that may be associated with the new VAS.

In operation, a services module 167 may identify collected information associated with a transaction. For example, the services module 167 may identify consumer identification information, merchant information, a proposed transaction amount, identifiers of products (e.g., UPC identifiers, etc.) coupon information, loyalty account identification information, payment account information, consumer payment device information, etc. The services module 167 may utilize at least a portion of the information to generate one or more VAS requests, such as a pre-payment VAS request and/or a post-payment VAS request. For example, consumer identification information, loyalty account information, and/or coupon information (e.g., coupon information for paper coupons, coupon information collected from a consumer device 115, etc.) may be utilized to generate a pre-payment VAS request. In certain embodiments, a plurality of VAS requests may be generated in association with a payment transaction. In other embodiments, a single VAS requests (e.g., a combined pre-payment and post-payment request, etc.) may be generated. Once generated, the services module 167 may direct communication of a VAS request to the service provider computer 105 via any number of suitable networks 120, 125. In certain embodiments, a request may be routed through an intermediary, such as a merchant acquirer platform. A request may be processed by the service provider computer 105 and, as desired, one or more responses may be communicated to the merchant device 110 for processing by the services module 167.

The transaction module 168 may include any number of suitable software modules and/or applications that facilitate the receipt of transaction information, the receipt of payment account information from a consumer device, the generation of a proposed transaction, and/or the output of the proposed transaction. In one example embodiment, the transaction module 168 may identify a wide variety of transaction information, such as a transaction amount. Additionally, the transaction module 168 may receive payment account information collected from a consumer device. For example, the transaction module 168 may interact with a consumer device reader 162 to receive payment account information at a point of sale. As another example, the transaction module 168 may receive payment account information via one or more suitable networks 120, such as the Internet. Following the identification of transaction information and payment account information, the transaction module 168 may generate a proposed transaction or proposed transaction request, and the transaction module 168 may direct communication of the proposed transaction to a suitable entity for processing. For example, the proposed transaction may be output for communication to an acquiring platform, and the acquiring platform may forward the proposed transaction to the service provider computer 105. As another example, the proposed transaction may be output for communication to the service provider computer 105. In certain embodiments, the service provider computer 105 may be associated with a particular acquiring platform. Alternatively, the service provider computer 105 may communicate with a plurality of different acquiring platforms. Following, the output of a proposed transaction, the transaction module 168 may receive and process a wide variety of responses, such as an approval of the proposed transaction, a denial of the proposed transaction, and/or messages associated with applied rules and/or identified incentives.

With continued reference to the merchant device 110, one or more consumer device readers 162 may be provided in certain embodiments. A consumer device reader 162 may facilitate communication with a consumer device at a point of sale. For example, a consumer device reader 162 may facilitate the reading of payment account information and/or other information (e.g., loyalty account information, coupon information, etc.) from a consumer device. A wide variety of different types of consumer device readers may be utilized as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure, including but not limited to, magnetic stripe readers, radio frequency readers, near field communication readers, etc. In certain embodiments, a reader 162 may be incorporated into the merchant device 110. In other embodiments, a reader 162 may be in communication with the merchant device 110.

The one or more I/O interfaces 163 may facilitate communication between the merchant device 110 and one or more input/output devices; for example, one or more user interface devices, such as a display, a keypad, a mouse, a pointing device, a control panel, a touch screen display, a remote control, a microphone, a speaker, a consumer device reader 162, etc., that facilitate user interaction with the service provider computer 105. The one or more network interfaces 164 may facilitate connection of the merchant device 110 to one or more suitable networks, for example, the network(s) 120, 125 illustrated in FIG. 1. In this regard, the merchant device 110 may receive and/or communicate information to other components of the system 100.

Additionally, with continued reference to FIG. 1, any number of consumer devices 115 may be provided. Examples of suitable consumer devices 115 include, but are not limited to, transaction cards, contactless transaction devices (e.g., transaction devices including a contactless chip, etc.), mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones, smart phones, etc.), and/or personal computers. Certain consumer devices 115, such as mobile devices and/or personal computers, may be utilized by a consumer to provide consumer rules and/or preferences to the service provider computer 105. For example, a consumer may utilize a consumer device 115 to access a Web server 150 that presents one or more Web pages that facilitate the provision of rules and/or parameters to the service provider computer. Additionally, various consumer devices 115 may facilitate the provision of payment account information and/or other consumer information (e.g., loyalty account information, coupons, etc.) to a merchant device 110 in association with a proposed transaction. For example, a payment card, loyalty rewards card, contactless device, or a transaction-enabled mobile device (e.g., a mobile device including NFC or other contactless technology) may be presented at a point of sale to provide payment account and/or other information to a merchant device 110. As another example, a personal computer or mobile device may be utilized to access a Web site of the merchant via one or more suitable networks 120 (e.g., the Internet, a cellular network, etc.) and a purchase transaction may be requested. During a purchase request, various payment account information and/or other information may be provided to a merchant device 110 by the consumer device 115. As desired, certain consumer devices 115 may be processor-driven devices that include components similar to those described above for the service provider computer 105 and/or the merchant computer 110. For example, certain consumer devices 115 may include one or more processors, memory devices, I/O interfaces, and/or network interfaces.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 1, as desired in various embodiments, any number of issuer and/or financial institution systems may be provided. An issuer system may facilitate the backend processing of a proposed transaction. For example, an issuer system may facilitate the approval and/or settlement of a proposed transaction. In certain embodiments, a proposed transaction may be routed to an issuer system via a suitable transaction network 125, and the issuer system may evaluate the proposed transaction. An approval or rejection of the proposed transaction may then be output for communication to a merchant device 110. The issuer system may then facilitate the settlement of the proposed transaction.

A wide variety of suitable networks 120, 125 may be utilized in association with embodiments of the disclosure. Certain networks 120 may facilitate the communication of rules and/or preferences to the service provider computer 105 and/or the communication of transaction requests (e.g., eCommerce requests) from the consumer devices 115 to merchant computers 110. These networks 120 may include any telecommunication and/or data network, whether public, private, or a combination thereof, including a local area network, a wide area network, an intranet, an internet, the Internet, intermediate handheld data transfer devices, a publicly switched telephone network (“PSTN”), a cellular network, and/or any combination thereof and may be wired and/or wireless. Other networks 125 may be suitable transaction networks that facilitate the routing of proposed transactions. These transaction networks 125 may include branded networks (e.g., a VISA network, etc.), debit and/or PIN networks, and/or a wide variety of other suitable transaction networks. As desired in various embodiments of the disclosure, VAS requests may be communicated from a merchant device 110 to the service provider computer 105 via either type of network. Due to network connectivity, various methodologies as described herein may be practiced in the context of distributed computing environments. It will also be appreciated that the various networks may include a plurality of networks, each with devices such as gateways and routers for providing connectivity between or among networks. Additionally, instead of, or in addition to, a network, dedicated communication links may be used to connect various devices in accordance with an example embodiment.

The system 100 shown in and described with respect to FIG. 1 is provided by way of example only. Numerous other operating environments, system architectures, and device configurations are possible. Other system embodiments can include fewer or greater numbers of components and may incorporate some or all of the functionality described with respect to the system components shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, embodiments of the disclosure should not be construed as being limited to any particular operating environment, system architecture, or device configuration.

Operational Overview

FIG. 2 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 200 for providing value added services in association with a payment transaction, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, certain operations of the method 200 may be performed by a suitable service provider computer and/or associated service provider, such as the service provider computer 105 illustrated in FIG. 1 (and an associated service provider). The method 200 may begin at block 205.

At block 205, VAS functionality may be provided to a merchant device, such as the merchant device 110 illustrated in FIG. 1. In other words, one or more application modules and/or interfaces may be provided to the merchant device 110. These modules and/or interfaces may facilitate interaction between the merchant device 110 and the service provider computer 105. In other words, the modules and/or interfaces may facilitate the invocation of network or cloud-based VAS in association with payment transactions.

A wide variety of suitable methods and/or techniques may be utilized to provide VAS functionality to a merchant device 110. For example, one or more application modules may be locally installed or installed via a network on the merchant device 110. As another example, VAS functionality may be installed during manufacture of the merchant device 110. Regardless of the installation procedure, the VAS functionality may be extendable and/or upgradeable. In other words, the VAS functionality may be readily adapted to invoke future developed and/or future available VAS.

At block 210, available VAS may be established and managed by the service provider computer 105. For example, a plurality of VAS that may be performed by the service provider computer 105 may be identified. In certain embodiments, VAS may be provided on behalf of third-party service providers. For example, a third-party loyalty service provider may interact with the service provider computer 105 in order to invoke loyalty services. In other embodiments, the service provider computer 105 may invoke services offered by third-party service providers. Additionally, a wide variety of preferences and/or parameters associated with the VAS may be received, identified, and/or otherwise obtained by the service provider computer 105. For example, consumer preferences (e.g., opt-in information, etc.) may be obtained. One example for obtaining consumer preferences is described in greater detail below with reference to FIG. 3. As another example, merchant and/or payment account issuer preferences may be obtained. Indeed, each VAS may be customized and/or tailored as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure.

At block 215, one or more communications relating to a transaction may be received from a merchant device 110. These communications may include requests to invoke and/or implement value added services and/or a request to invoke transaction processing services. For example, in one embodiment, a first request may request invocation of pre-transaction or pre-payment VAS, a second request may request transaction processing services, and a third request may request invocation of post-transaction VAS. As another example, a single request may be utilized to request pre-transaction VAS, transaction processing services, and/or post-transaction VAS. Indeed, any number of requests may be utilized as desired.

Additionally, a wide variety of information may be included in or otherwise associated with a received request. Examples of suitable information may include, but are not limited to, merchant identification information (e.g., a merchant name, a merchant identification number, a merchant device identification number, a merchant network address, etc.), consumer identification information (e.g., a consumer name, a consumer account number with the merchant, a consumer email address, etc.), consumer device identification information (e.g., an account number, a device identifier, a telephone number, etc.), payment account information (e.g., an account number, expiration date, etc.), coupon information (e.g., paper coupon information, coupon information obtained from a consumer device, etc.), loyalty information (e.g., a loyalty account number, etc.), information associated with purchased products (e.g., UPC identifiers, etc.), and/or a transaction amount.

At block 220, one or more of pre-transaction VAS, transaction processing services, and/or post-transaction VAS may be provided. For example, transaction-related and/or other received information may be utilized in conjunction with consumer preferences (and/or other preferences) in order to provide a wide variety of suitable VAS associated with the transaction. As one example, a request for pre-transaction VAS may be received. Items associated with the transaction (e.g., purchased products, etc.) may be identified and available coupons may be identified from a plurality of different sources, such as received transaction information, stored consumer information, and/or external data sources. Coupons applicable to the transaction may then be identified and applied. Additionally, a loyalty account of the consumer with the merchant may be identified, and loyalty rewards may be applied to the transaction. A modified transaction amount and/or loyalty information may then be returned to the merchant device 110. Next, a transaction processing request may be received from the merchant device 110, and a wide variety of transaction processing may be performed. For example, the service provider computer 105 may identify a transaction network for routing the transaction and/or the service provider computer 105 may identify a payment account to utilize in association with the transaction. The service provider computer 105 may then facilitate the routing of a proposed transaction to an issuer for authorization and/or settlement purposes. As desired, a response (e.g., an authorization response, a completed transaction response, etc.) may then be routed form the issuer to the merchant device 110.

Following the authorization of a transaction and/or the completion of a payment, a request for post-transaction VAS may be received. Alternatively, post-transaction VAS may be performed in conjunction with an authorization response that is routed to the merchant device 110. Examples of post-transaction VAS include, but are not limited to, electronic receipt generation, storage, and/or delivery (e.g., delivery to a merchant device 110, delivery to a consumer device 115, etc.), product registration services, enrollment for product warranties and/or protection plans, reconciliation of purchases and/or receipts with issuer statements (e.g., credit card statements, bank statements, etc.), the identification and/or delivery of coupons and/or special offers (e.g., delivery to a merchant device 110, delivery to a consumer device 115, etc.), and/or targeted advertisement (e.g., targeted advertisement based on purchase history, etc.). Certain post-transaction VAS may be performed in substantially real-time with the processing of the transaction. For example, an electronic receipt may be delivered in substantially real-time. Other post-transaction VAS may be performed at a later point in time and may optionally involve additional communication with other devices, such as a consumer device 115, an issuer device, etc. Indeed, a wide variety of suitable methods and/or techniques may be utilized to implement post-transaction VAS.

As desired in various embodiments, one or more messages may be returned to the merchant device 110 by the service provider computer 105 in association with VAS that are invoked and/or provided. Additionally, in certain embodiments, messages may be communicated to one or more other entities, such as a consumer device 115 or an issuer device. For example, a modified transaction amount, a transaction complete or approval indication, loyalty information, future coupon information, and/or advertisement information may be communicated to a merchant device 110. As another example, a receipt, coupon application information, future coupon information, loyalty and/or reward information, and/or targeted advertisements may be communicated to a consumer device 115. Indeed, a wide variety of messages and/or interactions may be utilized as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure.

The method 200 may end following block 220.

FIG. 3 illustrates a flow diagram of one example method 300 for allowing a consumer to customize value added services that are provided, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the operations of the method 300 may be performed by a suitable service provider computer, such as the service provider computer 105 illustrated in FIG. 1. The method 300 may begin at block 305.

At block 305, available VAS may be identified by the service provider computer 105. In other words, VAS supported by the service provider computer 105 may be identified. In certain embodiments, the service provider computer 105 may additionally identify merchant and/or issuer preferences and/or parameters associated with the VAS. For example, the service provider computer 105 may determine whether a merchant supports certain VAS, such as coupon acceptance, location-based filtering, targeted advertisements, etc. Additionally, in certain embodiments, the service provider computer 105 may identify special offers available for different merchants (or card issuers) in association with VAS. For example, the service provider computer 105 may identify merchants that offer double coupons. As another example, the service provider computer 105 may identify loyalty rewards information for various consumers.

At block 310, information associated with available VAS may be presented to a consumer. In this regard, consumer preferences associated with the invocation of VAS on behalf of the consumer may be received. A wide variety of suitable techniques may be utilized to present VAS information to a consumer. For example, a consumer may utilize a consumer device 110 to access one or more Web pages that facilitate the presentation of VAS information to a consumer. As another example, email and/or short message service messaging may be utilized to present VAS information to a consumer. A wide variety of information associated with VAS services may be presented to a consumer, including but not limited to, identification information for available VAS and/or special offers of various merchants and/or card issuers.

At block 315, one or more consumer preferences for implemented VAS may be received from the consumer. For example, consumer preferences may be received via a Web interface, via SMS messaging, via email, and/or via any other suitable form of communication. Additionally, a wide variety of different types of consumer preferences may be received, including but not limited to, opt-in and/or opt-out preferences for invoking various VAS, merchant-specific and/or merchant type information for invoking VAS (e.g., a requests to invoke certain VAS for different merchants), coupon application preferences (e.g., a request to utilize available coupons when double coupon points or triple coupon points are available), loyalty preferences (e.g., a request to receive airline miles rather than cash back, etc.), etc. In certain embodiments, the service provider computer 105 may function as a cloud-based wallet for the consumer.

Additionally, a wide variety of privacy and/or data control preferences may be received. For example, the consumer may grant access rights for certain consumer information to different merchants. Indeed, the consumer may be provided with full control over his/her data and/or VAS. The consumer may also establish protocols for accessing information, such as authentication and/or encryption protocols. In one example embodiment, the service provider may default to VAS information only being accessible by the consumer. The consumer may then opt in to different services, and selectively provide various merchants (or all merchants) and/or third-party service providers the ability to invoke services and/or to access consumer information via the service interfaces. A wide variety of suitable data control methods may be utilized as desired, such as strict least-access-privileges, role-based access control, privacy mechanisms, mutual-authentication, auditing, and/or encryption security principles.

Once consumer preferences have been received, operations may continue at block 320, and at least a portion of the consumer preferences may be stored for subsequent access during the processing of a transaction (or VAS requests). In certain embodiments, information associated with VAS may be provided to a consumer device 115, such as a personal computer or mobile device. In this regard, the consumer device 115 may store information associated with VAS to be invoked, and at least a portion of this information may be provided by the consumer device 115 to a merchant device 110 during a transaction. The merchant device 110 may then identify VAS to be invoked during the processing of a transaction. Alternatively, the service provider computer 105 may receive transaction-related information and identify VAS to be invoked.

The method 300 may end following block 320. Although FIG. 3 described consumer preferences, as desired, a similar process may be utilized in certain embodiments to receive and store preferences of one or more other entities, such as a merchant or a payment account issuer.

FIG. 4 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 400 for providing value added services prior to a payment authorization, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the operations of the method 400 may be performed by a suitable service provider computer, such as the service provider computer 105 illustrated in FIG. 1. The method 400 may begin at block 405.

At block 405, information associated with a proposed transaction may be received from a merchant device, such as the merchant device 110 illustrated in FIG. 1. In certain embodiments, the information may be received in association with a request for pre-payment VAS. Additionally, a wide variety of information may be received as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure, such as consumer identification information, merchant identification information, information associated with a consumer device 115, consumer loyalty account information (e.g., an account number read from a loyalty card, etc.), information associated with products to be purchased (e.g., product names, UPCs, etc.), and/or information associated with coupons to be redeemed (e.g., bar code information from scanned coupons, information associated with electronic coupons received from a consumer device, 115, etc.).

At block 410, a wide variety of information and/or parameters associated with the transaction may be identified. For example, a merchant, a consumer, and/or a payment account for the proposed transaction may be identified. As desired, at least a portion of the received information may be evaluated in order to identify transaction parameters. Additionally or alternatively, stored information may be accessed in order to identify or determine transaction parameters. For example, a consumer identifier or a consumer device identifier may be utilized to access consumer preferences for a payment account to be utilized.

At block 415, one or more pre-transaction VAS rules, parameters, and/or preferences may be accessed. For example, consumer and/or merchant-defined VAS rules may be accessed from memory. A wide variety of different rules may be accessed as desired in various embodiments. For example, with respect to the consumer, VAS opt-in rules, coupon application rules, loyalty rules, and/or other rules may be accessed. With respect to a merchant, merchant opt-in rules and/or special offer rules may be accessed.

At block 420, one or more VAS may be implemented in association with the proposed transaction. For example, the various rules may be evaluated in order to identify VAS to be implemented. Additionally, at least a portion of the accessed rules may be utilized to facilitate the implementation of one or more VAS. A wide variety of different types of VAS may be implemented as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. Examples of suitable pre-transaction VAS include, but are not limited to, electronic wallet services, loyalty services, coupon redemption services, location-based mobile services, etc. An example electronic wallet service, which may alternatively be implemented as a transaction processing service, may facilitate the identification of a payment account to utilize in association with a transaction, as well as the verification of a consumer's identity. As desired, an electronic wallet service may communicate with a consumer device 115 and/or with a merchant device 110. A loyalty service may identify an applicable loyalty account of the consumer, such as a loyalty account with the merchant. The loyalty service may then facilitate the issuance and/or redemption of loyalty points and/or loyalty rewards in association with the transaction. A coupon redemption service may compare products being purchased (e.g., UPCs, etc.) with available coupons (e.g., coupons identified from received transaction information, coupons stored at the service provider in association with the consumer, coupons accessed from an external data source, etc.), and the coupon redemption service may identify coupons that may be redeemed. In certain embodiments, consumer redemption preferences may also be evaluated. The coupon redemption service may then apply coupons and/or other offers to the proposed transaction and, as desired, a purchase amount may be modified. The coupon redemption service may then facilitate the communication of applied coupons to coupon issuers, and the distribution of redeemed coupon revenue to the merchant. As desired in various embodiments, a determination may also be made as to whether the purchase transaction qualifies for special offers of the merchant. For example, a determination may be made as to whether a transaction amount or a combination of purchased products qualifies for a special offer. As another example, historical transaction information for the consumer may be evaluated, and a determination may be made as to whether a purchase history qualifies for a special offer (e.g., an offer based upon total historical spending, an offer based upon frequency of purchases, etc.)

A location-based mobile service may perform a wide variety of suitable services based upon received location information (e.g., GPS coordinates, etc.) for a consumer device. For example, a location-based mobile service may evaluate a consumer device location based upon consumer transaction processing preferences, and the location-based service may determine whether the transaction may be completed based at least in part upon the evaluation. For example, a consumer may specify that a consumer device (e.g., a mobile device of a child) can only be used at gas stations and/or grocery stores in order to complete transactions. A location-based service may utilize GPS coordinates for the consumer device to identify a merchant for a proposed transaction, and the location-based service may determine whether a transaction can be approved for the merchant. As another example of a location-based service, a consumer may request different VA services in different states and/or geographical regions. Indeed, a wide variety of different location-based services may be provided as desired.

At block 425, information associated with the pre-transaction VAS may be output by the service provider computer 105 for receipt by one or more recipients, such as the merchant device 110 and/or a consumer device 105. A wide variety of suitable information may be communicated in any number of suitable messages. For example, redeemed coupon information, a modified transaction amount, and/or loyalty information may be communicated to the merchant device. As another example, redeemed coupon information, loyalty information, and/or information associated with location-based services may be communicated to a consumer device 115. Additionally, at block 430, at least a portion of the processing information may be stored by the service provider computer 105 for a wide variety of different purposes, such as reporting purposes and/or for billing purposes (e.g., billing for provided services, etc.).

The method 400 may end following block 430.

FIG. 5 illustrates a flow diagram of an example method 500 for providing value added services during and/or following a payment authorization, according to an example embodiment of the disclosure. In certain embodiments, the operations of the method 500 may be performed by a suitable service provider computer, such as the service provider computer 105 illustrated in FIG. 1. The method 500 may begin at block 505.

At block 505, information may be received from a merchant device, such as the merchant device 110 illustrated in FIG. 1, and/or from another entity (e.g., an issuer, an acquiring platform, etc.) for a proposed transaction or for a previously approved transaction. In certain embodiments, information may be received in a request to perform post-transaction (e.g., post-approval) VAS. In other embodiments, a proposed transaction may be received, and the service provider computer 105 may be configured to perform a wide variety of transaction-related services, such as the identification of an issuer to which the proposed transaction will be routed and/or the identification or determination of a payment account to utilize for the proposed transaction. In these embodiments, the service provider computer 105 may facilitate the approval, routing, and/or completion (e.g., settlement, etc.) of the proposed transaction at block 510. For example, the service provider computer 105 may route or direct the routing of the proposed transaction to an issuer.

As desired, a wide variety of information may be received as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure, such as consumer identification information, merchant identification information, information associated with a consumer device 115, and/or information associated with purchased products (e.g., product names, UPCs, etc.). At block 515, a wide variety of information and/or parameters associated with the transaction may be identified. For example, a merchant, a consumer, and/or a payment account for the transaction may be identified. As desired, at least a portion of the received information may be evaluated in order to identify transaction parameters. Additionally or alternatively, stored information may be accessed in order to identify or determine transaction parameters. For example, a consumer identifier or a consumer device identifier may be utilized to access consumer preferences for a payment account to be utilized.

At block 520, one or more post-transaction VAS rules, parameters, and/or preferences may be accessed. For example, consumer and/or merchant-defined VAS rules may be accessed from memory. A wide variety of different rules may be accessed as desired in various embodiments. For example, with respect to the consumer, VAS opt-in rules, advertisement preferences, product registration, and/or other rules may be accessed. With respect to a merchant, merchant opt-in rules and/or special offer rules may be accessed.

At block 525, one or more post-transaction VAS may be implemented in association with the transaction. For example, the various rules may be evaluated in order to identify VAS to be implemented. Additionally, at least a portion of the accessed rules may be utilized to facilitate the implementation of one or more VAS. A wide variety of different types of VAS may be implemented as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. Examples of suitable post-transaction VAS include, but are not limited to, electronic receipt services, product registration services, product warranty services, coupon and/or offer issuance services, targeted advertisement services, receipt reconciliation with issuer statement services, etc. An example electronic receipt service may generate electronic receipts for a transaction, and the electronic receipts may be delivered to any number of recipients, such as the merchant device 110 and/or a consumer device 115. An example product registration service may automatic complete a product registration application on behalf of the consumer and deliver the registration application to a suitable recipient, such as a manufacturer. As desired, a consumer may specify the types of products (e.g., electronics, appliances, etc.) for which product registration services will be provided. An example product warranty service may identify and store product warranty information on behalf of the consumer. Another example product warranty service may evaluate consumer preferences in order to automatically (or upon prompting) purchase an extended warranty for a purchased product.

An example coupon issuance service may identify, based upon, for example, the purchased products and/or historical purchases, one or more coupons to be issued to the consumer (e.g., coupons that may be printed on the back of or otherwise associated with a receipt). Similarly, a targeted advertisement service may identify advertisements and/or promotions to be communicated to the consumer. An example receipt reconciliation service may compare a purchase amount to a subsequently obtained issuer statement (e.g., a credit card statement, a bank statement, etc.) and identify any discrepancies. In other words, an example reconciliation service may conduct an audit of the transaction on behalf of the consumer and/or the merchant. Other post-transaction services can be performed as desired in various embodiments and will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.

At block 530, information associated with the post-transaction VAS may be output by the service provider computer 105 for receipt by one or more recipients, such as the merchant device 110 and/or a consumer device 105. A wide variety of suitable information may be communicated in any number of suitable messages. For example, product registration and/or warranty information may be communicated to a consumer device 115. As another example, audit or reconciliation results information may be communicated to a merchant device 110 and/or a consumer device 115. Additionally, at block 535, at least a portion of the processing information may be stored by the service provider computer 105 for a wide variety of different purposes, such as reporting purposes and/or for billing purposes (e.g., billing for provided services, etc.).

The method 500 may end following block 535.

The operations described and shown in the methods 200, 300, 400, 500 of FIGS. 2-5 may be carried out or performed in any suitable order as desired in various embodiments of the disclosure. Additionally, in certain embodiments, at least a portion of the operations may be carried out in parallel. Furthermore, in certain embodiments, less than or more than the operations described in FIGS. 2-5 may be performed.

The disclosure is described above with reference to block and flow diagrams of systems, methods, apparatuses, and/or computer program products according to example embodiments of the disclosure. It will be understood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and the flow diagrams, respectively, can be implemented by computer-executable program instructions. Likewise, some blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams may not necessarily need to be performed in the order presented, or may not necessarily need to be performed at all, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

Various block and/or flow diagrams of systems, methods, apparatus, and/or computer program products according to example embodiments of the disclosure are described above. It will be understood that one or more blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow diagrams, respectively, can be implemented by computer-executable program instructions. Likewise, some blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams may not necessarily need to be performed in the order presented, or may not necessarily need to be performed at all, according to some embodiments of the disclosure.

These computer-executable program instructions may be loaded onto a special purpose computer or other particular machine, a processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus to produce a particular machine, such that the instructions that execute on the computer, processor, or other programmable data processing apparatus create means for implementing one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable memory that can direct a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to function in a particular manner, such that the instructions stored in the computer-readable memory produce an article of manufacture including instruction means that implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. As an example, embodiments of the disclosure may provide for a computer program product, comprising a computer-usable medium having a computer-readable program code or program instructions embodied therein, said computer-readable program code adapted to be executed to implement one or more functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks. The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer or other programmable data processing apparatus to cause a series of operational elements or steps to be performed on the computer or other programmable apparatus to produce a computer-implemented process such that the instructions that execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide elements or steps for implementing the functions specified in the flow diagram block or blocks.

Accordingly, blocks of the block diagrams and flow diagrams support combinations of means for performing the specified functions, combinations of elements or steps for performing the specified functions and program instruction means for performing the specified functions. It will also be understood that each block of the block diagrams and flow diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and flow diagrams, can be implemented by special purpose, hardware-based computer systems that perform the specified functions, elements or steps, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.

Many modifications and other embodiments of the disclosure set forth herein will be apparent having the benefit of the teachings presented in the foregoing descriptions and the associated drawings. Therefore, it is to be understood that the disclosure is not to be limited to the specific embodiments disclosed and that modifications and other embodiments are intended to be included within the scope of the appended claims. Although specific terms are employed herein, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation.

Systems and Methods for Providing Value Added Services in Association with Payment Transactions

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