First Data Corporation

The Western Union Company

Visa U.s.a. Inc.

David Baumgartner

Keith Newbrough

Christopher R McGee

Earney E Stoutenburg

David A Owen

Theresa L Anuszewski

Ross G Kinney

Steven E Arthur

Kevin James

Kenneth Algiene

Ken Algiene

Erik S Crawford

Theodore VanDeburg

Michael F Rodin

Kevin Harte

Kenneth Timbers

Terra Geiger

Tanya Schwaner

Virgil M Mathias, Jr

Eric Eldred

Karen Larsen

A method for tracking status of an inventory shipment sent to a recipient includes monitoring whether the recipient has transmitted an electronic acknowledgment of the status of the shipment; and automatically transmitting a message to the recipient requesting acknowledgment of receipt of inventory if the electronic acknowledgment is not transmitted by the recipient within a first predetermined amount of time.

Electronic acknowledgement of receipt of inventory

System and methods for facilitating the settlement of financial accounts across different entities utilize a host computer system that tracks financial transactions made at each merchant location or store and uses this information to reconcile accounts across different entities. In one embodiment, for redemption transactions that occurred within one of the entities other than where the associated account was activated, the host computer system is configured to prepare a request to transfer a redemption amount to a central account from an entity account associated with where the account was activated, and to prepare a request to transfer less than the redemption amount from the central account to an entity account associated with where the redemption transaction occurred.

Decentralized guaranteed stored value transfer system and method

System and methods for facilitating the settlement of financial accounts across different entities utilize a host computer system that tracks financial transactions made at each merchant location or store and uses this information to reconcile accounts across different entities. In one embodiment, the host computer periodically performs a net settlement analysis of the transactional data received from each entity's stores. A request is prepared to transfer funds from each entity's bank account having a positive net settlement amount into a central entity bank account. A request is also prepared to transfer funds into each entity's bank account having a negative net settlement amount from the central entity bank account.

Financial settlement systems and methods

Electronic acknowledgment of receipt of inventory

Methods and systems are provided for coordinating a change in status of a stored-value card for a customer. Transaction information is received at a host system from a point-of-sale terminal. The transaction information includes stored-value-card information identifying the stored-value card and payment-instrument information identifying a payment instrument to be used for financing the change in status of the stored-value card. The host system receives a payment authorization from a payment authority in response to a transmission of the payment-instrument information to the payment authority. The host system also receives a confirmation of the change in status of the stored-value card from a stored-value-card authority in response to a transmission of the stored-value-card information to the stored-value-card authority. The host system transmits an approval for effecting the change in status of the stored-value card to the point-of-sale terminal.

Methods and systems for coordinating a change in status of stored-value cards

Methods and systems are provided for executing such a bilateral action. A communication is received at a host system. A determination is made that the communication identifies a physical instrument that identifies an account of stored value. A request is transmitted to another host system to debit the account by an amount identified in the communication to support the bilateral action. A confirmation is received from the other host system that the account of stored value has been debited. An approval for the bilateral action is transmitted to an originating communications device.

Systems and method for integrating multiple interaction arrangements

The inventory of expiration date sensitive cards is tracked such that re-ordering can be automatically initiated. A first value is generated based on how many cards are in stock at a particular site. The site may be a card issuer site, although the site may also be a vendor site or other site. An expiration date is determined for each of the cards in stock at the particular site. Based on the current date and the expiration dates associated with the cards, a number of expired cards in the stock at the particular site is determined. An inventory total is generated based, at least in part, on the first value and the number of expired cards. The inventory total is compared with a threshold value to determine whether a re-order criterion for cards at the particular site has been satisfied.

Tracking inventory of cards having expiration dates

Methods and systems are provided for processing a stored-value instrument. An unrestricted value associated with the stored-value instrument is authenticated at an instrument-authority system in response to an authentication request received from a merchant point-of-sale terminal. An allocation request is received at the instrument-authority system for a restricted allocation of at least a portion of the authenticated value associated with the stored-value instrument. The authenticated value is allocated in accordance with the allocation request.

Methods and systems for processing unrestricted stored-value instruments

Methods and systems are provided to apply a discount to a transaction. An identifier is extracted from a discount instrument and is transmitted to a host system. A validation is received from the host system for the discount instrument and a cost of the transaction is reduced in accordance with a discount arrangement associated with the discount instrument.

Discount-instrument methods and systems

A method for issuing tickets proceeds by selecting an inactive ticket that includes an identifier. Payment is provided for the ticket, and the identifier and a payment amount is entered into a payment processing device. The identifier is transmitted to a host computer system having a record of the identifier and a status of the ticket. The status of the ticket is then changed to an active status in the host computer system.

Growing community of inventors

Parker, CO, United States of America

David Baumgartner