Mastercard International Incorporated

Paul Paolucci

Gary Adler

Melinda L Rolfs

Xianzhe Zhou

Jonathan Trivelas

Nicole Marie Katzman

Luis F Rodriguez-Lemus

John D Chisholm

John Brady

Teresa L Bryan

A computer system for identifying merchant category code misclassifications includes at least one processor in communication with a transaction database and a merchant database. The transaction database stores transaction records by a plurality of account holders. The processor generates a first MCC profile including at least one transaction characteristic representative of merchants properly classified as the first MCC and comparing the first MCC profile to a second set of transaction records. If the comparison satisfies a comparison threshold for the first MCC the processor identifies the corresponding selected merchant as being MCC misclassified.

Systems and methods for identifying a MCC-misclassified merchant

A computer system for identifying merchant category code misclassifications includes at least one processor in communication with a transaction database and a high-risk merchant database. The transaction database stores transaction records by a plurality of account holders. The high-risk merchant database stores high-risk merchant records each associated with high-risk merchants. The processor queries the transaction database for transaction records and calculates a high-risk cardholder metric for each of the account numbers. The at least one processor further queries the transaction database for transaction records including (i) the account number of high-risk cardholders, and (ii) a merchant identifier associated with other than the plurality of high-risk merchants, to retrieve a second set of transaction records. The at least one processor further calculates a high-risk merchant metric for each of the merchant identifiers, identifying a MCC misclassified merchant.

A method for assessing sales activity of a merchant using a computer system coupled to a database is provided. The sales activity includes purchases made by a customer using a financial transaction card over a financial transaction card network. The method includes storing within the database a plurality of merchant profiles wherein each merchant profile describes a customer community of the corresponding merchant utilizing the financial transaction card network, determining a violator merchant profile based on a customer community associated with a violator merchant wherein the violator merchant uses the financial transaction card network to engage in at least one of illegal, potentially illegal and undesirable sales activities with at least a portion of the associated customer community, comparing the violator merchant profile to each merchant profile stored within the database, and identifying at least one potential violator merchant for further investigation based on the comparison.

Methods and systems for assessing sales activity of a merchant

Growing community of inventors

West Harrison, NY, United States of America

Paul Paolucci