The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Aug. 30, 2011
Filed:
May. 18, 2004
Vincent W. Talbert, Cockeysville, MD (US);
Thomas H. Keithley, Monkton, MD (US);
Daniel A. Hirschfeld, Timonium, MD (US);
Mark L. Lavelle, Govans, MD (US);
Vincent W. Talbert, Cockeysville, MD (US);
Thomas H. Keithley, Monkton, MD (US);
Daniel A. Hirschfeld, Timonium, MD (US);
Mark L. Lavelle, Govans, MD (US);
Bill Me Later Inc., Timonium, MD (US);
Abstract
A method of providing a variable credit account to a consumer () is provided. The method includes the steps of: offering, by a credit issuer (), a variable credit account to a consumer () by telephone, electronically, mail or at an in-store location; accepting, by the consumer (), the offer; opening, by the credit issuer, the variable credit account () for the consumer (), where the account includes an open-ended loan portion () and a close-ended loan portion (). The method may further include the steps of initially activating the open-ended loan portion () when the initial offer is made electronically, by mail or at an in-store location; and initially activating a close-ended loan portion () of the account when the initial offer is made at any point-of-sale. A system and apparatus for providing a variable credit account to a consumer () is also discussed.