Methods and systems for processing transactions for integrated credit and stored-value programs

1. A method for processing a transaction with a customer at a point of sale, the method comprising:

receiving, at a point-of-sale device, a cost for the transaction;

receiving, at the point-of-sale device from an instrument, an instrument identifier identifying the instrument, wherein the instrument identifier is associated with a stored-value account and a credit account, and wherein the stored-value account and the credit account were linked to the instrument identifier at a remote host substantially contemporaneously with issuance of the instrument to the customer;

transmitting, from the point-of-sale device to the remote host, the instrument identifier;

receiving, at the point-of-sale device from the remote host, account information relating to the stored-value account and the credit account linked to the instrument identifier, the account information generated by the remote host based at least in part on the instrument identifier;

generating, based at least in part on the account information, a request to select a distribution of the cost for the transaction among the stored-value and credit accounts;

displaying, at the point of sale device, the request;

receiving, at the point of sale device, a response to the request that identifies a selected distribution identifying a first nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the stored-value account and a second nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the credit account; and

transmitting, from the point-of-sale device, instructions to apply the cost for the transaction to the stored-value and credit accounts in accordance with the received response.

2. The method recited in claim 1 wherein generating the request comprises generating a request for the customer to select one of the stored-value or credit accounts for application of the cost for the transaction.

3. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising verifying that the transaction qualifies for application of the cost to the stored-value account.

4. The method recited in claim 1 further comprising verifying that the transaction qualifies for application of the cost to the credit account.

5. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the request identifies a current value stored in the stored-value account.

6. The method recited in claim 5 wherein the request includes an option to apply an amount of the cost for the transaction in excess of the current value stored in the stored-value account to the credit account.

7. The method recited in claim 1 wherein the cost for the transaction exceeds a current value stored in the stored-value account and the instructions include:

a request to apply a portion of the cost equal to the current value stored in the stored-value account to the stored-value account; and

a request to apply an excess of the cost over the current value stored in the stored-value account to the credit account.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the request includes an explicit option that all of the stored-value card value be applied to the transaction and excess be applied to the credit account.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes a first maximum amount that may be applied to the credit account, the first maximum amount being less than the cost for the transaction.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:

modifying, with a writer at the point-of-sale device, the credit account information in the instrument to reflect use of the second nonzero portion.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the request includes a second maximum amount that may be applied to the stored-value account, the second maximum amount being less than the cost for the transaction.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

extracting the second maximum amount information from the instrument.

13. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

receiving the second maximum amount information from the host system.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein,

the request includes a minimum nonzero amount that is required to be paid in cash; and

the minimum nonzero amount is included in the displayed request.

15. A system for processing a transaction with a customer at a point of sale, the system comprising:

a remote host, configured to store an instrument identifier identifying an instrument associated with a stored-value account and a credit account, wherein the stored-value account and the credit account were linked to the instrument identifier at the remote host; and

a point-of-sale device, remote to the host, and configured to:

receive a cost for the transaction;

receive the instrument identifier from the instrument;

transmit the instrument identifier to the remote host;

receive, from the remote host, account information relating to the stored-value account and the credit account linked to the instrument identifier, the account information being generated by the remote host based at least in part on the instrument identifier;

generate, based at least in part on the account information, a request to select a distribution of the cost for the transaction among the stored-value and credit accounts;

display the request;

receive a response to the request that identifies a selected distribution identifying a first nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the stored-value account and a second nonzero portion of the cost for the transaction to be applied to the credit account; and

transmit instructions to apply the cost for the transaction to the stored-value and credit accounts in accordance with the received response.

16. The system recited in claim 15 , wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

verify that the transaction qualifies for application of the cost to at least one of the stored-value account or the credit account.

17. The system recited in claim 15 , wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

identify a current value stored in the stored-value account.

18. The system recited in claim 17 , wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

apply an amount of the cost for the transaction in excess of the current value stored in the stored-value account to the credit account.

19. The system recited in claim 15 , wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

extract an amount of the cost for the transaction from the instrument.

20. The system recited in claim 15 , wherein the point-of-sale device is further configured to:

receive maximum amount information from the remote host relating to a maximum amount that may be applied for the transaction to at least one of the credit account or the stored-value account.