Method and apparatus for processing credit card transactions
View Patent ↗Systems and methods are disclosed whereby credit and debit card transactions are processed at a merchant point-of-sale terminal in a manner that provides customers the opportunity to receive one or more charge enhancement offers which are presented to the customer on a record of charge.
1. An apparatus for providing an offer during a transaction between a merchant and a customer, comprising: a processor, and
a storage device in communication with the processor, the storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor direct the processor that is configured to perform:
receiving a request for authorization of a purchase amount, the purchase amount to be paid from a financial account of the customer;
determining an offer based on the received request;
transmitting an authorization of the purchase amount;
transmitting the offer for output to the customer on a record of charge wherein the record of charge includes a first signature line associated with and for indicating acceptance of the purchase amount only and a second signature line associated with and for indicating acceptance of the offer output on the record of charge;
receiving an acceptance of the offer by the customer; and
providing a benefit to the customer after receiving the acceptance, in which the offer defines an obligation for the customer to fulfill in exchange for the benefit.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , the storage device storing instructions that when executed by, the processor direct the processor further to perform:
determining that the customer has signed the second signature line of the record.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the offer is a cross-subsidy offer and in which the benefit comprises a discount toward the purchase amount.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which the offer is selected from the group consisting of:
a supplemental product offer for the obligation of an additional payment in addition to the purchase amount to be provided by the customer in exchanged for a supplemental product, and
a cross-subsidy offer for providing a discount toward the purchase amount in exchange for the obligation of the customer accepting an offer of a third party other than the customer and the merchant.
5. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which receiving the request comprises receiving the request by a central controller.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which receiving the acceptance comprises receiving the acceptance by a central controller.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , the storage device storing instructions that when executed by the processor direct the processor further to perform:
adjusting an available credit limit of the financial account based on the indicated acceptance of the offer.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , in which adjusting comprises:
providing a discount on the purchase amount.
9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein adjusting comprises:
providing a reward of alternate currency after the acceptance.
10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the authorization comprises:
determining whether the financial account is in good standing; and
transmitting the authorization for the transaction if the financial account is in good standing.
11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the account is in good standing comprises:
determining whether an available balance of the financial account is at least zero.
12. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein determining whether the account is in good standing comprises:
determining whether an available balance of the financial account is at least zero after acceptance of the offer by the customer.
13. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein transmitting the offer further comprises:
determining whether the financial account is in good standing; and
transmitting the offer for output to the customer on a record of charge if the financial account is in good standing.
14. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein determining whether the account is in good standing comprises:
determining whether an available balance of the financial account is at least zero.
15. The apparatus of claim 13 , wherein the step of determining whether the account is in good standing comprises:
determining whether an available balance of the financial account is at least zero after acceptance of the offer by the customer.
16. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the offer is determined based on a product identifier of a product purchased during the transaction.
17. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the offer is determined based on a merchant identifier.
18. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the offer is determined based on the purchase amount.
19. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the offer comprises a requirement that the customer use a service for a predetermined time.