VEHICLE TRANSACTION SYSTEM AND METHOD
A financial system and method for facilitating the payment of tolls, parking and related transactions. A customer registers a vehicle and registers one or more single financial accounts with the system. The financial system updates the list of active vehicles and submits a vehicle status list to participating toll systems. The customer uses a particular toll system and the toll system detects the license plate. The toll system submits request for payment from the financial network after the toll occurs. The financial network charges the customer financial account and settles payment of the toll with the toll system.
1 . A method for processing transactions, comprising:
registration of a customer's vehicle and financial account with a processor;
transmittal of information regarding said vehicle to a toll facility;
detection of said vehicle by said toll facility;
notification of said processor that said vehicle has been detected at said toll facility;
payment of fees for said customer's use of said toll facility by debiting said customer's financial account and paying said toll facility.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the toll facility is a parking facility.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said information includes said vehicle's license plate number.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said information is said vehicle's Vehicle Identification Number.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle is detected by said toll facility through a barcode affixed to said vehicle.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle is detected by said toll facility through a radio frequency identification device associated with said vehicle.
7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said vehicle is detected by said toll facility through an active networking device associated with said vehicle.
8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said registration is performed online by said customer.
9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said customer receives notification of said payment on said customer's communication device.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said customer is requested to authorize said payment prior to said payment being made to said toll facility.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein, at the time of registration or thereafter, said customer designates a financial account for processing said payment when utilizing said toll facility during certain periods of time and designates another financial account for processing said payment when utilizing said toll facility during other periods.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said customer receives notification of said payment on said customer's communication device and said customer is provided with an option to refuse said payment.
13 . The method of claim 1 , wherein when said financial account is closed or contains insufficient funds to make said payment, said payment is made through another account designated by said customer.