Methods and systems for managing transaction card accounts
A method and system for managing transaction card accounts involves providing a customer a transaction card account by a financial institution against which the customer can charge predetermined types of transactions during predefined account statement periods and sending a statement of charges against the account to the customer at an end of each account statement period specifying a due date, after which a predefined late fee is assessed on the account if the statement is not paid. However, the late fee is automatically waived on the account within specified products if the customer makes a purchase or secures a cash advance during the account statement period for which the payment is due. Further, a voice response unit of the financial institution gives the customer a first menu option to opt out of a voice response unit scripted call and speak directly to a live representative about the account at any time during the call.
1. A computer implemented method for managing a transaction card account, comprising:
providing, using a computer, a statement to a customer of charges against a transaction card account of the customer for a predetermined account statement period at an end of the account statement period specifying a due date and predetermined criteria for assessing a late fee;
conditionally assessing, using the computer, a predefined late fee on the account when the statement is not paid by the specified due date;
waiving, using the computer, the conditionally assessed late fee on the account when the customer made a charge against the account according to predefined parameters during the statement period for which payment of the statement is due by the specified due date.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing the transaction card account to the customer by a financial institution.
3. The method of claim 2 , wherein providing the transaction card account further comprises providing any of a basic card account, a rewards card account, and a cash card account to the customer by the financial institution.
4. The method of claim 2 , wherein providing the transaction card account further comprises providing the transaction card account against which the customer can charge purchase and cash advance transactions.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein waiving the conditionally assessed late fee further comprises waiving the conditionally assessed late fee on the account when the customer made a charge against the account for a purchase or a cash advance transaction during the statement period for which payment of the statement is due by the specified due date.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein waiving the conditionally assessed late fee further comprises waiving the conditionally assessed late fee on the account when the customer made the charge against the account for the purchase or the cash advance transaction during the statement period for which the payment of the statement is due based on a date on which the purchase or cash advance transaction was posted to the account rather than on a date on which the purchase or cash advance transaction was made.
7. The method of claim 5 , wherein waiving the conditionally assessed late fee further comprises displaying an amount of the waived late fee on a succeeding statement of charges against the account which specifies that the late fee is waived.
8. The method of claim 5 , wherein waiving the conditionally assessed late fee further comprises waiving the conditionally assessed late fee on the account when the customer made the charge for the purchase or cash advance transaction during the statement period for which payment of the statement is due by the specified due date, excluding at least balance transfers, against the account during the statement period for which payment of the statement is due by the specified due date.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein waiving the conditionally assessed late fee further comprises waiving the conditionally assessed late fee on the account when the customer made the charge against the account during the statement period for which payment of the statement is due by the specified due date without limitation on a number or amount of waived late fees.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a voice response unit in a customer service operational area within the financial institution that allows the customer an option to opt out of a voice response unit scripted call and speak directly to a customer service representative about the account at any time during a call.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the voice response unit further comprises providing the voice response unit which allows the customer to opt out of the voice response unit scripted call and speak directly to the customer service representative about the account by pressing “0” at any time during the call and being connected with a next available customer service representative.
12. The method of claim 11 , wherein providing the voice response unit further comprises prompting the customer to enter the customer's account number into the voice response unit and passing the account automatically from the voice response unit to the customer service representative upon opting out of the voice response unit scripted call and to speak direct to the customer service representative by the customer.
13. The method of claim 10 , wherein providing the voice response unit further comprises providing a voice response unit menu with a first menu option to route the customer to the customer service representative.
14. A system for managing a transaction card account, comprising:
a computer programmed for:
providing a statement to a customer of charges against a transaction card account of the customer for a predetermined account statement period at an end of the account statement period specifying a due date and predetermined criteria for assessing a late fee;
conditionally assessing a predefined late fee on the account when the statement is not paid by the specified due date;
waiving the conditionally assessed late fee on the account when the customer made a charge against the account according to predefined parameters during the statement period for which payment of the statement is due by the specified due date.