IP Library Granted Patent US 11,055,678
Granted Patent B1
US 11,055,678 · App. 15/856,737 · Granted Jul 6, 2021

Systems and methods for employer direct electronic payment

Inventor: Coy Christensen (Scottsdale, AZ)
Assignee: Worldpay, LLC
G06Q20/105G06Q20/202G06Q20/24G06Q20/341G06Q20/409G06Q40/125
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,055,678
App. No.
15/856,737
Granted
Jul 6, 2021
Kind
B1
Abstract

A method for conducting payment transaction by an employee using an employer payment system includes retrieving a token or an account identification from the employee payment card presented by a consumer, sending an authorization request with token, account identification and transaction data to an acquirer processor, identifying the employer and the employee associated with the token or account identification, determining whether the employee is authorized for the requested transaction based on an employee information from the employer's database, sending, to the employer, a transaction request from the point of sale terminal, transferring funds electronically from the employee's funds account or employer's account to the merchant in accordance with the transaction request between the merchant and the employee, and updating the employer's database with the transaction information once the transfer of funds is completed.

Claims (67)

1. A method for establishing an employer payment system, the method comprising:

registering at least one employer with the employer payment system hosted at an acquirer processor;

receiving, at the acquirer processor, information about at least one employee of the at least one employer from at least one database of the employer;

registering, at the acquirer processor, the at least one employee of the at least one employer with the employer payment system;

generating, by the acquirer processor, at least one of a token and account identification of the at least one registered employee;

issuing, by the acquirer processor, an employee payment card to the at least one employee identifying the at least one registered employee and employer;

receiving, by the acquirer processor, an authorization request with the at least one of the token and account identification of the at least one registered employee;

identifying, by the acquirer processor, the at least one registered employee associated with the at least one of the token and account identification of the at least one registered employee;

determining, by the acquirer processor, whether the employee is authorized for a requested transaction associated with the authorization request based on an employee information accessed from the at least one database of the employer;

sending, by the acquirer processor, to the point of sale terminal, an authorization for the requested transaction upon determining that the employee is authorized for the requested transaction;

upon receiving an approval authorization for the requested transaction, sending, by the acquirer processor, a transaction request from the point of sale terminal to at least one of an employee deposit account and a credit account associated with the employee;

upon receiving the transaction request from the point of sale terminal, transferring funds electronically from an employer's funds account in accordance with the transaction request between a merchant and employee, the transferring performed by the acquirer processor;

updating, by the acquirer processor, the at least one database of the employer with transaction information associated with the requested transaction once the transfer of funds is completed; and

settling, by the acquirer processor, the transaction between the employer and the employee.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, issuing, by the acquirer processor, a deposit account to the at least one employee, wherein the at least one employee deposits his/her earnings.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, issuing, by the acquirer processor, a credit account to the at least one employee according to the at least one employee the information accessed from the at least one database of the employer.

4. A method for conducting a payment transaction by an employee using an employer payment system, the method comprising:

retrieving, at a point of sale terminal of a merchant, at least one a of token and account identification from an employee payment card presented by a consumer;

sending an authorization request with at least one of a token, account identification, and transaction data to an acquirer processor;

identifying, by the acquirer processor, an employee associated with the at least one of the token and account identification;

determining, by the acquirer processor, whether the employee is authorized for a requested transaction associated with the authorization request according to employee information accessed from a database of the employer;

receiving, at the point of sale terminal, from the acquirer processor the authorization for the requested transaction upon determining that the employee is authorized for the requested transaction;

upon receiving an approval authorization for the requested transaction, sending, to an employer, a transaction request from the point of sale terminal;

upon receiving the transaction request from the point of sale terminal, transferring funds electronically in accordance with the transaction request between the merchant and employee;

updating, using the acquirer processor, the database of the employer with transaction information associated with the requested transaction once the transfer of funds is completed; and

settling the transaction between the employer and the employee at least one of at a time of the transaction and a periodic basis depending on the type of purchases made.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the transferring the funds electronically, comprises:

transferring funds electronically from the employee's deposit account to the merchant in accordance with the transaction request between the merchant and the employee.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the transfer of funds electronically comprises:

transferring funds electronically from an employer's funds account according to credit available to the employee in his/her credit account.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, sending, upon determining the authorization request cannot be authorized, using the acquirer processor, transaction rejection message to the point of sale terminal to the merchant.

8. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, presenting at least one of the employee's transaction information, deposit account, employer issued credit, and employee's buying habits to the employer.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:

analyzing employee's transaction information and buying habits; and

enabling the employer to offer services and benefits to the employee around an employee's salary and buying habits.

10. The method of claim 4 , further comprising, presenting at least one of the employee's transaction information, deposit account, employer issued credit, and employer offered services and benefits to the employee.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the employee information comprises at least one of employee's pay data, allotted credit and available deposit funds.

12. The method of claim 4 , further comprising requiring a minimum balance within an employer's funds account in order to support settlement needs.

13. The method in claim 4 , wherein the transaction request is at least one of a purchase request, a bill pay request, and a cash withdrawal request.

14. A system for conducting a payment transaction by an employee using employer funds, the system comprising:

a memory having processor-readable instructions stored therein; and

an acquirer processor configured to access the memory and execute the processor-readable instructions, which when executed configures the acquirer processor to perform a plurality of functions, including functions to:

register at least one employer;

receive information about at least one employee of the at least one employer from at least one database of the employer;

register the at least one employee of the at least one employer;

generate at least one of a token and account identification of the at least one registered employee;

issue an employee payment card to the at least one employee identifying the at least one registered employee and employer;

receive an authorization request with the at least one of the token and account identification;

identify an employer and an employee associated with the at least one of the token and account identification;

determine whether the employee is authorized for a requested transaction associated with the authorization request based on an employee information accessed from the database of the employer;

send, to the point of sale terminal, the authorization for the requested transaction upon determining that the employee is authorized for the requested transaction;

upon receiving an approval authorization for the requested transaction, send, to at least one of an employee deposit account and a credit account associated with the employee;

upon receiving the transaction request from the point of sale terminal, transfer funds electronically from an employer's funds account in accordance with the transaction request between a merchant and the employee;

update the database of the employer with transaction information associated with the transaction request once the transfer of funds is completed; and

settle the transaction between the employer and the employee.

15. The system of claim 14 , the acquirer processor further configured to perform functions to issue a deposit account to the employee, wherein the at least one employee deposits his/her earnings.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the acquirer processor is further configured to perform functions to issue a credit account to the at least one employee based on the employee's pay information accessed from the database of the employer.

17. The system of claim 14 , the acquirer processor further configured to perform functions to:

transfer funds electronically from the employee's deposit account to the merchant.

18. The system of claim 14 , the acquirer processor further configured to perform functions to:

transfer funds electronically based on a credit available to the employee in his/her credit account.

19. The system of claim 14 , the acquirer processor further configured to perform functions to:

associate, upon the employee changing from a first employer to a second employer, the at least one of the token and account identification with database of the second employer; and

transfer, at least one of the employer credit and deposit account associated with the first employer to the second employer according to the terms and conditions established by at the first employer and the second employer.

20. The system of claim 14 , the acquirer processor further configured to perform functions to:

cancel the employee payment card when the employee loses his/her employment; and

transfer at least one of the employer credit and deposit account associated the at least one employer to at least one financial institution according to the terms and conditions established by at least one employer and the at least one financial institution.

Assignments (6)
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTERESTS RECORDED AT REEL/FRAMES 066626/0655, 066625/0426, 066625/0347, AND 066625/0276 Recorded Jan 12, 2026
From: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WORLDPAY, LLC; WORLDPAY ISO AND ECOMMERCE, LLC; PAYMETRIC, LLC; WORLDPAY US, LLC
Reel/Frame 074314/0622 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST IN INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RECORDED AT R/F 066624/0719 Recorded Jan 12, 2026
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: WORLDPAY, LLC
Reel/Frame 074315/0412 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2024
From: WORLDPAY, LLC
To: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066624/0719 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 19, 2024
From: WORLDPAY, LLC
To: WILMINGTON TRUST, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, AS NOTES COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 066626/0655 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Aug 6, 2018
From: VANTIV, LLC
To: WORLDPAY, LLC
Reel/Frame 046723/0234 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 28, 2017
From: CHRISTENSEN, COY
To: VANTIV, LLC
Reel/Frame 044501/0872 →