IP Library Granted Patent US 11,836,716
Granted Patent B2
US 11,836,716 · App. 17/843,744 · Granted Dec 5, 2023

Systems and methods for performing funds freeze and/or funds seizure with respect to prepaid payment cards

Inventors: Patrick James Moran (Cincinnati, OH); Nancy Joann Vance (Cincinnati, OH); Michele Suzanne Herron (Cincinnati, OH); Thomas Edward Rafferty (Las Vegas, NV)
Assignee: Worldpay, LLC
G06Q20/38G06Q20/28G06Q20/342G06Q20/405G06Q20/407G06Q20/4016G06Q20/4037G06Q50/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,836,716
App. No.
17/843,744
Granted
Dec 5, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, mechanisms and processes are provided to allow law-enforcement officials, when encountering the potential use of prepaid payment cards in the furtherance of a crime or in relation to criminal activities, to (1) attempt to check the balances on such prepaid payment cards, including the ability to perform aggregate balance checks on a group of such prepaid cards, (2) attempt to freeze the funds on such prepaid payment cards, and/or (3) attempt to seize the funds on such prepaid payment cards.

Claims (60)

1. A method of processing a plurality of prepaid payment cards, comprising:

for each prepaid payment card of the plurality of prepaid payment cards, receiving, by a card terminal or a Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards compliant computing device (PCI DSS computing device), card identification information;

determining, based on at least a portion of the card identification information, that an aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds a predetermined value;

for each prepaid payment card, generating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, at least one of a funds freeze transaction or a funds seizure transaction based on determining that the aggregate balance exceeds the predetermined value;

for each prepaid payment card, transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction to a payment card network and an issuer processor via a gateway to initiate a funds freeze or a funds seizure; and

updating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, a central database with the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, for each prepaid payment card:

confirming, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, that the card identification information falls within a predetermined range of BINS associated with prepaid payment card accounts that support balance inquiries; and

obtaining, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, card balance information from the issuer processor associated with the prepaid payment card,

wherein generating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction is further based at least in part on the card balance information.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

summing, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, the card balance information for the plurality of prepaid payment cards to obtain the aggregate balance; and

comparing, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, the aggregate balance against the predetermined value;

wherein the determining, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined amount of value comprises determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value, based on comparing the aggregate balance against the predetermined value, and

wherein the generating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction comprises generating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction, based on determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the generating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction is performed only when the aggregate balance exceeds the predetermined value.

5. The method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, a pre-authorization transaction to the payment card network in accordance with the card balance information.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, a negative file notification to the payment card network, resulting in the card identification information being placed on a negative file list of frozen accounts accessible by at least one of the payment card network and the issuer processor.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction and the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, a dedicated funds freeze transaction to the payment card network.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction and the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, a purchase transaction to the payment card network in accordance with the card balance information.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction and the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, a seizure file notification to the payment card network, resulting in the card identification information being placed on a seizure file list of seized accounts accessible by at least one of the payment card network and the issuer processor.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction and the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, a dedicated funds seizure transaction to the payment card network.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, to the payment card network and by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, the card identification information, the card balance information and one or more of:

law enforcement jurisdiction identification information;

law enforcement badge identification information;

authorization PIN information;

freeze time-frame information; or

warrant identification information.

12. A device for processing a plurality of prepaid payment cards comprising:

a memory configured to store instructions; and

a processor configured to execute the instructions to perform operations comprising:

for each prepaid payment card of the plurality of prepaid payment cards, receiving card identification information;

determining, based on at least a portion of the card identification information, that an aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds a predetermined value;

for each prepaid payment card, generating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, at least one of a funds freeze transaction or a funds seizure transaction based on determining that the aggregate balance exceeds the predetermined value;

for each prepaid payment card, transmitting the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction to a payment card network and an issuer processor via a gateway to initiate a funds freeze or a funds seizure; and

updating a central database with the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction.

13. The device of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

confirming that the card identification information falls within a predetermined range of BINS associated with prepaid payment card accounts that support balance inquiries; and

obtaining card balance information from the issuer processor associated with the prepaid payment card,

wherein generating the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction is further based at least in part on the card balance information.

14. The device of claim 12 , wherein the operations further comprise:

summing the card balance information for the plurality of prepaid payment cards to obtain the aggregate balance; and

comparing the aggregate balance against the predetermined value; and

wherein the determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value comprises determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value, based on comparing the aggregate balance against the predetermined value, and

wherein the generating the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction comprises generating the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction, based on determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value.

15. The device of claim 12 , wherein the generating the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction is performed only when the aggregate balance exceeds the predetermined value.

16. The device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device and for each prepaid payment card, a pre-authorization transaction to the payment card network in accordance with the card balance information.

17. The device of claim 12 , wherein the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction involves transmitting a negative file notification to the payment card network, resulting in the card identification information being placed on a negative file list of frozen accounts accessible by at least one of the payment card network and the issuer processor.

18. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a device for processing a plurality of prepaid payment cards, causes the device to perform operations comprising:

for each prepaid payment card of the plurality of prepaid payment cards, receiving card identification information;

determining, based on at least a portion of the card identification information, that an aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds a predetermined value;

for each prepaid payment card, generating, by the card terminal or PCI DSS computing device, at least one of a funds freeze transaction or a funds seizure transaction based on determining that the aggregate balance exceeds the predetermined value;

for each prepaid payment card, transmitting the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction to a payment card network and an issuer processor via a gateway to initiate a funds freeze or a funds seizure; and

updating a central database with the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the operations further comprise:

summing the card balance information for the plurality of prepaid payment cards to obtain the aggregate balance; and

comparing the aggregate balance against the predetermined value; and

wherein the determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value comprises determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value, based on comparing the aggregate balance against the predetermined value, and

wherein the generating the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction comprises generating the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction, based on determining that the aggregate balance on the plurality of prepaid payment cards exceeds the predetermined value.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18 , wherein the generating the at least one of the funds freeze transaction or the funds seizure transaction is performed only when the aggregate balance exceeds the predetermined value.

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 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 12, 2022
From: VANTIV, LLC
To: WORLDPAY, LLC
Reel/Frame 060637/0160 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 8, 2022
From: MORAN, PATRICK J; HERRON, MICHELE SUZANNE; VANCE, NANCY JOANN; RAFFERTY, THOMAS EDWARD
To: VANTIV, LLC
Reel/Frame 060465/0083 →
Continuity (7)
Continuation 16825820 · Mar 20, 2020
Continuation 16117345 · Aug 30, 2018
Continuation 15619018 · Jun 9, 2017
Continuation 14270471 · May 6, 2014
Division 13858428 · Apr 8, 2013
Provisional Application 61644094 · May 8, 2012
Related Publication 20220327522A1 · Oct 13, 2022