IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,340,368

Granted Patent B2

US 12,340,368 · App. 18/473,134 · Granted Jun 24, 2025

Method and system for federated virtual card

Inventors: Akon Samir Dey (Foster City, CA); Kingdom Nwachi Iweajunwa (Cedar Park, TX)

Assignee: Visa International Service Association

G06Q20/401 G06Q20/351

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12,340,368
App. No.: 18/473,134
Granted: Jun 24, 2025
Kind: B2

External Links

USPTO Patent Center↗ Full Patent PDF↗

Abstract

Embodiments provide methods and systems for associating a single token with multiple accounts of a user, and enabling the user to define rules for processing transactions using the token. A Federated Virtual Card (FVC) may be provisioned on a digital wallet of a user device through a token associated with the FVC. Transactions conducted using the FVC may be divided among the two or more user accounts based on user-defined rules. An account (e.g. card) may be added to or removed from the FVC without disrupting the card holder's ability to use the card to transact outside the FVC. A mobile application or an online platform may be provided for managing the FVC.

Claims (97)

1. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a server computer, a token associated with a virtual card;

provisioning, by the server computer, the token on a digital wallet stored on a user device to represent the virtual card on the digital wallet by transmitting the token to the digital wallet on the user device, wherein the token is a proxy for a virtual card identifier associated with the virtual card;

storing, by the server computer, an active association of two or more of a plurality of accounts of a user and the virtual card and the token as a first entry on a database, wherein the token is a proxy for the virtual card and therefore for the two or more of the plurality of accounts based on the active association;

receiving, by the server computer, an authorization request message associated with a first transaction including the token instead of identifiers for the two or more of the plurality of accounts;

identifying, by the server computer, the token in the authorization request message;

retrieving, by the server computer from the database, the virtual card and account identifiers for the two or more of the plurality of accounts that are actively associated with the virtual card at a time of the authorization request message based on the token;

processing, by the server computer, the first transaction using the two or more of the plurality of accounts, wherein the processing comprises:

identifying two or more issuers associated with the two or more of the plurality of accounts based on an issuer identifier incorporated in each one of the identifiers for the two or more of the plurality of accounts;

generating an issuer-specific authorization request message for each one of the two or more issuers;

transmitting, by the server computer, the issuer-specific authorization request message to each one of the two or more issuers associated with the two or more of the plurality of accounts; and

receiving, by the server computer, an authorization response message from each of the two or more issuers in response to each issuer-specific authorization request message;

determining, by the server computer, all authorization response messages are received from each of the two or more issuers;

aggregating, by the server computer, all authorization response messages from each of the two or more issuers into an aggregated authorization response message, wherein the first transaction is authorized if all of the two or more issuers authorized their respective portions of the first transaction; and

transmitting, by the server computer, the aggregated authorization response message to a resource provider including a merchant.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

storing, by the server computer, a passive association between the token and the plurality of accounts of the user at the database;

providing, by the server computer, a list of the plurality of accounts of the user that are eligible to be associated with the token; and

receiving, by the server computer, a first selection of two or more of the plurality of accounts.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

transmitting, by the server computer, a message to an issuer of each one of the plurality of accounts informing each issuer of the passive association between the token and an account issued by the issuer.

4. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server computer, a second selection of two or more of the plurality of accounts from the user;

storing, by the server computer, an active association of the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection and the token as a second entry on the database;

receiving, by the server computer, an authorization request message associated with a second transaction including the token; and

processing, by the server computer, the second transaction using the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second entry replaces the first entry.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein both the first entry and the second entry are stored in the database.

7. The method of claim 4 , further comprising:

identifying properties of the first transaction and the second transaction;

determining that the first transaction is to be processed using the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the first selection based on the properties of the first transaction; and

determining that the second transaction is to be processed using the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection based on the properties of the second transaction.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the active association further includes instructions to split an amount of the first transaction among the two or more of the plurality of accounts according to a predetermined scheme.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein processing the first transaction using the two or more of the plurality of accounts further comprises:

receiving, by the server computer, a decline authorization response message from an issuer of an account;

receiving, by the server computer, a second selection of one or more of the plurality of accounts from the user, wherein the second selection removes the account associated with the issuer transmitting the decline authorization response message; and

continue processing, by the server computer, the first transaction using the one or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving, by the server computer, a request to add an additional account to be associated with the token in addition to the two or more of the plurality of accounts, wherein the request includes at least (1) the token, and (2) an account identifier for the additional account, wherein the additional account was not included among the plurality of accounts of the user;

analyzing, by the server computer, the database to confirm that the token is a valid token; and

creating, by the server computer on the database, an additional active association from the token to the additional account, wherein the additional active association indicates that the token is the proxy for (1) the two or more of the plurality of accounts, and (2) the additional account.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform steps comprising:

obtaining a token associated with a virtual card;

provisioning the token on a digital wallet stored on a user device to represent the virtual card on the digital wallet by transmitting the token to the digital wallet on the user device, wherein the token is a proxy for a virtual card identifier associated with the virtual card;

storing an active association of two or more of a plurality of accounts of a user and the virtual card and the token as a first entry on a database, wherein the token is a proxy for the virtual card and therefore for the two or more of the plurality of accounts based on the active association;

receiving an authorization request message associated with a first transaction including the token instead of identifiers for the two or more of the plurality of accounts;

identifying the token in the authorization request message;

retrieving, from the database, the virtual card and account identifiers for the two or more of the plurality of accounts that are actively associated with the virtual card at a time of the authorization request message based on the token;

processing the first transaction using the two or more of the plurality of accounts, wherein the processing comprises:

generating an issuer-specific authorization request message for each one of the two or more issuers;

transmitting the issuer-specific authorization request message to each one of the two or more issuers associated with the two or more of the plurality of accounts; and

receiving an authorization response message from each of the two or more issuers in response to each issuer-specific authorization request message;

determining all authorization response messages are received from each of the two or more issuers;

aggregating all authorization response messages from each of the two or more issuers into an aggregated authorization response message, wherein the first transaction is authorized if all of the two or more issuers authorized their respective portions of the first transaction; and

transmitting the aggregated authorization response message to a resource provider including a merchant.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform steps including:

storing a passive association between the token and the plurality of accounts of the user at the database;

providing a list of the plurality of accounts of the user that are eligible to be associated with the token; and

receiving a first selection of two or more of the plurality of accounts.

13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform steps including:

transmitting a message to an issuer of each one of the plurality of accounts informing each issuer of the passive association between the token and an account issued by the issuer.

14. The system of claim 12 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform steps including:

receiving a second selection of two or more of the plurality of accounts from the user;

storing an active association of the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection and the token as a second entry on the database;

receiving an authorization request message associated with a second transaction including the token; and

processing the second transaction using the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection.

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform steps including:

identifying properties of the first transaction and the second transaction;

determining that the first transaction is to be processed using the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the first selection based on the properties of the first transaction; and

determining that the second transaction is to be processed using the two or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection based on the properties of the second transaction.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein the active association further includes instructions to split an amount of the first transaction among the two or more of the plurality of accounts according to a predetermined scheme.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform steps including:

receiving a decline authorization response message from an issuer of an account;

receiving a second selection of one or more of the plurality of accounts from the user, wherein the second selection removes the account associated with the issuer transmitting the decline authorization response message; and

continue processing the first transaction using the one or more of the plurality of accounts identified in the second selection.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to perform steps including:

receiving a request to add an additional account to be associated with the token in addition to the two or more of the plurality of accounts, wherein the request includes at least (1) the token, and (2) an account identifier for the additional account, wherein the additional account was not included among the plurality of accounts of the user;

analyzing the database to confirm that the token is a valid token; and

creating, on the database, an additional active association from the token to the additional account, wherein the additional active association indicates that the token is the proxy for (1) the two or more of the plurality of accounts, and (2) the additional account.

19. A method comprising:

obtaining, by a server computer, a token associated with a virtual card, wherein the token is provisioned on a user device to represent the virtual card on a digital wallet of the user device;

transmitting, by the server computer, a message to an issuer of each one of the two or more of the plurality of accounts informing each issuer of the active association between the token and an account issued by the issuer;