Patent ID: 7403907
Filing Date: 2008-07-22
Classification: A47F,G06Q,G07G

Abstract:
1. A method for accelerating sales transactions of customers in a retail store, comprising the acts of: reading a customer payment card number at a customer checkout accelerator; determining a preapproval amount for the sales transaction; displaying the preapproval sales transaction amount to the customer on the customer checkout accelerator for acceptance; transmitting the preapproval amount to an external card services system for approval; storing the approval amount in a preapproval cache at a point of sales terminal for use in completing the sales transaction; determining if the payment card is one or more of a credit card, a debit card, a customer loyalty card, an electronic/Internet wallet, or an electronic gift certificate; wherein if the payment card is a customer loyalty card, determining a preapproval amount that is based on an actual purchase history for the customer.