SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR ELECTRONICALLY PROVIDING ELECTRONIC TRANSACTION RECORDS

Systems and methods are provided for facilitating automatic provisioning of electronic records to a user conducting transactions at transaction terminals and using a variety of different transaction accounts. In particular, the transaction terminal can automatically capture a unique universal identifier (global ID) associated with the user. Using the global ID, the transaction terminal or another remote transaction processing system can provide transaction information to an independent server device for automatic record provisioning. In some implementations, based on the global ID, the server can identify an electronic contact address for the user and automatically transmit an electronic record to the user or otherwise provide the user with on-demand access to the record. The system thereby provides an automated transaction experience that does not require the user to actively input a contact address into the transaction terminal in order for the record to be automatically provided to the user.

TECHNICAL FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

This patent application relates generally to the field of electronic transactions and, in particular, electronic systems configured to automatically generate electronic transaction records.

BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE

Financial transactions are often performed by users at computer terminals. For example, bank transactions performed at an automated teller machine (ATM). By way of further example, point-of-sale (POS) devices are often used to conduct financial transactions between a consumer and a merchant for payment of goods or services.

With the widespread use of wireless communications and sophisticated mobile devices such as smart phones, tablet computers and the like, merchants are also using Mobile Point of Sale (MPOS) technology to conduct financial transactions. MPOS technology allows mobile devices to be used as a point-of-sale terminal. This is typically achieved by adding a hardware device (e.g., a dongle/card-reader, contactless transaction device reader, etc.) to accept electronic transaction information, thereby transforming a mobile phone into a POS device.

Many consumers use transaction cards, such as debit cards, credit cards or prepaid cards having magnetic strips or computer chips to complete such financial transactions. Another method for completing these transactions is “contactless” transaction, such as can be done using with PAYPASS® by Mastercard International Incorporated of Purchase N.Y., the assignee of the present disclosure. Using contactless transaction technology, consumers complete a payment transaction by bringing a contactless-enabled transaction device, such as a key fob, within proximity of a point-of-sale terminal reader, rather than swiping or inserting a card. With the rising popularity of near field communications (NFC) equipped smartphones, consumers are also completing contactless transactions using their smart phones instead of the traditional wireless transaction key fobs.

As would be understood, many financial transactions are memorialized in a record for the parties to the transaction. Traditionally, this is in the form of a paper receipt printed at a transaction terminal using a connected printer. In general, MPOS devices do not, by themselves, provide paper receipts. Although paper receipts can be provided by an attached printer, receipts are usually provided electronically to the consumer, for example, by short messaging service (SMS) to the consumer's telephone number or via e-mail. In some implementations, fixed transaction terminals can also be configured to transmit receipts electronically to consumers.

One drawback to transactions in which electronic receipts are transmitted to the consumer is that the consumer is required to enter their electronic contact addresses (e.g., e-mail, telephone number, etc.) into the POS/MPOS terminal. This is a lengthy and cumbersome process requiring active input that ultimately can hinder the user experience and use of these technologies. For example, when faced with a lengthy multi-step process to enter a contact address the consumer may prefer to pay with cash or not receive a receipt. In addition, the entry process is error prone, for example, typographical errors, and therefore the electronic receipts are often not transmitted to the appropriate electronic contact address.

Another barrier to performing transactions using POS devices is that the consumer often lacks trust in the electronic devices being used and/or the merchant using the POS device. For example, a consumer may be hesitant to share personal contact information using a POS device because the merchant's device or transaction processing system can be prone to hacking. In addition some customers may not be comfortable providing personal information to merchants for privacy reasons, say, for fear of unwanted contact from the merchant or sharing of personal contact information.

Similar drawbacks exist in systems for conducting other types of transactions that are commonly conducted between a user and a third-party and that are processed using, at least in part, electronic means. Transactions should be understood to include any type of agreement or arrangement established between a user and another party and that are commonly memorialized in a record, for example and without limitation, arrangements relating to goods, services and the like (e.g., ticketing for travel, reservations for lodging and entertainment, membership rewards, subscriptions for goods or services, promotional offers and the like). Moreover, existing systems for maintaining electronic records of a user's transactions are unable to effectively compile records across different service providers that are generally configured to operate independently and are not integrated.

As such, what is desired is a system that automatically identifies a user conducting a transaction so as to automatically provide the user with or access-to an electronic record and maintain electronic records relating to the transactions. It is also preferable that the system does so without requiring sensitive user information such as a personal electronic contact address for the user. It is also desirable to provide a system that can automatically identify and provide access to such records and related value adding services to users who have multiple transaction cards, user accounts and the like and for different types of transactions conducted across a variety of different and independent service providers. Furthermore, it is desirable to capture the necessary user information and other preferences for facilitating automatic record provisioning in a manner that enhances user privacy.

SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE

Technologies are presented herein in support of a system and method for facilitating an automatic provisioning of electronic records to a user completing transactions using a computing terminal.

According to a first aspect, the method for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user completing a financial transaction at a transaction terminal using a transaction account associated with a first payment network among a plurality of payment networks is provided. The method includes providing a record provisioning application by a server to a transaction processor that is coupled to a transaction terminal and processes the financial transaction using the transaction account associated with the first payment network. The method also includes receiving a record provisioning request at the server over a communication network from the transaction processor in connection with processing of the financial transaction. The record provisioning request includes transaction information, transaction account information and non-transaction account information including a global ID. The method also includes identifying a user profile associated with the global ID among a plurality of user profiles stored in a non-transitory storage medium wherein the user profile includes one or more electronic contact addresses and one or more contact preferences. The method also includes confirming, by the server to the transaction processor based on the identification of the user profile, that the record provisioning request is processable. The method also includes generating, by the server based on the one or more contact preferences and the transaction information and the transaction account information, an electronic record concerning the financial transaction. The method further includes transmitting the electronic record by the server over the communication network to the electronic contact address. According to the method, the generating and transmitting steps are performed by the server free of contact with the transaction terminal and irrespective of the particular payment network associated with the transaction account.

According to another aspect, a method for facilitating an automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user completing a financial transaction at a transaction terminal using a transaction account associated with a first payment network among a plurality of payment networks is provided. The method includes the step of receiving a record provisioning application, at a transaction processor from a server, wherein the transaction processor is coupled to the transaction terminal. The method also includes the step of receiving, at the transaction processor from the transaction terminal, transaction information, transaction account information and non-transaction account information including a global ID. The method also includes the step of processing the financial transaction using the transaction information, and transaction account information by the transaction processor. The method also includes the step of executing, in a processor of the transaction processing device, the record provisioning application. The record provisioning application configures the transaction processor to perform the step of transmitting, by the transaction processor to the server over a communication network a record provisioning request including the transaction information, the transaction account information and the non-transaction account information including the global ID. In accordance with the method, the record provisioning request is transmitted irrespective of the particular payment network associated with the transaction account. The method also includes the step of awaiting, by the transaction processor, record of a confirmation from the server that the record provisioning request is processable by the server. The method also includes the step of concluding the processing of the financial transaction by the transaction processor based on record of the confirmation from the server. In addition the method includes the step of transmitting, by the transaction processor to the server, a notification of the conclusion of the processing of the financial transaction.

These and other aspects, features, and advantages can be appreciated from the accompanying description of certain embodiments of the invention and the accompanying drawing figures and claims.

By way of overview and introduction, various systems and methods are described herein that facilitate the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a computing device. The systems and methods described herein enable a series of operations whereby the user can conduct a transaction at a computing device (referred to herein as the “transaction terminal”) and the system is configured to automatically provision an electronic record of the transaction. For example, in one exemplary implementation, the transaction can be a financial transaction such as, the purchase of goods from a merchant at a point-of-sale device (POS) device or a mobile-point-of-sale (MPOS) device, or a banking transaction conducted at an automated teller machine (ATM). Preferably the user completes the transaction using a personal transaction device, such as, a transaction or payment card, or an electronic device enabled to conduct contactless transactions. In furtherance of the transaction, the transaction terminal can read transaction account information (e.g., bank account information, payment card information, rewards account information and the like) from the user's personal transaction device and process the transaction accordingly. In addition, as further described herein, the system is configured to automatically provision an electronic record of the transaction.

According to an aspect of the disclosed embodiments, the transaction terminal can also automatically capture a unique identifier of the user (referred to herein and in the figures as “global ID” or “One-ID”). Preferably, the global ID is assigned to the user independent of the underlying transaction account used by the user to conduct the transaction (e.g., a payment account associated with a credit provider or bank, or a rewards program account associated with a rewards card and the like). The global ID can be stored in the memory of the personal transaction device being used in connection with a transaction, another personal transaction device or can otherwise be known to the user and provided to the transaction terminal. The global ID and the associated record provisioning user-account can be maintained by a server that can be integrated with or associated with one or more transaction accounts. Transaction accounts can include, for example and without limitation, a credit or debit card account, an electronic transaction account, a user rewards account and the like. The user identifier can also be stored by the server in association with one or more stored electronic contact addresses for the user, for instance, an e-mail address, cellular telephone number, and the like.

The transaction terminal can be further configured to transmit the transaction account information and the global ID to one or more remote transaction processing systems. Accordingly, the remote computing devices can process the transaction. According to a salient aspect, one or more of the remote computing systems that traditionally process transactions in a manner that would be understood by those in the art can be communicatively coupled to the record provisioning server and can relay information including the transaction details and, preferably, the global ID. Using the global ID, the server can identify the particular user, identify the user's stored user profile and associated electronic contact addresses and can automatically provision an electronic record of the transaction.

Automatic provisioning, as further described herein, can include the compiling records of one or more transactions such that the records are accessible to a user on-demand, for instance, through an internet or application based portal. Provisioning should also be understood to include transmitting an electronic record to the user's contact address. In addition, the server can provide other push notifications relating to the user's transaction activity across a variety of different transaction accounts. Moreover, as noted above, the server can maintain a record of all of the user's transactions using the various transaction accounts and is also configured to provide a user portal through which the user can log-in and view the comprehensive records. In addition, the server can be further integrated with value added service (VAS) providers thereby enabling VAS providers to access the user payment records and provide VAS offers, promotions and benefits to users based on a wide array of transaction activity thereby providing additional value to the user.

The system thereby provides a uniquely automated transaction experience for the user in which a record is seamlessly provided electronically to the user without, a) requiring a user to actively input an electronic contact address into the transaction terminal, or b) requiring the electronic contact address to be stored in the memory of the personal transaction device and retrieved by the transaction terminal. In addition, the system thereby provides a more private transaction as personal contact information like an email address is not available to the operator or owner of the transaction terminal being used to conduct the transaction. The system also requires little modification or adjustment to legacy transaction processing infrastructure and processes.

It can be appreciated that any compiling of a user's transaction information or providing automatic access to a user's transaction information, contact information, transaction account information and the like would be subject to applicable data privacy and data usages laws. It should also be understood that the user can also require authorization before the server retrieves such information or provides it to third-parties such as VAS providers, issuers, acquirers, merchants and the like. Thus, it should be apparent that in the exemplary system and method described herein, depending on applicable laws and regulations, a consumer can opt-in, thereby consenting to the use of their transaction history as well as any other personal information he or she provides.

The systems and methods for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal are now described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which one or more illustrated embodiments and/or arrangements of the systems and methods are shown. The systems and methods are not limited in any way to the illustrated embodiments and/or arrangements as the illustrated embodiments and/or arrangements described below are merely exemplary of the systems and methods, which can be embodied in various forms, as appreciated by one skilled in the art. Therefore, it is to be understood that any structural and functional details disclosed herein are not to be interpreted as limiting the systems and methods, but rather, are provided as a representative embodiment and/or arrangement for teaching one skilled in the art one or more ways to implement the systems and methods. Accordingly, aspects of the present systems and methods can take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment (including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.), or an embodiment combining software and hardware. One of skill in the art can appreciate that a software process can be transformed into an equivalent hardware structure, and a hardware structure can itself be transformed into an equivalent software process. Thus, the selection of a hardware implementation versus a software implementation is one of design choice and left to the implementer. Furthermore, the terms and phrases used herein are not intended to be limiting, but rather are to provide an understandable description of the systems and methods.

FIG. 1is high-level diagram depicting an exemplary configuration of a system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user who is conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal100. To the extent that the exemplary system ofFIG. 1is described in the context of processing a financial transaction conducted by a user using the transaction terminal102, it should be noted that the system is not so limited. A transaction should be understood to include any other type of transaction, agreement, arrangement and the like that is entered into by a user with another party and is conducted using, at least in part, a computing device (e.g., terminal) and that can be memorialized in a record. For example and without limitation, transactions can include arrangements relating to goods, services and the like such as ticketing for travel, reservations for lodging and entertainment, membership rewards, subscriptions for goods or services, promotional offers and the like.

As shown inFIG. 1, the system100can include a transaction terminal102and a personal transaction device101(e.g., credit card, bank card, pre-paid card, membership rewards card, NFC enabled device, and the like) that is associated with the user (not shown) and a respective transaction account. The transaction account can be maintained by one or more remote computing devices that are configured to facilitate the processing of the transactions that are conducted using the transaction account (i.e., remote transaction processing system105).

As further described herein, the transaction terminal102is intended to represent a computing device and/or data processing apparatus that is capable of facilitating electronic transactions in coordination with a remote transaction processing system105including, but not limited to, a dedicated POS system, ATM terminal, a personal computer, laptop computer, tablet computer or smart phone device and the like. Preferably, the transaction terminal102can use an internal or external reader103that is configured to read or receive information from one or more of a variety of personal transaction devices101presented by the user. Preferably, the transaction terminal102also includes a user interface and display that, as would be understood in the art of electronic computing devices, serves to facilitate the output of information to the user and the capture of commands and information concerning the user, the third-party or the particular transaction being conducted at the transaction terminal102.

User device115is intended to represent various personal computing devices and/or data processing apparatuses associated with the user including, but not limited to, personal computers, tablet computers and smart phone devices and the like. The user device115can also be executing a client application that configures the user device115to communicate/interface with the system100, in particular, the server110. Accordingly, the user device115can be configured to collect information from the user, communicate the information to the server110(or other such remote devices) and receive information from the server110for display to the user. More specifically, the client application is a software application comprising instructions in the form of code that, when executed by the user device processor (not shown), configures the computing device to receive and process information concerning the user, settings relating to the operation of the systems and methods for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record, for instance to receive electronic receipts provided by the server110and receive other information related to the transactions conducted by the user and recorded by the server110. It can be appreciated that the client application can comprise a stand-alone software application executing on the user device115or can be executing on one or more remote server devices that are accessible by the user device over a network, for instance, a web-based portal that is accessed by the user device through a web browser or other such application.

In addition, the transaction terminal102can also be integrated with the system100by executing a respective instance of the client application. For instance, through integration of the server110with a payment processor/gateway device112, all computing devices configured to process transactions via the payment processor/gateway device112can be configured to collect information concerning the user in furtherance of the methods for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user as further described herein.

As shown inFIG. 1, the system100can also include a transaction processing system105comprising one or more computing devices. Such computing devices directly/indirectly transmit and/or receive data to/from the transaction terminal102, thereby preferably initiating, facilitating, maintaining, and/or enhancing the operation of the systems for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user completing a transaction at a transaction terminal100, as will be described in greater detail below.

More specifically, the transaction processing system105can include one or more server computing devices (or computing networks) that are configured to receive information concerning the transactions conducted using the transaction terminal102and process the transactions as would be understood by those skilled in the art. For instance, in the case of a financial transaction processing system, the transaction processing system105can include an acquiring entity computing device106operated by an acquirer, which is typically the bank associated with the merchant. The transaction processing system105can also include a payment processor/gateway device112, which typically processes transactions on behalf of the merchant and the merchant's acquirer. The transaction processing system105can also include a payment device network computing device107operated by a payment device network, for example, Mastercard International Incorporated of Purchase N.Y. The transaction processing system105can also include an issuing entity computing device108operated by an issuing financial institution, which is typically the bank associated with the user or transaction account holder, as would be understood by those in the art.

The various devices comprising the remote transaction processing system105directly/indirectly transmit and/or receive data to and from the transaction terminal102and the server110, for example via a communications network120, thereby preferably initiating, facilitating, maintaining, and/or enhancing the operation of the systems for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user completing a transaction at a transaction terminal102, as will be described in greater detail below. Communication network120can include, for example and without limitation, a wired or wireless network, including a telecommunications network, local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), the Internet and the like.

The server110is also shown in communication with one or more of the devices that comprise the remote transaction processing system105as well as user device115and, optionally, transaction terminal102. Server110is depicted as being independent of the remote transaction processing system105. Accordingly, the server110can be configured to be integrated with any number of different acquirers, issuers and payment device networks so as to automatically provide records and services to users for transactions conducted with transaction accounts associated with any number of payment processing entities. However, it can be appreciated that server110and its features and functionality can be integrated into one or more of the computing devices that comprise the processing system105without departing from the scope of the disclosed embodiments.

In some implementations, the transaction terminal102can be associated with an entity that the user is transacting with, such as a bank or a merchant. The transaction terminal102can be used to collect information related to the transaction from the user and/or the third-party, communicate the information to the transaction processing system105and, in addition or alternatively, the server110, and receive information from these remote devices. The transaction terminal102can be operated by a representative of the entity (e.g., a clerk) who conducts the transaction with the user using the transaction terminal102. Alternatively, the transaction terminal102can be a stand-alone device, such as a self-checkout terminal or an ATM machine, configured to conduct transactions directly with the user.

Personal transaction device101can include transaction cards associated with transaction accounts, for example, financial accounts such as debit cards, credit cards or prepaid cards. The transaction accounts can be associated with an account holder or the user who is not necessarily the account holder. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, a debit card is a transaction card issued for a demand deposit account. A credit card is a transaction card issued for a credit card account. A prepaid card is a transaction card issued for a pre-funded account.

In addition, or alternatively, personal transaction device101can be a “contactless” transaction device associated with one or more transaction accounts. For example, the contactless-enabled devices can include a transaction card, a key-fob, or smart-phone. As would be understood by those skilled in the art, contactless transaction devices generally employ NFC technology, which facilitates secure, short range communication between electronic devices. More specifically, NFC is a short range high frequency wireless communication technology that enables the exchange of data between devices over a relatively short distance.

The personal transaction device101(e.g., debit cards, credit cards, prepaid cards and NFC enabled devices) can have an embedded computer readable memory (not shown) for securely storing transaction account information therein. The transaction account information can include financial information, such as a credit or debit account number, the account holder's name, a card verification code, loyalty program data, PINs and the like. Personal transaction device memory can be any suitable volatile or non-volatile computer readable storage medium, including, for example and without limitation, magnetic strips, onboard computer chips and more complex electronic systems such as NFC transponders, RFID transponders and the like. In addition, the memory can be read-only or rewriteable.

As would be understood by those skilled in the art, personal transaction devices for conducting financial transactions and having a magnetic stripe can typically store information in three “tracks.” Tracks 1 and 2 are often used to store transaction account information that is used to process financial transactions. In some implementations, a unique global ID can be stored in a ‘discretionary data’ field of the commonly used tracks (track-1 and track-2). In addition, or alternately, the global ID can be stored in a discretionary data track, for example, track-3. By storing the global ID in a discretionary data track, the electronic contact information is not constrained by formatting standards set for tracks 1 and 2. Accordingly, information stored on the discretionary track can be used by any one or more of the transaction processing entities involved in the transactions, say, the issuer of the personal transaction device.

Personal transaction devices having onboard computer chips can use data elements to store information like a financial account number and additional parameters. Such chip devices can also have data elements that are “reserved for future use.” Accordingly, the unused data elements can be used to store the user's contact information. In addition, NFC enabled transaction devices can follow either magnetic stripe transaction device or chip transaction device formats.

It should be noted that although much of the foregoing description has been directed to systems for processing transactions between a user and a merchant conducted at a point of sale device, the particular arrangement of devices, particularly, the transaction terminal102, the remote transaction processing system105and the server110, as well as the transaction processing steps, are presented as a non-limiting and exemplary environment in which the systems and methods for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal described herein can be employed.

FIG. 2is a high-level diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of the server110for use in the system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal102.

Exemplary server110includes a processor210, which is operatively connected to various hardware and software components that serve to enable operation of the systems and methods described herein. The processor210serves to execute instructions to perform various operations relating to transactions conducted by a user electronically and for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record as will be described in greater detail below. The processor210can be a number of processors, a multi-processor core, or some other type of processor, depending on the particular implementation.

In certain implementations, a memory220and/or a storage medium290are accessible by the processor210, thereby enabling the processor210to receive and execute instructions stored on the memory220and/or on the storage290. The memory220can be, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or any other suitable volatile or non-volatile computer readable storage medium. In addition, the memory220can be fixed or removable.

The storage290can take various forms, depending on the particular implementation. For example, the storage290can contain one or more components or devices such as a hard drive, a flash memory, a rewritable optical disk, a rewritable magnetic tape, or some combination of the above. The storage290also can be fixed or removable.

One or more software modules230are encoded in the storage290and/or in the memory220. The software modules230can comprise one or more software programs or applications having computer program code or a set of instructions executed in the processor210. Preferably, included among the software modules230is a user interface module270, a notification module272, a transaction processing module274, a database module276, and a communication module278that are executed by the processor210. Such computer program code or instructions for carrying out operations or aspects of the systems and methods disclosed herein can be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, as would be understood by those skilled in the art. In particular, user interface module270serves to configure the processor210to provide a user portal through which a user using the user device115executing the client application can access the server110and information stored thereon. Notification module272serves to configure the processor210to generate receipts and other push notifications concerning the user's transaction activity to one or more electronic contact addresses associated with the user. Transaction processing module274serves to configure the processor210to receive transaction information concerning one or more user transactions, analyze and process the information as further described herein. Database module276serves to configure the processor to generate and maintain user profiles associated with each enrolled user and the enrolled user's unique global ID. The database module276further configures the processor210to update the user profiles with settings, preferences and transaction information. Communication module278serves to configure the processor210to communicate with various computing devices that comprise the system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record100.

It should be understood that, although software modules230are depicted as being stored locally by the server110, the disclosed embodiments are not so limited, as one or more of the modules can be stored on one or more remote storage mediums that are accessible to the processor210. The program code can execute entirely on the server110as a stand-alone software package, partly on the server110and partly on one or more remote computing devices, or entirely on such remote computing devices. In the latter scenario, the remote computing devices can be connected to the server110through any type of wired or wireless network (not shown), including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection can be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

It should be understood that in some illustrative embodiments, one or more of the software modules230can be downloaded over a network to the storage290from another device or system via the communication interface255for use within the system100for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal. For instance, program code stored in a computer readable storage device in a remote server can be downloaded from the server to the storage290over the network.

Also preferably stored on the storage290is a database280. As will be described in greater detail below, database280contains and/or maintains various data items and elements, such as user profiles, transaction records and the like that are utilized throughout the various operations of the system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal102. It should be noted that although the database280is depicted as being configured locally to the server110, in certain implementations the database280and/or various of the data elements stored therein can be stored on a computer readable memory or storage medium that is located remotely and connected to the server110through a network, in a manner known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

A communication interface255is also operatively connected to the processor210. The communication interface255can be any interface that enables communication between the transaction terminal102and external devices, machines and/or elements. In certain implementations, the communication interface255includes, but is not limited to, a modem, a Network Interface Card (NIC), an integrated network interface, a radio frequency transmitter/receiver (e.g., Bluetooth, cellular, NFC), a satellite communication transmitter/receiver, an infrared port, a USB connection, and/or any other such interfaces for connecting the server110to other computing devices and/or communication networks, such as private networks and the Internet. Such connections can include a wired connection or a wireless connection (e.g., using the IEEE 802.11 standard known in the relevant art) though it should be understood that communication interface255can be practically any interface that enables communication to/from the processor210.

At various points during the operation of the systems and methods disclosed herein, the server110can communicate, directly or indirectly, with one or more of the computing devices that comprise the remote transaction processing system105, transaction terminal102and/or the user device115depicted inFIG. 1.

The operation of the exemplary system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal and the various elements and components described above will be further appreciated with reference to the method for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal described below, in conjunction withFIG. 3andFIG. 4.

It should be appreciated that several of the logical operations described herein are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules running on the various devices of the system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal102and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules within the system. The actual implementation is a matter of design choice dependent on the requirements of the device (e.g., size, energy, consumption, performance, etc.). Accordingly, the logical operations described herein are referred to variously as operations, steps, structural devices, acts, or modules. As referenced above, the various operations, steps, structural devices, acts and modules can be implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof. It should also be appreciated that more or fewer operations can be performed than shown in the figures and described herein. These operations can also be performed in a different order than those described herein.

Preferably, at some point prior to using the system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record100, one or more users are enrolled with the system. Enrollment can be performed by the server110in conjunction with one or more computing devices being operated by the user including, for example and without limitation, the user device115or the transaction terminal102, which are configured by executing the client application.

During enrollment, the server processor210, which is configured by executing one or more software modules230including, preferably, the user interface module270, database module276, and communication module278, can be configured to prompt the user at a remote computing device being used by the user (e.g., transaction terminal102or user device115) to input user-information. The user information can be received and stored by the server110in the database280for example, in a user profile.

The user information can include information about the user's identity (e.g., name, address, social security number, biometric information etc.), one or more electronic contact addresses and transaction account information for the user. The electronic contact addresses can include any type of electronic address that is uniquely associated with the user. By way of example and without limitation, an electronic contact address can include, a telephone number, an e-mail address, social network identifier (e.g., Facebook® account name, Twitter® handle, etc.), a networked electronic storage medium address (e.g., iCloud® account name, Dropbox® account name, etc.), and/or a unique account name or number associated with other networked software applications, for example, a user's personal accounting software.

The user transaction accounts, electronic addresses and identity information that comprise a particular user's profile can be linked in the storage with a unique common name for the user, namely, the user's global ID. The global ID can be automatically assigned by the server during enrollment or chosen by the user. It can be appreciated that any number of transaction accounts held by the user, irrespective of the particular account provider (e.g., an issuer or payment device network), can be mapped to the common, unique global ID and, as such, electronic records can be automatically provided for the user irrespective of the transaction account used for conducting a particular transaction. After enrollment, the global ID can be provided to the user such that the user can memorize the global ID. Accordingly, in some implementations the user can provide the global ID to the transaction terminal, for instance, through manual entry into the terminal or verbally providing the global ID to the terminal. In addition, or alternatively, the global ID can be loaded into memory of the user's personal transaction device101or other personal transaction device such that the global ID can be automatically retrieved by the transaction terminal102from the personal transaction device101.

User enrollment can also include prompting the user to define contact preferences. Contact preferences define the particular manner in which the user desires to receive electronic records of transactions. Contact preferences can also include other settings that relate to the capture and storage of information relating to the user's transactions and reporting of the stored information to the user and/or third-parties by the server110. For example, the pre-defined contact preferences can specify that one or more of the stored electronic contact addresses are default contact address that the system should automatically transmit the record to. In addition, or alternatively, the contact preferences can specify one or more priority levels associated with the one or more electronic contact addresses such that the electronic record can be transmitted to the contact addresses according to the associated priority levels. In some implementations, the contact preferences can specify instructions to not automatically transmit the record to any of the one or more electronic contact addresses. By way of further example, contact preferences can specify that the user's transaction information is not to be shared with a particular VAS provider system and the issuers of the user's respective transaction accounts and that the stored transaction information is otherwise not sharable with any other third-parties.

During enrollment, the server110can also be configured to perform user identity verification, transaction account verification and messaging account verification for security. Identity verification provides additional security by confirming that the user being enrolled is who he or she claims to be. Messaging account verification ensures that the user has access to the messaging accounts associated with the user profile. Transaction account verification serves to confirm that a user is in fact the account holder for the transaction accounts being registered or is otherwise an authorized user of the transaction accounts. For instance, the server processor210can be configured to transmit a message to the received contact address thereby prompting the user to confirm receipt of the message and, as such, ensures that the user has access to the particular messaging account. By way of further example, the server110can verify the transaction account information by testing the user identity information and transaction account information against information that is stored on a secure data store that is accessible to the server110(e.g., testing the user transaction account, identity information or an online banking log-in/password against the records maintained by the issuing bank).

Turning now toFIG. 3, a flow diagram illustrates a method300for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal in accordance with at least one embodiment disclosed herein.

The process begins at step305, where the transaction terminal102receives transaction information concerning a transaction conducted by the user at the transaction terminal102. In the context of a financial transaction for the purchase of goods by the user from a merchant, the transaction information can include a description of the goods being purchased, a price, information identifying the third-party, tax, and the like, as would be understood by those skilled in the art. For example, the merchant or the user can enter the transaction information manually using the user interface of transaction terminal102or by scanning a product barcode, QR code and the like.

Then, at step310, the transaction terminal using the electronic reader103, receives transaction account information from a personal transaction device101presented to the transaction terminal102by the user. As mentioned above, the transaction account information can include financial information associated with the user or a payment account holder such as, a credit or debit account number, the account holder's name, a card verification code, personal identification numbers, or other forms of user identifying information or financial account related information.

More particularly, the processor of the transaction terminal102and the electronic reader103can read one or more fields of the transaction device's memory that are reserved for transaction account information and store the captured information. For example, in order to transfer the information, the user can ‘tap’ an NFC-enabled personal transaction device101against an NFC-enabled electronic reader103. By way of further example, the user can swipe a magnetic stripe enabled personal transaction device101on an electronic reader that is configured to read magnetic stripe cards.

Then, at step315, the transaction terminal102captures a global ID. In some implementations, the electronic reader103can read one or more of the memory fields of the personal transaction device101that are reserved for storing non-transaction account information and capture the information stored therein. In addition, or alternatively, the electronic reader can read one or more ‘discretionary data’ fields of the personal transaction device memory and capture information including the global ID stored therein in a similar fashion to how the transaction account information is captured at step310. In addition, or alternatively, the user can be prompted to provide the global ID using a user interface of the transaction terminal102. For example, if the information captured does not include a global ID, as determined by the transaction terminal102or an associated payment processor/gateway device112, the user can be prompted by the transaction terminal102to input a global ID using a keyboard. Alternatively, the global ID can be verbally provided to the terminal and automatically captured.

In some implementations, the global ID can be captured from a different personal transaction device than the particular personal transaction device101being used to conduct the transaction. For instance, even though a transaction is conducted using transaction device101, the transaction terminal can capture the global ID from a different personal transaction device that is presented to the transaction terminal, say, an NFC enabled device (e.g., user device115) configured to output the global ID as an encoded wireless signal. By way of further example, the personal transaction device can be configured to output the global ID in an optical format using a display (e.g., as a QR code or barcode) such that it can be read by the transaction terminal102.

Then at step320, the transaction terminal102can present the captured global ID and associated information to the user via an associated display. In addition, or alternatively, the transaction terminal102can prompt the user for additional user input. For instance, the transaction terminal102can display one or more forms or virtual buttons on a touchscreen display prompting the user to input information relating to the global ID, contact addresses, transaction accounts or enrollment information.

At step325, the processor210, transmits a transaction request including at least a portion of the transaction information, the transaction account information, the global ID and/or other captured user information and user inputs to the remote transaction processing system105.

The steps for processing the transaction request, including generating the electronic record for the transaction and electronically provisioning the record to the user are described in further detail in relation to the flow diagram ofFIG. 4, which illustrates an exemplary method400for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic receipt to a user conducting a financial transaction at a transaction terminal in accordance with at least one embodiment disclosed herein.

At step405, the payment processor/gateway device112can, based on the transaction request including the transaction information and the transaction account information, process the financial transaction. By way of example and without limitation, as would be understood by those skilled in the art, at least the transaction information and transaction account information can be transmitted to an acquiring entity computing device106. The acquiring entity computing device106can, in turn, route the information to the issuing entity computing device108via the payment device network computing device107, thereby prompting the issuing entity computing device108to authorize the transaction. The issuing entity computing device108can then transmit an authorization notification indicating whether the transaction was authorized to the acquiring entity computing device106. In turn, the acquiring entity computing device106can also pass the authorization notification back to the payment processor/gateway device112.

Then at step410, the server110receives a record provisioning request from the payment processor/gateway device112. More specifically, through integration with the server110, the payment processor/gateway device112can be provided with a record provisioning application that configures the payment processor/gateway device112to analyze the transaction request and generate a record provisioning request for transmission to the server110for further processing. In some implementations, the payment processor/gateway device112can be configured to analyze the transaction request (e.g., the non-transaction account information received from the transaction terminal102) to determine whether the transaction request includes a global ID. If a valid global ID is not identified, the payment processor/gateway device112can transmit a message to the transaction terminal102causing the transaction terminal to prompt the user to enter a global ID. Similarly, if a global ID is detected, the payment processor/gateway device112can prompt the transaction terminal to display the global ID to the user and request a confirmation of the global ID from the user. It can be appreciated that the global ID can be presented in plain form or in a masked or obfuscated manner.

Upon identification of a valid global ID the payment processor/gateway device112can be configured to transmit a record provisioning request that includes the global ID. The information include in the request can also include at least a portion of the transaction information, the transaction account information and the authorization notification. In addition, or alternatively, the record provisioning request can include at least a portion of the transaction information, the transaction account information and the authorization notification in a masked format. The record provisioning request can also include additional information concerning the transaction that was generated by one or more of the acquiring entity computing device106, the payment device network computing device107and the issuing entity computing device108during payment processing and received by the payment processor/gateway device112.

Then at step415, the server110processes the record provisioning request. More specifically, the server processor210, which is configured by executing one or more of the software modules230including, preferably, the notification module272, the transaction processing module274and the database module276can process the record provisioning request to identify the user profile in the database280that corresponds to the global ID.

In addition, the configured processor can identify one or more contact addresses associated with the user profile. The one or more contact addresses can be identified according to one or more contact preferences included in the particular user profile. As previously noted the user profile can include any number of pre-defined contact preferences and settings that serve to instruct the manner in which the server110generates a record, transmits the record, processes and records the transaction, and reports the transaction. Accordingly, the preferences can be associated with one or more of the particular transaction account used to conduct the transaction, one of the user's registered contact addresses, the particular merchant that the transaction was conducted with and other attributes of the transaction.

If the server110does not identify a user profile based on the information provided in the record provisioning request, the server can be configured to provide a notification to the payment processor/gateway device112. Accordingly, the payment processor/gateway device112can transmit a message to the transaction terminal102causing the transaction terminal to prompt the user to re-enter the global ID. Similarly, the server110can be configured to transmit a confirmation to the payment processor/gateway device112. Accordingly, the payment processor/gateway device112can be configured to not conclude the processing of the financial transaction until the confirmation is received. It can also be appreciated that the payment processor/gateway device112can be configured to provide notifications to the transaction terminal concerning the processing of the transaction terminal and the confirmation that the record provisioning request is processable by the server.

In addition, at step420, the configured processor can update information concerning the transaction to the user profile. Accordingly, the server110can be configured to maintain a comprehensive transactional record for the user concerning all electronic transactions performed by the user using the global ID irrespective of the particular transaction account used to conduct the transaction.

Then at step425, the server generates a record according to the transaction information, the transaction account information and the authorization notification included in the record provisioning request. More specifically, the server processor210, which is configured by executing one or more of the software modules230including, preferably, the notification module272and the transaction processing module274and the database module276can generate a record for transmission to the one or more contact addresses in view of the contact preferences identified at step420. For example, the record can include details about the particular purchase, the particular transaction account used and whether the transaction was approved and other information relevant to the transaction, as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

Then, at step430, the server110can transmit the generated record to one or more electronic contact addresses associated with the global ID. In addition, the record can be transmitted according to one or more pre-defined contact preferences stored in the user profile and/or any user instructions received by the transaction terminal102and included in the transaction request. For example, the record can be automatically transmitted to a default electronic contact address as set forth in the user profile. By way of further example, the record can be transmitted to a particular electronic contact address associated with the particular transaction account used to conduct the transaction as provided by the pre-defined contact preferences. By way of further example, the server110can first transmit the electronic record to an electronic contact address having a highest priority level, and in the event that the record is not successfully transmitted, the server110can transmit the electronic record to the electronic contact address with the next highest priority and so on. By way of further example, the server can e-mail a detailed receipt to the user's e-mail address and can also transmit a basic notification via SMS to the user's mobile phone number. It should be understood that these are non-limiting examples and it should be understood that the electronic record can be transmitted according to any number of different pre-defined contact preferences or settings stored in the user profile and/or user instructions provided while conducting the transaction.

In addition, or alternatively, at step430, the server110can be configured to provide the generated record (e.g., a receipt memorializing a financial transaction) to the user only upon the user submitting a request for the information. More specifically, the server processor210, which is configured by executing one or more of the software modules230including, preferably, the user interface module210, the notification module272, the transaction processing module274, the communication module278and the database module276, can provide a portal that is accessible to the user using the user device115that is executing the client application.

For example, using the user device115executing the client application, the user can log-into the server110and access an interactive dashboard concerning the user's various transactions. As would be appreciated by those in the art, the dashboard can provide the user with information concerning each of the user's transactions and can also provide access to records generated for one or more of the transaction. In addition, the dashboard can provide a historical view of all transactions conducted by the user under the global ID and irrespective of the particular transaction account. Similarly, the dashboard can be configured to provide the user with additional expense monitoring features and services. An exemplary screen-shot610of the dashboard displaying a history of all transactions irrespective of transaction account in table form is shown inFIG. 6A.FIG. 6Bdepicts another exemplary screenshot620of the dashboard showing a graphical break-down of the user's expenses by category for, say, expense monitoring purposes.FIG. 6Cdepicts another exemplary screenshot650of a transaction history for one particular transaction account among the plurality of transaction accounts associated with the user's global ID.

It can be appreciated that any compiling of a user's transaction information or automatic access to a user's transaction information, contact information, transaction account information and the like would be subject to applicable data privacy and data usages laws. It should also be understood that the user can also require authorization before the server110retrieves such information or provides it to third-parties. Thus, it should be apparent that in the exemplary systems and methods described herein, depending on applicable laws and regulations, a consumer can opt-in, thereby consenting to the use of their transaction history as well as any other personal information he or she provides.

In addition, through the dashboard, the user can define settings that concern the operation of the for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record100by the server110including the sharing of private user transaction information with third-party entities that consume the transaction information compiled by the server.

FIG. 5Ais a block diagram depicting the various components of the system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a financial transaction at a transaction terminal102and showing the transmission of information between the various devices during the execution of the exemplary methods described in relation toFIGS. 3 and 4. In particular, step501corresponds to the exchange of user transaction account information and non-transaction account information between the personal transaction device101and the transaction terminal102associated with the merchant. Step502depicts the transmission of the transaction request to the payment processor/gateway device112. Steps503A-C corresponds to the transmission of information between the payment processor/gateway device112, the acquiring entity computing device106, the payment device network computing device107and the issuing entity computing device108while processing the transaction. Steps504A-C corresponds to the transmission of the authorization notification from the issuing entity computing device108back to the payment processor/gateway device112via the acquiring entity computing device106and payment device network computing device107. Step506corresponds to the transmission of the record provisioning request from the payment processor/gateway device112to the server110. Steps507and508correspond to the exchange of information relating to the transactions between the server110and the user device115, for instance, the transmission of the record directly to a user contact address and/or the transmission of other push notifications concerning promotional offers, benefits, security warnings and the like. By way of further example steps507and508can represent the information exchanged via the user-interface/portal that is hosted by the server110and is accessible to the user using a user device115executing the client application.

FIG. 5Bdepicts an alternative configuration of the system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record100and the transmission of information between the various devices during the execution of the exemplary methods described in relation toFIGS. 3 and 4. In particular, as shown inFIG. 5B, the record provisioning request can be transmitted by the issuing entity computing device108(as opposed to being transmitted by the payment processor/gateway device112as shown inFIG. 5Aand described in relation to step410ofFIG. 4) to the server110. In addition,FIG. 5Balso depicts the transmission of information concerning one or more transactions from the server110back to the issuing entity computing device108. As further described herein, information provided to the issuing entity computing device108can include transaction records and analytics based on that information for use by the issuing entity computing device108.

As can be appreciated, by independently generating records and recording transaction information across a plurality of different transaction accounts associated with respective of the issuer entity, acquirer entity, payment device network associated with the transaction accounts used to conduct the transactions, the server110is configured to maintain a rich set of information relating to a wide variety of consumer transactions. As can be further appreciated, the systems and methods disclosed herein are configured to provide value to consumers by automatically providing electronic records to users and providing a convenient location for storing and accessing all electronic transaction information relating to the user irrespective of the particular transaction account and associated transaction processing entity. The exemplary systems and methods are also configured to provide additional value to users and third-parties alike by providing the third-parties access to such transaction information (e.g., for analysis and marketing purposes).

In some implementations, the compiled information can be used to provide value added services to the users themselves. For example, as shown inFIG. 5C, the server110can be accessible by or share the recorded transaction information with a third-party value added services provider (VAS) computing system550. As would be understood by those in the art, traditional VAS provider systems are generally associated with a particular payment card, or a specific merchant, or issuer. However, integration of the VAS system with the server110provides a user with greater opportunity to receive benefits from the VAS due to the broader scope of user transactions performed in relation to the system (i.e., transactions recorded irrespective of the particular transaction account). The server110can also be configured to provide VAS offerings received from the VAS system550directly to the user through the user portal or by pushing notifications directly to the user's contact addresses. In addition, the dashboard provided by the server110to the user also provides a single user-interface through which a user can manage records, review transactions and receive VAS rewards/offerings relating to transactions performed using multiple different transaction accounts.

The independent configuration of the server110in relation to a variety of different acquirers, issuers and payment device networks also provides additional value to the VAS providers. In particular, physical integration is simplified (e.g., only a single integration with the server110is required to associate the VAS system with transactions conducted using many different payment processing systems). In addition, analytics provided by the server110to the VAS is also richer and more comprehensive than available from current transaction processing systems by virtue of the wider variety of data collected, recorded and monitored by the server110. Similarly, analytics and other transaction information can be provided by the server110to other entities that are part of the payment processing system105. For example, as shown inFIG. 5B, the server110can be configured to transmit analytics and transaction information to the issuing entity computing device108thereby providing the issuer detailed information and analytics about transactions (e.g., who was involved in transaction, how was it processed, where did it take place, when it took place and the like).

At this juncture, it should be noted that although much of the foregoing description has been directed to systems and methods for facilitating the transmission of electronic records concerning transactions and maintaining records of transactions using a server110, the systems and methods disclosed herein can be similarly deployed and/or implemented in scenarios, situations, and settings far beyond the referenced scenarios. It can be readily appreciated that system100can be effectively employed in practically any scenario where a transaction is conducted between one or more parties, whether in person or via electronic methods, and it is desirable to transmit an electronic record memorializing the transaction to one or more of the parties and to maintain comprehensive records of a user's transactions irrespective of the particular transaction account that was used to conduct the transactions. It can be also appreciated that the arrangement of computing devices and transaction processing steps can vary according to the particular type of transaction (e.g., bank transaction, credit card, debit card, pre-paid card, NFC payment, a reservation, subscription or other arrangement established between two parties and the like), as would be understood by those skilled in the art.

For instance,FIG. 7is high-level diagram depicting another exemplary configuration of a system for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user who is conducting a transaction using a transaction terminal and also illustrates the interconnectivity between the various devices of the system. As shown inFIG. 7, the system700includes a user device702, which in this exemplary configuration is the user's personal computing device, such as a smartphone, and is also the terminal that is being used to conduct the transaction. Accordingly, it can be appreciated that the user device702can be used to conduct transactions with a variety of different third party service providers as well as to communicate with a back-end server710that is configured to automatically provision records of the user's transactions. As noted above, provisioning can include maintaining records of the transactions and automatically transmitting the records to the user using a contact address or otherwise providing the user with access to the records. Such access can be provided through a web-based portal716(e.g., using an internet browser), a report provisioning client application714and other such channels for connecting the mobile device to the server710.

In some implementations, the user device702can be used to conduct a payment transaction with a merchant that is processed in a similar manner to the exemplary embodiments described in relation toFIGS. 1-6C. As shown inFIG. 7, the user device702being used to conduct a transaction can be in communication with one or more computing devices configured to process payment transactions. For instance, the computing devices for processing transactions can include a merchant e-commerce system706, payment processor/gateway712, an acquiring entity computing device707, a payment device network or scheme709, and an issuing entity computing device708.FIG. 7depicts these remote systems as being in communication with the user device702over a network, however, it should also be appreciated that one or more of the devices can be in closer physical proximity and communicating with the user device over a close-range wireless communications medium. For instance, merchant system706can represent a point-of-sale terminal for processing transactions conducted in person in conjunction with other remote transaction processing systems (e.g., devices712,707,709and708).

As shown inFIG. 7, the user device702can also be in communication over a network with one or more computing systems that process various types of electronic transactions between the user and respective third party service providers. These additional third-party service provider transaction processing systems can include, for example and without limitation, an airline ticketing system725, a hotel reservation system730, a taxi/livery service system735, a membership rewards/offer system740, and other such computing systems (e.g., computing system745). It should be appreciated that, as shown inFIG. 7, each of the remote computing devices that are described as processing transactions or providing services in connection with computer-based transactions can also be configured to interact with the server710over a communications medium, for example, using an application programming interface (API). As such, these systems can be configured to provide information concerning transactions conducted with the user directly to the server710for record provisioning.

In some implementations, the user device702can be configured to conduct transactions with any of the remote computing devices over a communications network such as the internet, for instance, through a web-based portal or a stand-alone application for accessing a particular transaction processing system say, the airline ticketing system725.

In some implementations, the user device702can be executing a client application that enables the user device to access and interact with the server710for automated receipt provisioning. In addition, the client application can also configure the user device to provide the user's global ID to a remote transaction processing system in connection with a transaction and thereby facilitate automatic provisioning of records associated with the transaction. For instance, the client application can integrate with a stand-alone mobile application for making reservations with the airline ticketing system725executing on the user device. Furthermore, the client application can provide the user's global ID to the airline ticketing system via the stand-alone mobile application. As shown inFIG. 7, the airline ticketing system725is preferably integrated with the server710via an API and is configured to provide data and information concerning the transaction to the server710(e.g., transaction details, a receipt for a reservation, an electronic ticket, associated rewards and offers and the like) for further processing and record provisioning. Accordingly, as described above and further described herein, the server710can automatically provide the user with transaction records through direct messaging to an electronic contact address or through a web-based portal or the client application.

Although in this particular example, the transaction is described as being performed directly between the user device702and the remote computing system (e.g., airline ticketing system725), it can be appreciated that the concepts for automated receipt provisioning can be implemented in connection with a transaction conducted by a user using a dedicated terminal, say, an airline ticketing kiosk (not shown) and using a personal transaction device (not shown) and/or a user computing device (e.g., user device702). For instance, the user can swipe a payment card at the kiosk to make a reservation or access an existing reservation via the kiosk. In addition, the user can also provide the user's global ID to enable automatic record provisioning. As noted previously, the global ID can be captured at the kiosk through a number of different methods including: automatically reading the global ID from the storage medium of a personal transaction device; manual input by the user at the kiosk; oral communication by the user at the kiosk; automatically capturing the global ID from a user's personal computing device (e.g., user device702) through contactless communication methods.

In some implementations, the global ID can be received by the transaction processing system (e.g., airline ticketing system725) over a separate communication channel and independent of the processing of a corresponding transaction. For instance, the user device702can be configured to transmit the global ID directly to the airline ticketing system725over a network connection and independent of the transaction being conducted using, say, the kiosk or a dedicated ticketing application/portal. This can obviate the need for providing the global ID to a kiosk or an application that is conducting the transaction for further transmission to the back-end ticketing system725. In such a configuration, the transmission of the global ID can include a reference to the corresponding transaction that can be captured by the user device702. For instance, the kiosk or application being used to conduct the transaction can be configured to output a unique identifier for the transaction that can be captured by the user device702executing the client application and then provided to the airline ticketing system725along with the global ID. Accordingly, the airline ticketing system725can associate the global ID with the particular transaction based on the transaction identifier and automatically provide information concerning the transaction to the server710for automated record provisioning.

It is to be understood that like numerals in the drawings represent like elements through the several figures, and that not all components and/or steps described and illustrated with reference to the figures are required for all embodiments or arrangements. Thus, illustrative embodiments and arrangements of the present systems and methods provide a computer implemented method, computer system, and computer program product for facilitating the automatic provisioning of an electronic record to a user conducting a transaction at a transaction terminal. The flowchart and block diagrams in the figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments and arrangements. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagrams can represent a module, segment, or portion of code, which comprises one or more executable instructions for implementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be noted that, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the block may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantially concurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverse order, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be noted that each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, and combinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, can be implemented by special purpose hardware-based systems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations of special purpose hardware and computer instructions.