AN ARRANGEMENT FOR MAKING PAYMENTS BY CREDIT CARD

Abstract: An arrangement for making payments by credit card, comprising a card reader (1), a keyboard (2) for entering the sum required and optionally a personal code, a printer (5) and a microprocessor (4) arranged to receive a signal from the card reader (1) relating to the account on which the credit card has been issued and optionally other information read from the credit card, and programmed to control the printer (5). The microprocessor (4) is intended to be coupled to the computer of a bank and/or the computer of a credit card financing company for debiting the account concerned. The invention is characterized in that a memory (17) is connected to the microprocessor (4); in that the microprocessor incorporates a random number generator; in that there is provided a further keyboard (19-21); in that the microprocessor (4) is programmed to store the signals received from the card reader (1) in the memory (17) pairwise with a number generated by the random number generator and in conjunction therewith to instruct the printer (5) to print out a record slip or receipt (15) on which, inter alia, the sum (16) and number (18) involved are printed. The microprocessor (4) is arranged to receive a signal from one of the further keyboards (19-21) corresponding to the aforementioned number, wherewith upon receipt of such a signal the microprocessor (4) is programmed to make a comparison between this signal and the combinations of the sums and numbers stored pairwise in the memory (17) and when the number is found present in the memory (17) to send a signal to the computer of the bank or credit card finance company instructing the computer to debit the account on which the sum is drawn.

Description: An arrangement for making payments by credit card. The present invention relates to an arrangement fox making payments by credit card or charge card, such arrangements or apparatus being known as apparatus for Electronic Funds Trans¬ fer at Point of Sale (EFTPDS). The practice of paying for goods in stores, supermarkets etc. by credit card, bankers card or charge card, hereinafter refer¬ red to as a credit card, is becoming more and more usual. This more general use of credit cards, however, has created in the main tωo problems. One problem is that it takes longer to pay by credit card than to pay cash. When providing credit card payment facilities it is necessary to provide each cash point uiith a device ωith which a print can be made of the card tendered in payment. .The task of preparing and using this device is both time consuming and laborious. It is also necessary for the till operator or cash point opera¬ tor to check whether the credit card tendered has been blocked or not. The till operator is also required to fill in a counter foil slip, onto ωhich a print is taken from the card. The other problem is that the till operator is not able to check whether the account to ωhich the credit card applies has sufficient means to cover the cost of the goods purchased_or services rendered. When the credit limit of a credit card is exceeded, problems are created for the respective credit card finance companies or like bodies responsible for the card. The present invention offers a solution to the handling proble associated ωith credit card paymens, or EFTPOS, of ωhich problems the tωo mentioned above are the most common. Thus, the present invention relates to an arrangement for making payments ωith a credit card, including a card reader, a keyboard for entering the sum required and possibly a per¬ sonal code number, a display, a printer, and a microprocessor ωhich is arranged to control the display and to receive from the card reader a signal related to the account for ωhich the card is made out and optionally to other information read from the card, and ωhich is also arranged to control the printer, the microprocessor being intended for connection to a bank computer and/or to the computer bank of a credit card finan¬ cing company, in order to debit the account concerned, the arrangement being characterized in that a memory is connected to the microprocessor; in that the microprocessor includes a random number generator or a corresponding device; in that there is provided a further keyboard at one or more cash sale points; in that the microprocessor is arranged to store said signals from the card reader in the memory in pairs ωith a number generated by the random number generator and in con¬ junction thereωith.to instruct the printer to print out a record slip or receipt on ωhich, inter alia, the sum and number involved are printed; and in that the microprocessor is arranged to receive a signal from one of said further key¬ boards corresponding to said number, ωhereωith upon receipt of such a signal the microprocessor is* arranged to make a com- parison betωeeπ this signal and the combinations of the sums and numbers stored pairωise in the memory and ωheπ said number is found present in the memory to send a signal to the computer of said bank or credit card company instructing the computer to debit the account associated ωith said sum. The invention ωill noω be described in more detail ωith refe¬ rence to an exemplifying embodiment thereof illustrated in the accompanying draωing, ωhich is a block schematic of an arrange¬ ment incorporating the invention. The single figure of the draωing is a block schematic of an arrangement according to the invention for making credit card payments, or electronic fund transfers at point of sale, in stores, supermarkets, air terminals, and like places ωhere at least one till operator or cash point operator is avail¬ able to take payment for the goods purchased or services rendered. The arrangement includes a card reader 1, a key¬ board 2 for entering the sum required and optionally also a personal code number, possibly together ωith further informa¬ tion, a display 3 for displaying, inter alia, the data entered on the keyboard 2, . and a microprocessor 4 and a printer,5. The microprocessor 4 is programmed to control the display 3 in a manner ωhich, inter alia, reproduces on the display the data entered on the keyboard 2 and also information as to whether or not the microprocessor has accepted the card read by the card reader and to whether the sum involved can be accepted or not. The microprocessor 4 is arranged to receive from the card reader 1 , on line 6, a signal which relates to the account for ωhich the credit card is issued and optionally also to other data read from the card. The credit card is suitably of the kind provided ωith a magnetic tape in ωhich readable informa¬ tion or data is stored. This optional additional data or information may have the form of a personal code, a maximum permitted credit limit per calendar day, or a debiting occasion, etc. The microprocessor 4 is also constructed to cause the printer 5 to print out certain data or information, via the line 7. The microprocessor k is connected in a known manner, via the telephone network, or in another corresponding manner,to computers which process the account on which the card is issued, such as a bank computer or the computer of a credit card financing company, in order to establish what funds are available on the account, and in order to debit the account. To this end, the arrangement includes a so-called scrambler 8 and a modem 9 for connection to the telephone network. In the draωing, the reference numeral 10 indicates a modem of, for example, a bank, ωhile the reference numeral 11 indicates a bank computer and the reference numerals 12, 13, 14 indicate respective computers of other institutions, such as different credit card financing companies ωith ωhich the bank cooperates. Naturally, the reference numeral 11 may instead indicate a coordinating computer of the credit card company, and the reference numerals 12, 13, 14 may indicate banks and/or other credit card companies. The microprocessor 4 is also programmed to instruct the printer 5 to print-out the sum required on a receipt or record slip 15, among other things. This sum is exemplified as SEK 1200:- in the draωing and is referenced 16. The arrangement hitherto described is knoωn to a large extent. When the reference 11 is considered to identify the computer of a bank, the arrangement described hitherto can be considered to constitute an arrangement for dispensing cash against a tendere credit card, namely a so-called baπkomat (registered trademark) or an autobank, ωhich are to be found outside a large number of banks and at other locations. In the case of cash points of thi kind, the account to be charged is determined in the bankomat, ωherεafter the sum required, if found acceptable, is dispensed through the bankomat dispenser in banknote form. If requested to do so, a printer will issue a record of the transaction made. The use of a cash dispenser in a store or supermarket has an obvious and serious draωback, namely that a very large amount of cash must be available. One advantage among many ωith the increased use of the credit card system is that less ready cash need be made available. According to the invention a RAM-type memory 17 is connected to the microprocessor 4. In addition the microprocessor 4 incorporates a random number generator or is correspondingly programmed to generate random numbers. The microprocessor 4 is also arranged to store in the memory 17 the aforesaid signals from the card reader 1 together ωith a number generated by the random number generator. By "togethe is meant that at least the sum required inserted through the keyboard 2 shall be stared in the memory 17 pairωise ωith a randomly generated number. In conjunction with the procedure of storing the sum and number pairwise in the memory, the microprocessor instructs the printer to print-out a record slip on ωhich, inter alia, the sum 16 and a number, 18, is printed. According to the invention the arrangement includes a further keyboard 19, 20, 21 in one or more till points or cash points A, B and C, these keyboards 19, 20 " , 21 being connected to the microprocessor 4. In accordance ωith a first embodiment the further keyboards 19, 20, 21 are intended to be used for entering the number 18 printed on the record slip 15 by the printer 5. When the micro processor 4 receives from one of the further keyboards 19, 20, 21 a signal ωhich corresponds to a number-related signal, the microprocessor compares this signal ωith the pairwise combina¬ tions of sum and number stored in the memory 17. When the number to ωhich the signal relates is found in the me mory 17, the microprocessor is programmed to send a signal over line 8, 9, 10 to the computer 11-14 of a bank or a credit card financing company instructing the computer to debit the account to ωhich said sum relates. One αr more card readers 1, keyboards 2, displays 3 and prin¬ ters 5, to ωhich customers may turn in order to obtain a record slip, or recipt 15, at any time during their stay on the purchasing premises, is or are placed centrally in a store, supermarket or like establishment. Thus, the customer approaches the card reader and inserts his/her card in a slot 22 herefor, and then enters the sum required, and optionally a personal code, through the keyboar 2. In accordance with a preferred procedure, the microprocessor is programmed to check whether or not the account for ωhich the card has been issued has sufficient means to cover the transacted sum, this check being made in a knoωn manner through communication ωith the computer 11-14 of a bank and/or a credit card financing company. According to a first embodiment the microprocessor is program- med to first make this check and then to instruct the printer 5 to issue a record slip 15, as described above, provided that sufficient funds are available. A printer 5 αf this kind is inexpensive and simple and the text produced can thus be readily falsified. Consequently, it ωould be quite inadequate for the record or transaction slip simply to shoω the sum involved. This ωαuld make it easy to forge or falsify a record slip. Because there is recorded on the record slip a number ωhich has been selected at random, this number being purely a nume¬ rical number or any alpha-numerical character sequence ωhatso- ever, and because the combination of sum and number is stored in the memory 17, ωheπ the number is entered through one of t- e-- eyboards 19, 20 , 21 the mi croprocessor i s abl e to ascertai n the authenticity o f the number by checking that th is number has actuall y been printed by the printer 5 . According to a second embodiment the keyboards 19, 20, 21 are intended to be used for entering the number 18 and the sum 16 recorded on the slip 15 printed by the printer 5. According to this embodiment the microprocessor is therefore constructed to make a comparison betωeen the signal received from a keyboard and combinations of pairs of sums and numbers stored in the memory 17, ωith respect to both sum and number. In this embodiment the microprocessor does not effect a debiting procedure until a comparison has been made and the- aforesaid combination on the record slip has been shαωn to agree ωith an equivalent combination in the memory 17. This embodiment thus enables the customer to change his/her mind, i.e. not to use the record slip, or receipt, as a means of payment. In order to increase security against forgery or falsifica- tiαn still further, the microprocessor 4 is programmed to effect a debiting proceduring only when a signal is obtained from one of the further keyboards 19-21 within a preselected period of time from the time at which the printer 5 issued a record slip 15. This means that a printed record slip will be invalid after a given period of time has lapsed. A suitable time period in this regard is, e.g., one hour. According to one preferred embodiment the microprocessor 4 is constructed to compare the random number last generated with the numbers printed by the printer during the immediate prece¬ ding preselected time period, and in the event that this number has not been printed during said time period to print said number or otherwise to generate a new number and to compare this number with the numbers already printed. In this way each number and therewith each record or trans¬ action slip beco.mes unique. Each record slip can therewith be said to constitute a valuable document possessing a rela¬ tively high security level, despite its simplicity. According to a second embodiment only a part of the aforesaid preselected time period is utilized to effect the necessary credit check. In this case the printer prints a record slip prior to carrying out a credit control through the computers 12-14. When it is found that sufficient funds are available to meet the transaction, data to this effect is stored in the memory together ωith the sum-number combination. This; affords sufficient time for the check to be made without requiring the customer to wait. In certain cases the time involved may rqggh several minutes. When the number or the combination of sum and number entered through the keyboard 19-21 cannot be found in the memory 17, or have been stated in the memory as being invalid, the micro- • processor is programmed to send an error signal to respective keyboards over lines herafor, this error signal activating a signalling device, e.g. a red lamp 23-25 on the keyboard. Thus, in this case the record slip is not valid as a means of payment. The reason may be that not sufficient funds are available, that the number or alternatively the combination has, or have, not been printed on a record slip, or that there has not been time to carry out a credit check. What is meant by a combination being given as invalid is that ωheπ insufficient funds are available to meet a transaction or ωhen the aforesaid preselected time period has expired, the microprocessor is programmed to send to the memory a signal to the effect that this combination shall be considered as being invalid, this signal being coupled to the relevant combination in the memory. Correspondingly, the keyboards 19-21 may be equipped ωith a green lamp 26-28 signifying that the record slip is a valid form of payment, these lamps being ignited by the micropro¬ cessor ωhen it has found the combination entered through the keyboard 19-21. Before deciding hoω much money to ωithdraω, the customer estimates the total cost of his/her purchases. If the estimate is too low, the customer pays the difference in cash at the till point, whereas if the sum estimated is too high the difference is repaid at the till point. The present invention thus solves the problems recited in the introduction. The arrangement also affords practical and economical advan¬ tages. For example, the respective apparatus in ωhich the arrangement is installed are situated remote from the cash registers used at the till points or sale points in the store etc., these cash registers varying ωidely in make and design. Should the cash register be used for direct credit control purposes of the kind for ωhich the ' present invention is used, it ωould be necessary to provide each cash register ωith an appropriate interface for coupling the cash register to various computers from ωhich information relating the amount of funds or means available can be collected. Such a system ωould be very expensive. In addition, it ωould be necessary for the customer to ωait at the till point until it has been ascer¬ tained whether or not he/she is able to pay, whereas ωhen using the concept of the present invention the customer is able to shop ωhile the financial state of his/her account is being controlled. The present invention can be readily installed at relatively loω costs. Hoωever, in certain cases it may be to advantage to use the keyboard of an existing cash register instead of installing a separate keyboard 19-21 described in the aforegoing. In this case the cash register is provided ωith connections to the microprocessor 4 corresponding to the connections 29-31 for the aforesaid keyboard, and also ωith control lamps correspon¬ ding to the aforesaid lamps 23-25; 26-28. The illustrated exemplifying embodiment described above is not restrictive of the invention, but can be modified ωithiπ the scope of the folloωing claims.

Claims: CL A I MS : 1. An arrangement for making credit card payments,, including a card reader (1), a keyboard (2) for entering the sum required and optionally a personal code, a display (3), a printer (5), and a microprocessor (4) ωhich is arranged to control the display (3) and to receive from the card reader (1) a signal related to the account for which the card is issued and optionally to other information read from the card, and which is also arranged to control the printer (5), the microprocssor (4) being intended for connection to a bank computer and/or to the computer bank of a credit card financing company, in order to debit the account concerned, characterized in that a memory (17) is connected to the microprocessor (4); in that the microprocessor includes a random number generator or a corresponding device; in that there is provided a further keyboard (19-21 ) at one or more cash sale points or till points (A, B, -C); in that the microprocessor (4) is arranged to store said signals received from the card reader in the memory (17) pairwise with a number generated by the random number generator and in conjunction therewith to instruct the printer (5) to print out a record sli~p or receipt (15) on ωhich, inter alia, the sum (16) and number (18) involved are printed; and in that the microprocessor (4) is arranged to receive a signal from one of said further keyboards (19-21) corresponding to said number, ωhereωith upon receipt of such a signal the microprocessor (4) is arranged to make a comparison between this signal and the combinations of the sums and numbers stored pairωise in the memory (17) and ωhen said number is found present in the me¬ mory 7) ' _tQ send a signal to the computer of said bank or credit card company instructing the computer to debit the account associated ωith said sum. 2. An arrangement according to Claim 1 , characterized in that the microprocessor (4) is arranged to receive from one of the further keyboards (19-21) a signal corresponding both to said sum and to said number, the microprocessor (4) being arranged, upon receiving said signal, to carry out said comparison with said sum and said number in combination with combinations of sums and numbers stored pairwise in the memory. 3. An arrangement according to Claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the microprocessor (4) is programmed to carry out said debiting procedure only when receiving a signal from said further keyboard (19-21) within a preselected time period subsequent to the record slip being printed by the printer (5) . 4. An arrangement according to Claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the microprocessor (4) is programmed to compare the random number (18) last generated ωith the numbers generated during said preselected time period, and in the event that said last number has not been printed out during said time period to print said πumb.er or otherwise to generate a neω ^ number and compare this number ωith the numbers previously printed. 5. An arrangement according to Claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, charac¬ terized in that the further keyboard (19-21) is provided ωith indicating means (23-25; 26-28) ωhich are activated by the microprocessor in a manner to indicate ωhether a pairωise sum and number combination entered through the keyboard (19- 21) is found in the memory (17) of the microprocessor and is valid or invalid.

Inventors: ESKILSSON BIRGER, JACOBSEN HANS, WESTERBERG GERHARD, ESKILSSON, BIRGER, JACOBSEN, HANS, WESTERBERG, GERHARD
Applicants: VENTRONIC VENTURE ELECTRONICS, VENTRONIC VENTURE ELECTRONICS AB
Application year: 1986
Main classification: G07F7
IPC codes: G07F7