Abstract:
Systems and processes allow for dispensing pre-paid debit cards and the like from point of sale locations such as merchants. Pre-paid debit cards may be obtained in desired amounts. Communication from the point of sale location with a remote facility allows for subsequent use of the debit card from other locations.

Description:
CROSS REFERENCE  
       [0001]    The present application is a continuation of co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 10/114,522 filed on Apr. 2, 2002; which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/894,581 filed on Jun. 28, 2001; which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 09/524,496 filed on Mar. 13, 2000 (and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,405,182), which is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/207,854 filed Dec. 8, 1998; which is a continuation in part of application Ser. No. 09/128,088 filed Aug. 3, 1998 (and now U.S. Pat. No. 6,105,009); which is a continuation in part of U.S. application Ser. No. 08/877,006 filed on Jun. 6, 1997 and now abandoned. These applications are incorporated herein by reference. 
     
    
     
       BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION  
         [0002]    The present invention relates to systems and processes for dispensing debit cards and the like.  
           [0003]    The prior art includes processes and systems for dispensing debit cards, with an example including telephone debit cards. These known processes and systems, however, are generally complicated, costly and otherwise cumbersome. Additionally, they often do not provide acceptable levels of security and flexibility.  
           [0004]    Accordingly, a number of needs are unresolved in the art.  
         SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION  
         [0005]    One embodiment of the present invention is a process for dispensing debit cards comprising the steps of receiving user particulars data and transaction particulars data with a first computer, storing the user and transaction particulars data in a first computer memory, and receiving funds. The exemplary process further includes steps of computing a line of credit, and using the first computer to validate the funds and to generate a validation signal. The line of credit is stored in the first computer memory. A debit card having a unique identifier is dispensed only after the validation signal is communicated from the first computer, and the unique identifier communicated back to the first computer. 
       
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS  
       [0006]    [0006]FIG. 1 is a schematic useful for describing an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.  
         [0007]    [0007]FIG. 2 is a flow chart summarizing the process steps of an exemplary process of the invention. 
     
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS  
       [0008]    Referring now to the drawings, a system embodiment of the present invention is generally referred to with numeral  10  in FIG. 1. It will be appreciated that the present invention includes processes as well as systems, and that in the description of a system of the invention such as  10  a description of a process may likewise be presented. For example, it will be appreciated that the system  10  of the invention may carry out a process of the invention.  
         [0009]    The system  10  includes a point of sales terminal (“POS”)  54  that may be an ATM or the like, and may have input and output hardware such as a bill acceptance port, a credit/debit card charge assembly, a keypad, and the like. POS terminals  54  are generally widely available in retail outlets. It will be appreciated that a merchant using a register or the like may also function as the POS  54 . A purchaser  30  has a credit card  31  and/or currency  33 . A dispenser is shown at  40  and a card issuer at  41 . The card issuer  41  may be the issuer of the debit card  48  and/or the credit card  31 . The dispenser  40  may be a merchant such as a clerk or cashier, an entity or place selling the card, an automated machine, or the like. It may be a part of the POS  54  or may be separate therefrom. The dispenser  40  can have three or more stacks of debit cards  48  that each has a unique identifier such as a digital storage number or the like. A clearinghouse  56  is connected to a telecommunications network  60 , which is also connected to the card issuer  41  and the POS  54 . The clearinghouse  56  has a computer  57  with an associated storage or memory  59 . The POS  54  also has a computer  61  with an associated storage assembly or memory  63 .  
         [0010]    As shown in FIG. 1, a card purchaser  30  initiates a process of the invention when approaching a merchant offering the sale of prepaid debit cards through a POS  54 . Once the purchaser  30  determines a prepaid amount to be purchased and credited to the debit card  48 , the user&#39;s particulars are entered to the computer  61 . The particulars may include, for instance, one or more of his name, address, social security number, a personal identification number (“PIN”) and the like. The particulars may be obviated under certain circumstances (e.g., use of a bearer debit card). The issuer  41  determines the amount of particulars required, and may consider issuers of flexibility for the purchaser in terms of how much information he wants to disclose. Generally, the more information that is disclosed, the more secure the debit card  48  will be. Optionally, a second PIN number may be used for additional security. The information entered by the debit card purchaser  30  is stored in storage assembly  63  by the computer assembly  61  for consequent transmission to clearinghouse  56 .  
         [0011]    A line of credit is computed and stored in the storage means  63 . The computer  61  generates a validation signal, which is communicated from the POS terminal  54  to the dispenser  40 . After receiving the validation signal, the dispenser  40  may dispense the debit card  48 . The unique identifier for the debit card  48  is communicated to the computer  61 . If the user  30  has requested, a plurality of debit cards  48  may be dispensed, and the unique identifier for each of the plurality communicated to the computer  61 . The computer  61  assembles a block of information for transmission, including the user particulars data, the transaction particulars data, and the debit card  48  unique identifier(s), and the like. This block of information may be then communicated over the communications network  60  to the clearinghouse  56 , where it is received and processed by the second computer  57  and stored on the storage  59  along with the line of credit.  
         [0012]    The following example will be helpful in further illustrating the invention. For a cash transaction, a merchant may collect the cash  33  from the user  30  as if it were for purchase of merchandise, services, or a similar routine transaction. The merchant will enter the debit card  48  unique identifier, such as an issuing bank&#39;s ID number, to the computer  61  for a “virgin” (i.e., not validated) debit card  48  for the amount of money  33  prepaid. Once this data has been entered to the computer  61 , it is stored on the storage  63 , and a line of credit is calculated. A validation signal is generated, and the merchant dispenses the debit card  48 . The merchant may also charge a small processing fee.  
         [0013]    If more than one card  48  is dispensed to the same purchaser  30 , then the unique identifiers such as serial numbers for each card  48  will be linked to each other, with the result that all of the plurality of cards  48  are associated with the same line of credit. This may be desirable, for instance, so that the card purchaser  48  can obtain a plurality of cards  48  and distribute them to others, with examples including a traveling salesman, a child in college or other family member away from home, who will then be able to use the debit card  48  within the available line of credit. The card purchaser  30  can then reload the debit card for the others&#39; remote usage, thus effectively constituting an instantaneous transfer of funds.  
         [0014]    In another aspect of the present invention, a card issuer  41  may offer incentives to the purchaser  30  to encourage or to discourage use of the debit card  48 . For example, a card issuer  41  may offer incentives to a user to use the debit card  48  in a specified geographic area. By way of additional example, a card issuer  41  may offer to provide interest payments on a deposited line of credit, or may provide an incentive to use a line of credit after determining that it has been unused for a period of time.  
         [0015]    [0015]FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating steps of an additional exemplary invention embodiment  100 . It will be appreciated that the steps of the process  100  may be carried out using the system  10  of FIG. 1, or another system. The process  100  begins when a purchaser begins a transaction by tendering cash or a credit card (block  102 ). User particulars are then obtained (block  104 ). Obtaining user particulars may include, for instance, oral communication with the customer, entry by the customer of data into a POS. terminal  54  or the like, or through communication with a credit card issuer after obtaining a credit card. A determination is made whether cash or a credit card has been tendered (block  106 ). If a credit card, the computer communicates with a card issuer to obtain authorization (block  108 ). If the issuer doesn&#39;t authorize the charge, the computer declines the transaction (blocks  110  and  112 ).  
         [0016]    If the tendered funds were cash or if the credit card issuer granted authorization, data is assembled and a validation signal generated (block  114 ). The assembled data may include, but is not limited to, user and transaction particulars. Finally, a debit card is dispensed (block  116 ). The assembled data and the unique identifier for the dispensed debit card are communicated to the debit card issuer (block  118 ).  
         [0017]    Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the exemplary aspects of invention embodiments discussed herein are for illustration purposes only, and that the invention is not limited to these exemplary aspects.