Abstract:
A system, method, and computer-readable storage medium configured to enable intelligent management and implementation of travel policies, elite cardholder benefits, or vendor offers related to expenses incurred on a payment card.

Description:
BACKGROUND 
       [0001]    1. Field of the Disclosure 
         [0002]    Aspects of the disclosure relate in general to financial services. Aspects include an apparatus, system, method and computer-readable storage medium to return change from a cash purchase to a payment card. 
         [0003]    2. Description of the Related Art 
         [0004]    For centuries, financial transactions have used currency, such as banknotes and coins (“cash”). Because cash transaction amounts vary, few customers are able to provide the exact transaction amount in currency. Usually, a customer gives a merchant an amount of currency in excess of the purchase amount; and the merchant returns the excess amount paid as change. 
         [0005]    There are many problems with using cash. The tracking and counting of cash is a time-consuming process. By its very nature, currency is bulky, and exposes its users to potential theft. The secure storage of cash is problematic, and both merchants and financial institutions often require armed guard when large amounts of cash are transferred. 
         [0006]    In modern times, however, payment cards are rapidly replacing cash to facilitate payments. A payment card is a card that can be used by a cardholder and accepted by a vendor or merchant to make a payment for a purchase or in payment of some other obligation. An example of a payment card includes a stored-value card (such as a transit card or gift card), credit card, debit card, automatic teller machine (ATM) card, or charge card. The payment card is generally used to pay an exact amount. In the case where the payment card is a debit card, some merchants will allow cardholders to obtain cash back. 
         [0007]    Payment cards are affiliated with payment networks, which are operational networks that enable monetary exchange between parties. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0008]    Embodiments include a system, device, method and computer-readable medium configured to return change from a cash purchase to a payment card. 
         [0009]    A point-of-sale kiosk receives a cash payment for a transaction that exceeds a purchase price of the transaction. A network interface electronically deposits at least a portion of an amount exceeding the purchase price into an account associated with a payment card. 
         [0010]    A point of sale apparatus comprises a cash/coin processing engine and a network interface. The cash/coin processing engine is configured to receive a cash payment for a transaction that exceeds a purchase price of the transaction. The network interface is configured to electronically deposit at least a portion of an amount exceeding the purchase price into an account associated with a payment card. 
         [0011]    A non-transitory computer readable medium is encoded with data and instructions. When executed by a computing device, the instructions causing the computing device to receive, at a kiosk, a cash payment for a transaction that exceeds a purchase price of the transaction. Via a network interface, at least a portion of an amount exceeding the purchase price is electronically deposited into an account associated with a payment card. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0012]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a system configured to return change from a cash purchase to a payment card. 
           [0013]      FIG. 2  depicts a block diagram of a point-of-sale device configured to return change from a cash purchase to a payment card. 
           [0014]      FIG. 3  flowcharts a method embodiment to return change from a cash purchase to a payment card. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0015]    One aspect of the disclosure includes the realization that change from cash purchases may be refunded to customers via a deposit on to a payment card. 
         [0016]    Another aspect of the disclosure is the realization that refunding change from cash purchases to payment cards offers customers greater flexibility in cross-border transactions, and can help limit the losses from theft. 
         [0017]    As described herein, a payment card includes a stored-value card (such as a transit card or gift card), credit card, debit card, automatic teller machine (ATM) card, and charge card. It is further understood that payment cards, as described herein, may also include an electronic wallet, Radio Frequency Identifier (RFID) device, cloud-based payment device, mobile phone, Near Field Communication (NFC) enabled device, or any other electronic payment device known in the art. 
         [0018]    Embodiments of the present disclosure include a system, device, method, and computer-readable storage medium configured to return change from a cash purchase to a payment card. 
         [0019]      FIG. 1  illustrates an embodiment of a system  1000  configured to return change from a cash purchase on to a payment card, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0020]    System  1000  may include a point-of-sale (POS) kiosk  2000  located at a vendor  1200 , an acquirer financial institution  1250 , a payment network  1300 , and an issuer financial institution  1400 . 
         [0021]    In system  1000 , a customer  1100  pays for a product or service with cash at point-of-sale (POS) kiosk  2000  located at a vendor  1200 . As described herein, point-of-sale kiosk  2000  may be a freestanding kiosk or sales-person-operated cash register. Point-of-Sale kiosk  2000  may return the difference between the cash paid and the purchase price as a deposit on a payment card. In doing so, kiosk  2000  may communicate with an acquirer  1250 , which in turn communicates with a payment network  1300  and issuer  1400  to process the deposit. 
         [0022]    The vendor  1200  may be any merchant or service provider that offers goods or services to a customer. 
         [0023]    An acquirer  1250  is the bank or financial institution that processes credit and or debit card payments for products or services for a vendor  1200 . In some instances, vendor  1200  may operate as its own acquirer  1250 . 
         [0024]    An issuer financial institution  1400  is the institution that that issues the payment card. In a payment card-based purchase transaction, issuer  1400  processes data (authorization requests) via a payment network  1300  and prepares the authorization-formatted response (approvals or declines). An example issuer  1400  may be a bank or credit union. 
         [0025]    Payment network  1300  is a payment network capable of processing payments electronically. An example payment network  1300  includes MasterCard International Incorporated. 
         [0026]    Embodiments will now be disclosed with reference to a block diagram of an exemplary point-of-sale kiosk  2000  of  FIG. 2 , constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0027]    Point-of-sale kiosk  2000  may run a multi-tasking operating system (OS) and include at least one processor  2100 , a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium  2200 , a network interface  2300 , a payment card reader-writer  2400 , a payment card printer  2500 , cash/coin processing engine  2600 , price scanner  2700  and user interface  2800 . In some embodiments, point-of-sale kiosk  2000  may additionally include a contactless interface  2900 . 
         [0028]    Processor  2100  may be any central processing unit (CPU), microprocessor, micro-controller, computational device or electronic circuit known in the art. 
         [0029]    Computer-readable storage media  2200  may be a conventional read/write memory such as a magnetic disk drive, floppy disk drive, optical drive, compact-disk read-only-memory (CD-ROM) drive, digital versatile disk (DVD) drive, high definition digital versatile disk (HD-DVD) drive, Blu-ray disc drive, magneto-optical drive, optical drive, flash memory, memory stick, transistor-based memory, magnetic tape or other computer-readable memory device as is known in the art for storing and retrieving data. Significantly, computer-readable storage media  2200  may be remotely located from processor  2100 , and be connected to processor  2100  via a network such as a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), or the Internet. 
         [0030]    In addition, as shown in  FIG. 2 , storage media  2200  may also contain an issuer database  2210  and product/service database  2220 . Issuer database  2210  is configured to store information related to payment card issuers  1300 , including issuers  1300  that may issue payment cards from kiosk  2000 . Product/service database  2220  is configured to store pricing data for products or services offered by vendor  1200 . It is understood by those familiar with the art that one or more of these databases  2210 - 2220  may be combined in a myriad of combinations and computer database formats. The function of these structures may best be understood with respect to the flowcharts of  FIG. 3 , as described below. 
         [0031]    Network interface  2300  may be any data port as is known in the art for interfacing, communicating or transferring data across a computer network, examples of such networks include Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP), Ethernet, WiFi, wireless, Fiber Distributed Data Interface (FDDI), token bus, or token ring networks. Network interface  2300  allows Point-of-sale kiosk  2000  to communicate with acquirer  1250 , payment network  1300 , and/or issuer bank  1400 . 
         [0032]    Payment card reader-writer  2400  is the element that reads from and writes to a magnetic strip located on the “back side” of an embossed payment card. 
         [0033]    Payment card printer  2500  is the element that physically prints payments cards compliant with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO)/International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 7810 ID-1 physical card standard. 
         [0034]    Cash/coin processing engine  2600  is the device that enables kiosk  2000  to accept cash and coin payments. Additionally, in some embodiments cash/coin processing engine  2600  is capable of returning banknotes and coins as change to customers. 
         [0035]    Price scanner  2700  is a barcode or other scanner known in the art capable of scanning price tags or barcodes. 
         [0036]    User interface  2800  may be a display, keypad, buttons, or any other user interface known in the art communicate with a kiosk user. 
         [0037]    Contactless interface  2900  enables kiosk  2600  to communicate with devices using near field communication (NFC) such as payment devices using the ISO/IEC 14443 standard, including PayPass™ or MasterPass™ enabled payment cards. PayPass™ and MasterPass™ are trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated of Purchase, N.Y. 
         [0038]    These structures may include hardware, firmware, or software encoded on a computer readable medium, such as storage media  2200 . Further details of these components are described with their relation to method embodiments below. 
         [0039]    We now turn our attention to method or process embodiments of the present disclosure depicted in  FIG. 3 . It is understood by those known in the art that instructions for such method embodiments may be stored on computer-readable memory and executed by processors. It is understood by those skilled in the art that other equivalent implementations can exist without departing from the spirit or claims of the present disclosure. 
         [0040]      FIG. 3  flowcharts a method embodiment  3000  to return change from a cash purchase to a payment card, constructed and operative in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. 
         [0041]    Initially a payment transaction takes place with point-of-sale kiosk  2000  located at a vendor  1200 , block  3010 . The price of the services or products are either electronically entered via price scanner  2700  or input by a vendor customer service representative. 
         [0042]    At decision block  3020 , processor  2100  determines whether cash was used for the transaction. If cash was not used, a payment card transaction is taking place, and process  3000  ends. If cash was used, such as cash received at cash/coin processing engine  2600 , the process flow continues at decision block  3030 . 
         [0043]    At decision block  3030 , processor  2100  determines the amount of change should be returned to the customer (if any). If the amount of change fails to exceed a predetermined threshold amount, it may not be worthwhile to return the change on a payment card. Consequently, in some embodiments, the predetermined threshold amount is determined by the vendor  1200 , acquirer  1250 , payment network  1300 , or issuer  1400 . The predetermined threshold amount may vary from implementation to implementation. A $20 threshold may be used, for example. If the change is below the predetermined threshold amount, the change is returned in cash at block  3050 . If the predetermined amount is exceeded, the process continues at block  3040 . 
         [0044]    At decision block  3040 , kiosk prompts customer on whether the customer would like their change returned on a payment card. The prompting may occur via user interface  2800 . If not, the change is returned in cash at block  3050 . 
         [0045]    If the customer would like their change returned on a payment card, the process continues at block  3060 . 
         [0046]    At decision block  3060 , kiosk prompts customer on whether the customer has a payment card that can accept the change. If the customer has such a payment card, the process continues at block  3090 . 
         [0047]    If the customer does not have a payment card, the process continues at block  3070 . 
         [0048]    In some embodiments, kiosk  2000  deposits the change directly to a prepaid payment card, and does not need any customer information. 
         [0049]    In other embodiments, kiosk  2000  collects customer information to generate a payment card tied to the customer, block  3070 . In general, the customer information may be required by an issuer  1400  for the creation of an account associated with the payment card. In such embodiments, user interface  2800  may collect information such as the customer name, billing address, government issued identification number (such as social security number), or other personal identification information. Kiosk  2000  may provide this information to an issuer  1400  for the creation of a payment card account at the issuer  1400 . 
         [0050]    In some other embodiments, user interface  2800  may prompt customer to select an issuer  1400  for the payment card; the issuer may be selected from a predetermined list of issuers  1400 , for example. In other embodiments, kiosk  2000  may assign the customer a payment card from a predetermined issuer  1400 . 
         [0051]    Once an issuer  1400  is selected, the issuer  1400  is contacted via payment network  1300 . The issuer  1400  creates an account to be associated with the payment card, and provides kiosk with a unique Primary Account Number (PAN) for the new payment card. 
         [0052]    Card printer  2500  prints the payment card with the unique Primary Account Number. In embodiments that tie the customer directly with the payment card, kiosk  2000  prints the customer&#39;s name on the payment card, block  3080 . In other embodiments, the payment cards are pre-printed and provided to kiosk  2000 . 
         [0053]    At block  3090 , using network interface  2300 , kiosk  2000  contacts issuer  1400 , via the payment network  1300 , informing issuer of the amount deposited on to the payment card. Note that in some embodiments, a fee is charged for depositing the change on to a payment card, and consequently the entire change amount is not deposited on to the payment card. Furthermore, at block  3090  a customer receipt may be printed showing the amount deposited to an account associated with the payment card. 
         [0054]    The previous description of the embodiments is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the disclosure. The various modifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles defined herein may be applied to other embodiments without the use of inventive faculty. Thus, the present disclosure is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown herein, but is to be accorded the widest scope consistent with the principles and novel features disclosed herein.