Patent Publication Number: US-2021174437-A1

Title: Mobile number credit prescreen

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS (PROVISIONAL) 
     This application is a continuation and claims priority to and the benefit of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/051,526, filed on Feb. 23, 2016, entitled “MOBILE NUMBER CREDIT PRESCREEN” by Adam Koltnow et al, having Attorney Docket No. ADS-125, and assigned to the assignee of the present application, hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. 
     U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/051,526 claims priority to and the benefit of then co-pending U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/209,806 filed on Aug. 25, 2015, entitled “MOBILE NUMBER CREDIT PRESCREEN” by Adam Koltnow et al., and assigned to the assignee of the present application, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
    
    
     BACKGROUND 
     Company specific, brand specific or even card network or bank specific credit cards provide significant value to both consumer and provider. By issuing a brand specific credit card, the provider is able to provide a consumer with an increase in spending power, tailored rewards and/or offers, loyalty discounts, and the like while maintaining consumer brand loyalty. Similarly, the consumer receives the perks from the increased spending power, reward offers, loyalty discounts and the like. Additionally, the more convenient the service, the more likely the consumer will provide company specific recommendations via word of mouth, social networks, internet rating sites, and the like. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate various embodiments and, together with the Description of Embodiments, serve to explain principles discussed below. The drawings referred to in this brief description should not be understood as being drawn to scale unless specifically noted. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of a mobile number credit prescreening system, in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 2  depicts a flow diagram for a method for mobile number credit prescreen, in accordance with an embodiment. 
         FIG. 3  is a block diagram of an example computer system with which or upon which various embodiments of the present invention may be implemented. 
     
    
    
     DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS 
     Reference will now be made in detail to embodiments of the subject matter, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the subject matter discussed herein will be described in conjunction with various embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the subject matter to these embodiments. On the contrary, the presented embodiments are intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the various embodiments as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the Description of Embodiments, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of embodiments of the present subject matter. However, embodiments may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the described embodiments. 
     Notation and Nomenclature 
     Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the following discussions, it is appreciated that throughout the present Description of Embodiments, discussions utilizing terms such as “selecting”, “outputting”, “inputting”, “providing”, “receiving”, “utilizing”, “obtaining”, “updating”, “accessing”, “changing”, “correlating”, “prescreening”, “developing”, “presenting” or the like, often refer to the actions and processes of an electronic computing device/system, such as a desktop computer, notebook computer, tablet, mobile phone, and electronic personal display, among others. The electronic computing device/system manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the circuits, electronic registers, memories, logic, and/or components and the like of the electronic computing device/system into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the electronic computing device/system or other electronic computing devices/systems. 
     Overview 
     Mobile number credit prescreen is discussed herein. One embodiment obtains a phone number associated with a customer&#39;s mobile device. The phone number is utilized to access a mobile carrier service and obtain identifying information about the customer. A credit reporting agency is accessed and the identifying information about the customer is used to perform a credit prescreen. In addition, when the customer passes the credit prescreen, the identifying information about the customer and a result of the credit prescreen are used to pre-fill a credit application form. The pre-filled credit application form in conjunction with a pre-approved credit offer is then provided to the customer for acceptance. 
     In one embodiment, the pre-filled credit application form and the pre-approved credit offer are provided to the customer via the customer&#39;s mobile device. In one embodiment, by providing the offer to the user&#39;s mobile device, the interaction and offer are moved away from the register. 
     In the following discussion, the term “prescreen” is utilized. In general, prescreen refers to a credit prescreen for a customer. That is, a screening of a customer based on some sort of identification information that allows a likely credit determination to be performed via a credit reporting agency. For example, if Tom is pre-screened, identifying information would be obtained, such as, his name and address. The name and address would be used to perform a quick check of at least a portion of Tom&#39;s credit history at one of a number of possible credit reporting agencies. 
     It should be appreciated that the obtaining or accessing of user information conforms to applicable privacy laws (e.g., federal privacy laws, state privacy laws, etc.). In one embodiment, prior to accessing user information, the user affirmatively “opts-in” to the services described herein. For example, during the use of a store&#39;s mobile application, the user is prompted with a choice to affirmatively “opt-in” to various services, such as accessing at least the user&#39;s mobile device number. As a result, the mobile number information is obtained with the user&#39;s prior permission. 
     Thus, depending on present or future credit prescreening requirements, rules and regulations, the credit prescreen described herein may be more or less formal. For example, if the legislation or regulation requires a customer be informed, or provide authorization, before a review of the customer&#39;s credit score is authorized, the credit prescreen described herein would be limited to only overt credit score checks. That is, the customer would authorize the mobile number credit prescreen system to contact the credit reporting agency. 
     Operation 
     Referring now to  FIG. 1 , a block diagram of a mobile number credit prescreen system  100  shown in accordance with an embodiment. In an embodiment, mobile number credit prescreen system  100  obtains a number from a mobile device  101  and determines if the mobile device  101  owner should receive an offer  140 . In one embodiment, mobile number credit prescreen system  100  includes mobile device number obtainer  105 , mobile carrier determiner  106 , credit prescreen module  110 , and credit application pre-fill module  120 . Although a number of applications and components are shown in mobile number credit prescreen system  100 , it should be appreciated that the components and applications may be located separately from one another. For example, one or more of the components and applications may be found on one or more locations, such as, but not limited to a computer in the retail store, a server at a remote location, on the cloud  111 , and even on mobile device  101 . 
     In general, mobile device number obtainer  105  is used to obtain a phone number of a customer&#39;s mobile device. Mobile device number obtainer  105  may act surreptitiously or overtly in obtaining the mobile device  101  phone number. For example, mobile device number obtainer  105  may obtains the phone number of the customer&#39;s mobile device from a text message sent from the customer&#39;s mobile device  101  to a retailer&#39;s website. In another example, the phone number of the customer&#39;s mobile device from a credit prescreen request openly provided to the customer via the mobile device  101 . In another embodiment, the phone number may be obtained by having an application on the mobile device broadcast the phone number to an in-store beacon, wirelessly to a store website, or the like. 
     In one embodiment, mobile carrier determiner  106  is an application that has a hook into a carrier service such that the mobile carrier determiner  106  can provide a phone number to a mobile carrier service  107  to determine customer identification information, such as a customer&#39;s name and present home address. For example, mobile device number obtainer  105  will provide the customer&#39;s mobile device  101  number to mobile carrier determiner  106 . Mobile carrier determiner  106  will access mobile carrier service  107  via cloud  111  to retrieve the customer name and address associated with the mobile device  101  phone number. An example of cloud  111  is a network such as the Internet, local area network (LAN), wide area network (WAN), or the like. 
     For example, in one embodiment, mobile carrier determiner  106  will use a matching service for porting the phone number to the mobile carrier service  107  to obtain the identifying information about the customer. The matching service could be, but is not limited to, payphone, automatic number identification automatic location identification (ANIALI) and the like, which would access one or more of the mobile device carrier databases and provide the customer information. In one embodiment, there may be a charge to use the matching service such as a per-use charge, a monthly access fee, or the like. 
     In one embodiment, mobile carrier determiner  106  provides the customer identification information to customer credit prescreen module  110 . Customer credit prescreen module  110  accesses a credit reporting agency  115  via cloud  111  to determine credit information for the customer based on the identification information. An example of cloud  111  is a network such as described herein. The credit reporting agency  115  may be a company such as, but not limited to, Experian, Equifax, TransUnion, Innovis and the like. 
     Customer credit prescreen module  110  will analyze the customer credit information provided by credit reporting agency  115  to determine if the customer passes a prescreen credit criteria. In one embodiment, customer credit prescreen module  110  will also receive a minimum amount. In general, minimum amount refers to a minimum credit limit for the customer to prequalify. For example, the minimum amount may be 5,000.00 USD. In the case where customer credit prescreen module  110  receives a minimum amount, customer credit prescreen module  110  will utilize the customer credit information provided by credit reporting agency  115  in conjunction with the minimum amount requirement to determine if the customer is reasonably likely to receive an acceptable credit line if approved upon application for credit. 
     Customer credit prescreen module  110  provides the customer credit information provided by the credit reporting agency  115  to credit application pre-fill module  120 . Credit application pre-fill module  120  utilizes the customer identification information and the customer credit information provided by the credit reporting agency  115  to determine if the customer qualifies. In one embodiment, if the customer does not pass the credit qualification prescreen, no suggestion to apply for credit will be provided to the customer. 
     However, if the customer does pass the credit prescreen, credit application pre-fill module  120  will pre-fill a credit application form and provide the pre-filled credit application form in conjunction with a pre-approved credit offer to the customer&#39;s mobile device. In one embodiment, credit application pre-fill module  120  will include a security feature in the form and offer  140 . For example, the pre-approved credit offer includes a security option such that the offer is not accessible on the customer&#39;s mobile device until the customer has correctly answered a security question. The security question may be, but is not limited to, the customer&#39;s social security number (or portion thereof), birthday, middle name, child&#39;s name, anniversary, high school mascot, or the like. 
       FIG. 2  depicts a flow diagram  200  for a method for mobile number credit prescreen, in accordance with an embodiment. By prescreening the customer and providing an offer to apply for store credit only to a prequalified customer, the concern of embarrassing the customer due to denial of credit is reduced. Moreover, by providing the offer to the customer on the customer&#39;s mobile device  101 , the store can move the interaction and offer away from the register area. 
     With reference now to  210  of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 1 , one embodiment obtains a mobile phone number associated with a customer&#39;s mobile device  101 . Examples of a mobile device  101  include, but are not limited to, a mobile phone, tablet, smart glasses, smart watch, and other user portable devices having wireless connectivity. In one embodiment, the phone number may be obtained surreptitiously or may be openly requested by an application that is operable on the customer&#39;s mobile device  101 . For example, obtaining the customer phone number from a credit prescreen request openly provided to the customer. 
     In another embodiment, the phone number may be obtained by having an application on the mobile device broadcast the phone number to an in-store beacon. In yet another embodiment, the phone number of the customer may be obtained from a solicitation on a poster, a text message sent to a retailer&#39;s website, a scanned code, or the like. In another embodiment, mobile device number obtainer  105  utilizes a customer&#39;s specific providing of their mobile phone number for the mobile device  101 . 
     For example, during the shopping process the associate asks the customer&#39;s mobile number to sign the customer up to a loyalty program with an instant  10 % off of any purchases made that day. The customer provides the associate with the mobile device number. The phone number is then entered into the mobile number credit prescreen system  100 , such as by the associate via a mobile device or the like. Mobile number credit prescreen system  100  will then commence prescreening the customer to determine if the customer meets the criteria for store credit. 
     In general, the information may be provided via wireless connectivity such as  3 G,  4 G, WiFi, Bluetooth, and the like. In one embodiment, the customer may use the mobile device to scan a barcode on a poster, or the like. For example, the barcode scan will direct the customer&#39;s mobile device to an application download option, where a customer can download an application consisting of one or more components of the mobile number credit prescreen system  100  without applying for any type of store credit card. 
     Referring now to  220  of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 1 , one embodiment utilizes the phone number to access a mobile carrier service  107  and obtain identifying information about the customer. For example, in one embodiment mobile carrier determination application  106  has a hook into the carrier service used by the customer&#39;s mobile device. The mobile carrier determiner  106  will utilize the phone number when accessing the mobile carrier service to determine customer identification information stored at the mobile carrier service  107 . For example, by using a matching service to port the phone number to the mobile carrier to obtain the identifying information about the customer. 
     In one embodiment, customer identification information includes a customer&#39;s name and current address. However, in another embodiment, customer identification information includes enough information to enable a credit prescreening. For example, customer identification information may be one or more of a name and address, driver&#39;s license number, social security number, or other unique customer identifier. 
     Referring now to  230  of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 1 , one embodiment accesses a credit reporting agency and using the identifying information about the customer to perform a credit prescreen. For example, the identification information obtained by mobile carrier determination application is passed to credit prescreen module  110  where the identification information is used by credit prescreen module  110  to access credit reporting agency  115  via cloud  111  and determine if the customer qualifies for store credit. 
     With reference now to  240  of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 1 , in one embodiment when the customer passes the credit prescreen, credit application pre-fill module  120  utilizes the identifying information about the customer and a result of the credit prescreen to pre-fill a credit application form. 
     Referring now to  250  of  FIG. 2  and  FIG. 1 , one embodiment provides, to the customer, the pre-filled credit application form in conjunction with a pre-approved credit offer. In one embodiment, the form and offer  140  may be presented to the customer via the customer&#39;s mobile device  101 . For example, the form and offer  140  may be provided via a text message, email or the like to the customer&#39;s mobile device  101 . In one embodiment, to ensure confidentiality the customer is asked a security question and the form and offer will not be accessible to the customer until the security question is properly answered. 
     In another embodiment, no pre-approved credit offer is provided to the customer when the customer fails to pass the credit prescreen. In other words, unsuccessful results would not be sent to the customer&#39;s mobile device  101 . Thereby the possibility for an uncomfortable exchange with a customer wherein the customer is asked to apply for a store credit card and then informed that they did not qualify. 
     Example Computer System Environment 
     With reference now to  FIG. 3 , portions of the technology for providing a communication composed of computer-readable and computer-executable instructions that reside, for example, in non-transitory computer-usable storage media of a computer system. That is,  FIG. 3  illustrates one example of a type of computer that can be used to implement embodiments of the present technology.  FIG. 3  represents a system or components that may be used in conjunction with aspects of the present technology. In one embodiment, some or all of the components described herein may be combined with some or all of the components of  FIG. 3  to practice the present technology. 
       FIG. 3  illustrates an example computer system  300  used in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. It is appreciated that system  300  of  FIG. 3  is an example only and that the present technology can operate on or within a number of different computer systems including general purpose networked computer systems, embedded computer systems, routers, switches, server devices, user devices, various intermediate devices/artifacts, stand-alone computer systems, mobile phones, personal data assistants, televisions and the like. As shown in  FIG. 3 , computer system  300  of  FIG. 3  is well adapted to having peripheral computer readable media  302  such as, for example, a floppy disk, a compact disc, a flash drive, and the like coupled thereto. 
     Computer system  300  of  FIG. 3  includes an address/data/control bus  304  for communicating information, and a processor  306 A coupled to bus  304  for processing information and instructions. As depicted in  FIG. 3 , system  300  is also well suited to a multi-processor environment in which a plurality of processors  306 A,  306 B, and  306 C are present. Conversely, system  300  is also well suited to having a single processor such as, for example, processor  306 A. Processors  306 A,  306 B, and  306 C may be any of various types of microprocessors. Computer system  300  also includes data storage features such as a computer usable volatile memory  308 , e.g., random access memory (RAM), coupled to bus  304  for storing information and instructions for processors  306 A,  306 B, and  306 C. 
     System  300  also includes computer usable non-volatile memory  310 , e.g., read only memory (ROM), coupled to bus  304  for storing static information and instructions for processors  306 A,  306 B, and  306 C. Also present in system  300  is a data storage unit  312  (e.g., a magnetic disk drive, optical disk drive, solid state drive (SSD), and the like) coupled to bus  304  for storing information and instructions. Computer system  300  also includes an optional alpha-numeric input device  314  including alphanumeric and function keys coupled to bus  304  for communicating information and command selections to processor  306 A or processors  306 A,  306 B, and  306 C. Computer system  300  also includes an optional cursor control device  316  coupled to bus  304  for communicating user input information and command selections to processor  306 A or processors  306 A,  306 B, and  306 C. Optional cursor control device may be a touch sensor, gesture recognition device, and the like. Computer system  300  of the present embodiment also includes an optional display device  318  coupled to bus  304  for displaying information. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 3 , optional display device  318  of  FIG. 3  may be a liquid crystal device, cathode ray tube, OLED, plasma display device or other display device suitable for creating graphic images and alpha-numeric characters recognizable to a user. Optional cursor control device  316  allows the computer user to dynamically signal the movement of a visible symbol (cursor) on a display screen of display device  318 . Many implementations of cursor control device  316  are known in the art including a trackball, mouse, touch pad, joystick, non-contact input, gesture recognition, voice commands, bio recognition, and the like. In addition, special keys on alpha-numeric input device  314  capable of signaling movement of a given direction or manner of displacement. Alternatively, it will be appreciated that a cursor can be directed and/or activated via input from alpha-numeric input device  314  using special keys and key sequence commands. 
     System  300  is also well suited to having a cursor directed by other means such as, for example, voice commands. Computer system  300  also includes an I/O device  320  for coupling system  300  with external entities. For example, in one embodiment, I/O device  320  is a modem for enabling wired or wireless communications between system  300  and an external network such as, but not limited to, the Internet or intranet. A more detailed discussion of the present technology is found below. 
     Referring still to  FIG. 3 , various other components are depicted for system  300 . Specifically, when present, an operating system  322 , applications  324 , modules  326 , and data  328  are shown as typically residing in one or some combination of computer usable volatile memory  308 , e.g. random access memory (RAM), and data storage unit  312 . However, it is appreciated that in some embodiments, operating system  322  may be stored in other locations such as on a network or on a flash drive; and that further, operating system  322  may be accessed from a remote location via, for example, a coupling to the internet. In one embodiment, the present technology, for example, is stored as an application  324  or module  326  in memory locations within RAM  308  and memory areas within data storage unit  312 . The present technology may be applied to one or more elements of described system  300 . 
     System  300  also includes one or more signal generating and receiving device(s)  330  coupled with bus  304  for enabling system  300  to interface with other electronic devices and computer systems. Signal generating and receiving device(s)  330  of the present embodiment may include wired serial adaptors, modems, and network adaptors, wireless modems, and wireless network adaptors, and other such communication technology. The signal generating and receiving device(s)  330  may work in conjunction with one or more communication interface(s)  332  for coupling information to and/or from system  300 . Communication interface  332  may include a serial port, parallel port, Universal Serial Bus (USB), Ethernet port, Bluetooth, thunderbolt, near field communications port, WiFi, Cellular modem, or other input/output interface. Communication interface  332  may physically, electrically, optically, or wirelessly (e.g., via radio frequency) couple system  300  with another device, such as a mobile phone, radio, or computer system. 
     The computing system  300  is only one example of a suitable computing environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation as to the scope of use or functionality of the present technology. Neither should the computing environment be interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any one or combination of components illustrated in the example computing system  300 . 
     The present technology may be described in the general context of computer-executable instructions, such as program modules, being executed by a computer. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, etc., that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. The present technology may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications network. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote computer-storage media including memory-storage devices. 
     The foregoing Description of Embodiments is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the embodiments to the precise form described. Instead, example embodiments in this Description of Embodiments have been presented in order to enable persons of skill in the art to make and use embodiments of the described subject matter. Moreover, various embodiments have been described in various combinations. However, any two or more embodiments may be combined. Although some embodiments have been described in a language specific to structural features and/or methodological acts, it is to be understood that the subject matter defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features or acts described above. Rather, the specific features and acts described above are disclosed by way of illustration and as example forms of implementing the claims and their equivalents.