Methods for processing a group of accounts corresponding to different products

Abstract

Processing a group of accounts corresponding to different products. A group of accounts are linked together to create a group so that group processing can be performed at the group level while independent processing of the accounts is performed at the account level. Typically, a group includes a key account and one or more dependent accounts. The relationships between the accounts and the group are flexible to accommodate changes in the status of the group cardholders. Group level processing includes authorizing transactions, applying group payments, creating group statements, creating cardholder communications, and administering reward programs. Each dependent account has an associated dependent strategy that specifies group level processing options for the dependent account.

Description

RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This U.S. patent application relates to U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60 / 083,004 entitled “Methods and System for a Family Financial Services Card,” filed Apr. 24, 1998. The present application and the related U.S. provisional patent application are commonly assigned to First Data Corporation. [0002] This U.S. patent application also relates to U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Method for Linking Accounts Corresponding to Different Products Together to Create a Group,” filed concurrently herewith (Attorney Docket No. 06042-0110) and U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ entitled “Method for Defining a Relationship Between an Account and a Group,” filed concurrently herewith (Attorney Docket No. 06042-0150). The present application and the related pending applications are commonly assigned to First Data Corporation.TECHNICAL FIELD [0003] This invention relates in general to a method for processing accounts corresponding to ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0028] The relationship between each account in the group is flexible and can be modified. A group can contain some dependent accounts which process as completely subordinate accounts with no direct communication to the dependent cardholder and other dependent accounts which process as secondary or joint owners of the group with full disclosure of all group activity. Each defined dependent strategy can be used to define the relationship of any number of accounts to any number of groups. Also, each group can include dependent accounts with relationships defined by any number of different strategies. Additionally, an existing relationship between a given dependent account and a group can be changed from one strategy to another strategy. The ability to modify the dependent strategy allows the account processing to change as the cardholder's situation changes. Changing the dependent strategy of one of the dependent accounts does not impact the dependent strategies of the other dependent accounts.

Problems solved by technology

A disadvantage of providing the child with an additional card on an existing account is that the child has access to the entire credit line of the account.

A disadvantage of providing the child with a card on an account where the child is the primary user and the parent is the responsible party is that the parent's access to credit may be reduced.

If the parent also has another account, then the credit line given to the child is not available to the parent even if the child is not currently using it because the accounts are unrelated.

A disadvantage of providing the child with a secured card by providing collateral for the account is that the collateral is committed to secure the account regardless of the amount of activity on the account.

As a result of these market realities, issuers are faced with a challenge to manage an individual's whole relationship with them while offering the flexibility consumers desire in their product options.

This option also provides almost no functionality at the cardholder level.

This limits the issuer's ability to complete marketing analysis on individual group members.

This functionality does not solve the shared credit issues or the ability to make other processing decisions at the card level.

This functionality does not accommodate different types or versions of credit card products.

Although several authorization options exist, the restrictions are based on monthly spending limits rather than a true available credit.

Commercial cards also do not accommodate different types of cardholder relationships to the group.

For example, at one point, a child may not be able to qualify individually for a credit card and may need an individual, such as a parent to be the financially responsible party for the card.

Typically, this type of functionality does not provide an easy audit trail to find the accounts which were included in the scoring activity.

This functionality also does not allow management of distinct owners.

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