Method and apparatus for distributing currency

Abstract

A process which provides electronic access to pre-paid funds for cash or payment for goods and services. A card is issued to a customer with a value selectable by the customer. The card has a magnetic stripe with an encoded card number including a bank identification number (BIN) and an account number. The central card processor establishes a zero balance database including the card numbers, but with blank fields for the customer data and the value of the account. When a customer purchases a card, the sales agent transmits to the central database computer which fills in the blanks in the database, activating the account, and transmits an acknowledgement signal back to the sales agent. The customer can immediately use the card in ATM or other remote terminals to acquire cash or purchase goods and services. The customer inputs a PIN number which is provided with the card, or a customer selected alternative PIN number.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONThe present invention relates to systems and processes for dispensing currency to a cardholder in response to an authorization over an electronic data network.A variety of cards are available to enable a customer to electronically interface with a financial institution. Credit cards are a well-known example of this, plastic cards having a magnetic stripe with an encoded account number. These cards can be read by special terminals at a merchant's site, commonly referred to as point-of-sale (POS) terminals. The account number can then be transmitted over a network, such as the VisaNet network. In addition to the account number, the amount of the transaction is also transmitted for authorization. A remote main-frame computer checks a database to determine if the credit card customer is still within his / her credit limit, before authorizing the purchase.Another type of card is a debit card, which is not used to extend credit, but rather to withdraw cash or pay ...

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