Converged Merchant Processing Automated Account Enrollment

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Solution Overview

Problem

Consumers face inefficiencies when creating accounts with merchants, as they must manually input personal and payment information, which is time-consuming and prone to errors, and existing methods to streamline this process are also cumbersome and error-prone.

Innovation Solution

A system and method where a merchant's computer system identifies and retrieves payment information from a user's existing profile, allowing for automatic enrollment in a membership account without requiring manual input, by interacting with a payment service provider to add or link payment options based on pre-existing user information.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If users manually input personal and payment information to create accounts, then account creation can be completed, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveaccount creation processVSAvoidtime required for account creation

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by storing user payment information in advance within the merchant's computer system or profile. When account creation is needed, the pre-stored information is automatically retrieved and used, eliminating the need for users to re-input data manually.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system enables self-service by automatically retrieving and utilizing previously stored user information without requiring manual user input. The merchant's computer system autonomously completes the account creation process by matching user identifiers with existing profile data.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #25Self-service

2Reliability

If users manually input personal and payment information, then account creation can be completed, but errors in data entry increase

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvedata accuracyVSAvoidmanual data entry process

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The system creates and uses copies of previously stored user information rather than requiring fresh manual input. The merchant's computer system retrieves copied data from existing profiles or payment service providers, ensuring data accuracy while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #26Copying

3Adaptability or versatility

If alternative methods like phone enrollment are used, then account creation can be completed, but data transmission increases and errors may occur

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveenrollment method flexibilityVSAvoiddata transmission overhead

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges the payment processing function with the account creation function. By combining these operations, the system uses the same data transmission infrastructure for both purposes, reducing redundant data transmission while maintaining versatility in enrollment methods.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS10372712B2Converged merchant processing apparatuses, methods and systems

Publication Date: 2019.08.06 VISA INTERNATIONAL SERVICE ASSOCIATION

AI summary

The CONVERGED MERCHANT PROCESSING APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS (“CMP”) facilitates the generation of user accounts with merchants. The user may be logged into an electronic wallet or issuer account, and may initiate an account generation process with a one-click mechanism. The CMP may provide information to the merchant in order to facilitate the generation of the account after receiving data from the electronic wallet or issuer.