Method and apparatus for providing pre-existing and prospective customers with an immediately accessible account

Abstract

A system and method for providing in real-time an immediately accessible customized transaction account via the internet is disclosed. In particular, the system and method recognizes distinct access codes which are correlated to the credit profile of a person accessing an on-line application system via a computer network. During operation of the invention, a party may be driven to the on-line application system via the internet to conduct a transaction in response to an invitation to enroll in a special program. Upon entering the on-line application system, the accessing party may be unilaterally given the opportunity to apply for a special offer, which has been tailored to the accessing party's credit profile.

1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a computer based system for providing an offer, an access code from a customer, wherein the customer is at least one of a prospective customer and an existing customer, and wherein the access code was provided to the customer, and wherein the access code cannot be used to transfer funds via an account issuer; and   providing, by the computer based system, the offer from a plurality of stored offers to the customer based at least in part on the access code and whether the customer is the at least one of the prospective customer and the existing customer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising determining, by the computer based system, whether the customer is a prospective customer or an existing customer based at least in part on the respective access code. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the access code is received at an interface of the account issuer. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising performing, by the computer based system, at least one of a removal of fields and a population of fields at an interface of the account issuer based at least in part on a profile associated with the access code. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein an amount of personal information requested from the existing customer is less than an amount of personal information requested from the prospective customer. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the providing further comprises matching the access code to a profile in a database for the existing customer. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the offer is based upon a profile associated with the customer. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing the offer in an application for a transaction account. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising matching the access code to a pre-approval code. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising validating the profile. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising approving an application for a transaction account, wherein the approving is performed in real-time and wherein the transaction account is associated with transaction account information. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least a portion of the profile is provided in a form of a plurality of modifiable entry fields. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a tangible, non-transitory memory communicating with a processor for providing an offer,   the tangible, non-transitory memory having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:   receiving, by the processor, an access code from a customer, wherein the customer is at least one of a prospective customer and an existing customer, and wherein the access code was provided to the customer, and wherein the access code cannot be used to transfer funds via an account issuer; and   providing, by the processor, the offer from a plurality of stored offers to the customer based at least in part on the access code and whether the customer is the at least one of the prospective customer and the existing customer.   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising determining, by the computer based system, whether the customer is a prospective customer or an existing customer based at least in part on the respective access code. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the access code is received at an interface of the account issuer. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , further comprising performing, by the computer based system, at least one of a removal of fields and a population of fields at an interface of the account issuer based at least in part on a profile associated with the access code. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein an amount of personal information requested from the existing customer is less than an amount of personal information requested from the prospective customer. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the providing further comprises matching the access code to a profile in a database for the existing customer. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the offer is based upon a profile associated with the customer. 
     
     
         20 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory, tangible computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, in response to execution by a computing device for providing an offer, cause the computing device to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, by the computer based system, an access code from a customer, wherein the customer is at least one of a prospective customer and an existing customer, and wherein the access code was provided to the customer, and wherein the access code cannot be used to transfer funds via an account issuer; and   providing, by the computer based system, the offer from a plurality of stored offers to the customer based at least in part on the access code and whether the customer is the at least one of the prospective customer and the existing customer.