System and Method for Card Processing with Automated Payment of Club, Merchant, and Service Provider Fees

Abstract

An apparatus and methods for a card that allows a cardholder to set up auto-charge payment of dues and fees to a series of clubs, merchants or service providers. The card also may be used for other transactions that accept credit cards. The apparatus includes a database containing information of the associated clubs, merchants and service providers, so that applicants and cardholders can easily configure auto-charging for multiple business concerns in one sitting. The apparatus may process auto-charge transactions in an automated fashion without requiring a cardholder to submit payment authorization or the business concern to submit a charge for each payment. Inconvenience and administrative costs to the cardholder and the business concern are reduced. The system and method provide a competitive advantage to the associated business concerns to secure the initial account and then to maintain it. The system and method encourages card loyalty of both the card members and the business concerns to the card provider.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A transaction processing system, the system comprising:
 at least one hardware storage device storing data and instructions, the at least one hardware storage device including a cardholder database having at least information of a plurality of cardholders; and   at least one computer processor for accessing the instructions and data to perform steps including:
 receiving a first charge request for processing a payment card-based transaction from a system associated with a merchant, club or service provider, the first charge request including an identifier associated with a first cardholder; 
 authorizing the first charge request by accessing a first cardholder account of the first cardholder in the cardholder database; 
 processing the first charge request in response to the authorizing step, the processing resulting in funds being charged to the first cardholder account and funds being credited to an account of the merchant, club or service provider; and 
 providing confirmation to the system associated with a merchant, club or service provider in response to the step of processing; 
 wherein the system associated with the merchant, club or service provider is not associated with a card interchange. 
   
     
     
         10 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the system associated with the merchant, club or service provider is not associated with a card association. 
     
     
         11 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the transaction processing system is adapted to determine which charge request can be performed without submitting the charge request through a card interchange that supports multiple issuers. 
     
     
         12 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the processing of the first charge request further comprises accessing the account of the merchant, club or service provider to credit the funds. 
     
     
         13 . The transaction processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the transaction processing system has access to the account of the merchant, club or service provider. 
     
     
         14 . The transaction processing system of  claim 12 , wherein the account of the merchant, club or service provider is in the cardholder database. 
     
     
         15 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the first charge request is an on-us charge request. 
     
     
         16 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the first charge request is processed in real time. 
     
     
         17 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the first charge request is an auto-charge request for payments owed by the first cardholder to the club, merchant or service provider in consideration for services or goods, wherein the first charge request is processed automatically and authorization is automatically granted, the at least one computer processor further performing the step of:
 accessing the cardholder database to allow the first cardholder to choose clubs, merchants or service providers, to be associated with the cardholder and to enable said auto-charging function for the selected clubs, merchants, or service providers.   
     
     
         18 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the first charge request comprises an account number, charge amount and a current date. 
     
     
         19 . The transaction processing system of  claim 18 , wherein the first charge request further comprises a merchant number and a terminal ID. 
     
     
         20 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer processor further performs the steps of:
 receiving a second charge request for processing a payment card-base transaction from a system associated with an interchange, the second charge request including an identifier associated with a second cardholder;   processing the received second charge request by accessing a second cardholder account of the second cardholder account in the cardholder database; and   providing confirmation to the system associated with an interchange in response to the step of processing;   wherein the second charge request is a not-on-us charge request.   
     
     
         21 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer processor further performs the step of:
 processing a second charge request received from a system associated with a second cardholder, the second charge request including an identifier associated with the second cardholder, the second charge request being a payment by the cardholder.   
     
     
         22 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer processor further performs the step of processing an adjustment charge request. 
     
     
         23 . The transaction processing system of  claim 22 , wherein the adjustment is based on purchases of products or services from the service partner club. 
     
     
         24 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the at least one computer processor further performs the steps of:
 receiving application data for a payment card from an applicant, said application data comprising payment card application data, and partner data;   determining whether the payment card should be provided by evaluating creditworthiness of the applicant;   updating the cardholder database with a portion of the application data based on the determining step, the cardholder database storing account data and partner data; and   issuing the payment card to the applicant.   
     
     
         25 . The transaction processing system of  claim 24 , wherein the issued payment card is adapted for use as an admission pass to specific facilities corresponding to the club, merchant, or service provider. 
     
     
         26 . The transaction processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the transaction processing system is associated with a bank. 
     
     
         27 . A method for processing charge requests received at a transaction processing system, the method comprising:
 receiving a first charge request for processing a payment card-based transaction from a system associated with a merchant, club or service provider, the first charge request including an identifier associated with a first cardholder;   authorizing, using at least one processor, the first charge request by accessing a first cardholder account of the first cardholder in a cardholder database, said cardholder database stored in non-transitory memory;   processing, using the at least one processor, the first charge request in response to the authorizing step, the processing resulting in funds being charged to the first cardholder account and funds being credited to an account of the merchant, club or service provider; and   providing confirmation to the system associated with a merchant, club or service provider in response to the step of processing;   wherein the system associated with the merchant, club or service provider is not associated with a card interchange.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the system associated with the merchant, club or service provider is not associated with a card association. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the transaction processing system is adapted to determine which charge request can be performed without submitting the charge request through a card interchange that supports multiple issuers. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the transaction processing system has access to the account of the merchant, club or service provider. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , wherein the account of the merchant, club or service provider is in the cardholder database and the first charge request is an on-us charge request. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the first charge request is processed in real time. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 27 , the method further comprising:
 processing a second charge request received from a system associated with a second cardholder, the second charge request including an identifier associated with the second cardholder, the second charge request being a payment by the cardholder.   
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein the first charge request is an auto-charge request for payments owed by the first cardholder to the club, merchant or service provider in consideration for services or goods, wherein the first charge request is processed automatically and authorization is automatically granted, the method further comprises:
 accessing the cardholder database to allow the first cardholder to choose clubs, merchants or service providers, to be associated with the cardholder and to enable said auto-charging function for the selected clubs, merchants, or service providers.   
     
     
         35 . The method of  claim 27 , the method further comprising:
 processing an adjustment charge request receiving a second charge request for processing a payment card-base transaction from a system associated with an interchange, the second charge request including an identifier associated with a second cardholder;   processing the received second charge request by accessing a second cardholder account of the second cardholder account in the cardholder database; and   providing confirmation to the system associated with an interchange in response to the step of processing;   wherein the second charge request is a not-on-us charge request.