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 card processing system for allowing cardholders to automatically charge fees to clubs, merchants or service providers, comprising:
 at least one hardware storage device storing data and instructions, the at least one hardware storage device including a card issuer database, the database including data of individual cardholders and associated clubs, merchants, or service providers and data associated with an auto-charge function for the individual cardholders; and   at least one computer processor for accessing the instructions and data to perform steps including:
 receiving access requests to the card issuer database to configure or enable auto-charging function for the individual cardholders; 
 accessing, using at least one processor, the card issuer database; 
 performing, using the at least one processor, the auto-charge function without requiring, for each auto-charge function, a cardholder to submit payment authorization or the club, merchant, or service provider to submit a payment transaction request; 
 said performing resulting in funds being charged to the cardholder's credit account and funds being credited to an account of a third party other than the cardholder, the third party comprising one or more selected clubs, merchants, and service providers. 
   
     
     
         10 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 an interface to the card issuer database which presents a series of available clubs, merchants, or service providers from which the cardholder or cardholder applicant can select specific ones of the available clubs, merchants, or service providers.   
     
     
         11 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the interface is accessible to a third party other than the card issuer comprising a partner to the card issuer, the partner comprising a military organization, a university, or a college. 
     
     
         12 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the card issuer can control the access of the partner to the card issuer database such that the partner can access only selected data. 
     
     
         13 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the series of available clubs, merchants, or service providers are organized in the card issuer database according to groups, each of the multiple groups having its associated clubs, merchants, or service providers. 
     
     
         14 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , further comprising:
 a report generator module for generating activity reports that can be accessed over a public computer network by at least one of (a) participating clubs, merchants, or service providers, and (b) partners of the card issuer.   
     
     
         15 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the card processing system is further configured for identifying auto-charge transactions corresponding to individual cardholders. 
     
     
         16 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the card processing system is adapted to perform some auto-charge transactions as “on us” transactions and others as “not on us” transactions. 
     
     
         17 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , wherein the card processing system is adapted to determine which auto-charge transactions can be performed as “on us” transactions that are executed without submitting a transaction request through a card interchange that supports multiple issuers. 
     
     
         18 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , further comprising a membership module configured to perform at least the following:
 providing an issued card to a cardholder that includes credit account data providing cardholder access to credit services, wherein the credit account data is linked to data associated with auto-charge function stored in the credit card database.   
     
     
         19 . The card processing system of  claim 18 , wherein at least some of a plurality of issued credit cards are adapted for use as an admission pass to specific facilities corresponding to selected clubs, merchants, or service providers. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 9 , further comprising receiving data associated with auto-charge function at the card processing system indicating selected clubs for auto-charging to the applicant and storing the data associated with auto-charge function in the credit card database. 
     
     
         21 . The card processing system of  claim 9 , further comprising a membership module for establishing membership with a new service partner club and closing membership with an existing service partner club, the multiple service card being updated or reissued. 
     
     
         22 . A method for processing charge requests received at a transaction processing system, the method comprising:
 storing, at a card issuer database, data of individual cardholders and associated clubs, merchants, or service providers, the database including data associated with auto-charge function for the individual cardholders   receiving access requests to the card issuer database to configure or enable auto-charging function for the individual cardholders;   accessing, using at least one processor, the card issuer database;   performing, using the at least one processor, the auto-charge function without requiring, for each auto-charge function, a cardholder to submit payment authorization or the club, merchant, or service provider to submit a payment transaction request;   said performing resulting in funds being charged to the cardholder's credit account and funds being credited to an account of a third party other than the cardholder, the third party comprising one or more selected clubs, merchants, and service providers.   
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 an interface to the card issuer database which presents a series of available clubs, merchants, or service providers from which the cardholder or cardholder applicant can select specific ones of the available clubs, merchants, or service providers.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the interface is accessible to a third party other than a card issuer comprising a partner to the card issuer, the partner comprising a military organization, a university, or a college. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein the card issuer can control the access of the partner to the card issuer database such that the partner can access only selected data. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the series of available clubs, merchants, or service providers are organized in the card issuer database according to groups, each of the multiple groups having its associated clubs, merchants, or service providers. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising:
 generating activity reports that can be accessed over a public computer network by at least one of (a) participating clubs, merchants, or service providers, and (b) partners of the card issuer.   
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising identifying auto-charge transactions corresponding to individual credit card accountholders. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising performing some auto-charge transactions as “on us” transactions and others as “not on us” transactions. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising determining which auto-charge transactions can be performed as “on us” transactions that are executed without submitting a transaction request through a card interchange that supports multiple issuers. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising providing an issued card to a cardholder that includes credit account data providing cardholder access to credit services, wherein the credit account data is linked to data associated with auto-charge function stored in the credit card database. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 31 , wherein at least some of a plurality of issued credit cards are adapted for use as an admission pass to specific facilities corresponding to selected clubs, merchants, or service providers. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising receiving data associated with auto-charge function at the card processing system indicating selected clubs for auto-charging to the applicant and storing the data associated with auto-charge function in the credit card database. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 22 , further comprising establishing membership with a new service partner club and closing membership with an existing service partner club, the multiple service card being updated or reissued.