Resolution network

Abstract

A first apparatus comprises a processor and a memory component that stores electronic records and associated eligibility criteria, an application programming interface (API), and a shared security key. A transceiver component establishes network communication with a second apparatus using the API, which comprises instructions for implementing a transaction resolution process. The API causes the processor to receive, from the second apparatus, a first notification event message about a first transaction, the first notification event message transmitted using the shared security key, the first notification event message including a card number hashed using a predetermined signature hash protocol. The first transaction is retrieved from the memory component using the hashed card number, and data points about the first transaction are obtained. A refund is issued for or the transaction is cancelled when the eligibility criteria associated with the electronic record in the memory component matches predetermined eligibility criteria for the transaction.

1 . A first apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a memory component that stores i) electronic records and associated eligibility criteria, ii) an application programming interface (API), and iii) a shared security key;   a transceiver component establishes network communication with a second apparatus using the API, the API comprising instructions for implementing a transaction resolution process, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:   receive, from the second apparatus, a dispute event message about a first transaction, the dispute event message transmitted using the shared security key, the first notification event message including a card number hashed using a predetermined signature hash protocol;   locate and retrieve the first transaction from the memory component using the hashed card number, and obtain data points about the first transaction, including the eligibility criteria associated with the first transaction; and   determine to issue a refund for, or cancel, the transaction when the eligibility criteria associated with the electronic record in the memory component matches predetermined eligibility criteria for the transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a dispute resolution network architecture wherein the first apparatus comprises a partner server and the second apparatus comprises a dispute resolution server, the dispute resolution network architecture comprising:
 at a gateway level, the dispute resolution server is in network communication with a plurality of issuer servers corresponding to plurality of issuers;   the partner server is in network communication with the dispute resolution server and with a plurality of merchant servers corresponding to a plurality of merchants to enable the plurality of merchants to participate in a dispute resolution process, and   wherein the memory includes a transaction database configured to store eligible electronic records initiated with the plurality of merchants that are participants in the dispute resolution network,   wherein during the dispute resolution process:   a first merchant server of the plurality of merchant servers receives an electronic transaction between a first merchant and a cardholder using a payment card issued to the cardholder by a first card issuer; and   a first issuer server of the plurality of issuer servers receives from the cardholder a dispute inquiry disputing the electronic transaction, and the dispute resolution server receives from the first issuer server a case regarding the dispute inquiry; and   wherein the partner server is further configured to:   receive the dispute event notification generated by the dispute resolution server in response to receiving the case, the dispute event notification including an identifier comprising one or more of a case ID, a merchant ID, an event type, and a notification ID,   transmit a first notification event message to the dispute resolution server, the first notification event message including the identifier included in the dispute event notification and a case status associated with the dispute event to indicate that the partner server is processing the dispute event;   determine whether the electronic transaction is eligible for processing by the dispute resolution network by matching transaction details, including the identifier associated with the electronic transaction, against the electronic records in the transaction database, such that only electronic transactions for which there is an ability to issue a refund are processed in the dispute resolution network;   responsive to determining that the electronic transaction is eligible for processing:   issue a refund to the cardholder from the first merchant;   update the case status to indicate that processing of the dispute event is resolved; and   transmit a second status message to the dispute resolution server, the second status message including the identifier included in the dispute event notification and an updated to the case status to indicate that the processing of the dispute event is resolved; and   responsive to determining that the electronic transaction has been tagged as unresolved, decline future authorizations that use the payment card so that the future authorizations from the first merchant for the payment card are blocked at the gateway level until the dispute event has been resolved.   
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein responsive to determining that the electronic transaction has been tagged as unresolved, the partner server is further configured to cancel a subscription of the cardholder that uses the payment card. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the partner server comprises a notification endpoint configured to receive the notifications generated by the dispute resolution server to enable the partner server to handle the case and resolve the dispute inquiry. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dispute resolution server is configured to provide a remote partner interface to submit a dispute event notification to the partner server to process the case and to receive status messages from the partner server. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the partner server is configured to transmit, using the remote partner interface, a request to obtain, from the dispute resolution server, transaction details associated with the electronic transaction, the request including the identifier included in the dispute resolution notification. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the partner server is further configured to determine that the electronic transaction associated with the dispute event notification is a recurring transaction based at least on the transaction details, and cancel future instances of the electronic transaction between the cardholder and the first merchant. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dispute event notification includes a dispute event, a revoke event, or a cancel event, and the first status or the second status includes PROCESSING status, RESOLVED status, DECLINED status, or PENDING status. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of claim  21 , wherein the first notification event message comprises an acknowledging receipt of the dispute event notification in response to receiving the notification. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 9 , wherein the first notification event message is transmitted using a shared secret key and a predetermined signature hash protocol. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the dispute event notification received by the partner server is a first notification to indicate the dispute is active, and the partner server is further configured to: prior to transmitting the second status message, receive, from the dispute resolution server, a revocation notification, the revocation notification including the identifier; and revoke an action performed for the electronic transaction associated with the first notification. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the partner server is further configured to initiate an action based on a parameter associated with the electronic transaction associated with the dispute event notification. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the partner server is further configured to, prior to initiating the action, determine whether the action was previously performed with respect to the electronic transaction associated with the dispute event notification. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the partner server is further configured to perform the action, in response to determining that the action was not previously performed with respect to the electronic transaction associated with the dispute event notification. 
     
     
         15 . A first apparatus comprising:
 a processor;   a memory component that stores i) electronic records and associated eligibility criteria, ii) an application programming interface (API), and iii) a shared security key;   a transceiver component establishes network communication with a second apparatus using the API, the API comprising instructions for implementing a transaction resolution process, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:   receive, from the second apparatus, a first dispute event message about a first transaction, the first notification event message transmitted using the shared security key, the first notification event message including a card number hashed using a predetermined signature hash protocol;   locate and retrieve the first transaction from the memory component using the hashed card number, and obtain data points about the first transaction, including the eligibility criteria associated with the first transaction; and   determine to issue a refund for, or cancel, the transaction when the eligibility criteria associated with the electronic record in the memory component matches predetermined eligibility criteria for the transaction.   
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the first apparatus comprises a server and the second apparatus comprises a dispute resolution server, the server further comprising:
 a notification endpoint configured to receive dispute event notifications generated by a dispute resolution server in network communication with a plurality of issuer servers corresponding to a plurality of issuers and the server, the server further in network communication with a plurality of merchant servers corresponding to enable the plurality merchants to participate in a dispute resolution process associated with dispute inquiries related to electronic transactions between the plurality of merchants and cardholders using payment cards issued to the cardholders by the plurality of issuers;   wherein the processor is further configured to:   store in the memory a transaction database of eligible electronic transactions initiated with the plurality of merchants that are participants in a dispute resolution network;   process the dispute event notification received from the dispute resolution server, the dispute event notification including an identifier, wherein the dispute resolution notification is associated with a dispute inquiry event related to a dispute for an electronic transaction between a cardholder and a merchant of the plurality of merchants, the electronic transaction made using a payment card issued to the cardholder by a first card issuer of the plurality of card issuers coupled to the dispute resolution server, wherein the dispute resolution server sends the dispute event notification to the sever in response to receiving a case regarding the dispute inquiry from the first issuer server;   transmit the first notification event message to the dispute resolution server, the first notification event message including the identifier included in the dispute event notification and a case status associated with the dispute inquiry event to indicate that the apparatus is processing the dispute event;   determine that the electronic transaction is eligible for processing by the dispute resolution network by matching the transaction details associated with the electronic transaction, including the identifier associated with the electronic transaction, against records in the transaction database, such that only electronic transactions for which there is an ability to issue a refund are processed in the dispute resolution network; and   responsive to determining that the electronic transaction is eligible for processing:   issue a refund to the cardholder from the merchant;   update the case status to indicate the processing of the dispute inquiry event is resolved; and   transmit a second status message to the dispute resolution server, the second status message including the identifier included in the dispute event notification and updating the case status to indicate that the processing of the dispute event is resolved.   
     
     
         17 . The server of  claim 16 , wherein the at least one processor is further configured to:
 determine that the electronic transaction associated with the dispute event notification is a recurring transaction based at least on the transaction details, and cancel future instances of the electronic transaction between the cardholder and the merchant.   
     
     
         18 . A computer program product comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor of a server, cause the server to at least:
 store in a memory component: i) electronic records and associated eligibility criteria, ii) an application programming interface (API), and iii) a shared security key;   establish, by a transceiver component, network communication with a second apparatus using the API, the API comprising instructions for implementing a transaction resolution process, which when executed by the processor causes the processor to:   receive, from the second apparatus, a first dispute event message about a first transaction, the first notification event message transmitted using the shared security key, the first notification event message including a card number hashed using a predetermined signature hash protocol;   locate and retrieve the first transaction from the memory component using the hashed card number, and obtain data points about the first transaction, including the eligibility criteria associated with the first transaction; and   determine to issue a refund for, or cancel, the transaction when the eligibility criteria associated with the electronic record in the memory component matches predetermined eligibility criteria for the transaction.   
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 18 , further comprising instructions to:
 store, in a transaction database, eligible electronic transactions initiated with a plurality of merchants that are participants in a dispute resolution network, the server further in network communication with the plurality of merchants;   receive the dispute event notification generated by a dispute resolution server in network communication with a plurality of card issuers and the server, the dispute event notification including an identifier associated with a dispute inquiry event related to a dispute inquiry for an electronic transaction between a cardholder and a merchant of plurality of merchants using a payment card issued to the cardholder by a card issuer of plurality of card issuers, wherein the dispute resolution server sends the dispute event notification to the sever in response to receiving from a case regarding the dispute inquiry from the card issuer;   transmit a first notification event message to the dispute resolution server, the first notification event message including the identifier included in the dispute event notification and an updated case status associated with the dispute inquiry event to indicate that the server is processing the dispute event;   determine that the electronic transaction is eligible for processing by the dispute resolution network by matching the transaction details associated with the electronic transaction, including the identifier associated with the electronic transaction, against records in the transaction database other than the dispute resolution server, such that only electronic transactions for which there is an ability to issue a refund are processed in the dispute resolution network;   responsive to determining that the electronic transaction is eligible for processing:   issue a refund to the cardholder from the merchant;   update the case status to indicate the processing of the dispute inquiry event is resolved; and   transmit a second status message to the dispute resolution server, the second status message including the identifier included in the dispute event notification and updating the case status to indicate that the processing of the dispute event is resolved.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , further comprising combining the first notification event message and the second status message for transmission to the dispute resolution server.