AU2008101033A4

AU2008101033A4 - A Prepaid Purchasing System

Info

Publication number: AU2008101033A4
Application number: AU2008101033A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Georgina Hereripene Mahaki
Original assignee: GEORGINA MAHAKI
Current assignee: GEORGINA MAHAKI
Priority date: 2008-10-21
Filing date: 2008-10-21
Publication date: 2008-11-20
Anticipated expiration: 2016-10-21

Description

AUSTRALIA

Patents Act 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION Invention Title: Applicant: A Prepaid Purchasing System Georgina Hereripene Mahaki The invention is described in the following statement: 00 2 SA PREPAID PURCHASING SYSTEM SFIELD OF THE INVENTION.

C The present invention relates to financial systems and in particular to ri systems allowing a user to buy goods for value, without credit or cash.

Background Art.

Cc There are purchasing systems presently available that attempt to provide the functionality of he present invention, namely to assist users to purchase goods or services without credit or cash. Perhaps the closest of the conventional 00 systems is the system known as "Bartercard".

ri 10 Bartercard enables member businesses to exchange goods and services with other member businesses without using valuable cash, or having to engage in the direct two-way swap of goods and/or services.

Members gain access to a network of other member businesses. Each member is issued an account number, a transaction card, an interest free line of credit and access to Bartercard's printed and online business directory, offering members a world of trading opportunities.

Members use their Bartercard transaction card to trade anything from stationery to real estate, all facilitated by Bartercard's global transaction technology.

Bartercard operates similar to the common credit and debit card systems, as operated by VISA and MasterCard.

Members earn Bartercard Trade Dollars for the goods and services they sell and this value is recorded electronically in the member's account database.

How the Bartercard transaction works: 1. A Bartercard transaction is similar to a credit/debit card transaction. Members receive a plastic transaction card and an interest-free line of credit. Monthly statements detail member transactions and Trade Dollar balance.

2. Trade Dollars are credited to the member's Bartercard account upon the sale of goods and services through the exchange.

3. Members use their Bartercard transaction card to spend their credit balance, or draw on their interest-free line of credit, on goods and services from any other Bartercard member. Trading within the Bartercard system includes a number of transaction methods, such as electronic transactions via the internet, 00 3 EFTPOS swipe card facilities, telephone, e-Commerce or by traditional O transaction voucher.

_As can be seen from the above, the main difference with the Bartercard N system is that fact that the Bartercard system allows a user to purchase goods using their card without cash. Users earn "trade dollars" by selling their goods or services Cc and then can spend those trade dollars with other members of the system to purchase goods or services.

00 There are key disadvantages to this system such as impulse spending, the requirement to be an ongoing member of the system in order to gain any advantage and the main disadvantage of a user not being able to use the system to purchase goods or services which are provided by a third party who is not a member of the Bartercard system.

It will be clearly understood that, if a prior art publication is referred to herein, this reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms part of the common general knowledge in the art in Australia or in any other country.

Summary of the Invention.

1 5 The present invention is directed to a prepaid purchasing system, which may at least partially overcome at least one of the abovementioned disadvantages or provide the consumer with a useful or commercial choice.

With the foregoing in view, the present invention in one form, resides broadly in a prepaid purchasing system including a system clearing house through which a customer purchases a prepaid voucher for value, the voucher having a prescribed monetary value, and each voucher having a unique identification indicia, a system database in which all of the unique identification indicia of all vouchers are stored, an activation engine through which the customer activates the purchased voucher by communicating the unique identification indicia to the system database containing all unique identification indicia and the system database searching for the corresponding unique identification indicia to ensure that the voucher with that unique identification indicia is unused, the customer able to purchase goods/services to the value of the prepaid voucher from a third party, the third party obtaining payment for the goods/services from the system clearinghouse upon presentation of the prepaid voucher and after authorisation of the payment.

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,I The system of the present invention will typically be provided for use o by prospective purchasers of goods or services who are unable to secure credit on

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acceptable terms, for example bad debtors or bankrupts. It is also well adapted for use C, in situations where there is a lack of accessibility for EFTPOS services.

The system of the present invention is a prepaid system such that once the prospective purchaser of goods or services has purchased a prepaid voucher and that voucher has been authorised for use as payment, the prepaid voucher is basically a Ssubstitute for legal tender representing a quantum of funds.

00 OThe system of the present invention will also and preferably allow 10 increased control over spending habits as there will typically be a delay between the prospective purchaser identifying the goods or services desired and the transfer of value between the purchaser and vendor of the goods or services. In this capacity, the system may function to reduce impulse spending.

The system of a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention will typically have a number of users, with users divided into groups or classes, each group or class of users having different interactions, rights and obligations in relation to the system. In particular, there will typically be the following user groups: 1. at least one system administrator; 2. a plurality of customers who are the prospective purchasers of goods or services using the system of the present invention; 3. a plurality of voucher retailers; and 4. a plurality of goods or services retailers.

It may be that an individual user may be a member of more than one user group.

The system of the present invention includes a system clearinghouse.

Through the clearinghouse, the prospective purchaser of goods or services will typically purchase a prepaid voucher. Normally, the prospective purchaser of goods or service will approach an in-person point of sale having access to the system clearinghouse. Typically, this will be a voucher retailer.

Typically, the system clearinghouse will be responsible for all financial functions within the system.

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Normally, the purchased value of the prepaid voucher will be o designated or indicated on or by the voucher. The value of the prepaid voucher may 0 be one of a number of predetermined amounts or it may be an amount designated by N the prospective purchaser as being directly correlated to the cost of the goods or services that are to be purchased.

Normally, the purchase price of the prepaid voucher will include the face value of the voucher plus any commission and/or administration costs.

The prospective purchaser of goods or services will normally buy the 00 Svoucher from a voucher retailer. The voucher retailer will normally be connected to or N 10 have access to the system clearinghouse. Typically, the voucher retailer will collect or receive currency or legal tender corresponding to the purchase price of the voucher.

The voucher retailer will typically create the face value of the prepaid voucher at the request of the customer. The requested face value of the prepaid voucher will normally correspond to the purchase price of the goods and/or services and any ancillary costs such as postage costs.

The voucher retail will typically create a face value of the voucher through an interface connected to the system clearinghouse which in turn interacts with the system database containing the unique identification indicia of all prepaid vouchers in order to update the face value of the particular prepaid voucher within the system database.

The voucher retailer may be an independent third party who is a voucher retailer user of the system. Alternatively, under some circumstances, the system administrator may also function as a voucher retailer.

The voucher retailer will also typically calculate the commission or administration costs for the voucher which together with the face value of the voucher are then entered into the system database containing the list of all unique identification indicia for the respective vouchers via the interface, such that the particular voucher unique identification indicia is then associated with a purchase price which is divided into the face value of the voucher and the commission or administration costs.

Each voucher used in the system has a unique identification indicia.

The unique identification indicia may be or include a number, a bar code or other representation of a code or number, or a smart chip capable of storing information thereon.

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Preferably, the voucher and/or the unique identification indicia is asecurity coded to minimise tampering. The voucher itself may have security features

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0 in order to prevent tampering or copying of the voucher and/or the system may include N security features to prevent information tampering in relation to the unique identification indicia, the corresponding value of the prepaid voucher or other information pertaining to the voucher. Preferably both forms of security will be used.

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There will typically be two phases of security, the first of which is the security of the voucher itself and the second being the security of the information

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Spertaining to the voucher, as even if the voucher itself is copied, the voucher will be N1 10 less useful unless access to the system is provided as the voucher cannot be loaded or ascribed with a value unless the voucher copier also has access to the system database.

The voucher may be a physical apparatus or alternatively may be an electronic creation for example, a packet or set of data which functions as a voucher.

In the second form, the voucher may be an electronic file stored on the system database which is accessible using appropriate access information. Alternatively, the voucher may be a set of electronic information loaded on to a personal data storage device, such as a mobile telephone or personal computing device, by the voucher retailer.

Where provided in a physical form, the voucher may be reusable.

Alternatively, the voucher may only be reusable in circumstances where there are funds remaining on the voucher. The voucher may preferably have data storage capabilities adapted to temporarily store information thereon. In this form, the voucher may be reprogrammable with the appropriate equipment such as a card reader/writer. In this way, once the voucher has been redeemed, the voucher can then have any information thereon wiped and the voucher, or, in situations wherein the voucher itself is not reused, the voucher number, made available for reuse.

The system of the present invention also includes a system database for storage of particularly the unique identification indicia of all of the vouchers in use by the system and which is updateable through the clearinghouse with a corresponding voucher value as the vouchers are purchased and used.

The system database will also typically store all information relating to each of the users of the system. Therefore, the system database will typically be divided into a user database and a unique identification indicia or "voucher" database.

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The system database is typically located on one or more computers.

0 The system database will normally have communications channels associated therewith in order for access and particularly remote access. Normally, at least one of Nthe communications channels provided is via the Internet or Web.

Preferably, access to the system and the system database itself will be via an interface located or accessible over the Internet. There will normally be a login

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portion to provide restricted access to the system.

0Preferably, access to the system and the privileges ascribed to the 0O Oaccess will be delineated on the basis of login details provided. For example, each user will be provided with unique login details and the use of these login details will typically allow the user access with privileges specific to that type of user.

Normally, the system administrator will have superuser privileges which will allow access to all areas in order to update and maintain the system database.

The user database will preferably containing various types of information relating to the groups of users and to the individual users. Normally, the user database will be subdivided into a voucher retailer database portion containing information relating to individual voucher retailers such as identifying information, bank details and Internet protocol addresses for validation purposes for example, and a goods and services retailer database portion containing information relating to individual goods and services retailer's such as identifying information, bank details and other information identifying the goods and services retailer.

Normally, a prospective purchaser will have no access to the user database portion of the system database. Alternatively, a prospective purchaser may need to be a member of the system in order to access the system. Typically, contact with the system by the prospective purchaser will be limited to authorisation of the prepaid voucher prior to use.

The system administrator may provide the voucher retailer or the prospective purchasers with personal data storage device(s) or a generic device may be used.

The unique identification indicia database portion of the system database will typically interact with the voucher retailer database portion for security 00 8

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purposes, for example to ensure that the unique identification indicia for a particular ,avoucher has been issued to a particular voucher retailer.

0 The purpose of the unique identification indicia database portion within N the present invention is typically to maintain a list of all unique identification indicia for respective vouchers and the corresponding value of the voucher. As outlined above, the value of the voucher will typically be an updateable portion of the unique

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identification indicia database portion. Preferably, this update occurs in real time and Sthe update will occur upon the purchase of the particular voucher. For example, 00 Onormally, the voucher retailer will enter the unique identification indicia of a particular voucher (or such unique identification indicia will be generated by the system) and then the corresponding value of the voucher will be entered and updated into the database.

Normally, each unique identification indicia will be or include a number or alphanumeric sequence. The unique identification indicia may be multifactor of different types. The term "multi-factor" is used in this context as it is used when referring to authorisation, particularly of funds transfers through banks.

The present invention will also typically include an activation and/or authorisation engine which is used by a prospective purchaser of goods or services once they have obtained a prepaid voucher from a voucher retailer. The prospective purchaser of goods or services will typically use of the unique identification indicia from the prepaid voucher to activate the voucher. The activation process typically occurs remotely with the prospective purchaser communicating the unique identification indicia and typically other salient identification information to the system database, and the system database searching for the corresponding unique identification indicia to ensure that the voucher with that unique identification indicia has not been redeemed and that the respective face value of the prepaid voucher is correct.

The activation engine will typically activate the voucher to enliven the voucher for used to purchase goods or services. Until activated, the voucher will typically be refused by be system database. Typically, if an attempt to use the voucher prior to activation is made, the system database will normally communicate this fact to be potential retailer of goods or services in order to notify them that the voucher has not been authorised or activated, and the transaction will be refused.

00 9 The activation engine will typically be accessed through the same Sinterface that the rest of the system is accessed via. Use of the activation engine will 0 typically query the system database using the unique identification indicia provided by Sthe prospective purchaser of goods or services. The activation authorisation of the voucher may be a multifactor authorisation process to increase security.

¢€3 Cc Typically, a prospective purchaser of goods or services will access the system interface and provide the unique identification indicia to the interface which is 0being communicated to the activation engine. The activation engine will then query 00 the system database and authorise or refused to authorise the activation of the voucher based on the results of the query.

A retail provider of goods or services may also be allowed access or to query the authorisation engine when a potential purchaser of goods or services attempts to use the voucher, in order to ensure validity of the voucher. This access may be subject to an authorisation procedure is well.

When the voucher is presented to the retailer of the goods or services, the retailer will typically access or query the activation engine and/or system database to ensure that the voucher is valid for use. The provision of information in this query of authorisation may also flagged the use of the particular voucher to the system administrator or an appropriate monitoring system is such that when the retailer of the goods or services seeks to redeem the voucher, the information from the authorisation query by the retailer of the goods or services can be cross-checked with the redemption request.

The prospective purchaser is able to purchase goods/services to the value of the prepaid voucher from a third party once the prepaid voucher has been activated with the third party obtaining payment for the goods/services from the system clearinghouse upon presentation of the prepaid voucher and after authorisation of the redemption payment which will normally use the activation and authorisation engine.

Once the redemption request is authorised, the system clearinghouse receives authorisation to transfer funds to the various parties that is the retailer of the goods or services receives payment for the goods or services, be a voucher retailer may receive an administration payment and the system administrator may receive an administration payment. Once all of the funds had been transferred to the appropriate 00 Ci users of the system, the system will then typically close the transaction history for that O particular unique identification indicia and a voucher.

0 Preferably, during activation of the voucher and redemption of the Ni voucher by the third party provider of goods/services, rigorous authentication may be required. Normally the user or redeemer will be required to provide a variety of information or undergo authentication using a multi-factor authentication system. For example, a customer holding a voucher and seeking to activate the voucher may login to the interface and request activation. A code may then be transmitted to the 00 Scustomer via a different communications channel and the code may have to be entered ri 10 into the system to activate the voucher. This is one of many authentication systems available conventionally and any may be used for activation or to authorise redemption.

Brief Description of the Drawings.

Various embodiments of the invention will be described with reference to the following drawings, in which: Figure 1 is a flowchart showing conceptually the function of a system according to a preferred embodiment.

Figure 2 is a schematic illustration showing the information and funds flows between the system of a preferred embodiment of the present invention and the various associated users.

Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment.

According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a prepaid purchasing and payment system is provided.

The prepaid purchasing system illustrated in Figure 1 schematically, including a system clearing house through which a customer purchases a prepaid voucher for value, the voucher having a prescribed monetary value, and each voucher having a unique identification indicia, a system database in which all of the unique identification indicia of all vouchers are stored, an activation engine through which the customer activates the purchased voucher by communicating the unique identification indicia to the system database containing all unique identification indicia and the system database searching for the corresponding unique identification indicia to ensure that the voucher with that unique identification indicia is unused, the customer able to purchase goods/services to the value of the prepaid voucher from a 00 11

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Sthird party, the third party obtaining payment for the goods/services from the system a clearinghouse upon presentation of the prepaid voucher and after authorisation of the

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0 payment.

Ni The system of a particularly preferred embodiment of the present invention will typically have a number of users, with users divided into groups or classes, each group or class of users having different interactions, rights and obligations in relation to the system, which are illustrated schematically in Figure 1.

SIn particular, there will typically be the following user groups: 00 1. a system administrator; 2. a plurality of customers who are the prospective purchasers of goods or services using the system of the present invention; 3. a plurality of voucher retailers; and 4. a plurality of goods or services retailers.

It may be that an individual user may be a member of more than one user group for example, the system administrator may also be a voucher retailer.

Through the system clearinghouse, the prospective purchaser of goods or services will typically purchase a prepaid voucher. Normally, the prospective purchaser of goods or service will approach an in-person point of sale voucher retailer having access to the system clearinghouse.

The purchased value of the prepaid voucher will be designated or indicated on or by the voucher. The value of the prepaid will normally be an amount designated by the prospective purchaser as being equal to the cost of the goods or services that are to be purchased, that is the face value of the voucher plus any commission and/or administration costs. The face value of the voucher will normally include the total cost payable to the provider of the goods or services, including any ancillary costs such as postage costs.

Typically, the voucher retailer will collect or receive currency or legal tender corresponding to the purchase price of the voucher. The voucher retailer will normally be connected to or have access to the system clearinghouse. The voucher retailer will then create the face value of the prepaid voucher at the request of the customer.

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The voucher retail will typically create a face value of the voucher a through an interface connected to the system clearinghouse which in turn interacts

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with the system database containing the unique identification indicia of all prepaid C, vouchers in order to update the face value of the particular prepaid voucher within the system database.

The voucher retailer will also typically calculate the commission or administration costs for the voucher which together with the face value of the voucher Sare then entered into the system database containing the list of all unique identification

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Oindicia for the respective vouchers via the interface, such that the particular voucher N 10 unique identification indicia is then associated with a purchase price which is divided into the face value of the voucher and the commission or administration costs.

Each voucher used in the system has a unique identification indicia (UII). The unique identification indicia may be or include a number, a bar code or other representation of a code or number, or a smart chip capable of storing information thereon. In its simplest form, the UII will be an alphanumeric or numeric code.

Preferably, the voucher and/or the unique identification indicia is security coded to minimise tampering. The voucher itself may have security features in order to prevent tampering or copying of the voucher and/or the system may include security features to prevent information tampering in relation to the unique identification indicia, the corresponding value of the prepaid voucher or other information pertaining to the voucher. Preferably both forms of security will be used.

There will typically be two phases of security, the first of which is the security of the voucher itself and the second being the security of the information pertaining to the voucher as even if the voucher itself is copied, the voucher will be less useful unless access to the system is provided as the voucher cannot be loaded or ascribed a useable value unless the voucher copier also has access to the system database.

Where provided in a physical form, the voucher may be reusable. The voucher will preferably have data storage capabilities adapted to temporarily store information thereon. In this form, the voucher will typically be reprogrammable with the appropriate equipment such as a card reader/writer. In this way, once the voucher 00 13

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has been redeemed, the voucher can then have any information thereon wiped and to o the voucher made available for reuse.

The system of the present invention also includes a system database for N storage of particularly the unique identification indicia of all of the vouchers in use by the system and which is updateable through the clearinghouse with a corresponding voucher value as the vouchers are purchased and used.

The system database will also typically store all information relating to each of the users of the system. Therefore, the system database will typically be 00

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Sdivided into a user database and a unique identification indicia or "voucher" database.

N 10 The system database is typically located on one or more computers.

The system database will normally have communications channels associated therewith in order for access normally via the Internet or Web.

Preferably, access to the system and the system database itself will be via an interface located or accessible over the Internet. A login portion is provided to control access to the system.

Preferably, access to the system and the privileges ascribed to the access will be delineated on the basis of login details provided. For example, each user will be provided with unique login details and the use of these login details will typically allow the user access with privileges specific to that type of user.

Normally, the system administrator will have super-user privileges which will allow access to all areas in order to update and maintain the system database.

The user database will preferably contain various types of information relating to the groups of users and to the individual users. Normally, the user database will be subdivided into a voucher retailer database portion containing information relating to individual voucher retailers such as identifying information, bank details and Internet protocol addresses for validation purposes for example, and a goods and services retailer database portion containing information relating to individual goods and services retailer's such as identifying information, bank details and other information identifying the goods and services retailer.

Contact with the system by the prospective purchaser will be limited to authorisation of the prepaid voucher prior to use.

00 14 N, The unique identification indicia database portion of the system U database interacts with the voucher retailer database portion for security purposes, for C example to ensure that the unique identification indicia for a particular voucher has Ni been issued to a particular voucher retailer.

The purpose of the unique identification indicia database portion within Sthe present invention is to maintain a list of all unique identification indicia for respective vouchers and the corresponding value of the voucher, once entered. As outlined above, the value of the voucher is an updateable portion of the unique 00 identification indicia database portion. Preferably, this update occurs in real time and S 10 the update will occur upon the purchase of the particular voucher. For example, normally, the voucher retailer will enter the unique identification indicia of a particular voucher (or such unique identification indicia will be generated by the system) and then the corresponding value of the voucher will be entered and updated into the database.

The present invention will also typically include an activation and/or authorisation engine which is used by a prospective purchaser of goods or services once they have obtained a prepaid voucher from a voucher retailer. The prospective purchaser of goods or services will typically use of the unique identification indicia from the prepaid voucher to activate the voucher. The activation process typically occurs remotely with the prospective purchaser communicating the unique identification indicia and any other salient identification information to the system database, and the system database searching for the corresponding unique identification indicia to ensure that the voucher with that unique identification indicia has not been redeemed and that the respective face value of the prepaid voucher is correct.

The activation engine will typically activate the voucher to enliven the voucher for use to purchase goods or services. Until activated, the voucher will typically be refused by the system database. Typically, if an attempt to use the voucher prior to activation is made, the system database will normally communicate this fact to the potential retailer of goods or services in order to notify them that the voucher has not been authorised or activated and the transaction for goods or services is then refused.

00 The activation engine will typically be accessed through the same interface that provides access to the rest of the system. Use of the activation engine C will typically query the system database using the unique identification indicia C1 provided by the prospective purchaser of goods or services. The activation authorisation of the voucher may be a multifactor authorisation process to increase Cc security.

Typically, a prospective purchaser of goods or services will access the 0system interface and provide the unique identification indicia to the interface which is 00 Sthen communicated to the activation engine. The activation engine will then query the C 10 system database and authorise or refuse to authorise the activation of the voucher based on the results of the query.

A retail provider of goods or services may also be allowed access or to query the authorisation engine when a potential purchaser of goods or services attempts to use the voucher, in order to ensure validity of the voucher. This access may be subject to an authorisation procedure as well.

When the voucher is presented to the retailer of the goods or services, the retailer will typically access or query the activation engine and/or system database to ensure that the voucher is valid for use.

The prospective purchaser is able to purchase goods/services to the value of the prepaid voucher from a third party once the prepaid voucher has been activated, with the third party obtaining payment for the goods/services from the system clearinghouse upon presentation of the prepaid voucher and after authorisation of the redemption payment which will normally use the activation and authorisation engine.

Once the redemption request is authorised, the system clearinghouse receives authorisation to transfer funds to the various parties that is the retailer of the goods or services receives payment for the goods or services, be a voucher retailer may receive an administration payment and the system administrator may receive an administration payment. Once all of the funds had been transferred to the appropriate users of the system, the system will then typically close the transaction history for that particular unique identification indicia and a voucher.

In the present specification and claims (if any), the word "comprising" and its derivatives including "comprises" and "comprise" include each of the stated 00 16

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N integers but does not exclude the inclusion of one or more further integers.

Reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an C embodiment" means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in N connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the present invention. Thus, the appearance of the phrases "in one embodiment" or "in an embodiment" in various places throughout this specification are not necessarily all referring to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or Scharacteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more combinations.

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O In compliance with the statute, the invention has been described in N 10 language more or less specific to structural or methodical features. It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to specific features shown or described since the means herein described comprises preferred forms of putting the invention into effect. The invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the proper scope of the appended claims (if any) appropriately interpreted by those skilled in the art.

Claims

2. A prepaid purchasing system as claimed in claim 1 wherein the prepaid voucher has an updateable face value which is set when purchased and communicated to the system database.
3. A prepaid purchasing system as claimed in either one of claims 1 or 2 wherein the activation engine is used to authorize payment of the third party goods/services provider by the provider communicating at least the unique identification indicia to the system database containing all unique identification indicia and the system database searching for the corresponding unique identification indicia to ensure that the voucher with that unique identification indicia is un-redeemed.
4. A prepaid purchasing system as claimed in claim 3 wherein once redeemed, the unique identification indicia for the redeemed voucher will be disabled. A prepaid purchasing system as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein multifactor authentication is used to authorize actions.