KR20160119098A - Method and system - Google Patents

Abstract

The reimbursement system uses the tokens to provide detection of the user's eligibility for refunds, to identify the purchases, and to retrieve information about the purchases to process refunds for those purchases.

Description

[0001] METHOD AND SYSTEM [0002]

The present invention relates to devices, systems and methods for obtaining a tax refund associated with a purchase.

Tax refund systems are provided for travelers in many countries. Providing tax-free shopping can be attractive to national visitors and can help stimulate the tourism industry. Traditionally, however, administrative duties for duty-free shopping schemes have been paper-based at the point of sale, by traders issuing vouchers or checks, and then by customs officers confirming the export of goods on the border . While the regulations vary from country to country, the traditional format for providing duty-free shopping is that the merchant within the country identifies and verifies that the user (customer) is a visiting traveler entitled to a tax refund, And then confirms that the items exported at the time the Customs leaves the country and the user corresponds to the traveler identified on the item and voucher. Thereafter, a refund can be made. Tax refund operators act with merchants and customs to facilitate the operation of this process and to manage the paperwork associated with them.

This process has traditionally been very labor and cost intensive. In addition, as described above, one aspect of the process is to determine whether the user is a traveler who is eligible for a tax refund. Several approaches have been proposed that automatically attempt to make such decisions. For example, WO 2004/081838 proposes to carry an information carrier, such as a card, that identifies a user that can be read by a terminal. WO 2005/057453 proposes that a user is provided with a smart card identifying the user and the user's country of residence. However, the user needs to carry the card in addition to the card used for payments. WO 03/079249 proposes that the determination of eligibility for VAT refund is based on the issuer code read from the payment card. However, maintaining correct issuer records at the terminals connected to the terminal systems and / or terminal systems is a significant technical and technological challenge due to the need to keep the records updated and available to the terminals. Lt; / RTI >

The present application relates to providing an automatic determination of eligibility for receiving a tax refund based on a payment card used by a user without having to resort to the storage and maintenance of issuer codes. The present invention seeks to provide a technological solution to these problems.

Aspects of the invention are defined in the claims.

An exemplary embodiment includes a computer-implemented method of performing a transaction, the method comprising: determining account call information identifying a call associated with a user's account to perform a transaction for the user; Comparing the account call information with reference call information identifying the reference call; And initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction if the account call information differs from the reference call information.

An exemplary embodiment includes the steps of determining whether the account currency code contained in the payment card read by the card reader of the transaction terminal system differs from the currency code for the transaction terminal system, And automatically providing a tax return offer to the user if the account currency code contained in the read payment card is determined to be different from the currency code for the transaction terminal system.

An exemplary embodiment provides a program product comprising program instructions for performing such a computer-implemented method.

An exemplary embodiment provides a system comprising at least one processor, the system comprising: determining account call information identifying a call associated with a user's account for performing a transaction for a user; Compare the account call information with reference call information identifying the reference call; And to initiate a tax return offer for the user for the transaction if the account call information identifies that the account call is different from the reference call identified by the reference call information.

While various aspects of the present invention are described in the appended claims, it is to be understood that other aspects of the present invention may be practiced with any combination of features from the described embodiments and / or combinations that are not explicitly described in the appended claims, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > dependent < / RTI >

Embodiments are described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating an example of a simple reimbursement approach.
2 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary embodiment of a refund system according to an embodiment of the present invention.
Figures 3-5 are flow charts illustrating exemplary operations.
Figure 6 is a schematic system overview.
Figures 7-9 are flow charts illustrating exemplary operations.

Figure 1 illustrates a simple approach to obtaining a refund of taxes associated with purchases. The approach illustrated in FIG. 1 includes a user (traveler) who receives a conventional store receipt from a merchant at the time of purchase. The store receipt is then presented to the customs with the goods. The customs then determine the eligibility and authenticate the store receipt. The tax authority then accepts the confirmed receipts, processes the tax refund, and pays the user.

Such systems have a number of disadvantages in both commercial and technical perspectives. In such a system, the merchant has nothing to do with the traveler. There is no additional in-store activity to stimulate tourist sales unless the traveler is already aware of his eligibility for tax refunds. If the refund is not received, the perception of the traveler after purchase is not positive and there are a large number of non-refundable customers in this simple system. Also, if a traveler forgets to acquire necessary paperwork at departure, the traveler can not claim the refund.

The tax authorities are also required to issue refund forms, collect completed forms and receipts, process the requirements, and issue payments. Administrative work to keep track of shop receipts for travelers and each store is significant, and is necessary to receive coordinated tax returns from merchants. In addition, dispute resolution and inquiries from travelers and merchants should also be handled by the tax authorities.

The exemplary embodiments address both the integrity and usability drawbacks of previous approaches while maintaining the simplicity of operation. In an exemplary embodiment, at least one system coordinates the processing of purchases and refunds using the user's payment card. At least one system may be operated by a tax refund operator (TRO).

In addition to providing administrative tasks for refund operations, the TRO can provide training for travelers and merchants throughout the process. Through the use of information technology systems, the TRO can ensure the integrity of the system.

Figure 2 illustrates exemplary methods, apparatus, and systems for managing a refund process. In an exemplary process, the reception (issuance 30) of the shopping and receipt is separated from the additional processing (acquisition 32, authorization 34 and payment 36).

For credit cards and debit cards, there may be multiple providers of issuance services and multiple acquirers of transactions and processing. For example, there may be multiple TROs. The issuance of a transaction may follow a standard message type for transmission to authorization and payment systems. Extensive point-of-sale (POS) devices and in-store support for traveler shopping can be provided.

In an exemplary embodiment, the merchant system provides issuance (30) of transactions using TRO-providing POS devices and / or software, the TRO host system performs acquisition (32) ) And the TRO host system performs the refund payment 36 using the kiosk (verification station) at the point leaving the territory. In an exemplary embodiment, the determination of eligibility for a refund is based on reading information from the payment card. The exemplary embodiment may also provide simplicity of use of the approach described with reference to Figure 1 as recognized by users of the system, while also providing enhanced integrity.

In a conventional approach, store sellers and counter-tellers are expected to be able to verify eligibility for tax refunds by reviewing the traveler's passport. In fact, many travelers are reluctant to carry their passports while shopping outside, and therefore, in fact, stores allow travelers to fill out these details required on the return vouchers after leaving the store.

In contrast, in an exemplary embodiment, the potential eligibility may be determined automatically from the traveler's payment card usage. By providing an automatic determination of eligibility, reliance on less trained people can be reduced.

In an exemplary embodiment, the terminal system reads information from the payment card and determines whether the payment card is an EMV card (named Eurofee, Mastercard and Visa) that is a card with an electronic chip And if so, determine whether the card has an ACC to determine whether the application currency code (ACC) is the same as the currency used by the terminal system. In the latter case, it can be determined that the payment card is for a "foreign currency" call to the currency used by the terminal system, and therefore a tax refund offer can be made to the user.

In the exemplary embodiment, for terminal systems in countries where only EMV cards are issued, if it is determined that the payment card is not an EMV card, the card is issued in a foreign jurisdiction over the jurisdiction of the terminal system, It can also be automatically determined that a refund offer can be made. For example, for cards provided with a magnetic stripe, there is an indicator on both sides of tracks 1 and 2 (service code number 1) of the magnetic stripe to indicate whether the card is an EMV chip card. Thus, if the magnetic stripe card is used and the service code number 1 is not 2 or 6, the card may be determined to be a magnetic-stripe only card and not an EMV card.

The tax refund offering may be made automatically as a result of the ACC code being for a "foreign currency" call and / or (if applicable) the payment card is determined not to be an EMV card. In one example, a refund transaction record providing an association between a payment card or other token and a transaction identifier (e.g., a sales receipt) for a purchase transaction for at least one purchase may be automatically initiated. In another example, the merchant may receive a message asking the user to go to the tax refund issue desk to process the refund. In various instances, the payment card or other token may then be used to retrieve the record of the transaction (s) when leaving the territory to verify the refund for purchases.

Hereinafter, a system and method of an exemplary embodiment of a tax refund system for a territory will be described with reference to FIG. 2, wherein a plurality of TROs are associated with merchants, and then self- And provides tax refunds to travelers through the user of the service kiosk 22.

In the first stage 102, the user may optionally associate a payment card or other token with the user, and this information may be stored in a central record. This can be done before, during, or at the point of entry into the territory. The user can select a payment card or token to be used. A user may specify a particular token to be used, for example, in response to a request by a merchant or through a website or at a point-of-sale terminal. For example, a user may associate his / her details with a payment card or token by registering his / her details and registering on the website provided by the TRO. The TRO can then provide information to the user about the refund opportunities and processes. Alternatively or additionally, a token (e.g., a visitor card) may be issued to the user. The user details can then be recorded in the input station, which is local to the issuance time, for example, at the time of entry or at the point of sale, or the issued token can be recorded in the pre- Can be linked to. Suitable input stations include, for example, a computer processor and at least one input interface of at least one type of memory, a keypad, a keyboard, a touch sensitive screen, a card reader, a machine readable identifier reader, a document scanner, And at least one output interface of the type of at least one of a display, a printer, a card writer, and a speaker. The input station may also be provided with fingerprint reading and / or camera technology for identifying biometric information held on a machine readable user identifier (e.g., an ID document such as a passport).

Payment card details, along with details of the token identifier (e.g., token specific number) and / or the user (traveler) are provided to the acquisition host server system 20 where the identifier and user details are recorded (stored) (103) and may be retained in the host server system (20). The host server system 20 may include at least one server computer, each of which includes at least one processor and memory located in a single location or distributed system. The efficiency of the system is improved so that the identifiers for the tokens and user details are forwarded to the host server system and recorded in real time.

At the next stage 104, the user 12 may, for example, make a purchase from a merchant. FIG. 3 illustrates one example of step 104 in more detail.

3, when a user provides a payment card for payment, a payment card reader (e.g., a magnetic stripe reader, contact chip reader, or proximity field communication (NFC) card reader) is operated to read information from the payment card .

For example, in step 302, if the terminal system reads the card using a magnetic stripe reader, the terminal system determines in step 304 whether the magnetic stripe on the card is 2 or 3 on the magnetic stripe (e.g., on track 1 or 2 on the magnetic stripe) Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > 6 < / RTI > If it is determined in step 304 that the magnetic stripe on the card includes a service code number 1 of 2 or 6 (e.g., on track 1 or 2 on the magnetic stripe), the terminal system determines that the card is an EMV card, May be operable to display a message on the display of the terminal system to the user and / or merchant in order to prompt the user to present the payment card to the contact chip reader for the EMV card.

In other words, when reading the card through the magnetic stripe reader, the contact chip capable devices review the service code on the magnetic stripe to determine whether the card is chip enabled (2xx or 6xx). If the service code indicates that the card is chip enabled, the device prompts the cardholder or merchant to insert the card into the contact chip reader, unless it operates under fallback conditions.

If the service code number 1 is determined to be other than 2 or 6 in step 304 (e.g., on track 1 or 2 on the magnetic stripe) only in the country where the EMV cards are issued, At 306, the payment card is a foreign card and it can be automatically determined that a tax refund offering can be made for the user.

If the chip of the EMV card is read by the contact chip reader of the transaction terminal system at step 308 or 310 or is read through the proximity field communication (NFC) interface of the transaction terminal system at step 312, the application currency code (ACC) Is provided on the EMV chip.

If the ACC is read from the card in step 314, then in step 316 the transaction terminal system sends a call associated with the transaction terminal system (hereinafter also referred to as the local currency), which the currency represented by the ACC can be represented by a terminal currency code (TCC) To determine whether they are the same. At this stage, the ACC read from the card can be compared to the TCC stored in the storage at the transaction terminal system to determine whether the currency represented by the ACC is the same as the call associated with the transaction terminal system.

At step 316, if it is determined by the transaction terminal system that the ACC is not the same as the TCC, then at step 306 the payment card is a foreign card, as described later, and it is automatically determined that the tax refund offering can be initiated for the user .

If, in step 316, the ACC is determined to be the same as the TCC by the transaction terminal system, then in step 318 the payment card is a local card and it can be automatically determined that the transaction will be performed without a tax return offer.

At step 314, if it is determined that the ACC is not read from the EMV chip, then at step 320, the transaction terminal system may initiate an alternative process. For example, the user may be asked by the merchant whether the user is a traveler and desires to receive a tax refund offer.

The transaction terminal system may be programmed to execute the steps illustrated in FIG. 3 by program code that is stored in the storage of the transaction terminal system and operable to control at least one process of the transaction terminal system.

4 illustrates an example of a process for a step 306 for initiating and providing a tax refund offering.

In step 400, the process of creating a transaction record is started.

In order to access the details of the user via the network from the traveler records held in the storage at the TRO host system 20 in order to create the transaction record, the transaction terminal system sends the payment card number for the payment card , Credit card number CC #) may be used, or an identifier of another token may be used in step 404. The transaction terminal system can create transaction records using retrieved user details.

At step 406, optionally the merchant or user may be prompted to enter the passport details. This can be done by manual entry of a passport number or other traveler identifier or by using a passport reader to read user details from a passport or other travel document. The transaction terminal system may be operable to add this information to the transaction record and / or to verify the information retrieved from the traveler records held in the storage at the TRO host system 20. [

At step 408, the transaction terminal system may be scanned into the transaction terminal system or may be operable to add purchase details and transaction details for the transaction terminal system to the transaction record for the purchased purchase information.

At step 410, the transaction terminal system may optionally add a category of goods identifiers to the transaction terminal. The category of goods can, for example, identify the tax return category.

At step 412, the transaction terminal system may be operable to issue a tax refund transaction. This may be the type of transferring a tax return transaction record to the TRO host to associate transaction records with user records held in the TRO host system. In addition, or alternatively, a tax refund check or other confirmation may be printed (e.g., printed) for the user.

FIG. 5 illustrates another example of a process for step 306 for initiating and providing a tax return offer.

The process begins at step 500 and at step 502 a message is displayed to the merchant asking the user to move to the tax refund issuing desk to process the tax refund. The tax refund process performed at the tax refund issuing desk may be for generating a tax refund record, for example, as described with reference to FIG.

In other instances, the tax refund offering may be, for example, a type that offers to the user whether to continue processing for tax refunds. This may be, for example, the type of displaying the option to the user and not accepting or accepting by the user, e.g., by touch screen panel or other user input, to continue the request for refund.

In the alternative process described at 320, several options are available. For example, the user may be asked whether or not a tax refund is required and then asked to fill in the code or press the displayed or physical button to confirm whether to accept or not to accept the request for refund A message may be displayed to the merchant. Following this manual selection process, for example, using a process as described with reference to FIG. 4, a refund record can be generated. Alternatively, the user may be asked to move to the refund processing desk in the store to prepare a refund check or the like.

Merchant system 14 may include at least one computer, each of which includes at least one processor and memory located in a single location or distributed system.

Since there may be multiple TROs in the market, there may be multiple acquisition system hosts 20. The relationship between a merchant and a TRO (to use a credit / debit card example) is the relationship between the merchant and the acquirer. Each TRO is associated with its own merchants and is responsible for integrated software that generates Point of Sale (POS) devices and tax refund transactions.

Returning to FIG. 2, a transaction message containing information about the transaction record may thus be sent to the TRO obtaining host system 20 where further processing may be performed. The transaction message format between the POS and the acquisition host can take any suitable type, since this can be proprietary. In one example, the transaction message sent between merchant system 14 and acquisition host 20 includes a token identifier (e.g., a token number), a receipt identifier (e.g., receipt number), references to purchased goods, An identifier, a TRO identifier, a time and date stamp, and a secure hash (used to prevent tampering). In addition, it may include information about the tour guide, promotional codes, or any other data that the TRO wants to collect.

Since each TRO can only see transactions generated by the TRO's associated merchants, a separate acquisition host system 20 is provided for each TRO so that commercially sensitive information can be maintained separately in each TRO. . All tax refund transactions generated by the association merchants can be stored in the database of the acquisition host system 20. The transaction record stored in the memory of the acquisition host system may include, for example, a token identifier (e.g., a token number), a receipt identifier (e.g., a receipt number), at least one reference to the purchased goods or goods, And a date stamp. The acquisition host system 20 may also assign a unique transaction identifier (e.g., a unique transaction number) to the transaction so that a unique number is available in the system to track that transaction during processing.

The message interface 24 (also referred to herein as a message switch) provides a neutral place for all messages to be received and transmitted, and provides messages to be properly formatted and routed. For example, transaction messages may include transaction identifiers (e.g., transaction numbers), token identifiers (e.g., payment cards or other token numbers), receipt identifiers (e.g., receipt numbers), references to purchased goods, A TRO identifier, a time and date stamp, and a secure hash (used to prevent tampering). The message switch 24 may be a separate system, or it may be combined with the customs clearance system 26 according to a specific implementation.

Transactions received by each of the acquisition host systems 20 may be forwarded to the customs approval system 26 via the message switch 24. The customs clearance system may include at least one computer, each of which includes at least one processor and a memory.

The transaction message received by the TRO in the acquisition host system 20 may be formatted according to a standard (e.g., ISO 8583 or its variants) and sent to the message switch 24. As shown in Figure 2, GBISO is an ISO 8583 message format with private fields filled with TFS or DCC related information. The message switch may be operable to forward the transaction message to the customs clearance system 26.

The customs clearance system 26 provides an authorization system for authorizing refunds and may be operated by a customs authority or, alternatively, may be operated by a third party. Customs clearance system 26 may automatically approve or reject tax refund transactions based on rules set in the system by customs. Customs clearance system 26 may also be manually accessed by a customs officer.

The self-service validation stations (kiosks) 22 at the territory exit points can be connected to the message switch 24. The verification station 22 may be configured to request the user to present an identifier to be read (e.g., a payment card or other token). The verification station 22 may include at least one input interface, such as, for example, a keypad, a keyboard, a touch sensitive screen, a card reader, a scanner, at least one type of voice- At least one output interface may be provided. The verification station 22 may optionally be provided with a fingerprint reading and / or camera technique for identifying biometric information retained on a machine readable user identifier (e.g., an ID document such as a passport).

The verification station 22 may be operable to prompt the user to present a payment card or token associated with the payments for the refund of the tax. If the user presents a token, the verification station 22 sends at least one verification request message requesting a list of all tax refund transactions from all TROs to the customs approval system 26 via the message switch 24 Lt; / RTI >

Customs clearance system 26 may be operable to retrieve all transactions associated with a token from its own database and / or acquisition host systems 20 in response to a verification request message, and may be configured to determine an approval or rejection Rules can be applied.

In one example, the customs approval system 26 may be set to automatically approve transactions based on established rules ("green channel"), or based on rules set within the customs approval system 26 May be set to automatically identify that an item needs to be inspected by a customs officer for approval ("red channel").

When the customs approval system 26 makes a decision on a transaction (authorization / rejection), the authorization message (the verification request response message) is automatically routed back to the appropriate acquisition host system 20 via the message switch 24. The acquisition host system 20 updates the existing tax refund transaction record for the transaction with an authorization message (approval, presentation for approval, change).

Since the TRO is responsible for the tax authorities for transactions, the decision to pay the refund is the responsibility of the TRO. For that reason, the customs approval host does not act as a payment authorization host, but rather the acquisition host system 20 of the TRO is a system of records.

Each acquisition host system 20 formats the refund message and sends a refund message to the verification station indicating which transactions were approved for the "green channel" automatic payment. The TRO that issued the token is given a first location on the verification station, and the transactions of that TRO are displayed.

If all the retrieved transactions have the approved codes, the user is given a "green channel" service and asked how the refund should be paid. If any of the transactions are not automatically acknowledged, the user is given a "red channel" service and is asked to attend the customs officer himself for further processing.

If a refund via a payment card (e.g., a credit card) is selected, the refund can be made automatically with the registered payment card. If the payment card is not registered, the verification station may prompt the user to swipe the card to be refunded.

If the user requests a cash equivalent refund and uses a TRO issued token that allows the user to save the cash amount, the refund amount can be deposited into the token.

A prepaid card may be issued from the verification station 22 if the user requests cash equivalent reimbursement and the user does not use the TRO issued token.

The process described above may be repeated for each remaining TRO having transactions associated with the token.

In the case of red channel processing, the verification station prompts the user to present the token and the identifier to a customs agent who can then begin processing with that token. The customs officer may be provided with an approval station linked to the customs approval system 26 or forming part of the customs approval system 26. In other instances, however, the authorization stations may be separate and / or remote from the customs authorization system and may communicate with the customs authorization system, for example, via a message switch.

Corresponding to the input of a token identifier (e.g., where the token is a magnetic stripe card by swiping the card), the grant station is configured to use the token identifier to send an information retrieval message to the customs approval system 26 And then customs clearance system 26 may retrieve a list of approved and rejected transactions associated with the token.

The customs agent may then approve or reject each transaction, or change the amount. The customs agent may use the input device (s) of the authorization station 28 to write the results of his / her decisions. The results of his / her decisions are communicated by the customs approval system 26 to the appropriate acquisition host system 20 via the message switch 24. Acquisition host system 20 now includes tax refund transactions with authorization codes (authorization, rejection, changed value).

The user may then return to the verification station 22, present his / her token one more time, and be prompted in the manner of the refund as described above.

Customs clearance system 26 may be configured to operate in one or both of two modes of operation. In both operating modes, the information for the transactions is stored on the individual acquisition host systems 20. In a first mode of operation, the customs approval system 26 is operable to retrieve transaction information from an individual acquiring host system 20 and verify the refunds. The result of authorization is communicated back to the appropriate acquisition host system 20 via the message switch 24. Acquisition host system 20 now includes tax refund transactions with authorization codes (authorization, rejection, changed value). In the second mode of operation, the customs approval system 26 (CAS) retains a copy of each transaction in its own database, which is associated with the associated token identifier as well as with the acquisition host system identifier. In this case, the customs approval system 26 also conveys the transaction and authorization code back to the relevant acquisition host system 20. The difference between the two modes is that in the second mode, the CAS retains a copy of all data from all acquisition host systems 20.

Secure transmissions, messages and protocols can be used to communicate information using existing software, equipment and processes to handle secure financial transactions known as electronic payments. Standards-based message formats can therefore be used to transmit refund transactions. The use of standard message formats allows for multiple TRO providers, ensuring that customs and internal tax services only have to deal with a single system for approvals.

By recording transactions on the acquisition host system 20 and / or the customs approval system 26 using transaction identifiers, purchase prices and payment cards or other token identifiers, and in the acquisition host system 20, In order to display a "Yes / No" response to the request for refund authorization, and to send the results to the acquisition host system 20, the customs approval system 26 may then determine And retrieve the refund transactions from the acquisition host system 20 of the TRO based on the presentation.

In the illustrated example, the communication between the acquisition host system (s) 20 and the customs approval system 26 may be by a message switch 24. The message switch 24 may provide a dedicated network between the customs approval system 26 and the acquisition host system 20 for at least one TRO. Rather than a dedicated network, communication may be through secure switching channels operating on a public network, such as the Internet.

In an exemplary embodiment, automated verification stations (kiosks) 22 may be provided that allow automatic pre-screening of refund transactions to generate a "red channel / green channel" response without human intervention. An automatic pre-screening process may be performed, for example, using a verification station 22 (e.g., a kiosk) at the point of departure from the territory.

The verification system 22 (e.g., the customs approval system 26) communicating with the verification station 22 or the verification station 22 may be provided with a "red ", for example, for high purchases and / Quot; channel "requirements may be provided. The "red channel" behavior may be to require the user to present tokens, shopping receipts, passports and purchased goods to the customs officer for approval.

The verification station 22, or the customs approval system 26 in communication with the verification station, may include a "green channel" that provides automatic approval for low cost items and / or purchases by travelers from certain countries, Rules may be provided to define the situation.

Figure 6 is a schematic system diagram that provides an overview of an exemplary overall system configuration of an exemplary embodiment.

6 illustrates a network 15, e.g., various systems connected via the Internet.

6 illustrates a plurality of network-connectable computing devices 13 (e.g., desktops, laptops, personal digital assistants, mobile phones, etc.) coupled to a network 15. The user computer 13 may be used by a user (e.g., traveler) to access the website to register the token. The web site may be provided, by way of example only, by one of a plurality of TROs, a tourist or a travel organization or authority. As will be described later, these network-accessible computing devices 13 may also be used to initiate or perform transactions.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of input stations 17 connected to a network 15. The input station 17 may be provided, for example, at an incoming point (e.g., an airport entry and exit management area), a tourist office, a retail store, or the like. The input station 17 may include at least one input interface of the type of at least one of, for example, a keypad, a keyboard, a touch sensitive screen, a passport or other ID document reader, a card reader, a scanner, a voice- For example, at least one output interface of the type of display, printer, card writer and / or dispenser, or speaker may be provided. In an exemplary embodiment, the input station 17 may be operable to issue a card having a token, e.g., a unique identifier.

Figure 6 illustrates a plurality of merchant systems 14 connected to a network 15. Each merchant system 14 may include at least one computer system, each of which may include at least one processor and memory and one or more processors, such as a keypad, a keyboard, a touch sensitive screen, a card reader, a scanner, At least one input interface that is at least one type of input and at least one point of sale device that may include at least one output interface that is a type of at least one of a display, a printer, a card writer, a speaker, .

Figure 6 illustrates a plurality of TRO acquisition host systems 20 coupled to a network 15. Each acquisition host system 20 may include at least one computer system, each of which includes at least one processor and memory.

6 illustrates a message switch 24 (corresponding to the message interface 24 of FIG. 2) that is connected to the network 15. As shown in FIG. In this example, message switch 24 serves as a communication interface between acquisition host systems 20, verification stations 22, and customs approval system 26.

FIG. 6 illustrates a plurality of verification stations 22 connected to a network 15. The verification station 22 may be located at a leaving point (e.g., an airport departure area). The verification station 22 may include at least one input interface that is, for example, a type of at least one of a keypad, a keyboard, a touch sensitive screen, a passport or other ID document reader, a card reader, a scanner, a voice- For example, at least one output interface may be provided that is a type of display, printer, card writer and / or dispenser, or speaker. The verification station 22 may also be provided with at least one device for inputting user biometric information, such as a fingerprint scanner or a camera.

The user's familiarity with automated teller machines and the like means that the verification stations 22 of the type of self-service kiosks at the leaving points are acceptable to the users.

As described above, in one example, the verification station 22 may be provided with a reader that automatically reads machine-readable identifiers (e.g., machine-readable identification documents, such as machine-readable passports) Thereby enabling automatic identification of the user's identity and eligibility for the refund. The verification station 22 may prompt the user to present the token identifier. Also, as indicated above, the token may be of a type such as a magnetic stripe card, a chip card, a bar code, a number to be written on the keypad, and the like.

The verification station 22 may then determine whether to validate the refund associated with the at least one purchase by using a customs approval system 26 or TRO acquisition host system 20 that defines at least one purchase associated with the identifier , The eligibility of the refund can be determined. Optionally, the verification station 22 may receive biometric information to identify the identity of the user and may crosscheck this information with the information held on the machine readable identifier.

In one example, the verification station 22 is responsive to the input of the token identifier to send a request to the server for information defining at least one purchase associated with the identifier, to define at least one purchase associated with the identifier, Determines whether to validate the refund by comparing the information received from the server with the pre-defined rules, and informs the output interface whether the refund has been automatically verified (i. E. Can be displayed. If the refund is verified, the verification station 22 may send a confirmation to the server that the verification has been made for the refund.

In another example, the verification station 22, in response to the input of the token identifier, sends a request to the server to determine whether to verify the refund, and whether the refund for at least one purchase has been verified In response to a response from the server, the output interface may indicate to the user whether the refund has been verified (i. E., Verification has been performed automatically).

Alternatively, the user may be prompted to report on a manual verification check by the customs officer.

The verification station 22 may also be operable to prompt the user to identify how the refund should be made (e.g., by credit card or in cash). If the user selects a credit card, the transaction can be automatically refunded. If the user selects cash, the user can be issued a fully active debit card with a refund amount, or be prompted to go to the refund counter on the airside to receive cash.

If the result is a "red channel" response, the user is prompted to indicate how the refund will be granted if approved, and then the user can be directed to the customs desk for additional checking.

At the customs desk, the customs officer can use the token identifier to use the authorization station to retrieve information from the server system.

The authorization station may include at least one input interface of the type of, for example, a keypad, a keyboard, a touch sensitive screen, a card reader, a scanner, a voice-activated input, At least one output interface of the type of at least one of the speakers may be provided.

Using the token identifier, the customs agent can call transaction information from the server system, check documents and goods, and decide whether to approve or reject the refund.

If the refund is approved and the user requests a credit card refund, the credit card transfer may then be automatically made in response to the customs officer who then approves the refund using the approval station. Alternatively, the debit card may be generated by an authorization station or by a verification station 22.

7 illustrates an example of the steps performed in response to a user leaving the territory, where at 710 a token (e.g., a payment card) or a machine readable ID (e.g., passport) ) Token (payment card) or ID leader.

In this example, at 712, the kiosk may be operable to identify the user based on the stored information, in response to reading the token, or in response to reading the ID, as described above with reference to FIG.

At 714, if the user is not recognized as an eligible user, then at 716 a suitable message will be provided to the user at the kiosk and the process ends - for example, the user may be sent to the customs desk for manual processing.

Alternatively, if eligibility is detected based on the machine readable ID, at 718, the user may be requested to present a token associated with the user to retrieve transaction records for the user.

At 720, the kiosk may read the token (e.g., using a card reader if the token is a card) and send a verification request including the token identifier to the customs clearance system 26.

At 722, the granting system may check transactions (available, if appropriate, from the granting system and / or from the acquiring host system) using the token identifier to retrieve the associated transactions.

If no acknowledgment is automatically given at 724, additional processing at 730 is described with reference to FIG.

Alternatively, if grant is automatically granted at 724, then at 726 the granting system may send an acceptance message to each of the acquiring host systems for each authorized transaction, and further processing at 728 is described with reference to FIG. 8 do.

Proceeding to FIG. 8, for each acquiring host system that has received an acceptance message from the acceptance system, at 810 the acquiring host system may send an appropriate acknowledgment message to the kiosk.

At 812, the kiosk may prompt the user to select a payment method.

At 814, the kiosk may make a payment, for example, by asking the user to fill out a payment for which the refund should be deposited, or by providing a card with a refund amount.

Proceeding to FIG. 9, if the grant is not automatically granted at 724, then at 910 the granting system may send a non-grant message to each of the acquiring host systems for each unauthorized transaction.

At 912, the acquiring host system that received this non-acceptance message sends the appropriate non-acceptance message to the kiosk.

At 914, when the kiosk receives the non-acceptance message, the kiosk may prompt the traveler to report to the customs for a manual verification check.

At 916, the customs agent may receive the token from the user, or the customs approval station may request the user to fill in the token.

At 918, the granting station sends an information request containing the token identifier to the granting system.

At 920, the authorization system obtains transaction information (and, if appropriate, available from the acquiring host system and / or from the authorization system) using the token identifier to identify the associated transactions and returns transaction information.

If the customs officer does not approve the transaction at 922, then at 924, the user (traveler) is informed that the transaction has not been authorized by the customs agent, and the message is returned to the authorization system from the authorization station, The process is terminated by the acquisition host associated with the < / RTI >

Alternatively, if an acknowledgment is given at 922 for the refund, at 926 the granting station sends an appropriate message to the associated acquisition host system via the grant system that the grant for the given transactions has been granted.

At 928, the user may present a token to the kiosk, and a refund message may be sent to the acquisition host for transactions associated with the token.

As shown at 930, additional processing to achieve the refund may proceed at steps 810-814 as shown in FIG.

The refund system uses the token to provide detection of the user's eligibility to refund, to identify the purchases, and to retrieve information about the purchases to process refunds for those purchases.

By providing the integrated system with information available from the server system, in combination with the use of a payment card and optionally also a token identifier, purchases can be associated with travelers and eligibility can be determined at the departure point following purchase transactions .

In the above examples, it is assumed that the payment is made using the payment card using the transaction terminal system.

It should be noted that, as used herein, the term "payment card" is used in a generic manner to describe a token or device or carrier that may be used to perform transactions based on the account associated therewith. The "payment card" does not need to take the form of a conventional rectangular plastic credit card or the like, and it is possible to have an integrated chip integrated therein, but within the context of the present application, a "payment card" , Or any other type capable of operating as a payment token, device or other type of carrier. For example, within the meaning of the term "payment card" as used herein, the payment system is based on the use of carriers of mobile telephones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), or other information as & Or may permit the use. A mobile telephone configured as a payment card may include, for example, a circuit or software having a function equivalent to the function of the chip in a chip-based payment card or a distinctly different function of, for example, the type of electronic wallet have. Thus, where referred to herein as a payment card, in the above examples, a "payment card" is a payment token, device or carrier configured to perform transactions based on an account associated therewith, It is to be understood that any suitable type that can operate as a suitable software means and / or mechanism for transferring information from and to the payment terminal system, either via contacts or in a non-contact manner, may be taken.

Exemplary embodiments that operate without using a transaction terminal system are also contemplated.

In one example, the purchase is made by a user using a network-accessible computing device 13 (e.g., mobile phone, tablet, mobile communication device such as a wearable mobile computing device) , Wirelessly). In an exemplary embodiment, determining account information call information that identifies a call associated with a user's account may be based on an application of the network-accessible computing device or network-accessible computing device 13 (e.g., a shopping application, an electronic purse, ≪ / RTI > and so on). In an exemplary embodiment, reference call information identifying a reference call associated with:

A network-accessible computing device connected to the network to perform a transaction; And / or

A location of a terminal, wherein the terminal is operable to receive accounting communication information from a network-accessible computing device.

In an exemplary embodiment, the determination of the account call information and the reference call information may be performed by a terminal through which the network-accessible computing device 13 connects to the network or via a terminal (e.g., at the TRO host system 20) By at least one processor of at least one computer system in the payment channel or directly or indirectly connected to the payment channel. An application (e.g., a shopping application, an electronic wallet or the like) of a network-accessible computing device is configured such that when an application is used to make a purchase, the appropriate terminal or computer system (s) . For example, the application may be able to access the details of the transaction, the payment channel to be used (e.g., the ACC of the payment account and payment account), and the network-accessible computing device or network-accessible computing device And to send a message containing geolocation information about the current location of the terminal that may be operable to receive the account call information.

The connection of the network-connectable computing device 13 to the network 15 may include, for example, a mobile telephone communication connection (e.g., a cellular connection), a WiFi connection, a Bluetooth connection, an NFC connection, Or at least one of any reliable wireless or wired connection.

In an exemplary embodiment, the at least one processor of the at least one computer system in the payment channel (e.g., in the TRO host system) or directly or indirectly connected to the payment channel, may be, for example, From the user records stored in the storage associated with the user, account call information identifying a call associated with a user's account for performing a transaction for the user, comparing the account call information with reference call information identifying the reference call, If the account call information identifies that the account currency is different from the reference currency identified by the reference call information, then it is programmed to initiate a tax return offer for the user for the transaction. As indicated above, at least one processor of the at least one computing system may be configured to communicate with a network-accessible computing device (e.g., using geolocation techniques) and / or a location coupled to the network (e.g., To determine the reference call based on the location of the terminal operable to receive the account call information from the network-accessible computing device (using stored information regarding the location of the network-accessible computing device). For example, at least one processor may access stored information (e.g., stored in a storage of at least one computer systems) that maps or associates these locations with reference calls to determine a reference currency associated with the location Lt; / RTI >

Rather than identifying calls alone, in an exemplary implementation, the account call information may instead or additionally or additionally include a location, a country or a region associated with the account call, and the reference call information may be a network- It is contemplated that the computing device may alternatively or additionally include or identify a location, country, or region that connects to the network. In this case, as a result of comparing the account call information with the reference call information, the location, country or area associated with the account call of at least one processor may be different from the location, country, or region that the network- , Then at least one processor is programmed to automatically initiate a tax return offer for the user for the transaction.

In an exemplary embodiment, at least one processor of the at least one computer system is programmed to determine and compare call information to determine whether to initiate a tax return offer for the user for a transaction, but in another example, The application of the network-accessible computing device may be operable to make this determination. For example, the application may be configured to determine whether the account currency represented by the ACC is the same as or different from the reference currency indicated by the reference call information, and based thereon, May be configured to use the ACC and reference call information for the payment account associated with the application to determine whether to initiate a tax return offer for the user for the transaction. In order to determine the reference call information (e.g., the reference currency code) associated with the current location of the network-accessible computing device, the application uses geolocation to determine the current location of the network-accessible computing device, (E. G., Stored in a storage of a network-accessible computing device or accessible by a network) to < / RTI > map or associate locations with reference call information.

In a further example, purchasing may be performed using an e-commerce channel. When performing the purchase, the user may access the web site at a given location or given country or area using the browser of the network-accessible computing device 13, and the user may access the web site at a given account currency (e.g., Or a withdrawal account, a PayPalTM account, or the like). The web site may be hosted, for example, by a server computer system comprising at least one processor. In this example, at least one processor of the server computer system (or other system communicating therewith, e.g., TRO host system 20) may be configured to use the browser to identify the location, country, Is derived and programmed to identify reference call information that identifies a reference currency associated with the location, country or area based on the stored information and information received from use of the browser therefrom. At least one processor of the server computer system (or other system communicating therewith, e.g., TRO host system 20) may compare the account call information identifying the account call with the reference call information identifying the reference call, and , And if the account call information identifies that the account currency is different from the reference currency, initiate a tax return offer for the user for the transaction.

As described above, rather than identifying calls alone, in an exemplary implementation, an account call may include or additionally include or otherwise identify a location, country, or region associated with the account call, Quot; may < / RTI > be included in place of, or in addition to, the location, country or area in which the browser is used. In this case, as a result of comparing the account call information with the reference call information, if at least one processor determines that the location, country or region in which the browser is used is different from the location, country or region associated with the account call, The processor is programmed to automatically initiate a tax return offer for the user for the transaction.

Initiating a tax refund offering for a user for a transaction may include outputting to the merchant or user an indication that the user is eligible for the tax refund offer (e.g., a visual indication via a display device).

Initiating a tax return offer for a user for a transaction comprises: identifying an identifier of the token used to reference user records held in the remote system; Information indicative of the identity of the user derived from the passport or other travel document; Transaction information indicating goods or services purchased; Merchant details for a transaction terminal system or website; And generating a transaction record for a tax refund offering that includes at least one of a category of goods or services. These tokens may include a passport number, passport, identity card number, identity card, driver's license number, driver's license, payment card number, payment card, card redemption operator card number, card redemption operator card, visitor card number, Lt; / RTI > identifier.

In some instances, a print of a record of a tax refund transaction may be caused to occur.

Transaction records may be stored in a storage associated with a host system, wherein the transaction records identify at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier, the host system having at least one purchase associated with the token identifier and the merchant identifier Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > storage, < / RTI >

Exemplary embodiments may include, for example, a host system, a transaction terminal system, a network-accessible computing device, or at least one of a computer system that is, for example, connected to a payment channel or directly or indirectly to a payment channel And may be implemented by at least one program product that includes program instructions using the processor.

The computer program product may be a type of computer program on a carrier medium. The carrier medium may be a solid-state, magnetic, optical, magneto-optical or other storage medium. The carrier medium may be a transmission medium, such as a broadcast, telephone, computer network, wired, wireless, electrical, electromagnetic, optical or any other transmission medium.

Aspects of the technical disclosure described herein are set forth in the following numbered clauses:

1. A computer-implemented method for performing a transaction,

Determining account call information associated with the account of the user to perform a transaction for the user;

Comparing the account call information with reference call information; And

And initiating a tax return offering for the user for the transaction if the account call information differs from the reference call information.

2. In Article 1,

The step of determining account call information associated with a user's account comprises:

Network-accessible computing device;

Identifying an account currency code associated with at least one of an application of the network-accessible computing device.

3. In Article 2,

Wherein the network-accessible computing device is a mobile communication device.

4. In Article 3,

Wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone.

5. In any of the articles 2 to 4,

Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location connected to the network by the network-accessible computing device to perform the transaction.

6. In any of the clauses 2 to 5,

Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location of the terminal and the terminal is operable to receive the account call information from the network-accessible computing device.

7. In Article 1,

Wherein determining the account currency information associated with the user's account comprises identifying an account currency code contained in the payment device read by the payment device reader's terminal.

8. In Clause 7,

Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with the terminal.

9. In Clause 7 or Clause 8,

Wherein the payment device is an EMV card and the payment device reader is at least one of a contact or a contactless chip card reader.

10. In any of the articles 1 to 9,

Wherein initiating the tax return offer for the user for the transaction comprises outputting to the merchant an indication that the user is entitled to the tax return offer.

11. In any of Provisions 1 to 10,

Wherein initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction comprises:

An identifier of a token used to refer to user records held in the remote system;

Information indicative of the identity of the user derived from a passport or other travel document;

Transaction information indicating goods or services purchased;

Merchant details for the transaction terminal system; And

Creating a transaction record for a tax refund offering that includes at least one of the categories of goods or services.

12. In Article 11,

The token includes a passport number, a passport, an identity card number, an identity card, a driver's license number, a driver's license, a payment card number, a payment card, a card refund operator card number, a card refund operator card, Wherein the transaction is one of the identifiers.

13. In either Article 11 or 12,

Causing a printing of a record of a tax refund transaction.

14. In any of the clauses 1 to 13,

Storing transaction records in a storage associated with a host system, wherein the transaction records identify at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier, and wherein the host system is further configured to: And store transaction records identifying the at least one purchase in the storage.

15. In Article 14,

Wherein the host system is operable to perform the method of any one of clauses 1 to 14 above.

16. In any of the clauses 1 to 13,

A computer-implemented method for performing a transaction, the method being performed by at least one of a computer system or a transaction terminal system.

17. In Clause 14,

The method of any one of clauses 1 to 13, wherein the method is performed by at least one of a computer system or a transaction terminal system connected to the host system via a network.

18. A computer program product, comprising program instructions for causing at least one processor to perform the method of any one of clauses 1 to 17 above.

19. In Article 18,

And a non-temporal storage medium containing the instructions.

20. A system comprising at least one processor,

Determining account call information associated with the account of the user to perform a transaction for the user;

Compare the account call information with reference call information;

And initiate a tax return offer for the user for the transaction if the account call information differs from the reference call information.

21. In Clause 20,

Determining the account currency information associated with the user's account,

Network-accessible computing device;

Identifying an account currency code associated with at least one of an application of the network-accessible computing device.

22. In Article 21,

Wherein the network-accessible computing device is a mobile communication device.

23. In Article 22,

Wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone.

24. In any of the clauses 21 to 23,

Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location where the network-accessible computing device is connected to a network to perform the transaction.

25. In any of the clauses 21 to 24,

Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location of the terminal, the terminal being operable to receive the account call information from the network-accessible computing device.

26. In section 20,

Wherein determining the account currency information associated with the user's account comprises identifying an account currency code contained in the payment device read by the payment device reader of the terminal.

27. In section 26,

Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with the terminal.

28. In either Article 26 or 27,

Wherein the payment device is an EMV card and the payment device reader is at least one of a contact or contactless chip card reader.

29. In any of the clauses 20 to 28,

Initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction,

And outputting to the merchant an indication that the user is eligible for the tax refund offering.

30. In any of the clauses 20 to 29,

Initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction,

An identifier of a token used to refer to user records held in the remote system;

Information indicative of the identity of the user derived from a passport or other travel document;

Transaction information indicating goods or services purchased;

Merchant details for the transaction terminal system; And

And generating a transaction record for a tax refund offering that includes at least one of the categories of goods or services.

31. In section 30,

The token includes a passport number, a passport, an identity card number, an identity card, a driver's license number, a driver's license, a payment card number, a payment card, a card refund operator card number, a card refund operator card, Wherein the identifier is one of the identifiers.

32. In either Article 29 or 30,

And a printer for printing a record of a tax refund transaction.

33. In any of the clauses 20 to 32,

Wherein the transaction records identify at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier, and wherein the host system identifies the token identifier and the merchant identifier associated with the merchant identifier And store transaction records identifying the at least one purchase in the storage.

34. In section 33,

Wherein the host system comprises at least one processor.

35. In any of the clauses 20 to 32,

Wherein the computer system or transaction terminal system comprises at least one processor.

36. In any of the clauses 20 to 32,

Wherein at least one of the computer system or the transaction terminal system comprises at least one processor and the at least one of the computer system or the transaction terminal system is connected to a host system via a network, Wherein the transaction records identify at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier, and wherein the host system is operable to store transaction records in association with the token identifier and the merchant identifier, And store transaction records identifying the transaction records in the storage.

37. A transaction terminal system comprising a card reader for reading a payment card of a user,

Wherein the transaction terminal system comprises a magnetic stripe reader and determines whether a magnetic stripe on the card includes a service code number 1 indicating that the card is an EMV card and if the service code number 1 indicates that the card is an EMV Card, said system being operable to initiate a tax return offer for said user.

38. In Article 37,

The service code number 1 indicating that the card is an EMV card, prompting the user to present the payment card for reading the EMV chip on the card.

39. In section 38,

A contact or a non-contact chip card reader.

40. In either Article 37 or 38,

In response to the user presenting the payment card for reading the EMV chip on the card,

Determining whether the account currency code contained in the payment card read by at least one of the contact or non-contact chip card reader is different from the currency code for the transaction terminal system, and

And to initiate a tax refund offering for the user if the account currency code contained in the payment card read by the card reader is determined to be different from the currency code for the transaction terminal system.

41. In any of the articles 37 to 40,

Initiating a tax refund offering for the user,

And outputting to the merchant an indication that the user is eligible for the tax refund offering.

42. In any of the clauses 37 to 41,

Initiating a tax refund offering for the user,

An identifier of a token used to refer to user records held in the remote system;

Information indicative of the identity of the user derived from a passport or other travel document;

Transaction information indicating goods or services purchased;

Merchant details for the transaction terminal system; And

The transaction terminal system for generating a transaction record for a tax refund offering that includes at least one of the categories of goods or services.

43. In section 42,

The token includes a passport number, a passport, an identity card number, an identity card, a driver's license number, a driver's license, a payment card number, a payment card, a card refund operator card number, a card refund operator card, One of the identifiers, the transaction terminal system.

44. In either Article 42 or 43,

The transaction terminal system being operable to transmit a transaction message containing the transaction record to a remote system over a network.

45. In any of articles 42 to 44,

Wherein the transaction terminal system comprises a printer and is operable to print a record of a tax refund transaction.

46. A system comprising the transaction terminal system and the remote host system of any one of clauses 37 to 45,

Wherein the remote host system is associated with a storage for storing transaction records identifying at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier, the remote host system further comprising: And to respond to a transaction message containing the transaction record received from the transaction terminal system via a network to store the transaction record identifying the transaction record in the storage.

47. A computer implemented method,

Determining whether the magnetic stripe on the user's payment card read by the magnetic stripe reader of the transaction terminal system includes a service code number 1 indicating that the card is an EMV card; And

And if the service code number 1 does not indicate that the card is an EMV card, initiating a tax return offer for the user.

48. In Article 47,

Wherein the service code number 1 indicates that the card is an EMV card, the user is prompted to present the payment card for reading the EMV chip on the card.

49. In section 48,

And prompting the user to present the payment card to at least one of a contact or contactless chip card reader for reading the EMV chip on the card.

50. In either Article 47 or Article 48,

In response to the user presenting the payment card for reading the EMV chip on the card, the account currency code contained in the payment card read by the card reader of the transaction terminal system is different from the currency code for the transaction terminal system Determining whether the account currency code is different from a currency code for the transaction terminal system, the card currency code being at least one of a contact or non-contact chip card reader; And

And initiating a tax refund offering for the user if the account currency code contained in the payment card read by the card reader is determined to be different from the currency code for the transaction terminal system.

51. In any of the articles 47 to 50,

Wherein initiating the tax refund offering for the user comprises:

And outputting to the merchant an indication that the user is eligible for the tax return offer.

52. In any of the articles 47 to 51,

Wherein initiating the tax refund offering for the user comprises:

An identifier of a token used to refer to user records held in the remote system;

Information indicative of the identity of the user derived from a passport or other travel document;

Transaction information indicating goods or services purchased;

Merchant details for the transaction terminal system; And

Creating a transaction record for a tax refund offering that includes at least one of the categories of goods or services.

53. In Article 52,

The token includes a passport number, a passport, an identity card number, an identity card, a driver's license number, a driver's license, a payment card number, a payment card, a card refund operator card number, a card refund operator card, Lt; RTI ID = 0.0 > identifier, < / RTI >

54. In either Article 52 or 53,

And transmitting the transaction message including the transaction record from the transaction terminal system to the remote system via the network.

55. In any of the articles 47 to 54,

And printing a record of a tax refund transaction using a printer associated with the transaction terminal system.

56. In any of the articles 47 to 55,

The method comprising storing transaction records in a storage associated with a host system, the system comprising the transaction terminal system and a remote host system of any one of the preceding clauses, wherein the remote host system comprises a token identifier and a merchant Wherein the remote host system is associated with a storage that stores transaction records identifying at least one purchase associated with the identifier, wherein the remote host system stores the transaction record identifying the at least one purchase in association with the token identifier and the merchant identifier, And to respond to a transaction message containing the transaction record received from the transaction terminal system over a network for storage in the transaction terminal system.

56. A computer program product, comprising program instructions for causing at least one processor to perform the method of any one of clauses 47 to 56.

57. In section 56,

And a non-temporal storage medium containing the instructions.

While the foregoing embodiments have been described in detail above, many variations and modifications will become apparent to those skilled in the art once the disclosure is fully understood. The following claims are intended to be construed as including all such modifications and alterations and their equivalents.

Claims (36)

A computer-implemented method for performing transactions,
Determining account currency information associated with the user's account to perform a transaction for the user;
Comparing the account call information with reference call information; And
Automatically initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction if the account call information differs from the reference call information,
And a computer-implemented method for performing a transaction. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein determining the account call information associated with the account of the user comprises:
A network-accessible computing device; And
Applications of network-accessible computing devices
And identifying an account currency code associated with at least one of the account currency codes. 3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the network-accessible computing device is a mobile communication device. The method of claim 3,
Wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone. 5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4,
Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location where the network-accessible computing device is connected to a network to perform the transaction. 6. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location of a terminal operable to receive the account call information from the network-accessible computing device. The method according to claim 1,
Wherein determining the account call information associated with the account of the user comprises identifying an account currency code contained in the payment device read by the payment device reader of the terminal. 8. The method of claim 7,
Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with the terminal. 9. The method according to claim 7 or 8,
Wherein the payment device is an EMV card and the payment device reader is at least one of a contact or contactless chip card reader. 10. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
Wherein initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction comprises:
And outputting to the merchant an indication that the user is entitled to a tax refund offering. 11. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
Wherein initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction comprises:
An identifier of a token used to refer to user records held in the remote system;
Information indicative of the identity of the user derived from a passport or other travel document;
Transaction information indicating goods or services purchased;
Merchant details for the transaction terminal system; And
Categories of products or services
Generating a transaction record for a tax refund offering that includes at least one of the tax refund offerings. 12. The method of claim 11,
The token includes a passport number, a passport, an identity card number, an identity card, a driver's license number, a driver's license, a payment card number, a payment card, a card refund operator card number, a card refund operator card, Wherein the transaction is one of the identifiers. 13. The method according to claim 11 or 12,
Causing a printing of a record of a tax refund transaction. 14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
Storing transaction records in a storage associated with a host system, wherein the transaction records identify at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier, and wherein the host system is further operable to, in connection with the token identifier and the merchant identifier And store transaction records identifying the at least one purchase in the storage. 15. The method of claim 14,
Wherein the host system is operable to perform a computer-implemented method of performing the transaction as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14. A computer- 14. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 13,
A computer-implemented method for performing a transaction, the method being performed by at least one of a computer system or a transaction terminal system. 15. The method of claim 14,
13. A computer-implemented method for performing a transaction as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising the steps of: performing a transaction, which is performed by at least one of a computer system connected to the host system via a network or a transaction terminal system - Implementation method. 17. A computer program product comprising program instructions for causing at least one processor to perform a computer-implemented method for performing a transaction as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 17. 19. The method of claim 18,
And a non-temporal storage medium containing the instructions. A system comprising at least one processor,
Determining account call information associated with the account of the user to perform a transaction for the user;
Compare the account call information with reference call information; And
If the account call information differs from the reference call information, initiate a tax return offering for the user for the transaction
Configured. 21. The method of claim 20,
Determining account call information associated with the account of the user,
A network-accessible computing device; And
Applications of network-accessible computing devices
And identifying an account currency code associated with at least one of the account currency codes. 22. The method of claim 21,
Wherein the network-accessible computing device is a mobile communication device. 23. The method of claim 22,
Wherein the mobile communication device is a mobile telephone. 24. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 23,
Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location where the network-accessible computing device is connected to the network to perform the transaction. 25. The method according to any one of claims 21 to 24,
Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with a location of a terminal operable to receive the account call information from the network-accessible computing device. 21. The method of claim 20,
Wherein determining the account call information associated with the account of the user comprises identifying an account currency code contained in the payment device read by the payment device reader of the terminal. 27. The method of claim 26,
Wherein the reference call information identifies a reference call associated with the terminal. 28. The method of claim 26 or 27,
Wherein the payment device is an EMV card and the payment device reader is at least one of a contact or contactless chip card reader. 29. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 28,
Initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction,
And outputting to the merchant an indication that the user is eligible for a tax refund offering. 30. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 29,
Initiating a tax return offer for the user for the transaction,
An identifier of a token used to refer to user records held in the remote system;
Information indicative of the identity of the user derived from a passport or other travel document;
Transaction information indicating goods or services purchased;
Merchant details for the transaction terminal system; And
Categories of products or services
And generating a transaction record for a tax refund offering that includes at least one of the tax refund offerings. 31. The method of claim 30,
The token includes a passport number, a passport, an identity card number, an identity card, a driver's license number, a driver's license, a payment card number, a payment card, a card refund operator card number, a card refund operator card, Wherein the identifier is one of the identifiers. 32. The method according to claim 29 or 30,
And a printer for printing a record of a tax refund transaction. 33. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 32,
Wherein the transaction records identify at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier and wherein the host system identifies the token identifier and the merchant identifier, And store transaction records identifying the at least one purchase in association with the storage. 34. The method of claim 33,
Wherein the host system comprises the at least one processor. 33. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 32,
Wherein the computer system or transaction terminal system comprises the at least one processor. 33. The method according to any one of claims 20 to 32,
Wherein at least one of the computer system or the transaction terminal system comprises the at least one processor and wherein the at least one of the computer system or the transaction terminal system is connected to a host system via a network, Wherein the transaction records identify at least one purchase with respect to a token identifier and a merchant identifier, and wherein the host system is operable to store transaction records in the at least one And store transaction records identifying the purchase in the storage.

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