# US 2014/0156434 A1 · Surcharge violation registry

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- Number: US 2014/0156434 A1
- Document ID: US20140156434A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 13/705,692
- Filed: 2012-12-05
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-05
- Assignees: Bank of America Corporation
- Applicants: Bank of America Corporation
- Inventors: Matthew D. Murphy; Scott A. Weigman
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156434A1

## CPC

- G06Q 20/405: {Establishing or using transaction specific rules}
- G06Q 40/10: Tax strategies
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

Apparatus and methods for auditing a transaction record are provided. The transaction record may correspond to a credit card transaction. The auditing may include identifying a surcharge violation. The surcharge violation may be an unlawful surcharge. The auditing may identify patterns of double surcharging. Transaction-level auditing may include ensuring that a surcharge is returned upon a product return. A mobile wallet application may allow consumers to access and/or report merchant surcharge compliance activity. Functionality may include surcharge receipt scanning for use in crosschecking authenticity of a consumer report. Additional crosscheck functionality provided by geographic location support. Embodiments may include a registry for merchants that certify their surcharge calculations.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-14. (canceled)

### Claim 15

An article of manufacture comprising a non-transitory computer usable medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the code when executed by a processor causes a computer to identify a surcharge violation, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising:
computer readable program code for causing the computer to receive a surcharge violation notice from a mobile device;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to generate a surcharge record based on the surcharge violation notice, the surcharge record comprising:
a time a surcharge was imposed;
a first surcharge amount added to a purchase amount;
a payment instrument;
a transaction network;
a merchant; and
a surcharge notice displayed by the merchant at the time the surcharge was imposed;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine a second surcharge amount authorized by the transaction network at the time the surcharge was imposed;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine a third surcharge amount displayed in the surcharge notice;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to calculate a fourth surcharge amount authorized for the payment instrument at the time the surcharge was imposed;
computer readable program code for causing the computer to identify a surcharge violation based on the surcharge record when:
the first surcharge amount does not correspond to the second surcharge amount;
the first surcharge amount does not correspond to the third surcharge amount; and
the first surcharge amount does not correspond to the fourth surcharge amount; and
computer readable program code for causing the computer, in response to detection of the surcharge violation, to deny a fifth surcharge amount submitted by the merchant.

### Claim 16

(canceled)

### Claim 17 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15, wherein when the surcharge violation notice includes an image, the article further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to:
identify a plurality of segments in the image;
determine one or more surcharge attributes based on information extracted from the plurality of segments in the image;
identify the surcharge violation by comparing the one or more surcharge attributes to one or more reference attributes; and
register the surcharge violation when the one or more surcharge attributes do not correspond to the one or more reference attributes.

### Claim 18 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15 further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to:
compare a location associated with the surcharge violation notice to a merchant location;
identify a surcharge rule in effect during a time associated with the surcharge violation notice; and
register the surcharge violation when:
the location is within a predetermined distance of the merchant location; and
the one or more surcharge attributes do not correspond to the surcharge rule.

### Claim 19 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15 wherein the surcharge violation is:
a surcharge amount that is in breach of an agreement with one or more transaction participants;
an incentive offered at a point-of-sale, the incentive corresponding to a variable surcharge that is dependent on an issuer associated a payment instrument charged for the purchase amount; or
a double surcharge.

### Claim 20 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15 further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to transmit the surcharge violation to an online registry.

### Claim 21 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15 wherein the the surcharge record comprises at least three surcharge attributes corresponding to:
a location;
a time;
a total surcharge amount;
a surcharge fraction;
a fixed fee;
a purchase amount;
a payment instrument; and
a merchant;
wherein the comparing comprises comparing the at least three of the surcharge attributes to at least three surcharge reference attributes.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

The article of claim 17, further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to identify the one or more attributes of the surcharge record based on extracting from the image:
a payment instrument identifier;
a merchant identifier;
a surcharge amount; and
a purchase amount.

### Claim 23 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15 wherein:
the surcharge record comprises:
a first surcharge cap associated with a payment instrument;
a second surcharge cap associated with a merchant;
a maximum surcharge that is equal to the lesser of the first surcharge cap or the second surcharge cap; and
a maximum surcharge amount based on the maximum surcharge and the purchase amount;
the comparing comprises comparing the maximum surcharge amount to a surcharge amount included in the surcharge record; and
the identifying the surcharge violation comprises associating the merchant with a surcharge violation when the surcharge amount exceeds the maximum surcharge amount.

### Claim 24 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to:
monitor a number of surcharge violations associated with a merchant; and
determine a surcharge violation score based on the number of surcharge violations.

### Claim 25 (depends on 24)

The article of claim 24, further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine the surcharge violation score based on a ratio of:
the number of surcharge violations detected during a pre-determined time period; and
a total number of transactions conducted by the merchant during the pre-determined time period.

### Claim 26 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15, further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to adjust a merchant discount based on a number of identified surcharge violations.

### Claim 27 (depends on 18)

The article of claim 18 further comprising:
computer readable program code for causing the computer to determine a distance between:
a first location determined by the mobile device; and
a second location derived from the surcharge violation notice; and
computer readable program code for causing the computer to register the surcharge violation when the distance is less than a threshold distance.

### Claim 28 (depends on 27)

The article of claim 27 wherein the threshold distance corresponds to a radius extending from the second location.

### Claim 29 (depends on 27)

The article of claim 27 wherein:
the first location corresponds to a global positioning system coordinate; and
the second location corresponds to a street address.

### Claim 30 (depends on 27)

The article of claim 27 wherein:
the first location is determined by the mobile device at a time an image is captured by the mobile device; and
the surcharge violation notice comprises the image.

### Claim 31 (depends on 27)

The article of claim 27 wherein the first location is determined by the mobile device at a time that payment instrument information is transmitted from the mobile device to a point-of-sale terminal of a merchant.

### Claim 32 (depends on 15)

The article of claim 15 further comprising computer readable program code for causing the computer to transmit the surcharge violation to a transaction participant.