# US 2014/0156473 A1 · Surcharge compliance registry > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0156473 A1 - Document ID: US20140156473A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/705,656 - 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 - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140156473A1 ## CPC - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - G06Q 40/02: Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance (credit or loans G06Q40/03) - 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 1 One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a processor on a computer system, perform a method for determining a surcharge compliance score, the method comprising: receiving a surcharge compliance record from a mobile device; receiving a proof-of-compliance record from the mobile device; determining a compliance score based on the surcharge compliance record and the proof-of-compliance record; and based on the compliance score, adjusting a compliance rating associated with a merchant. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The media of claim 1 wherein the compliance record comprises a plurality of compliance attributes corresponding to: a surcharge amount; a purchase amount; a payment instrument identifier; and a merchant identifier. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The media of claim 1 wherein, when the proof-of-compliance record comprises an image, the method further comprises: identifying a segment of the image; and extracting a surcharge attribute from the segment. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The media of claim 1, wherein determining the compliance score comprises: comparing a compliance attribute of the surcharge compliance record to a surcharge attribute extracted from a segment of the proof-of-compliance record; determining an authenticity score based on the comparing; and when the authenticity score is above a threshold, determining the compliance score. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The media of claim 1, wherein determining the compliance score comprises: receiving a first surcharge attribute from the merchant; comparing a second surcharge attribute to the first surcharge attribute; and determining the surcharge compliance score based on the comparing; wherein the second surcharge attribute is extracted from a segment of the proof-of-compliance record. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The media of claim 1 wherein determining the compliance score comprises: identifying a reported surcharge based on: the surcharge compliance record; and the proof-of-compliance record; identifying a plurality of transaction attributes based on: the surcharge compliance record; and the proof-of-compliance record; determining a maximum allowable surcharge based on: the plurality of transaction attributes; and a set of surcharge rules; and comparing the reported surcharge to the maximum surcharge. ### Claim 7 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 certify a surcharge behavior, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising: program code for causing the computer to receive a transaction record from a merchant; program code for causing the computer to determine a maximum surcharge based on the transaction record; program code for causing the computer to determine an imposed surcharge based on the transaction record; program code for causing the computer to compare the maximum surcharge to the imposed surcharge; and program code for causing the computer to transmit a surcharge certification when the imposed surcharge is less than the maximum surcharge. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The article of claim 7 further comprising program code for causing the computer to print the surcharge certification on a receipt issued to a customer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The article of claim 7 further comprising program code for causing the computer to display a two-dimensional barcode corresponding to the surcharge certification ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The article of claim 7 further comprising program code for causing the computer to determine the maximum surcharge based on a plurality of transaction attributes, the plurality comprising: a location; a time; and a payment instrument. ### Claim 11 (depends on 7) The article of claim 7 further comprising program code for causing the computer to: receive a surcharge schedule from the merchant; identify a plurality of payment instruments associated with the surcharge schedule; and determine the maximum surcharge based on a plurality of transaction costs, each transaction cost associated with one of the plurality of payment instruments. ### Claim 12 (depends on 7) The article of claim 7 further comprising program code for causing the computer to: identify a payment instrument attribute within the transaction record; determine a transaction cost associated with the payment instrument attribute; determine the maximum surcharge based on the transaction cost. ### Claim 13 (depends on 7) The article of claim 7 further comprising program code for causing the computer to: monitor a number of surcharge certifications associated with the merchant; monitor a number of transactions processed by the merchant during a pre-determined time period; and determine a compliance score based on the number of certifications and the number of transactions. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The article of claim 13 further comprising program code for causing the computer to display the compliance score on a website. ### Claim 15 (depends on 7) The article of claim 7 further comprising program code for causing the computer to: receive a receipt, the receipt comprising a surcharge amount; determine a transaction cost based on the transaction record; compare the transaction cost to the surcharge amount; and transmit the surcharge certification when: the surcharge amount is less than the transaction cost; and the surcharge amount is less than the maximum surcharge. ### Claim 16 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 generate a surcharge compliance report, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising: program code for causing the computer to receive a request for a surcharge compliance report from a mobile device; program code for causing the computer to determine a location of the mobile device; program code for causing the computer to correlate the location to a plurality of merchant locations; program code for causing the computer to receive from the mobile device a confirmation corresponding to at least one of the plurality of merchant locations; program code for causing the computer to generate a surcharge compliance report associated with the at least one of the plurality of merchant locations; program code for causing the computer to transmit the surcharge compliance report to the mobile device. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The article of claim 16 wherein: the request comprises a plurality of payment instruments stored on the mobile device; and the surcharge compliance report comprises plurality of compliance scores, each compliance score associated with: a merchant; and one of the plurality of payment instruments. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The article of claim 16 further comprising program code for causing the computer to receive a surcharge compliance rating from the mobile device. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The article of claim 18, wherein, when the request is a first request, a response to a second request for the surcharge compliance report is based on the surcharge compliance rating. ### Claim 20 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 determine a maximum surcharge, the computer readable program code in said article of manufacture comprising: program code for causing the computer to receive a transaction record from a merchant; program code for causing the computer, in response to receiving the transaction record, to receive a first surcharge from a first transaction processing network; program code for causing the computer, in response to receiving the transaction record, receive a second surcharge from a second transaction processing network; program code for causing the computer to compare the first surcharge to the second surcharge; program code for causing the computer to set the maximum surcharge equal to the first surcharge when the first surcharge is greater than the second surcharge; and program code for causing the computer to set the maximum surcharge equal to the second surcharge when the second surcharge is greater than the first surcharge. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The article of claim 20 further comprising program code for causing the computer to, in response to receiving the transaction record: receive a plurality of surcharges from a plurality of transaction processing networks; rank the plurality of surcharges in order of magnitude; select the surcharge having the greatest magnitude; and set the maximum surcharge equal to the surcharge having the greatest magnitude.