# US 2014/0207569 A1 · System and method for managing prepaid cards > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0207569 A1 - Document ID: US20140207569A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 13/744,768 - Filed: 2013-01-18 - Published: 2014-07-24 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-18 - Assignees: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - Applicants: Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. - Inventors: Kam Lam; Anthony Hylton; Mark Matthews - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140207569A1 ## CPC - G06Q 20/28: Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before" - 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 A point-of-sale system is provided that permits users to self-manage prepaid debit cards. Such a system may be capable of identifying and managing a number of different prepaid debit cards provided by different card issuers. The system may permit, for example, a user to purchase, activate, load funds, or perform other management operations with such cards. The system may also enforce restrictions associated with particular card types, and follow process flows for activating and performing other operations of such cards. The system may also be easily extendible to other types of prepaid cards through established card network relationships. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for processing a transaction using a prepaid debit card, the system comprising: a memory; a processor coupled to the memory; and a user interface coupled to the processor and memory, the interface being configured to read an identifier of a prepaid debit card and wherein the processor is configured to identify at least one prepaid debit card type of the prepaid debit card from a plurality of prepaid debit card types provided by a plurality of card providers, and perform, on behalf of an end user of the prepaid debit card, at least one of a plurality of permitted functions with the identified at least one prepaid debit card type, the functions including at least one of: purchasing the prepaid debit card; loading funds to the prepaid debit card; and checking a balance of prepaid debit card. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is located at a point of sale (POS) location, and wherein the user interface is operable by the end user of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the user interface is operable solely by the end user of the of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the user interface is operable by the end user of the of the prepaid debit card absent intervention of retail personnel located at the POS location. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to determine, based on the at least one prepaid debit card type of the prepaid debit card, at least one restriction of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system according to claim 5, wherein the processor is configured to enforce the restriction of the prepaid debit card on the end user of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The system according to claim 6, wherein the at least one restriction includes at least one of: a balance limit; a load limit; a load amount; a prepaid amount; at least one amount of a plurality of fixed amounts; a capability of reload of the prepaid debit card; a withdrawal limit; and an indication of at least one of a plurality of prepaid debit cards that are qualified to be managed by the system. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, the system comprising a communication interface, the communication interface being configured to receive one or more advertisements, and wherein the interface is adapted to display the one or more advertisements to the end user of the of the prepaid debit card during a performance of the at least one of the plurality of permitted functions. ### Claim 9 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a scanner that is configured to scan a barcode of a sales kit sold at the POS location, the sales kit including the prepaid debit card, and wherein the wherein the processor is configured to identify the prepaid debit card responsive to the scan of the barcode of the sales kit. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The system according to claim 9, wherein the end user of the prepaid debit card is permitted to purchase the prepaid debit card using the interface of the system. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the end user of the prepaid debit card is permitted to purchase the prepaid debit card absent intervention of retail personnel located at the POS location. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) The system according to claim 2, wherein the system further comprises a scanner that is configured to scan an identifier of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The system according to claim 12, wherein the scanner is configured to scan a magnetic strip of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, wherein the system is configured to store, in the memory, a plurality of process flow information, each of the plurality of process flow information associated with a respective one of the plurality of prepaid debit card types provided by the plurality of card providers. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The system according to claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to execute a respective process flow of the plurality of process flow information responsive to an identification of a corresponding one of the plurality of prepaid debit card types provided by the plurality of card providers. ### Claim 16 A method for processing a transaction using a prepaid debit card, the method comprising acts of: reading, by a computer system, an identifier of a prepaid debit card; identifying at least one prepaid debit card type of the prepaid debit card from a plurality of prepaid debit card types provided by a plurality of card providers; and performing, on behalf of an end user of the prepaid debit card, at least one of a plurality of permitted functions with the identified at least one prepaid debit card type, the functions including at least one of: purchasing the prepaid debit card; loading funds to the prepaid debit card; and checking a balance of prepaid debit card. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the computer system is located at a point of sale (POS) location, and wherein the computer system is operable by the end user of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the computer system is operable solely by the end user of the prepaid debit card, and the acts of performing are performed responsive solely to input provided by the end user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the computer system includes a user interface, and wherein the user interface is operable by the end user of the of the prepaid debit card absent intervention of retail personnel located at the POS location. ### Claim 20 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, wherein the acts of performing are performed responsive to input provided by the end user absent intervention of retail personnel located at the POS location. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising an act of determining, by the system, based on the at least one prepaid debit card type of the prepaid debit card, at least one restriction of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, further comprising an act of enforcing, by the computer system, the at least one restriction of the prepaid debit card on the end user of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 23 (depends on 21) The method according to claim 21, wherein the at least one restriction includes at least one of: a balance limit; a load limit; a load amount; a prepaid amount; at least one amount of a plurality of fixed amounts; a capability of reload of the prepaid debit card; a withdrawal limit; and an indication of at least one of a plurality of prepaid debit cards that are qualified to be managed by the system. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the system comprises a communication interface and a user interface, and wherein the method further comprises acts of receiving, by the communication interface, one or more advertisements, and displaying, by the user interface to the end user of the prepaid debit card, the one or more advertisements during a performance of the at least one of the plurality of permitted functions. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, wherein the system further comprises a scanner that is operable by the end user, and wherein the method further comprises acts of scanning a barcode of a sales kit sold at the POS location, the sales kit including the prepaid debit card, and identifying, by the system, the prepaid debit card responsive to the scan of the barcode of the sales kit. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) The method according to claim 25, wherein the end user of the prepaid debit card is permitted to purchase the prepaid debit card using an interface of the system. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The method according to claim 26, further comprising an act of permitting, by the system, the end user of the prepaid debit card to purchase the prepaid debit card absent intervention of retail personnel located at the POS location. ### Claim 28 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising an act of scanning, by the system, an identifier of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 29 (depends on 28) The method according to claim 28, further comprising an act of scanning a magnetic strip of the prepaid debit card. ### Claim 30 (depends on 16) The method according to claim 16, further comprising an act of storing, in a memory of the computer system, a plurality of process flow information, each of the plurality of process flow information associated with a respective one of the plurality of prepaid debit card types provided by the plurality of card providers. ### Claim 31 (depends on 30) The method according to claim 30, further comprising an act of executing, by the system, a respective process flow of the plurality of process flow information responsive to an identification of a corresponding one of the plurality of prepaid debit card types provided by the plurality of card providers.