# US 2018/0025437 A1 · Method and System for Managing Crowdsourced Funds > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025437 A1 - Document ID: US20180025437A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/656,083 - Filed: 2017-07-21 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2016-07-22 - Assignees: Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte. Ltd. - Applicants: Mastercard Asia/Pacific Pte Ltd - Inventors: Veronica Kuoh; Krishnadas Mohandas; Eric Jian Hui Lin; Benjamin Charles Gilbey - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025437A1 ## CPC - G06Q 40/12: Accounting - G06Q 10/40: Business processes related to social networking or social networking services - 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 Device and method for managing crowdsourced funds. The method comprises: creating expenditure categories, each of the expenditure categories being linked to a respective category account for obtaining funds from the crowdsourced funds; allocating a percentage of the crowdsourced funds to each of the expenditure categories; applying restrictions on utilization of the allocated percentage to reception parameters imposed upon each of the respective expenditure categories; providing a user interface to display each of the created expenditure categories and the respective percentage allocation of the crowdsourced funds; receiving, through the user interface, a contribution to the crowdsourced funds from a payment network; allocating the received contribution across the expenditure categories by channeling the received contribution to the respective category account in accordance with the reception parameters and the respective allocated percentage; and permitting access to the funds in the category account for transactions that comply with the reception parameters imposed upon the expenditure category linked to the category account. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of managing crowdsourced funds, the method comprising: creating expenditure categories, each of the expenditure categories being linked to a respective category account for obtaining funds from the crowdsourced funds; allocating, by a computer server device, a percentage of the crowdsourced funds to each of the expenditure categories; applying, by the computer server device, restrictions on utilization of the allocated percentage to reception parameters imposed upon each of the respective expenditure categories; providing a user interface to display each of the created expenditure categories and the respective percentage allocation of the crowdsourced funds; receiving, through the user interface, a contribution to the crowdsourced funds from a payment network; allocating, by the computer server device, the received contribution across the expenditure categories by channeling the received contribution to the respective category account in accordance with the reception parameters and the respective allocated percentage; and permitting access to the funds in the category account for transactions that comply with the reception parameters imposed upon the expenditure category linked to the category account. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: configuring the user interface to provide; a contribution indicator to show a total of the received contribution; a reserve indicator to show a remainder of the crowdsourced funds; and a distribution indicator for each of the displayed expenditure categories to show an amount accumulated into each of the displayed expenditure categories. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising updating the distribution indicator for a change in the amount accumulated into each of the displayed expenditure categories. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the user interface to provide a plurality of fields to receive the contribution to the crowdsourced funds, wherein the plurality of fields include: a general contribution field that distributes the received contribution across the expenditure categories in accordance with the respective allocated percentage; and a specific contribution field that allocates the received contribution to a selected one of the expenditure categories. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating an identity used to identify the crowdsourced funds; wherein the category accounts are referenced through use of the identity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein access to the crowdsourced funds in each of the category accounts is through a payment instrument linked to the respective category account. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein access to the crowdsourced funds is through a payment instrument linked to a master account that draws from each of the category accounts. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein expenditure made on the payment instrument is restricted by the reception parameters imposed upon each of the expenditure categories. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the payment instrument belongs to a reserved bank identification number (BIN) range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein permitting access to the funds in the category account comprises: determining a classification under which expenditure made on the payment instrument belongs; and permitting the access to the crowdsourced funds stored in the category account in response to successful verification of the classification falling within the reception parameters imposed upon the category account. ### Claim 11 (canceled) ### Claim 12 A server for an intermediary that facilitates managing crowdsourced funds, the server comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory including computer program code; the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the server at least to: create expenditure categories, each of the expenditure categories being linked to a respective category account for obtaining funds from the crowdsourced funds; allocate a percentage of the crowdsourced funds to each of the expenditure categories; apply restrictions on utilization of the allocated percentage to reception parameters imposed upon each of the respective expenditure categories; provide a user interface to display each of the created expenditure categories and the respective percentage allocation of the crowdsourced funds; receive, through the user interface, a contribution to the crowdsourced funds from a payment network; allocate the received contribution across the expenditure categories by channeling the received contribution to the respective category account in accordance with the reception parameters and the respective allocated percentage; and permit access to the funds in the category account for transactions that comply with the reception parameters imposed upon the expenditure category linked to the category account. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The server of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured for the user interface to provide: a contribution indicator to show a total of the received contribution; a reserve indicator to show a remainder of the crowdsourced funds; and a distribution indicator for each of the displayed expenditure categories to show an amount accumulated into each of the displayed expenditure categories. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The server of claim 13, wherein the server is further configured to update the distribution indicator for a change in the amount accumulated into each of the displayed expenditure categories. ### Claim 15 (depends on 12) The server of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured for the user interface to provide a plurality of fields to receive the contribution to the crowdsourced funds, wherein the plurality of fields comprise: a general contribution field that distributes the received contribution across the expenditure categories in accordance with the respective allocated percentage; and a specific contribution field that allocates the received contribution to a selected one of the expenditure categories. ### Claim 16 (depends on 12) The server of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured to allocate an identity used to identify the crowdsourced funds, the identity used to reference the expenditure accounts. ### Claim 17 (depends on 12) The server of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured to authorize access to the crowdsourced funds stored in each of the category accounts, the access being requested from use of a payment instrument linked to the respective category account. ### Claim 18 (depends on 12) The server of claim 12, wherein the server is further configured to authorize access to the crowdsourced funds, the access being requested from use of a payment instrument linked to a master account that draws from each of the category accounts. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The server of claim 18, wherein the server is further configured to restrict expenditure made on the payment instrument using the reception parameters imposed upon each of the expenditure categories. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The server of claim 19, wherein the server is further configured to verify that the payment instrument belongs to a reserved bank identification number (BIN) range. ### Claim 21 (depends on 17) The server of claim 17, wherein permitting access to the funds in the category account comprises: determine a classification under which expenditure made on the payment instrument belongs; provide the access to the crowdsourced funds stored in the category account in response to successful verification of the classification falling within the reception parameters imposed upon the category account. ### Claim 22 (canceled)