Real-time monitoring system

A system that performs restricted credits to a user from an entity, comprising:

• a service provider that receives a credit message from the entity, the credit message including a user identifier associated with a user, a personal account number associated with a financial instrument, a restriction indicator, a credit amount, and an entity identifier, the restriction indicator placing a condition on events that qualify for application of the credit on behalf of the user;
• a monitor coupled to the service provider comprising:
• a central processing unit (CPU);
• a memory coupled to the CPU;
• an input coupled to the CPU and further coupled to the service provider;
• a parser coupled to the input, the parser programmed to receive a data set corresponding to a transaction from the service provider and separate the data set into individual component elements related to a specific event;
• a database interface that uses selected individual component elements from the data set to generate a query string for a database, the query string identifying stored value records that match predetermined criteria corresponding to the component elements;
• a rules engine coupled to the database interface that receives matching stored value records and applies a rule set to determine that conditions specified in the restriction indicator are met corresponding to application of at least some of the credit amount and to further determine a value of the credit amount;
• and
• a message generator coupled to the rules engine, the message generator programmed to format a transaction record used by the service provider to apply the credit amount to the specific event.

A method of performing cashless credits comprising:

• receiving, from a customer service terminal of an entity, a message containing information corresponding to a credit amount to be associated with a personal account number of a consumer;
• activating rules governing use of the credit amount, the rules including at least one entity with which a qualifying transaction is associated;
• subsequent to activating the rules, receiving transaction information from a service provider;
• parsing the transaction information into individual component elements including an entity hosting the transaction, a personal account number of a consumer associated with the transaction, and transaction details including a transaction reference number;
• querying a database containing stored credit information to determine that the personal account number has a stored credit and a current value of the stored credit;
• determining that the transaction, entity, and personal account number qualify for application of at least a portion of the current value of the stored credit;
• and
• generating a message including the transaction reference number and an amount of stored credit to be applied to the transaction by the service provider.