US 6,502,745 B1 · Pre-paid card system and method

Abstract

A pre-paid card system enables customers to make purchases, calls, and to participate in a survey using an authorized card. The system includes four main functional components: a plurality of cards, a host computer, a plurality of on-site activation terminals and a main processor. Each of the cards having a security number associated therewith. The card is typically formed of cardboard, paper or plastic and may include the security number in cleartext under a suitable blackout. The main management and processing of the system is effected by the host computer. The host includes a database for storing security numbers associated with authorized cards. The data terminals are remote from the host computer and connectable thereto for transmitting data between the terminals and the host computer. The processor is controlled by the host computer for enabling customer purchases using the authorized cards. A customer survey may be selectively initiated and dynamically modified by the system depending on a number of system and customer-specific criteria. Survey responses are recorded and processed by the system. The customer may receive a credit or other consideration for participating in the survey.

Claims10

Dependent claims

A method to enable customers to obtain pre-paid calling card accounts from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and to use the pre-paid calling card accounts to access a telephone network using a telephone and to participate in an automated survey, the method comprising:

transferring activation information associated with one or more pre-paid calling card accounts from a data terminal located at a particular one of the point-of-sale locations to a remote location having a database of pre-paid calling card accounts, the activation information being used to identify the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts, the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts being associated with a distributor of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts;
activating the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts in the database of prepaid calling card accounts in response to receipt of the activation information for the particular point-of-sale location by associating active call authorization amounts with one or more pre-paid calling card accounts;
receiving access information transferred form at telephone to a call processor having access to the database of pre-paid calling card accounts, the call processor using the access information to establish a telephone call from the telephone to a desired number using the telephone network;
determining whether automated surveying of a user is authorized;
conducting the automated survey and storing user inputs;
and
upon completion of the automated surveying, reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the particular one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts in correspondence with usage of the telephone network.

4 more elements

A system for distributing and managing pre-paid calling card accounts from any one location from a plurality of point-of-sale locations and conducting an automated survey, the accounts used to access a telephone network, the system comprising:

a database of pre-paid calling card accounts located remotely from the plurality of the point-of-sale locations;
a data terminal located at the one location, the data terminal transferring activation information associated with one or more of the pre-paid calling card accounts from the one location to the remote location;
the activation information being used to identify one or more pre-paid calling card accounts, the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts being associated with a distributor;
a processing unit coupled to the database of pre-paid calling card accounts, the processing unit activating one or more pre-paid calling card accounts in the database of pre-paid calling card accounts in response to receipt of the activation information for the one or more calling card accounts by associating active call authorizing amounts with the one or more calling card accounts;
a call processor coupled to the database of pre-paid calling card accounts and to the telephone network, the call processor receiving access information used to identify a particular one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts;
the call processor further determining whether an automated survey of the user is authorized, conducting the automated survey and storing user inputs;
and
the call processor further reducing the active call authorization amount associated with the one of the one or more pre-paid calling card accounts in correspondence with usage of the telephone network to enable a telephone call from the telephone to a desired number using the telephone network.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Pre-paid card system and method

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Pre-paid card system and method

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims10