Automated systems and methods for authorization and settlement of fleet maintenance and repair transactions

A system for authorizing work to be performed on a vehicle within a fleet of vehicles by network and non-network service providers and to be paid for by a driver using a credit card, a fleet service provider maintains the network of service providers and negotiates with non-network service providers, said system configured to:

• determine whether a merchant is a network provider;
• determine whether the credit card is an authorized fleet credit card;
• assign a code to a proposed transaction;
• issue an authorization based at least in part upon whether the merchant is a network provider, whether the credit card is an authorized fleet credit card, and the assigned code;
• receive a settlement amount for work performed on the vehicle by the merchant;
• and
• determine a percentage of the settlement amount to be paid to the fleet service provider and the merchant.

A method for authorizing transactions related to repair and maintenance work for fleet vehicles, the transactions involving the use of credit cards, and a plurality of merchants having been designated as network service providers and being classified within predetermined classifications, the network of service providers is maintained by a fleet service provider, said method comprising the steps of:

• determining whether the credit card is a fleet issued card;
• determining whether the credit card is authorized for use in payment for maintenance services;
• determining whether the merchant is an authorized merchant;
• determining whether the work is maintenance work;
• receiving a settlement amount for work performed on a vehicle by the merchant;
• and
• determining a percentage of the settlement amount to be paid to the fleet service provider and the merchant.

A fleet maintenance and repair authorization system for authorizing maintenance and repair work on vehicles, said system comprising:

• an interactive voice recognition system for handling authorizations and repair data capture for network providers;
• an issuing bank pre-authorization system for storing information relating to pre-authorized repair and maintenance services and coupled to said interactive voice recognition system;
• an acquiring bank system for assigning codes to the various requests that may be generated and coupled to said interactive voice recognition system;
• a vendor relations system coupled to said issuing bank pre-authorization system, said vendor relations system includes at least one of a data and a voice link to said interactive voice recognition system so that in the event that a particular merchant is not an authorized service provider, a direct link can be established between the merchant and the vendor relations system to facilitate merchant set-up as an authorized provider;
• a merchant identification system coupled to said issuing bank pre-authorization system;
• and
• a fleet services provider pre-authorization system, said fleet services provider pre-authorization system linked electronically to a credit card system, so that if the credit card system determines that a charge is valid and authorized based on pre-defined criteria, said acquiring bank system issues the authorization to a service provider.

A method for managing maintenance and repair transactions for a fleet of vehicles using a network-based authorization system including a server system coupled to a centralized interactive database and at least one client system, said method comprising the steps of:

• providing a fleet service provider to maintain a network of merchants for performing maintenance and repair work on the vehicles;
• determining the classification of a merchant based on pre-determined criteria and determining whether the merchant is an authorized merchant;
• directing the merchant to an interactive voice recognition system;
• determining whether the work to be performed is an authorized work;
• issuing an authorization for the work to be performed;
• receiving a settlement amount for work performed on a vehicle by the merchant;
• and
• determining a percentage of the settlement amount to be paid to the fleet service provider and the merchant.