# US 7,607,570 B1 · Methods of establishing credit > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,607,570 B1 - Document ID: US7607570B1 - Status: Granted - Kind: B1 - Application number: 10/841,062 - Filed: 2004-05-07 - Granted: 2009-10-27 - Earliest claimed: 2002-10-02 - Assignees: Eufora LLC - Inventors: Tommy Constantine - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7607570B1 ## CPC - G06Q 40/03: Credit; Loans; Processing thereof - G06Q 20/04: Payment circuits - G06Q 20/24: Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after" - G06Q 20/28: Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before" - G06Q 20/342: {Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities} - G06Q 30/0212: {Chance discounts or incentives} - G06Q 30/04: Billing or invoicing - G06Q 99/00: Subject matter not provided for in other groups of this subclass - G07F 7/025: {by means, e.g. cards, providing billing information at the time of purchase, e.g. identification of seller or purchaser, quantity of goods delivered or to be delivered} - G07F 7/086: {by passive credit-cards adapted therefor, e.g. constructive particularities to avoid counterfeiting, e.g. by inclusion of a physical or chemical security-layer (for security documents G07D7/00; for the reading of record-carriers in general G06K7/00; for the design of coded credit-cards G06K19/10)} - 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 - G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00}) ## Abstract A method for building credit may include providing an authorized user of a pre-paid card issued by a service provider. The service provider may charge the authorized user a fee for the pre-paid card and establish a loan loaning the authorized user an amount equal to the fee under loan terms specifying a repayment schedule. The repayment schedule may include periodic installments and a minimum amount due for each of the periodic installments, where the loan may be independent from the load applied to the pre-paid card. The authorized user repays the loan in accordance with the loan terms so as to create a credit history. The service provider may report the credit history to a credit bureau to improve a credit score of the authorized user. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: providing an authorized user of a pre-paid card issued by a service provider; applying a load to the pre-paid card; the service provider charging the authorized user a fee for the pre-paid card, and establishing a loan loaning the authorized user an amount equal to the fee under loan terms specifying a repayment schedule including periodic installments and a minimum amount due for each of the periodic installments, the loan being independent from the load applied to the pre-paid card; and the authorized user repaying the loan in accordance with the loan terms. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: the authorized user establishing a credit history in conjunction with repaying the loan; and the service provider reporting the credit history to at least one credit bureau. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein in response to the authorized user repaying at least a portion of the loan in accordance with the loan terms, the service provider submitting an entry into a sweepstakes on behalf of the authorized user. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The method of claim 3, further comprising conducting a drawing from entries of the sweepstakes, wherein the entry of the authorized user is one of the entries. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: the authorized user applying a load to the pre-paid card; and in response thereto the service provider submitting an entry into a sweepstakes on behalf of the authorized user. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising conducting a drawing from entries of the sweepstakes, wherein the entry of the authorized user is one of the entries. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: the authorized user referring a first customer to the service provider for card services; the first customer submitting an application for card services to the service provider; the service provider receiving, processing and approving the application and issuing a card to the first customer establishing a first referred authorized user of a card; and in consideration therefore to the authorized user the service provider issuing valuable consideration to the authorized user. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The method of claim 7, wherein the first customer submitting an application for card services to the service provider further includes the first customer designating the authorized user as a referring party. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: the first referred authorized user referring a second customer to the service provider for card services; the second customer submitting an application for card services to the service provider; the service provider receiving, processing and approving the application and issuing a card to the second customer establishing a second referred authorized user of a card; and in consideration therefore to the first referred authorized user the service provider issuing valuable consideration to the first referred authorized user. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method of claim 9, wherein the second customer submitting an application for credit card services to the service provider further includes the second customer designating the first referred authorized user as a referring party. ### Claim 11 In an authorized user of a pre-paid card issued by a service provider, a method comprising: applying a load to the pre-paid card; the service provider charging the authorized user a fee for the pre-paid card, and establishing a loan loaning the authorized user an amount equal to the fee under loan terms specifying a repayment schedule including periodic installments and a minimum amount due for each of the periodic installment, the loan being independent of the load applied to the pre-paid card; and the authorized user repaying the loan in accordance with the loan terms. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: the authorized user establishing a credit history in conjunction with repaying the loan; and the service provider reporting the credit history to at least one credit bureau. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein in response to the authorized user repaying at least a portion of the loan in accordance with the loan terms, the service provider submitting an entry into a sweepstakes on behalf of the authorized user. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising conducting a drawing from entries of the sweepstakes, wherein the entry of the authorized user is one of the entries. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: the authorized user applying a load to the pre-paid card; and in response thereto the service provider submitting an entry into a sweepstakes on behalf of the authorized user. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising conducting a drawing from entries of the sweepstakes, wherein the entry of the authorized user is one of the entries. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: the authorized user referring a first customer to the service provider for card services; the first customer submitting an application for card services to the service provider; the service provider receiving, processing and approving the application and issuing a card to the first customer establishing a first referred authorized user of a card; and in consideration therefore to the authorized user the service provider issuing valuable consideration to the authorized user. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, wherein the first customer submitting an application for card services to the service provider further includes the first customer designating the authorized user as a referring party. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising: the first referred authorized user referring a second customer to the service provider for card services; the second customer submitting an application for card services to the service provider; the service provider receiving, processing and approving the application and issuing a card to the second customer establishing a second referred authorized user of a card; and in consideration therefore to the first referred authorized user the service provider issuing valuable consideration to the first referred authorized user. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, wherein the second customer submitting an application for credit card services to the service provider further includes the second customer designating the first referred authorized user as a referring party.