# US 8,740,070 B2 · System and method for offering and managing online purchasing card transactions

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- Number: US 8,740,070 B2
- Document ID: US8740070B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 12/775,428
- Filed: 2010-05-06
- Published: 2011-04-14
- Granted: 2014-06-03
- Earliest claimed: 2004-12-30
- Assignees: Life Technologies Corporation
- Applicants: Andrea Cline; Marilyn Parks; Johannes Weigand; Abram Lietz; Yolette Hunt; Brendan Fogarty
- Inventors: Andrea Cline; Marilyn Parks; Johannes Weigand; Abram Lietz; Yolette Hunt; Brendan Fogarty
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8740070B2

## CPC

- G06Q 20/342: {Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities}
- G06Q 20/10: specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
- G06Q 20/102: {Bill distribution or payments}
- G06Q 20/12: specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
- G06Q 20/20: Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
- G06Q 20/3672: {initialising or reloading thereof}
- G06Q 20/382: {insuring higher security of transaction}
- G06Q 30/0601: Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
- G06Q 30/0603: {Catalogue creation or management}
- G06Q 30/0641: {utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping}
- 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

A purchase card system configured in accordance with the invention offers purchase card products that facilitate online purchases of life sciences research products and/or services via an e-commerce application. The acquisition and use of such purchase card products complies with mandated procurement, spending, and appropriations rules, regulations, and laws, such as the Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Anti-Deficiency Act, and the Department of Defense “bona fide needs” rule.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method for facilitating purchase card product transactions for a user account in compliance with procurement, spending, and appropriations rules, regulations, and laws applicable to the user account, said method comprising:
offering a plurality of purchase cards, wherein each of the plurality of purchase cards has a different monetary value and wherein each of the plurality of purchase cards is associated with a unique catalog identifier;
receiving, via an e-commerce transaction, a request for a purchase card product having a stated value, wherein the purchase card product value is replenishable;
electronically processing credit card information, purchase order information, or a combination thereof, as a method of payment for said purchase card product;
establishing a purchase card balance for said user account in the amount of said stated value, wherein the purchase card balance is linked to a government funding source for funding scientific research;
using the purchase card product to purchase life science research products and services funded by research grants or other subsidized funding sources;
creating a card record for said purchase card product, said card record including a government funding source identifier; and
returning to the user account any unused value.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising initiating shipment of said purchase card product to an entity associated with said user account.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

A method according to claim 2, wherein the purchase card product is shipped with a corresponding reconciliation document, said reconciliation document facilitating procurement system intake procedures by said entity.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, wherein the method facilitates transactions of a government or academic user.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising: offering life sciences research products and services for purchase via said ecommerce transaction; and processing, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a product purchase for said life sciences research products and services.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

A method according to claim 5, wherein: establishing a purchase card balance occurs in a fiscal year of a government or academic institution associated with the government or academic user account; and processing said product purchase occurs in a subsequent fiscal year of said government or academic institution.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising: processing, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a product purchase for said user account, said product purchase having a purchase price; applying said purchase card balance toward said purchase price without requiring a new purchase order or record of call for said product purchase; and reducing said purchase card balance by said purchase price.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

A method according to claim 7, further comprising: generating a web page containing a listing of a plurality of available purchase card balances for said user account; and receiving a purchase card balance selection that identifies said purchase card balance from said plurality of available purchase card balances.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

A method according to claim 7, further comprising automatically linking said user account to user-specific pricing for said product purchase, said automatically linking step being performed prior to said processing step.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a replenish request for said purchase card product, said replenish request corresponding to a stated replenish value, said stated replenish value having a replenish product catalog identifier associated therewith; and increasing said purchase card balance for said user account in the amount of said stated replenish value.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

A method according to claim 10, further comprising modifying an existing purchase order to reflect payment for said stated replenish value.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

A method according to claim 10, further comprising offering a plurality of stated replenish values for said purchase card product, each of said plurality of stated replenish values having a different replenish product catalog identifier associated therewith.

### Claim 13 (depends on 1)

A method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a share request for said purchase card product, said share request identifying a secondary user; and linking said purchase card balance to a secondary user account corresponding to said secondary user.

### Claim 14 (depends on 13)

A method according to claim 13, further comprising restricting, for said secondary user account, rights to share and replenish said purchase card balance.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

A method according to claim 13, further comprising: said share request identifying said secondary user by an email address of said secondary user; and sending, via said email address, an email invitation to said secondary user, said email invitation prompting activation of said share request by said secondary user.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

A method according to claim 15, further comprising: receiving an activation request in response to sending said email invitation; and said linking step being performed in response to said activation request.

### Claim 17

A method for facilitating purchase card transactions for a user account, said method comprising:
offering through an online website a plurality of purchase cards for life sciences research products and services available on the online website, wherein each of the plurality of purchase cards has a different monetary value and wherein each of the plurality of purchase cards is associated with a unique catalog identifier, and wherein the purchase card value is replenishable, and wherein the purchase card value is linked to a government funding source for funding scientific research;
maintaining a purchase card balance for said user account;
applying, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction for life sciences research products or services funded by research grants or other subsidized funding sources having a purchase price, said purchase card balance toward said purchase price, wherein offering said e-commerce purchase card and said subsequent e-commerce transaction are in compliance with procurement, spending, and appropriations rules, regulations, and laws applicable to the user account;
receiving, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a replenish request for said ecommerce purchase card, said replenish request corresponding to a stated replenish value;
increasing said purchase card balance for said user account in the amount of said stated replenish value;
modifying an existing purchase order to reflect payment for said stated replenish value; and
optionally returning unused value.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, wherein said applying step comprises applying said purchase card balance toward said purchase price without requiring a purchase order or a record of call for said life science research products or services.

### Claim 19 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, further comprising electronically delivering a unique identification number to a user.

### Claim 20 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, further comprising initiating shipment of said e-commerce purchase card to an entity associated with said user account.

### Claim 21 (depends on 20)

A method according to claim 20, wherein a corresponding reconciliation document is shipped to the entity along with the e-commerce purchase card, said reconciliation document facilitating procurement system intake procedures by said entity.

### Claim 22 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, wherein: maintaining a purchase card balance occurs in a fiscal year of a government or academic institution associated with the user account; and said subsequent e-commerce transaction occurs in a subsequent fiscal year of said government or academic institution.

### Claim 23 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, wherein said purchase card balance is maintained in real-time.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

A method according to claim 23, wherein the purchase card balance is accessible in real-time to users of the user account.

### Claim 25 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, wherein the offering comprises offering life sciences research products and/or services other than oligonucleotides and/or their synthesis.

### Claim 26 (depends on 17)

A method according to claim 17, wherein the offering comprises offering life sciences research products and services comprising oligonucleotides and/or their synthesis.