System and computer-implemented method for identifying defective chip readers through substandard transaction experiences

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10776589-B2
Application number	US-201715844374-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 15, 2017
Priority date	Dec 15, 2017
Publication date	Sep 15, 2020
Grant date	Sep 15, 2020

Abstract

A system and computer-implemented method for analyzing chip card transactions to identify defective chip cards and/or defective chip readers in need of replacement. Constraints are established to define a subset of card transactions. From a full set of card transactions the subset is identified consisting of each card transaction falling within the constraints and occurring at a merchant having a chip reader. From this subset the unique chip readers are identified, and for each unique chip reader a percentage of fallback transactions is calculated. The percentage of fallback transactions is compared to a maximum value, and if the percentage of fallback transactions exceeds the maximum value, the chip reader is identified as defective. Each defective chip reader is reported to the merchant, along with at least a recommendation to replace the defective chip reader. A similar process may be used to identify defective chip cards.

First claim

Having thus described one or more embodiments of the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be protected by Letters Patent includes the following:

1. A system for identifying and addressing a transaction problem with a subset of card transactions, the system comprising:
an electronic communications element configured to receive information about a plurality of card transactions via a communications network;
an electronic memory element configured to store the information about the plurality of card transactions as a set of card transactions in a transaction database, and to store one or more constraints which at least partially define the subset of card transactions; and
an electronic processing element configured to—
access the transaction database containing the set of card transactions,
identify from the set of card transactions the subset of card transactions consisting of each card transaction that falls within the one or more constraints and that occurred at a merchant having a chip reader,
identify from the subset of card transactions a plurality of unique card readers,
identify from the plurality of unique card readers a plurality of unique chip readers,
identify for each unique chip reader a number of chip transactions and a number of fallback transactions, wherein the number of chip transactions plus the number of fallback transactions is a total number of attempted chip transactions,
calculate for each unique chip reader a percentage of fallback transactions based on the total number of attempted chip transactions,
compare for each unique chip reader the percentage of fallback transactions to a pre-established maximum reader value, and if the percentage of fallback transaction exceeds the pre-established maximum reader value, identify the unique chip reader as defective, and
report each unique chip reader identified as defective to a responsible party, and at least recommend to the responsible party that each unique chip reader identified as defective be replaced.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more constraints which define the subset of card transactions include at least one of—
one or more particular acquirers;
a particular merchant;
a particular geographic region; and
a particular time period.

3. The system of claim 2 , the electronic processing element being further configured to determine for each unique chip reader a historical percentage of fallback transactions based on a historical total number of attempted chip transactions over a historical time period that is longer than the particular time period.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein identifying the plurality of unique chip readers includes identifying each unique card reader that was used in a chip card transaction.

5. The system of claim 1 , the electronic processing element being further configured to determine for each unique chip reader a number of different unique chip cards involved in fallback transactions.

6. The system of claim 1 , the electronic processing element being further configured to determine for each unique chip reader a week day on which each fallback transaction occurred.

7. The system of claim 1 , the electronic processing element being further configured to determine for each unique chip reader whether a frequency of fallback transactions is changing over time.

8. The system of claim 1 , the electronic processing element being further configured to direct the responsible party to replace the unique card reader as defective.

9. The system of claim 1 , further including replacing the unique chip reader identified as defective.

10. A computer-implemented method for improving the functioning of a computer for identifying and addressing a transaction problem with a subset of card transactions:
establishing one or more constraints to at least partially define the subset of card transactions;
accessing a transaction database containing a set of card transactions;
identifying from the set of card transactions the subset of card transactions consisting of each card transaction that falls within the one or more constraints and that occurred at a merchant having a chip reader;
identifying from the subset of card transactions a plurality of unique card readers;
identifying from the plurality of unique card readers a plurality of unique chip readers;
identifying for each unique chip reader a number of chip transactions and a number of fallback transactions, wherein the number of chip transactions plus the number of fallback transactions is a total number of attempted chip transactions;
calculating for each unique chip reader a percentage of fallback transactions based on the total number of attempted chip transactions;
comparing for each unique chip reader the percentage of fallback transactions to a pre-established maximum reader value, and if the percentage of fallback transaction exceeds the pre-established maximum reader value, identifying the unique chip reader as defective; and
reporting each unique chip reader identified as defective to a responsible party, and at least recommending to the responsible party that each unique chip reader identified as defective be replaced.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein the one or more constraints to define the subset of card-based transaction experiences include at least one of—
one or more particular acquirers;
a particular merchant;
a particular geographic region; and
a particular time period.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further including determining for each unique chip reader a historical percentage of fallback transactions based on a historical total number of attempted chip transactions over a historical time period that is longer than the particular time period.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , wherein identifying the plurality of unique chip readers includes identifying each unique card reader that was used in a chip card transaction.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further including determining for each unique chip reader a number of different unique chip cards involved in fallback transactions.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further including determining for each unique chip reader a week day on which each fallback transaction occurred.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further including determining for each unique chip reader whether a frequency of fallback transactions is changing over time.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further including directing the responsible party replace the unique chip reader identified as defective.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 10 , further including replacing the unique chip reader identified as defective.

19. A computer-implemented method for improving the functioning of a computer for identifying and addressing a transaction problem with a subset of card transactions:
establishing one or more constraints to at least partially define the subset of card transactions, the one or more constraints including a particular time period;
accessing a transaction database containing a set of card transactions;
identifying from the set of card transactions the subset of card transactions consisting of each card transaction that falls within the one or more constraints and that occurred at a merchant having a chip reader;
identifying from the subset of card transactions a plurality of unique card readers;
identifying from the plurality of unique card readers a plurality

Assignees

• Mastercard International Inc

Inventors

• Merz Christopher John
• Morice Matthew Scott
• Arvapally Ravi Santosh

Classifications

• G06Q10/20 Primary

  Administration of product repair or maintenance · CPC title

• G07G1/0009

  Details of the software in the checkout register, electronic cash register [ECR] or point of sale terminal [POS] · CPC title

• G06Q10/00

  Administration; Management · CPC title

• G06K7/0095 Primary

  Testing the sensing arrangement, e.g. testing if a magnetic card reader, bar code reader, RFID interrogator or smart card reader functions properly (testing of electrical circuits G01R31/28) · CPC title

• G07F7/082

  Features insuring the integrity of the data on or in the card · CPC title