Systems and methods for providing variable fee rates for processing a transaction

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016371682-A1
Application number	US-201514745258-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 19, 2015
Priority date	Jun 19, 2015
Publication date	Dec 22, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for incentivizing a payment method includes providing a first fee rate for processing a payment to a payee from a payer, wherein the first fee rate is contingent upon use of a first payment method, and a second fee rate for processing the payment, wherein the second fee rate is contingent upon use of the first payment method and includes an incentive amount based on the difference between the second fee rate and the first fee rate. The method also includes receiving a selection of the second fee rate and, based on the selection, providing an incentive offer to an account holder, wherein the incentive offer is redeemable upon use of the first payment method to initiate the payment, and wherein the value of the incentive offer is based at least in part on the incentive amount.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors of a payee financial institution computer system, the method comprising:
providing to a merchant computer system, by the payee financial institution computer system, a first fee rate for processing a payment to a payee from a payer, wherein the payee is a merchant, and wherein the first fee rate is contingent upon use of a first payment method by the payer to initiate the payment; providing to the merchant computer system, by the payee financial institution computer system, a second fee rate for processing the payment, wherein the second fee rate is contingent upon use of a second payment method by the payer to initiate the payment, and wherein the second fee rate is greater than the first fee rate; providing to the merchant computer system, by the payee financial institution computer system, a third fee rate for processing the payment, wherein the third fee rate is contingent upon use of the first payment method by the payer to initiate the payment, wherein the third fee rate is greater than the first fee rate and less than the second fee rate, and wherein the third fee rate includes an incentive amount based on the difference between the third fee rate and the first fee rate; and based on a selection of the third fee rate by the merchant computer system, providing, by the payee financial institution computer system, an incentive offer to the payer, wherein the incentive offer is redeemable upon use of the first payment method by the payer in a payment transaction with the merchant, and wherein the value of the incentive offer is based at least in part on the incentive amount.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the payee financial institution computer system, the incentive amount based on the difference between the second fee rate and the first fee rate, wherein the incentive amount is less than the difference between the second fee rate and the first fee rate.

3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
prior to providing the third fee rate to the merchant computer system, receiving, by the payee financial institution computer system, a request from the merchant computer system to incentivize use of the first payment method by the payer; and based on the request, determining, by the payee financial institution computer system, the third fee rate by applying the incentive amount to the first fee rate.

4 . The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
prior to receiving the request, determining, by the payee financial institution computer system, the first fee rate and the second fee rate, wherein the first fee rate is determined based on a cost associated with processing a payment utilizing the first payment method, and wherein the second fee rate is determined based on a cost associated with processing a payment utilizing the second payment method; and upon determining the first fee rate and the second fee rate, providing, by the payee financial institution computer system, an initial offer to the merchant computer system, wherein the initial offer includes the first fee rate and the second fee rate.

5 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
prior to providing the incentive offer to the payer, receiving, by the payee financial institution computer system, a selection of an incentive type from the payer; and determining, by the payee financial institution computer system, the incentive offer based on the incentive amount and the selected incentive type.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining, by the payee financial institution computer system, the incentive offer based on past transactions of the payer.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the incentive amount is the difference between the third fee rate and the first fee rate, and wherein the value of the incentive offer is approximately equal to the incentive amount.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein the incentive offer includes a cash back amount approximately equal to the incentive amount.

9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
processing, by the payee financial institution computer system, the payment to the payee based on the third fee rate; and upon processing the payment, providing, by the payee financial institution computer system, value to the payer based on the incentive offer.

10 . A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors of a payee financial institution computer system, the method comprising:
providing to a merchant computer system, by the payee financial institution computer system, a first fee rate for processing a payment to a payee from a payer in exchange for a first level of data associated with the payment, wherein the payee is a merchant; providing to the merchant computer system, by the payee financial institution computer system, a second fee rate for processing the payment in exchange for a second level of data associated with the payment, wherein the second level of data includes additional information not included within the first level of data; receiving, by the payee financial institution computer system, a selection of one of the fee rates from the merchant computer system; and processing, by the payee financial institution computer system, the payment in accordance with the selected fee rate, including receiving the level of data associated with the selected fee rate.

11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
upon receiving a selection of the first fee rate from the merchant computer system, lowering, by the payee financial institution computer system, the second fee rate to generate a third fee rate for processing the payment in exchange for the second level of data; and providing, by the payee financial institution computer system, the third fee rate to the merchant computer system.

12 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
storing, at the payee financial institution computer system, the data received in exchange for processing the payment.

13 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining, by the payee financial institution computer system, a value of the additional information within the second level of data; and determining, by the payee financial institution computer system, the second fee rate based on the value of the additional information.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the value of the additional information is approximately equal to the difference between the second fee rate and the first fee rate.

15 . A computer-implemented method performed by one or more processors of a payee financial institution computer system, the method comprising:
providing to a merchant computer system, by the payee financial institution computer system, a first fee rate for processing a payment to a payee from a payer, wherein the payee is a merchant, and wherein the first fee rate is contingent upon use of a first payment method by the payer to initiate the payment; providing to the merchant computer system, by the payee financial institution computer system, a second fee rate for processing the payment, wherein the second fee rate is contingent upon use of the first payment method by the payer to initiate the payment, and wherein the second fee rate includes an incentive amount that is approximately equal to the difference between the second fee rate and the first fee rate; receiving, by the payee financial institution computer system, a selection of the second fee rate from the merchant computer system; and based on the selection, providing, by the payee financial inst

Assignees

• Wells Fargo Bank Na
• Wells Fargo Bank Na

Inventors

• Sprague Philip
• David Daniel

Classifications

• G06Q20/387 Primary

  Payment using discounts or coupons (relating to marketing G06Q30/02) · CPC title

• G06Q20/227

  characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer · CPC title

• G06Q20/102

  Bill distribution or payments · CPC title

• G06Q20/20

  Point-of-sale [POS] network systems · CPC title