Method and apparatus for dynamic interchange pricing

Abstract

A method includes receiving transaction data associated with a payment transaction. The transaction data includes a payment account identifier. The payment account identifier identifies a payment account. The method further includes obtaining a spending history associated with the payment account identified by the payment account identifier. The spending history reflects a total amount of spending transactions charged to the payment account during a period of time. The method also includes providing an indication of the spending history to an acquirer.

1 . A method comprising:
 receiving transaction data associated with a payment transaction, said transaction data including a payment account identifier, said payment account identifier identifying a payment account;   obtaining a spending history associated with said payment account identified by said payment account identifier, said spending history reflecting a total amount of transactions charged to said payment account during a period of time; and   providing an indication of said spending history to an acquirer.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said indication identifies a relative level of spending activity of said payment account. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said indication includes at least one of: a low spending activity, a medium spending activity, a high spending activity, and a premium spending activity. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein said acquirer bases an interchange fee for said payment transaction on said indication. 
     
     
         5 . A method comprising:
 receiving in a first computer transaction data associated with a transaction in a payment card system, said transaction data including a payment card account identifier, said payment card account identifier identifying a payment card account, said transaction data including a transaction amount for said transaction;   accessing a database record for said payment card account; and   transmitting from said first computer to a second computer an indication of a spending history for said payment card account, said indication based on said database record.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said spending history is determined quarterly based on a total amount spent in a preceding twelve-month period by said payment card account.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said spending history is determined based on an amount of spending by said payment card account with a particular merchant. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said spending history is determined based on an amount of spending by said payment card account with a particular class of merchants. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein said spending history is determined based on all spending by said payment card account during a period of time. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein:
 said spending history reflects spending by a group of payment card accounts that includes said payment card account identified by said payment card account identifier.   
     
     
         11 . An apparatus comprising:
 a processor; and   a memory in communication with the processor, the memory storing program instructions, the processor operative with the program to:
 receive transaction data associated with a transaction in a payment card system, said transaction data including a payment card account identifier, said payment card account identifier identifying a payment card account, said transaction data including a transaction amount for said transaction; 
 determine whether an interchange fee for said transaction is spending-history dependent; 
 in a case where said interchange fee is spending-history dependent:
 access a database record for said payment card account; and 
 include a spending history indication in an authorization response transmitted by said apparatus to an acquirer, said spending history indication indicative of a spending history associated with said payment card account; 
 
 in a case where said interchange fee is not spending-history dependent, transmit an authorization response to said acquirer without any spending history indication. 
   
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said spending history is determined quarterly for said payment card account based on a total amount spent in a preceding twelve-month period by said payment card account.   
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said spending history reflects only spending by said payment card account.   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said spending history is determined based on an amount of spending by said payment card account with a particular merchant. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said spending history is determined based on an amount of spending by said payment card account with a particular class of merchants. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein said spending history is determined based on all spending by said payment card account during a period of time. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 said spending history reflects spending by a group of payment card accounts that includes said payment card account identified by said payment card account identifier.   
     
     
         18 . A method comprising:
 transmitting an authorization request from a first computer to a second computer, said authorization request related to a transaction in a payment card system, said authorization request including a payment card account number, said payment card account number identifying a payment card account to which the transaction is to be charged;   receiving a spending history indication in the first computer, the spending history indication indicative of a spending history associated with said payment card account; and   the first computer determining an interchange fee for said transaction based at least in part on said spending history indication.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the spending history indication is included in an authorization response received in the first computer via a payment card system operator. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the spending history indication is included in a message that is not an authorization response, said message received from a computer operated by or on behalf of a payment card system operator. 
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 transmitting an authorization request from a first computer to a second computer, said authorization request related to a transaction in a payment card system, said authorization request including a payment card account number, said payment card account number identifying a payment card account to which the transaction is to be charged;   receiving an authorization response in the first computer, said authorization response including an information element not contained in the authorization request; and   the first computer determining an interchange fee for said transaction based at least in part on said information element included in said authorization response and not contained in said authorization request.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein said information element is a spending history indication. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein said spending history indication is indicative of a cumulative total of transaction amounts of a plurality of transactions charged to said payment card account during a time period prior to said transmitting step.