Transit Agency As An Issuer And/Or Program Manager Of Prepaid Products

Abstract

Described is processing for requested user access, starting with receiving transaction data from a portable consumer device presented by the user at a gate access device of an access agency for the requested access. The transaction data from the gate access device is processed and a fee amount for the requested access is determined. The processing next involves determining an account balance in accordance with the determined fee amount and a prior balance amount associated with the portable consumer device, and reconciling the determined account balance and account data associated with the portable consumer device at a processing computer of the access agency such that the access request is indicated as either approved or declined.

1 - 8 . (canceled) 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at an access agency central computer, transaction data from a gate access device which interacted with a prepaid portable consumer device presented by a user at the gate access device of an access agency for requested access, wherein the prepaid portable consumer device was previously personalized to the user by the access agency central computer and was issued by the access agency instead of a third party outside of the access agency environment;   processing, at the access agency central computer, the transaction data from the gate access device and determining a fee amount at the access agency central computer for the requested access;   determining, by the access agency central computer, an account balance based on the determined fee amount and a prior balance amount associated with the prepaid portable consumer device; and   reconciling the determined account balance and account data associated with the prepaid portable consumer device at an access agency system computer and generating and sending an authorization response message from the access agency system computer to the access agency central computer.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the transaction data comprises a primary account number (PAN), an expiry date associated with the PAN, and a time and date of the transaction. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the gate access device received and validated the PAN and the expiry date from the prepaid portable consumer device and allowed access to the user based on the validated PAN and expiry date. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the prepaid portable consumer device stores the PAN and the expiry date. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the prior balance amount comprises a numerical funds amount that is stored in a data store that is external to the prepaid portable consumer device and is maintained by the access agency system computer. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the prepaid portable consumer device is in the form of a phone. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the gate access device and the prepaid portable consumer device include encryption keys and algorithms allowing the gate access device to authenticate the prepaid portable consumer device. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the gate access device allows the user to pass by the gate access device before the fee is determined by the access agency central computer. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the gate access device allows the user to pass by the gate access device before the account balance is determined by the access agency central computer. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the transaction data comprises an on-card account balance stored in the prepaid portable consumer device. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 9  wherein the account balance comprises a funding amount that is debited with each authorized transaction. 
     
     
         20 . A system for processing an access request, the system comprising:
 an access agency central computer comprising:
 a first processor; and 
 a first computer readable medium coupled with the first processor, the first computer readable medium comprising first instructions to be executed by the first processor to: 
 receive transaction data from a gate access device which interacted with a prepaid portable consumer device presented by a user at the gate access device of an access agency for requested access, wherein the prepaid portable consumer device was previously personalized to the user by the access agency central computer and was issued by the access agency instead of a third party outside of the access agency environment; 
 process the transaction data from the gate access device and determine a fee amount at the access agency central computer for the requested access; 
 determine an account balance based on the determined fee amount and a prior balance amount associated with the prepaid portable consumer device; and 
   an access agency system computer comprising:
 a second processor; and 
 a second computer readable medium coupled with the second processor, the second computer readable medium comprising second instructions to be executed by the second processor to:
 reconcile the determined account balance and account data associated with the prepaid portable consumer device and generate and send an authorization response message to the access agency central computer. 
 
   
     
     
         21 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a gate access device, account data from a prepaid portable consumer device presented by a user requesting access to an access agency, wherein the prepaid portable consumer device was previously personalized to the user by an access device central computer and was issued by the access agency instead of a third party outside of the access agency environment;   allowing, by the gate access device, the user access to the access agency; and   sending, by the gate access device, transaction data to an access agency central computer wherein the access agency central computer processes the transaction data from the gate access device and determines a fee amount for the requested access, determines an account balance based on the determined fee amount and a prior balance amount associated with the prepaid portable consumer device, and wherein the determined account balance and account data associated with the prepaid portable consumer device is reconciled at the access agency system computer which generates and sends an authorization response message from the access agency system computer to the access agency central computer.   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the account data includes a primary account number (PAN) and an expiration date associated with the PAN. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21  wherein the gate access device has encryption keys and algorithms for processing authentication data on the prepaid portable consumer device. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 23  further comprising:
 authenticating the prepaid portable consumer device using the encryption keys and algorithms. 
 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21  further comprising:
 authenticating the prepaid portable consumer device before allowing the user to access the access agency. 
 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21  wherein transaction data includes at least a subset of the account data and the time and date of the transaction. 
     
     
         27 . A gate access device comprising:
 a processor; and   a computer readable medium coupled with the processor, the computer readable medium comprising instructions to be executed by the processor to:
 receive account data from a prepaid portable consumer device presented by a user requesting access to an access agency, wherein the prepaid portable consumer device was previously personalized to the user by an access device central computer and was issued by the access agency instead of a third party outside of the access agency environment; 
 allow the user access to the access agency; and 
 send transaction data to an access agency central computer wherein the access agency central computer processes the transaction data from the gate access device and determines a fee amount for the requested access, determines an account balance based on the determined fee amount and a prior balance amount associated with the prepaid portable consumer device, and wherein the determined account balance and account data associated with the prepaid portable consumer device is reconciled at the access agency system computer which generates and sends an authorization response message from the access agency system computer to the access agency central computer. 
   
     
     
         28 . The gate access device of  claim 27  wherein the computer readable medium further comprises instructions to be executed by the processor to:
 authenticate the prepaid portable consumer device before allowing the user to access the access agency.