Systems and methods for risk triggering values

Abstract

Systems and methods for facilitating risk assessment for point of sale transactions utilizing at least one risk triggering value (RTV) is disclosed. An RTV is a condensed version of a set of complex risk data and strategies usually found in central processing sites. After receiving a request for payment authorization, a risk value is calculated for the request. The distributed processing site compares the risk value to the RTV to determine whether to authorize payment. If the risk value is less than or equal to the RTV, the payment is authorized while a risk value greater than the RTV will not be authorized. The central site calculates a new RTV for the account and distributes the new RTV to the distributed processing site.

1 .- 27 . (canceled) 
     
     
         28 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a computer system of a merchant, a request to conduct a first transaction between a user using a transaction instrument and the merchant for a transaction amount;   searching, by the computer system, a local database of the computer system for a risk triggering value (RTV) associated with the transaction instrument, wherein the RTV indicates a level of risk above which a transaction will be denied;   in response to receiving an indication that an RTV associated with the transaction instrument is not stored in the local database, the computer system sending a purchase authorization request to a distributed processing site;   receiving, by the computer system, a response to the purchase authorization request that includes an RTV associated with the transaction instrument;   storing, by the computer system, the RTV associated with the transaction instrument in the local database; and   determining, by the computer system, based on the RTV associated with the transaction instrument, whether to approve the request to conduct the first transaction.   
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computer system, another request to conduct a second transaction between a different user using a different transaction instrument and the merchant for a different transaction amount;   searching, by the computer system, the local database of the computer system for an RTV associated with the different transaction instrument;   finding in the local database, by the computer system, the RTV associated with the different transaction instrument; and   determining, by the computer system, based on the RTV associated with the different transaction instrument, whether to approve the request to conduct the first transaction.   
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 29 , further comprising sending, by the computer system, an updated RTV associated with the different transaction instrument to the distributed processing site. 
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 30 , further comprising sending the updated RTV to the distributed processing site in response to determining that a threshold number of updated RTVs are ready to be sent. 
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 28 , further comprising receiving, by the computer system, a plurality of RTVs from the distributed processing site at a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         33 . The method of  claim 32 , wherein the plurality of RTVs received by the computer system is based on one or more demographics of respective users associated with each of the plurality of RTVs. 
     
     
         34 . The method of  claim 28 , wherein searching the local database of the computer system for the RTV associated with the transaction instrument is in response to determining that a volume of authorization requests received by the computing system has reached a threshold value. 
     
     
         35 . An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer readable medium having instructions stored thereon that are executable by a computer system of a merchant to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a point-of-sale (POS) device of the merchant, a request to conduct a first transaction between a user using a transaction instrument at the POS device and the merchant for a transaction amount;   searching a local database of the computer system for a risk triggering value (RTV) associated with the transaction instrument, wherein the RTV indicates a level of risk above which a transaction will be denied;   in response to receiving an indication that an RTV associated with the transaction instrument is not stored in the local database, sending a purchase authorization request to a distributed processing site;   receiving a response to the purchase authorization request that includes an RTV associated with the transaction instrument;   storing the RTV associated with the transaction instrument in the local database; and   determining, based on the RTV associated with the transaction instrument, whether to approve the request to conduct the first transaction.   
     
     
         36 . The article of manufacture of  claim 35 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 receiving another request to conduct a second transaction between a different user using a different transaction instrument and the merchant for a different transaction amount;   searching the local database of the computer system for an RTV associated with the different transaction instrument;   finding in the local database the RTV associated with the different transaction instrument; and   determining based on the RTV associated with the different transaction instrument, whether to approve the request to conduct the first transaction.   
     
     
         37 . The article of manufacture of  claim 36 , wherein the operations further comprise sending an updated RTV associated with the different transaction instrument to the distributed processing site. 
     
     
         38 . The article of manufacture of  claim 37 , wherein the operations further comprise sending the updated RTV to the distributed processing site in response to determining that a threshold number of updated RTVs are ready to be sent. 
     
     
         39 . The article of manufacture of  claim 35 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving a plurality of RTVs from the distributed processing site at a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         40 . The article of manufacture of  claim 39 , wherein the received plurality of RTVs is based on one or more demographics of respective users associated with each of the plurality of RTVs. 
     
     
         41 . The article of manufacture of  claim 35 , wherein the operations further comprise searching the local database of the computer system for the RTV associated with the transaction instrument in response to determining that a volume of authorization requests received by the computing system has reached a threshold value. 
     
     
         42 . A system comprising:
 at least one point-of-sale (POS) device of a merchant configured to request to conduct a first transaction between a user using a transaction instrument at the POS device and the merchant for a transaction amount;   a local database; and   a computer system of the merchant configured to:
 receive the request from the POS device; 
 search the local database for a risk triggering value (RTV) associated with the transaction instrument, wherein the RTV indicates a level of risk above which a transaction will be denied; 
 in response to receiving an indication that an RTV associated with the transaction instrument is not stored in the local database, send a purchase authorization request to a distributed processing site; 
 receive a response to the purchase authorization request that includes an RTV associated with the transaction instrument; 
 store the RTV associated with the transaction instrument in the local database; and 
 determine, based on the RTV associated with the transaction instrument, whether to approve the request to conduct the first transaction. 
   
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the computer system of the merchant is further configured to:
 receive a different request to conduct a second transaction between a different user using a different transaction instrument and the merchant for another transaction amount;   search the local database of the computer system for an RTV associated with the different transaction instrument; and   in response to finding, in the local database, the RTV associated with the different transaction instrument, determine, based on the RTV associated with the different transaction instrument, whether to approve the request to conduct the first transaction.   
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 43 , wherein the computer system of the merchant is further configured to send an updated RTV associated with the different transaction instrument to the distributed processing site. 
     
     
         45 . The system of  claim 44 , wherein the computer system of the merchant is further configured to send the updated RTV to the distributed processing site in response to determining that a threshold number of updated RTVs are ready to be sent. 
     
     
         46 . The system of  claim 42 , wherein the computer system of the merchant is further configured to receive a plurality of RTVs from the distributed processing site at a predetermined interval. 
     
     
         47 . The system of  claim 46 , wherein the plurality of RTVs received by the computer system is based on one or more demographics of respective users associated with each of the plurality of RTVs.