Cash card system

Abstract

A method for performing a cash card transaction. The process includes a point of sale (POS) terminal and an associated reader interfacing with an integrated circuit (IC) card, transmitting a request for a cash card balance stored in the IC payment card, and receiving the cash card balance from the IC card. When the POS terminal determines that the cash card balance is insufficient to cover the transaction amount, it automatically initiates an online load transaction to increase the cash card balance, determines successful completion of the online load transaction, and then requests a transaction certificate to cover the transaction amount from the IC card. The POS terminal completes the purchase transaction upon receipt of the transaction certificate.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cash card transaction method comprising:
 interfacing, by a reader of a point of sale (POS) terminal, with an integrated circuit (IC) card in association with a purchase transaction for a transaction amount;   transmitting, by the reader of the POS terminal to the IC card, a request for a cash card balance stored in the IC payment card;   receiving, by the POS terminal from the IC card, the cash card balance;   determining, by the POS terminal, that the cash card balance is insufficient to cover the transaction amount;   automatically initiating, by the POS terminal with a cash card host computer via an acquirer computer, an online load transaction to increase the cash card balance to cover the transaction amount;   determining, by the POS terminal, successful completion of the online load transaction;   requesting, by the POS terminal from the IC card, a transaction certificate to cover the transaction amount; and   completing, by the POS terminal, the purchase transaction upon receipt of the transaction certificate.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IC card is interfaced to the reader of the POS terminal via a contactless interface. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IC card is interfaced to the reader of the POS terminal via a contact interface. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the IC payment card operates in accordance with the EMV standard. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein automatically initiating the load transaction comprises:
 receiving, by the POS terminal from the acquirer computer, a script generated by the cash card host computer associated with a load operation; and   transmitting, by the POS terminal to the IC payment card, the script for execution by the IC payment card to conduct a load transaction which increases the cash card funds balance stored in the IC payment card.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the load transaction comprises a linked load transaction wherein the IC payment card is loaded with additional pre-authorized funds with funding from one of a debit account and a credit account that is linked to the IC payment card. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the load transaction comprises conducting an unlinked load transaction. 
     
     
         8 . A point of sale (POS) terminal, comprising:
 a POS processor;   a card reader operably coupled to the POS processor for interfacing the POS terminal to an integrated circuit (IC) payment card; and   a storage device operably coupled to the processor and storing a plurality of programs, the plurality of programs including a cash card application program and a plurality of payment profile subprograms, and storing instructions configured to cause the POS processor to:
 interface, via the card reader, with an integrated circuit (IC) payment card in association with a purchase transaction for a transaction amount; 
 transmit a request to the IC payment card for a cash card balance stored in the IC payment card; 
 receive the cash card balance from the IC payment card; 
 determine that the cash card balance is insufficient to cover the transaction amount; 
 automatically initiate an online load transaction with a cash card host computer via an acquirer computer, to increase the cash card balance to cover the transaction amount; 
 determine successful completion of the online load transaction; 
 request a transaction certificate from the IC payment card to cover the transaction amount; and 
 complete the purchase transaction upon receipt of the transaction certificate. 
   
     
     
         9 . The POS terminal of  claim 8 , wherein the card reader comprises a contactless interface for interfacing with the IC card. 
     
     
         10 . The POS terminal of  claim 8 , wherein the card reader comprises a contact interface for interfacing with the IC card. 
     
     
         11 . The POS terminal of  claim 8 , wherein the IC payment card operates in accordance with the EMV standard. 
     
     
         12 . The POS terminal of  claim 8 , wherein the instructions for automatically initiating the load transaction comprise instructions configured to cause the POS processor to:
 receive a script from the acquirer computer, the script being generated by the cash card host computer and being associated with a load operation; and   transmit the script to the IC payment card for execution to conduct a load transaction which increases the cash card funds balance stored in the IC payment card.   
     
     
         13 . The POS terminal of  claim 12 , wherein the script comprises linked load transaction instructions configured to cause the IC payment card to load additional funds from one of a debit account and a credit account that is linked to the IC payment card. 
     
     
         14 . The POS terminal of  claim 12 , wherein the script comprises unlinked load transaction instructions. 
     
     
         15 . A system comprising:
 an integrated circuit (IC) payment card of a consumer;   a point of sale (POS) terminal comprising a POS processor and a storage device operably coupled to the processor;   a card reader operably coupled to the POS processor for interfacing the POS terminal to the IC payment card;   an acquirer computer operably connected to the POS terminal;   a cash card host computer operably connected to the acquirer computer; and   an issuer computer operably connected to the cash card hose computer;   wherein the storage device of the POS terminal stores a plurality of programs including a cash card application program and a plurality of payment profile subprograms, and stores instructions configured to cause the POS processor to:
 interface, via the card reader, with the IC payment card in association with a purchase transaction for a transaction amount; 
 transmit a request to the IC payment card for a cash card balance stored in the IC payment card; 
 receive the cash card balance from the IC payment card; 
 determine that the cash card balance is insufficient to cover the transaction amount; 
 automatically initiate an online load transaction with the cash card host computer via the acquirer computer, to increase the cash card balance to cover the transaction amount; 
 determine successful completion of the online load transaction; 
 request a transaction certificate from the IC payment card to cover the transaction amount; and 
 complete the purchase transaction upon receipt of the transaction certificate. 
   
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the card reader comprises one of a contactless interface or a contact interface for interfacing with the IC card. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein the instructions for automatically initiating the load transaction comprise instructions configured to cause the POS processor to:
 receive a script from the acquirer computer, the script being generated by the cash card host computer and being associated with a load operation; and   transmit the script to the IC payment card for execution to conduct a load transaction which increases the cash card funds balance stored in the IC payment card.   
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the script comprises linked load transaction instructions configured to cause the IC payment card to load additional funds from one of a debit account and a credit account that is linked to the IC payment card. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 17 , wherein the script comprises unlinked load transaction instructions.