Automatically adding gratuity to amount charged in electronic transaction

Abstract

A method includes receiving a payment object for payment of a certain amount owed by a first party to a second party. The payment object carries sufficient account information for the payment from an account associated with the payment object. The second party communicates the account information from the payment object and an identification of the second party for receipt by a third party; and receives in return data that is indicative of a gratuity to be charged against the account. The second party prints a document that includes the certain amount owed and the gratuity, as indicated by the data received by the second party, and presents the document for signature by the first party. The printed document preferably includes the total of the amount owed and the gratuity. The payment object may be a credit card, charge card, debit card, rebate card, or stored-value card.

1 - 163 . (canceled) 
     
     
         164 . A method, performed by a card association, for automatically adding gratuity to an electronic charge transaction, comprising the steps of:
 (a) maintaining, in a computer database,
 (i) account information that identifies an account of an account holder from which account payment is to be made, the identified account being held at a card issuer, and 
 (ii) in association therewith, gratuity data for calculating an amount of gratuity associated with such payment, 
 (iii) wherein the gratuity data is accessible from the computer database using the account information; and thereafter 
   (b) electronically receiving, over one or more networks, and sent from a merchant,
 (i) the account information, 
 (ii) an identification of the merchant to which payment is to be made from the account that is identified by the account information, and 
 (iii) a certain amount owed to the merchant by the account holder; 
   (c) using the received account information, electronically accessing, from the computer database, the gratuity data;   (d) using the accessed gratuity data, calculating an amount of gratuity based on the certain amount owed;   (e) electronically communicating, over one or more networks, for receipt by the card issuer,
 (i) the account information, 
 (ii) the identification of the merchant to which payment is to be made from the account identified by the account information, and 
 (iii) the certain amount owed to the merchant by the account holder and the calculated amount of gratuity; 
   (f) electronically receiving, over one or more networks, from the card issuer, an authorization code for payment from the account identified by the account information of a total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity; and   (g) electronically communicating, over one or more networks, for receipt by the merchant, the authorization code for payment from the account identified by the account information of the total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity;   such that authorization by the card issuer for payment from the account identified by the account information of the total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity authorized, and the receipt of such authorization by the merchant, occur prior to review of the calculated amount of gratuity by the account holder, whereby determining by the account holder an amount of gratuity based on the certain amount owed in order to leave gratuity is unnecessary, and whereby calculating by the account holder the total of the certain amount owed and the amount of gratuity in completing the electronic charge transaction is unnecessary.   
     
     
         165 . The method of  claim 164 , wherein the account information is communicated from a payment object presented by the account holder to a point of sale terminal of the merchant for communicating to the card issuer. 
     
     
         166 . The method of  claim 165 , wherein the payment object is a credit card, debit card, charge card, or stored-value card. 
     
     
         167 . The method of  claim 165 , wherein the payment object is a smartphone phone. 
     
     
         168 . The method of  claim 165 , wherein the payment object comprises a consumer electronic device for generating digital signatures and for performing encryption. 
     
     
         169 . The method of  claim 165 , wherein the payment object comprises a consumer electronic device for securely containing encryption keys and private keys of public-private key pairs. 
     
     
         170 . The method of  claim 164 , wherein the method is performed by the card association for each of a plurality of accounts of the account holder that are held at different card issuers. 
     
     
         171 . The method of  claim 164 , wherein the method is performed by the card association for each of a plurality of different accounts of each of a plurality of different account holders. 
     
     
         172 . The method of  claim 171 , wherein the gratuity data for each of the plurality of different accounts is specified by the respective account holders, and wherein the calculated amount of gratuity based on the certain amount owed may differ for a merchant based on the account that is used to make the payment. 
     
     
         173 . The method of  claim 164 , further comprising maintaining merchant codes, representative of merchants to which payments can be made, in association with gratuity data for calculating gratuity for each respective merchant. 
     
     
         174 . The method of  claim 164 , further comprising enabling an account holder to change gratuity data for calculating gratuity for a respective merchant. 
     
     
         175 . The method of  claim 174 , further comprising providing a web interface, accessible over the Internet by a client device of the account holder, which client device is configured for Internet communications, and by which web interface the account holder is enabled to change gratuity data for calculating gratuity for a respective merchant. 
     
     
         176 . The method of  claim 164 , further comprising providing a web interface, accessible over the Internet by a client device of an account holder, which client device is configured for Internet communications, and by which web interface the account holder provides gratuity data for calculating an amount of gratuity based on a particular category of service. 
     
     
         177 . A method, performed by a card association, for automatically adding gratuity to an electronic charge transaction, comprising the steps of:
 (a) electronically receiving, over one or more networks, and sent from a merchant,
 (i) account information that identifies an account of the account holder from which account payment is to be made, the account being held at a card issuer, 
 (ii) an identification of the merchant to which payment is to be made from the account identified by the account information, and 
 (iii) a certain amount owed to the merchant by the account holder; 
   (b) using the received account information, electronically accessing gratuity data from a computer database using the account information;   (c) using the accessed gratuity data, calculating an amount of gratuity based on the certain amount owed;   (d) electronically communicating, over one or more networks, for receipt by the card issuer,
 (i) the account information, 
 (ii) the identification of the merchant to which payment is to be made from the account identified by the account information, and 
 (iii) the certain amount owed to the merchant by the account holder and the calculated amount of gratuity; 
   (e) electronically receiving, over one or more networks, from the card issuer, an authorization code for payment from the account identified by the account information of a total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity; and   (f) electronically communicating, over one or more networks, for receipt by the merchant, the authorization code for payment from the account identified by the account information of the total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity;   such that authorization by the card issuer for payment from the account identified by the account information of the total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity authorized, and the receipt of such authorization by the merchant, occur prior to review of the calculated amount of gratuity by the account holder, whereby determining by the account holder an amount of gratuity based on the certain amount owed in order to leave gratuity is unnecessary, and whereby calculating by the account holder the total of the certain amount owed and the amount of gratuity in completing the electronic charge transaction is unnecessary.   
     
     
         178 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the gratuity information is maintained in the computer database in association with the account information by the card association. 
     
     
         179 . The method of  claim 177 , wherein the gratuity data is provided by the account holder. 
     
     
         180 . The method of  claim 179 , further comprising providing a web interface, accessible over the Internet by a client device of the account holder, which client device is configured for Internet communications, and by which web interface the account holder provides the gratuity data for calculating gratuity for a respective merchant. 
     
     
         181 . A method, performed by a card association, for automatically adding gratuity to an electronic charge transaction, comprising the steps of:
 (a) electronically receiving over one or more networks, for each of a plurality of electronic charge transactions,
 (i) account information that identifies an account held at a card issuer, 
 (ii) an identification of a merchant to which the payment is to be made from the identified account, and 
 (iii) a certain amount owed to the merchant; and 
   (b) for each of said plurality of electronic charge transactions, performing the steps of
 (i) using the received account information, electronically accessing gratuity data from a computer database using the account information, 
 (ii) using the accessed gratuity data, calculating an amount of gratuity based on the certain amount owed, 
 (iii) electronically communicating, over one or more networks, for receipt by the card issuer at which is held the account identified by the account information,
 (A) the account information, 
 (B) the identification of the merchant to which payment is to be made, and 
 (C) the certain amount owed to the merchant and the calculated amount of gratuity, 
 
 (iv) electronically receiving, over one or more networks, from the card issuer at which the identified account is held, an authorization code for payment from the identified account of a total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity, and 
 (v) electronically communicating, over one or more networks, for receipt by the merchant to which payment is to be made, the authorization code for payment from the identified account of the total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity, 
 (vi) whereby authorization by the card issuer for payment from the identified account of the total of the certain amount owed and the calculated amount of gratuity authorized, and the receipt of such authorization by the merchant, occur prior to review of the calculated amount of gratuity by the account holder of the identified account, whereby determining by such account holder an amount of gratuity based on the certain amount owed in order to leave gratuity is unnecessary, and whereby calculating by such account holder the total of the certain amount owed and the amount of gratuity in completing the electronic charge transaction is unnecessary. 
   
     
     
         182 . The method of  claim 181 , wherein the plurality of electronic charge transactions are for a plurality of accounts of different account holders. 
     
     
         183 . The method of  claim 181 , wherein the plurality of electronic charge transactions are for a plurality of accounts that are held at a plurality of different card issuers.