MXPA01003618A - Processing system and method for a heterogeneous electronic cash environment - Google Patents

Abstract

A heterogeneous stored-value system which offers interoperability among a number of proprietary payment card brands with differing fee structures. Electronic cash originally obtained through a specific payment card brand is reconsolidated at settlement, assuring proper accounting for these fees. The system can handle isolated flow, where electronic cash flows from a loading device (2) to a payment card (8) and thence from a payment card (8) to a point of sale (6) to settlement (7), where electronic cash can flow into a payment card only from the loading device. The system can also handle circulation of the electronic cash, whereby reloading is accomplished by returning electronic cash to a payment card (8) as change from a charge transaction at a point of sale (6). In addition, payment cards with more than one charge function can be handled, whereby the customer can specify which of several charge functions will be used to acquire the electronic cash.

Description

PROCESSING SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR A HETEROGÉNEO ELECTRONIC ATMOSPHERE ATMOSPHERE Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an intelligent card payment system, and in particular, to a stored value payment system, such as for retail sales.

Antecedents of the Invention. Cargo Transactions, Charge Functions, and Payment Cards A "charge transaction" is a payment through an instrument, such as a debit card or credit card, collectively referred to herein as a "charge card." A merchant who receives a payment through a debit card transfers the customer's charge for settlement to the card issuer, either directly or indirectly through a buyer, or a transaction processing agency. The term "charge function" here indicates any facility, which is a credit or debit scheme, by which a customer can initiate a charge transaction. A conventional charge card contains, for example, a charge function. The payment cards according to the present invention contain at least one charge function. In the present invention, the term "buyer" indicates a business entity that provides an acceptance for the charge card and a settlement for the merchants. Buyers include, but are not limited to, banks and similar financial institutions. Charge transactions are associated with published payments, settlement terms, benefits and incentives, which include customers, issuers, buyers, transaction processors, communication providers and other parties that participate in the transaction or facilitate its termination. In the present invention, the term "issuer" indicates any commercial entity that issues charge functions to clients or, in the case where a payment card contains a single charge function, a commercial entity which issues payment cards for customers. Issuers include, but are not limited to, banks and similar financial institutions. A particular bank can operate both as an issuer, or as a buyer, but usually separately, different divisions of the bank are involved with these functions. The cargo transaction market is very competitive, with a number of issuers offering various and varied payment schemes and incentives to customers, and a number of buyers seeking accounts with merchants. The client decides what charge card (s) to carry and use, and the merchant decides which charge card (s) he accepts.

Electronic Money "Electronic money" is portable electronic money, stored in stored value devices and transferred between them for payments and settlements. The main justification for electronic money is in making payments to the customer at a convenient cash cost for small purchases, for which charge transactions are too expensive to manage, due to the fixed pre-transaction costs of authorization and settlement. In the present invention, the term "settlement" indicates the process of cancellation of payment instruments of the owner for a conventional monetary payment. Said owner's payment instruments include, but are not limited to, charge cards and electronic money. In the present invention, the term "conventional monetary payment" indicates the payment made through monetary instruments, which do not include charge transactions and electronic money. The conventional monetary payment includes but is not limited to, checks, bank drafts, conventional cash, wire transfers (which in the present description are not considered electronic money). An example of liquidation is that of a merchant who sends a charge slip from the debit transactions to a buyer and then receives a check which can be deposited into his bank account. In the present invention, the term "merchant" indicates any business entity that offers goods and / or services to the customer and receives payments for them.

Trademarks and Application of Trademarks In the present invention, the term "trademark" indicates the identification of the individual owner of the specific owner payment instruments, charge functions, etc., issued by a commercial entity, and the term "trademark application". ", indicates the application of a trademark to any of said specific owner payment instruments, charge functions etc. Normally, the marks are used as a means to identify in commercial form, these different payment instruments from the respective owner, in order that customers can easily distinguish them. In conventional systems, as well as in the system according to the present invention, the charging functions are identified through their respective marks. Within the scope of the present invention, there are charge functions that have marks. A single commercial entity can own and manage several different brands of charge function. For example, a particular financial institution can offer customers both a credit card and a debit card, which in the present invention are considered as two different charge function brands, even when offered by, and identified with, the same financial institution. It should be noted that although the customer usually associates the charge function with a physical charge card, the charge function itself is actually associated with an account in the financial institution. The physical charge card is an instrument through which the client and the merchant can conveniently access the account. The physical charge card is not really necessary for all accesses, as can be seen when a customer makes a charge transaction by verbally providing the account number to a merchant through the telephone. Subsequently, although the brand is technically an attribute of the charge function, instead of the card, customers tend to associate the brand with the card. Therefore, in the examples of the present invention, the mark will be treated as belonging to the charge function, although sometimes the marks will be labeled for example purposes in terms of cards. In another example of the application of different brands, a financial institution can offer customers two different types of credit cards. One such credit card type may be for "regular" customers, while the other may be for "preferential" customers and have different terms of use in the present invention. Said two different credit cards are also considered as two different brands of charge function, even when they are offered by, and generally identified with, the same financial institution. However, it should be noted that the importance of brands lies in the competition of the market, in terms of customer perception and preferences. Therefore, what constitutes a cargo function mark (what distinguishes one brand from a charge function from another), is determined arbitrarily by the commercial entity which creates and / or manages the brand of charge function. It is possible for two different charge function marks, to differentiate only in their names or identification, although otherwise they have identical characteristics, such as payments, debit terms, settlement terms etc. From ^ ß 10 subsequent manner, the system according to the present invention does not impose any individuality requirements on the cargo function marks, but rather accepts any cargo function marks that are created and administered, and is a goal of the present invention, to maintain the distinct identities of all charge function marks. However, in order to be compatible with the system according to the present invention, as defined therein, the charge function marks must establish terms of charge and liquidation terms. In the system according to the present invention, each charge function has a specific mark. Therefore, a payment card with a single charge function can be associated informally with said charge function. However, it is important to keep in mind that this is the charge function, not the payment card, that the brand really has. In the system according to the present invention, a single payment card may have more than one charge function, and therefore, may be associated with more than one brand.

Liquidation and Liquidation Terms In the present invention, the term "liquidation terms" indicates the conditions, provisions, stipulations and specific payments related to the process by which a merchant terminates the account and monetary reconciliation of a charge transaction. The liquidation of charge transactions by the merchants, generally comprises the liquidation payments, and paid to the buyer. The terms settlement may vary according to the charge function mark associated with the charge transaction.

Stored Value Devices In the present invention, the term "stored value device" indicates any device or apparatus which has the ability to receive, store and transfer electronic money. A typical electronic money payment system includes a variety of stored value devices: • Customer stored value devices, 5 such as electronic smart card-based boxes, or stored value memories protected on personal computers, cell phones, toll payment transponders, etc. In the system according to the present invention, the payment card • 10 contains at least one electronic box, which serves as a stored value device. Devices of stored value of the merchant, such as an electronic cash drawer from an automatic or manual "point of sale" (POS), and are used to collect and accumulate the electronic money received from the customer's stored value devices, and to transfer this electronic money to be paid to the stored value devices of the issuer. 20 Issuer stored value devices, such as an electronic money fund, which is held in a sender's computer to issue, collect and monitor electronic money.

Terms of Charge and Terms of Use for Electronic Money In a conventional scheme of electronic money, electronic money is purchased in a cargo terminal against payment of cash or debit card. This electronic money is loaded into the client's stored value device. When the customer makes a purchase, the payment is made by transferring electronic money from the customer's stored value device to the merchant's stored value device. The money accumulated in the merchant's stored value device is transferred back to the issuer's stored value device for settlement. In the present invention, the term "charge terms" indicates the conditions, provisions, stipulations and specific payments related to the process by which a customer obtains electronic money in the electronic purchase of a payment card. The terms of charge are associated with the brand of the charge function, against which the value of the electronic money charged is paid. The charge of the electronic money by the clients, generally includes the payment of the transaction payments to the issuer of the card. In the present invention, the term "terms of use" indicates the specific conditions, provisions, stipulations and payments related to the • process by which a customer obtains a specific payment card and consequently obtains goods and services through the use of said payment card, including the use of any charge functions and electronic money in said payment card. 10 Homogeneous and Homogeneous Payment Schemes In the present invention, the term "heterogeneous" refers to the payment instruments used in a commercial environment, for which several payments and incentive schemes co-operate or coexist. The charge card payment is usually heterogeneous, since there is a variety of different charge cards available simultaneously for use by customers and merchants. By For example, a merchant may choose to accept three different charge cards, and notify customers by means of appropriate signals, that these cards have been accepted by him; a customer who visits this merchant and has one or more of the cards accepted, you can choose which card to use to make the payment. In contrast, in the present invention the term "homogeneous" refers to payment instruments for use in an environment • commercial, for which there is only one payment, and scheme 5 of incentives. Conventional money is homogeneous. As described above, electronic money also tends to be homogenous, since the essentials of electronic money are conceived by many as an alternative form of money. conventional. Therefore, electronic money is usually issued only against payment either with conventional money or directly from a bank account through a debit card, and the payment to the merchant is expected to be uniform and very small for all issuers, since there is no payment for conventional money. This really avoids competition and suppresses business initiatives, since there is no obvious way for banks and other financial institutions get a good profit by offering customers only an electronic money system. That is, the issue of the electronic money business is not clear, especially in a highly competitive and fragmented business environment, such as the United States of America.

Alternative Electronic Money System In US Pat. No. 5,744,787 of • inventor of the present invention (PCT publication WO 96/09562), which is incorporated herein by reference describes an electronic money system and alternative charge card. In this alternative system, smart cards that contain both a charge function and a money purchase ^ 10 electronic are used to pay at improved manual or automatic points of sale, according to the method below (for demonstration, it is assumed that the smart card is allowed to be used for the charge function for transactions above $ 25.00 and that the purchase of the smart card usually stores $ 10.00 of electronic money): 1.- If the payment is for an amount of $ 25.00 or more, the payment is made through the function of 20 charge (for example, credit or debit); 2.- if the payment is for an amount less than $ 10.00 (value normally stored), the payment is made from the value stored in the purchase of the smart card; 3. - if the payment is for any amount less than $ 25.00 but greater than $ 10.00, then: • $ 25.00 is charged through the charge card, and, • the electronic exchange form is returned in the amount of $ 25.00 minus the amount of the payment , from the stored value device POS to the stored value device of the client. In US Pat. No. 5,744,787 it is shown that, statistically, in a POS that serves a large number of customers, the amount of electronic money that flows within the POS as a result of type 2 transactions, equals on average the amount of money electronic flow that flows out of the POS as a result of type 3 transactions. Therefore, by supplying the POS with a moderate amount of electronic money, an uninterrupted operation is assured without the need to refill the electronic money within the POS, for purposes of giving change.

Limitations of the Electronic Money Schemes of the Prior Art A serious limitation of the prior art schemes for electronic money, is that electronic money as it is normally defined, is not in harmony with the financial infrastructure based on the existing bank-oriented account, in which cargo transactions are prominently displayed, and in which there is a variety of credit brands. Different cargo and competition function. First of all, electronic money according to the implementations of the prior art is seen by customers and merchants, mainly as a convenient replacement for conventional money, and therefore, there is considerable resistance to associate electronic money with payments. of any kind (except perhaps, only with minimum payments). As a result, financial institutions regularly have small incentives to offer electronic money systems to merchants and customers. Therefore, at present electronic money can be acquired only through conventional money or through a direct debit to the account, where the expenses are minimal. In addition, even if electronic money could be associated with significant payments, electronic money should remain generic (for example, unbranded, like conventional money), since a common fund of electronic money from the prior art does not work with functions of charge with different brands and their different payment structures. Some F payment cards of the prior art allow a customer to recharge the electronic box in a charging device, conducting a debit charge transaction using a debit charge function in the payment card. However, as noted, said payment card can not work with F 10 different brands of charge function, and is not available to recharge through a credit charge transaction. The electronic money of the prior art acquired through different charge functions, can not be mixed, since By doing this, the payments associated with electronic money would be confused. Avoid this problem in electronic money systems of the prior art, require a variety of different electronic money brands, to correspond to the different brands of the charge functions used by customers to acquire electronic money. However, different brands of electronic money drive it, not only confusion for customers and merchants, but also present a barrier impenetrable for the internal operating capacity of electronic money among the different charge functions based on accounts that exist in the market. Without an internal operating capacity without • setbacks, electronic money is not likely to achieve commercial success. Due to the low costs and payments associated with prior art electronic money, a significant volume of customers and merchants will be required to sustain viable performance, and can not be achieved This important volume is necessary if the electronic money infrastructure is fragmented by a variety of incompatible electronic money brands of the prior art. In effect then, the problem with the systems of electronic money of the prior art, is that in order to be a practical electronic money it must remain unmarked, while it is essential to preserve the brand identities of the charge functions with which the electronic money interacts.

This leads to a significant incompatibility of electronic money from the prior art with charge functions based on existing accounts, which currently dominate the financial infrastructure. These limitations of the prior art are overcome by the present invention.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The object of the present invention is, • provide a heterogeneous electronic money system, where electronic money can be purchased against a variety of charge function brands, under a variety of payment and incentive schemes related to charging and settlement. This system is aimed at encouraging competition in • 10 environments of multiple issuers and allows the use of credit cards, debit cards and cash to buy electronic money, to be used in an environment of authorization and unified settlement. A key goal of the present invention is to allow a common generic electronic money works simultaneously through a variety of different charge function schemes, so that different charge functions can act as acquisition instruments for the same money electronic. These different charging functions incorporated in different or shared payment cards, can share a common stored value fund without conflicts, and can make use of a common infrastructure for the settlement of the electronic money. That is, the present invention provides various charging functions with an internal operating capability. However, the present invention allows the electronic money to maintain a connection with the mark of the acquisition instrument (the charge function) used by the customer to acquire the electronic money, throughout the cycle from acquisition to settlement. Thus, the different charge function schemes can operate internally with electronic money in the same commercial arena while retaining their individual identities and payment structures. In the system according to the present invention, the generic electronic money (without mark), can be acquired by a customer through a charge function with specific mark, such as with a credit card or debit card of the family . The electronic money remains generic, but it is associated for purposes of spending and settlement with the specific brand of the charge function, through which, the electronic money was acquired by the customer starting from the moment of loading on the card. payment of the client over time, use for the purchase of goods or services in a merchant's point of sale, and through the time of presentation for the liquidation by the merchant to a processing agency of the transaction or institution • financial. This offers commercial benefits, 5 allowing independent charge payment plans "charge functions" to have the advantages of a common electronic money, while keeping the transaction account separate in order to implement different payment structures, terms of • 10 liquidation, customer brand identities etc. The use of a generic electronic money allows the operation of costs allowing different brands of cargo functions to use a single financial infrastructure, and also simplifies the payment transaction procedures at a merchant point of sale, thereby reducing overhead costs. Furthermore, the present invention allows these advantages to be realized with a minimum change of the existing charge payment systems and their infrastructure. The basis of the present invention is to conceive each transaction of electronic money, as a fraction of a relative transaction, which has been executed to acquire this electronic money. By Therefore, if, for example, a certain credit charge function identified by the "Brand A" brand has been used to acquire $ 25.00 of electronic money (the "relative transaction"), the payment of $ 1.00 of this electronic money ( a "child transaction") will be considered 1/25 of the payment of the relative transaction and therefore, it will be considered as a "Brand A" transaction, in addition, the child transactions, related to the same relative transaction brand, may be optionally combined to determine the related payments and incentives ("settlement terms"); For example, a merchant who collects a total of $ 200.00 of electronic money from several customers who have used the "Brand A" charge function for the purchase of electronic money, could present these $ 200.00 settlement with a buyer under the settlement terms $ 200.00 settlement of the "A Brand" credit charge function, instead of presenting it as a group of individual transactions. This illustrates the principle that a debit transaction used to acquire electronic money breaks into smaller pieces of electronic money to allow a charge function to have an effective cost when making small purchases, and subsequently these small pieces, quantified by the electronic money, can be consolidated into larger units for a settlement with effective cost. Another aspect of the present invention relates to the integrity and accounting of the system. In order to avoid an uncontrolled mixing of electronic money, in a way that interferes with the identification of the relative transaction, two alternative methods are presented: (1) Isolated flow, where the flow of electronic money is restricted: Money Electronic mail is allowed to flow into the electronic purchases on the payment cards only from the bank's computers, and only against payment through a charge function. Electronic money is allowed to flow out of electronic purchases in payment cards only for points of sale. An electronic money is allowed to flow from the points of sale only to the settlement systems. Optionally, card-to-card transfer can also be allowed between payment cards that support the same charge function mark. The electronic money transfer associated with a charge function mark is not allowed to flow on a payment card, which does not support that mark. . (2) average flow 0, where electronic money works between electronic purchases and points of sale and between points of sale and computers of the bank, within the structure of the aforementioned prior invention of the inventor of the present invention, described in US Patent No. 5, 744, 787. ^ 10 Payment cards, Points of sale , Charge Devices and Settlement Systems. In the following, the term "payment card" or "card" will be used relating it in large part to any personal payment instrument to a client, and including both at least one charge function (Authorization identification transactions with a customer account that can be charged remotely, such as a bank account or credit account) and at least one value function stored ("electronic purchase"). Each charge function of a payment card is associated with an identifiable mark, through a code that can be read by a machine (for example, a mark of charge function can be read automatically for a device such as a point of sale, without the need for manual entry). A payment card may be implemented in the form of a card designed as a plastic credit card; • On a personal computer; on a cell phone; 5 in a control box of a television set; etc . In addition, a payment card according to the present invention contains at least one electronic box for maintaining electronic money. The electronic money ff 10 is by itself unmarked, but the electronic box contains a brand identification register which associates the electronic money contained in the electronic purchase, with a specific charge function mark. In one embodiment of the present invention, the trademark identification register of the content of an electronic purchase is permanently associated with a predetermined trademark (eg, a simple trademark identifier), so that any electronic money 20 charged in the electronic purchase, becomes in this way associated with the corresponding charge function mark. In another embodiment of the present invention, the trademark associated with the trademark identification register of the content of an electronic purchase can be changed, so that the trademark of charge function associated with the electronic money contained in the electronic purchase, can be changed. be altered or updated, as necessary. In the present invention, the term "point of sale" indicates any device that can interface with a payment card through a contact, without contact or through a remote communication link. When interfacing, a point of sale can accept payments from a payment card, activate a charge function, transfer electronic money etc. A point of sale accumulates electronic money received in a secure storage device included ("electronic cash drawer") and can also accumulate charge transactions carried out offline in another included storage device ("electronic insurance"). In the present invention, the term "charge device" means any device that can add electronic money to an electronic purchase of a payment card, against a charge function under "settlement terms" (eg, transaction payments by charge). ) specific to the cargo function mark. In the present invention, the term "settlement system" indicates any device or system operated by a buyer, a card issuer, or a 1 transaction processing agency, to communicate, directly or indirectly, with points of sale to transfer cargo and money orders electronic for settlement. Examples of settlement systems include, but are not limited to, computers, computer systems, and computer networks, including devices and systems of this type in the prior art. • 10 Unbranded electronic money In the system according to the present invention, electronic money by itself never has any mark. Brands are an attribute only of charge functions. However, electronic money, when stored in an electronic purchase of a payment card or in a cash drawer of a POS, is associated with the specific mark of the charge function through the which electronic money was acquired. This temporary association is maintained for electronic money during all transactions and in all stored value devices, in which electronic money is stored until the money electronic return finally to the financial institution that originally issued it. At this point the electronic money is returned to a common fund and is disassociated from the brand. When the electronic money is subsequently issued again by a financial institution, it is again associated with any particular brand of charge function that was used by the customer, to make the most recent acquisition. As noted earlier in the purchases ^ 10 electronic, other stored value devices which hold electronic money (eg electronic cash drawer), can be associated with a brand temporarily or permanently. The embodiments of the present invention illustrate a permanent as well as temporary association of a stored value device with a mark. Thus, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a heterogeneous electronic money payment system is provided that has at least two different charge function marks, each brand having terms of charge and terms of service. settlement, including the heterogeneous electronic money system: (a) a plurality of payment cards, each payment card belonging to a customer 25, each payment card having at least one charge function for a customer account at the • that they can be charged remotely, and for at least one electronic purchase that operates to contain electronic money and that has a register 5 for identifying the brand of the content to associate a charge function brand with the electronic money; (b) at least one charging device operating to interface with a specified payment card, adding electronic money to the electronic purchase of the specified payment card against a payment from a charge function selected in accordance with the load terms of the brand of the selected cargo function; (c) at least one point of sale having a transaction record and an electronic money drawer for storing the electronic money, interfacing the operation point of sale with a payment card presented from a plurality of payment cards , receiving a payment of electronic money from the presented payment card 20, reading the mark of a predetermined charge function of the presented payment card, depositing the payment of the electronic money in the electronic money drawer, and recording the payment of money electronic together with the mark of a predetermined charge function in the transaction record; and (d) a settlement system that operates for payment of electronic settlement money, in accordance with the settlement terms of the debit function marks associated with electronic money payments. Also, according to another embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a system as described above, wherein at least one of the charging devices is contained within an expanded point of sale, the expanded point of sale being operative to interface with a chosen payment card presented, to pay a total payment in accordance with a specified charge function selected from at least one charge function, stipulating the charging terms a predetermined charged amount again, to automatically determine if: (i) the loaded total is charged again predetermined to the specified charge function; (ii) return to the electronic purchase of the payment card in the form of change, an amount of electronic money equal to the difference between the newly charged amount predetermined and the sum of the payment; and (iii) the sum of the payment and the mark of the charge function specified in the transaction record is recorded.

Furthermore, according to the present invention a system is provided as described above, wherein the settlement system • comprises: (i) a merchant's computer operated by a merchant to collect and present charge cards, transaction records, and electronic money; (ii) a settlement network that operates to receive charge cards and issue a conventional monetary payment for the same; (iii) a fund • 10 electronic money, which operates to store electronic money and exchange electronic money for a conventional monetary payment; and (iv) a buyer's computer that operates to receive charge cards and electronic money; making the monetary payment conventional to the merchant; exchange electronic money with the electronic money fund for a conventional monetary payment; and submit charge cards to the settlement network in exchange for a conventional monetary payment. In accordance with the present invention, a method for managing a heterogeneous electronic money environment is provided, the environment having a plurality of charge function marks, each brand having terms of charge and terms of payment, the environment additionally having a plurality of payment cards, each payment card having an electronic purchase and a brand identification register of the content, the environment additionally having at least one charging device and at least one point of charge. sale with an electronic cash drawer and a transaction record, the environment additionally having a settlement system, including the method the steps of: (a) interfacing with a selected payment card for a charge device, initiating the transaction of charge with a charge function of the selected payment card, transferring electronic money in the electronic purchase of the selected payment card in accordance with the charge terms for the brand of the charge function, and adjusting the identification card of the mark of the content of the selected payment card, to the mark of the charge function; (b) Interface with a payment card presented to a specified point of sale, transferring a payment of electronic money from the electronic purchase of the payment card presented to the electronic money drawer of the specified point of sale, and registering the mark established in the register of identification of the mark of the content of the payment card presented in the transaction record of the specified point of sale; and (c) settle the payment of electronic money through the settlement system in accordance with the liquidation terms of the registered trademark in the transaction record. According to the present invention, a method for associating a new charge function tag with electronic money returned as a change from a purchase transaction to a multiple charge function payment card having a single electronic purchase is additionally provided. , which contains a balance of electronic money associated with a pre-charge function mark, the electronic purchase having an identifier of the content mark indicating the charge function associated with the electronic money contained in the electronic box alone, including the method the steps of: (a) paying the balance of the electronic money in the electronic box alone for the sum of the purchase transaction, the payment being associated with a mark of function of previous charge; (b) upload a predetermined minimum charge transaction amount to the new charge function mark; (c) return, in the form of exchange, a quantity of electronic money to the electronic box, equal to the predetermined minimum charge transaction amount plus the balance minus the sum of the purchase transaction; and (d) adjust the content mark identification register to indicate the new charge function mark.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention is described by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1 shows several different brands of payment cards in a heterogeneous environment comprising flow isolated. Figure IA shows a detailed view of a heterogeneous card environment comprising isolated flow. Figure 2 shows the transaction flow of electronic money and charges that comprise isolated flow. Figure 3 shows the contents of a log file for transactions in a heterogeneous environment comprising isolated flow. Figure 4 shows a heterogeneous environment which returns electronic money as a change, and does not require separate recharge terminals, which includes flow of average 0.

Figure 4A shows a detailed view of the heterogeneous environment that returns change and does not require separate recharge terminals, which comprises flow • average 0. 5 Figure 5 is a flow chart showing the operation of an automatic change manager for flow of average 0. Figure 6 shows the flow of electronic money, change and charges in the environment of the ^ ßß 10 figure 4 and the figure. 5; which comprises flow of average 0. Figure 7 shows the transactions of a point of sale in the environment of figure 4, figure 5 and figure 6 which comprises average flow 0. 15 Figure 8 shows a corresponding record file to the transactions shown in figure 7 in a heterogeneous environment comprising flow of average 0. Figure 9 shows the settlement for the 20 transactions of figure 7 and figure 8. Figure 10 shows the settlement of the issuer's transactions to the buyer. Figure 11 shows the organization of a modality of a multiple charge function payment card suitable for use in a heterogeneous environment comprising isolated flow. Figure 12 shows the organization of another modality of a multiple charge function payment card suitable for use in a heterogeneous environment comprising average flow 0. Figure 13 is a flow chart showing the additional operations of a automatic change manager, for a multiple charge function payment card in an average flow environment 0. Figure 14 shows the advanced accounting features of a POS with respect to handling and settlement of charge transactions in a heterogeneous environment. Note: For brevity in drawings and descriptions, electronic money is sometimes indicated as "electronic money", an electronic box is sometimes indicated as "purchase", and a payment card is sometimes indicated as "card".

Detailed Description of the Invention. Figure 1 describes a first preferred embodiment of the case comprising isolated flow, with three groups 3, 4, 5 of different payment cards having different charge function indicia indicated as "Card-1", "Card-2" and "Card-3" (in this mode, a payment card has a single charge function, so that the charge function mark can be associated with the payment card, as well as the charge function). A payment card interfaces with a charge device 2, to add a value from the respective account in a computer of the financial institution 1. The payment is made with a payment card in a POS 6, and the POS 6 is communicates with a computer for processing the transaction and for settlement 7, which is further communicated with computer 1, to process and settle transactions, which are carried out through the debiting functions and electronic boxes of credit cards. payment. It should be noted that in the isolated flow, electronic money moves within the system only from payment cards 3, 4, and 5 to POS 6, and later to the settlement system 7. There is no local circulation of electronic money, only a global circulation through a computer of the financial institution 1. Due to this, it is relatively easy to maintain the different flows of electronic money corresponding to different brands of charge function separately, as the electronic money flows. Figure IA is a detailed description of the system of Figure 1. A payment card 8 corresponds to any of the cards 3, 4 or 5 (Figure 1). The payment card 8 contains an electronic box 8-1 which has a balance of the electronic money in a register 8-2, and also contains a charge function 8-6 associated with an account identification 8-3. There is a brand identifier 8-4, which serves to identify the charge function mark of the payment card 8, through an external interface 8-5 which, also handles all the communication of the payment card 8 with points of sale, as well as a charge device 2. In this mode, the brand identifier 8-4 serves as the identification register of the content brand for electronic box 8-1. A POS 6 contains a 6-5 card interface to communicate with the payment cards, as well as a client interface 6-7 to communicate with a client 13, and a 6-11 processor interface to communicate with a settlement system 7, which in turn, communicates with financial institutions 1. Within POS 6, there is a transaction manager 6-6, which determines the appropriate means to handle the current transaction. If the purchase account exceeds a predetermined minimum charge transaction amount (for example, $ 25.00), the transaction manager 6-6 initiates a charge transaction from the charge function 8-6 for the account identifier 8- 3 of the payment card 8, and manages this charge through a transaction unit of charge 6-9. If the purchase is less than the predetermined minimum charge transaction amount and there is enough electronic money for the total payment 6-2 (entered by the merchant 12), the transaction manager 6-6 receives the payment in electronic money from from the electronic box 8-1 and places this electronic money in an electronic money drawer 6-4, handling this transaction through an electronic cash payment unit 6-3. Otherwise, if the purchase is less than the predetermined minimum charge transaction amount but there is not enough electronic money for the purchase amount, the transaction manager 6-6 declines the transaction. It should be noted, that POS 6 maintains an internal record file 6-1, listing all transactions, and has an electronic insurance 6-8 for off-line charge transactions. In this example, and in the examples below, a log file is a special case of a more general transaction log. In the general case, a "transaction record" is any record of transactions maintained by a device (such as a point of sale), including, but not limited to, a sequential data file such as a record file, or a cumulative recorder that contains the total net amount of the applicable transactions. Depending on the nature of a transaction record, recording a payment in the transaction record may include operations that include, but are not limited to, writing data to a sequential data file, and updating a cumulative register. Financial institutions 1, have a group of 1-1 credit accounts, 1-2 bank accounts and electronic money funds 1-3, which store electronic money that is not in circulation. The electronic money from the electronic money funds 1-3, flows in the charging device 2 to reload the payment card 8. When the payment card 8 is loaded in the charging device 2, the value of the electronic money deposited in electronic box 8-1 is charged to a charge function. Usually, this charge function will be the same charge function 8-6 with the same account identification 8-3 that is contained in the payment card 8, but it is also possible to use a different payment card with a different account identification, as long as the different payment card has the same charge function mark as the payment card that is being charged. In the examples below, the default minimum charge transaction amount is illustrated as $ 25.00. Different quantities are possible. Figure 2 describes the transaction flow within the system of Figure 1 and Figure IA. A charge payment 21 is used in a financial institution 20 in a charging device 2, to charge electronic money 22 in a card 23. Subsequently the card 23 pays in a POS 26 with electronic money 24 or charge 25. The POS 26 is communicates with the computer for the processing of the transaction and settlement 7, to settle with the financial institution 20 its electronic money 27 and charges 28.

Figure 3 describes the contents of the record file 6-1 of figure A, which is presented by the POS 26 to the financial institution 20 for • prepare the accounting and payment calculation. Figure 5 3 shows twenty of five hundred off-sale transactions, whose values (column 32) are either < $ 25.00 (an example of a predetermined minimum charge transaction amount; purchase totals less than this, are small transactions paid for the money • 10 electronic), or > 25.00 (larger payments made by the charge function). Subsequently, columns 33-38 present the transactions according to the charge function mark used in the transaction value (payment-1 is related to transactions < 25.00 and the payment-2 is related to higher values). In the bottom part of figure 3, in a row of Total 31, the numbers (including those of the transactions from number 11 to number 490, which are not shown) are added, thus allowing that the merchant claims reimbursement from the three different charge function brands, potentially under different payment schemes, and even separately, for each charge function mark between payments, for smaller and larger payments.

It should be noted that to preserve the integrity of the modality described, electronic money is not allowed to be transferred between cards that have charge functions of different brands, and electronic money is allowed to move from the points of sale only towards the settlement computer 7 of figure 1 and figure IA. Figure 4 describes an alternative embodiment of the present invention, which relates to U.S. Patent No. 5,744,787. Here the three charge function marks 3, 4 and 5 are in communication with a POS 41 under the procedure of figure 5, and there is no need for separate charge devices, since the POS 41 is an expanded POS that It contains a charge device. Figure 4A is a detailed description of the embodiment of Figure 4. In many aspects, the similar system has been illustrated in Figure IA, except as noted above. For example, in the financial institution 1, the settlement system 7 and the payment card 8 of figure 4A, are identical to those in figure IA. The charging device 2 of Figure 1 and Figure IA is absent in Figure 4 and Figure 4A, because the system of Figure 4 and Figure 4A does not require a loading device; The recharge of the payment card 8 is achieved through the local circulation of the electronic money from the POS 41 to the payment cards 3, 4 and (figure 4) or payment card 8 (figure 4A). The POS 41 contains many elements that correspond to the POS 6 of Figure 1A, although there are some differences. In particular, an automatic transaction manager 41-6 operates in accordance with the procedure of Figure 5 and has an additional function with respect to that of Figure IA, a charge unit of electronic box 41-10. This is a charge unit of the electronic box 41-10 which performs the function of the charge device 2 of FIG. Figure 5 describes the operation of automatic transaction manager 41-6 of Figure 4A. At the time of the presentation of a payment card, the automatic transaction manager reviews at a decision point 5-3, whether the payment card is accepted or rejected based on the charge function mark of the payment card . Figure 5 also shows how POS 41 automatically selects how payment will be made by the payment card. When making the selection, the automatic transaction manager 41-6 compares the total payment ($ TOTAL) against a predetermined minimum charge transaction amount ($ MINCT). This predetermined minimum charge transaction amount, it is taken as a predetermined reload total, on which the amount of electronic money that will be returned in the form of change to reload the payment card is based. In the examples below, $ MINCT and the total of the default surcharge are $ 25.00. The automatic transaction manager 41-6, selects whether the payment total is charged to the charge function of the payment card, takes the total payment of the electronic money stored in the electronic box 8i-lo if it receives% 25.00 a through the charge function and return the change ($ 25.00 less the total payment) to the electronic box. When the POS selects to return the change to the payment card, the electronic money is taken from the electronic money drawer 41-4 of the POS 41 (Figure 4A). The following statistical aspects are important: After a period of use, we can reasonably expect any payment card to carry in its electronic box a random amount of electronic money, evenly distributed within the range of 0 to 25.00 (a example of the default minimum charge transaction amount). When said payment card is used to pay any small amount of $ TOTAL < 25.00, there are two possibilities : (1) If $ TOTAL is greater than the balance of the electronic exchange on the current card (the probability of this situation is - $ Total.), Then a $ 25 change of $ 25.00 - $ TOTAL of the POS will be issued. and it will be returned to the electronic box of the card. Therefore, Ecamio r the expected value of electronic money returned as a change from the POS to the electronic box of the payment card is: $ Total Jcambio * ($ 25.00- $ Total) (1) $ 25 (2) If $ TOTAL is equal to or less than the current random value stored in the electronic card of the payment card (the probability of this situation is i- $ Total j ^ then the amount of $ TOTAL will be $ 25 deducted from the electronic card of the payment card and transferred to the POS; therefore, Epago, the expected value of electronic money transferred in payment from a payment card to the POS is: jpago "X $ Total) * $ T or t al (2) $ 25 The basic algebra shows that the magnitude of Ecambl0 in equation (1) is equal to the magnitude of Epago in equation (2). This means that for any POS, the flow of electronic money from the electronic boxes to this POS, during a regular trading cycle, is on average equal to the amount of money returned as a change from the POS to the payment cards. ^ 10 To the perfection, that the operation is guaranteed off line. Figure 6 describes the flow of electronic money and charges with the modality of figure 4 and figure 5. The electronic money 50 is a preload initial in time of a card 23 coming from the financial institution 20. After this preload, there are no more direct transactions between the card • 23 and the financial institution 20. Make a charge 61 either for payments > 25.00 (step 5-10 or step 5-7 of the figure 5). In step 5-9 (figure 5), an electronic money payment 62 of the cards is made to the POS, while electronic money is returned as a change through step 5-8 (figure 5). As explained above, in Equation (1) and Equation (2), the amounts of electronic money flowing through the payment 62 and the return of exchange 63, are statistically equal, so that the electronic money is being stirred up merely among the • cards and the POS, while the transporter of the 5 value of the payment of the cards to the POS, is a charge transaction 61 alone (except for minor statistical fluctuations). The charges 67 are transferred from a POS 66 to the financial institutions 20 through computers of P 10 settlement, while the electronic money is scrambled, after an initial preparation through 64, through positive and negative adjustments 64 and 65 at the end of each trade cycle, to recycle a preparation of a predetermined amount to each POS according to the typical transaction sizes and numbers. It will be appreciated that, in a card system of one million pesos, 25 million pesos • (12.5 million on average in electronic boxes, and 12.5 million in stored value devices of the merchant and bank), rolling in cycles 62-63 and 64-65, will have the capacity of 100 times larger revenue streams per year (assuming each card is used for monthly purchases of 200.00), actually flowing through the conventional cargo transactions 61-67. Therefore, the essence of electronic money is redefined in this scheme: here, electronic money is a means of fractionating relatively large conventional cargo transactions into small pieces for micro payments, instead of being a new one, with a cash cost. problematic monetary creation. Figure 7 describes the operation of a POS in the mode of Figure 4 to Figure 6 through 500 random transactions, out of which 20 and 480 are shown (from No. 11 to No. 490), which They have been hidden due to the space on the page. The POS has been prepared initially with 750.00, to compensate for statistical fluctuations. Column 71 shows purchase prices, selected at random between 50 cents and 30.00, and made through three charge function marks shown in column 74. Columns from 75 to 77 show charges, classified according to the respective charge function mark, for those transactions that are charge transactions. In sale No. 1, the payment of 23.16. pesos may not have been made from a box containing only 17.48.00, and therefore 25.00 have been charged to the charge function of the brand of Card-1, and 1.84.00 have been returned as a change to the box electronic card. The change has been deducted from the value in the electronic cash drawer POS (column 78, leaving in this way an amount of 748.16 pesos on sale 5 No. 2 have been deducted 7.39 pesos (column 71) of an electronic box of the card and have been added to the electronic money drawer of the POS (column 78), without involving charge transactions, (columns 75 through 77.) Sale No. 8, which is greater than 25.00, will be 10 performed directly for the charge function without involving the electronic box In the bottom line we observed the total of 500 transactions (including the hidden transactions from No. 11 to No. 490); The total is 7537.21. weights, which have been paid through 1574.55. pesos, 2834.19. weights and 3047. 65. pesos through the cargo function marks of the Card-1, Card-2 and Card-3, respectively, and through 80.83 of electronic money in excess 79 in the cash drawer electronic (column 78), where the trade cycle began with 750. pesos and ended with 830. Pesos. Figure 8 shows the log file in which the trader observes a result of the transactions in Figure 7. The same payment totals in column 71 (figure 7) are shown in column 82. However, electronic money and automatic exchange transactions are not shown. Each payment is categorized in one of the columns from 82 to 87, according to the card brand and the respective transaction size ("pagol" for < $ 25.00 and "payment 2" for> $ 25.00). Therefore, the merchant will now request the totals from the fund line under six different payment schemes. It is noted that the total amount presented to each charge function mark (for example, $ 1072.90 + $ 474.55 = $ 1547.45, see columns 82, 83) deviates slightly from the totals collected through the respective charge function mark ($ 1574.55, column 75 in Figure 7). Figure .9 shows how the settlement computer completes the accounting for the transactions of Figure 7 and Figure 8 (for example, with respect to a single POS). For example, when communicating with the computer of the brand of Card 1, the changes of the customer card 91 of $ 1,574.55 remain against the customer's compensation of $ 1072.90 and $ 474.55 in which the merchant's payments will be paid in accordance with the payment schemes "payment 1" and "payment 2", respectively. However, since the total charges of card 91 exceed the total remuneration of merchant 92 and 93 for $ 27.10, this sum is transferred, the electronic money, from the computer of the brand of Card 1 to the settlement computer. It should be emphasized that trading above $ 1500.00, using conventional exchange schemes and not explicitly understanding electronic money, has been possible through a technical adjustment of $ 27.10. Weights using electronic money. In the case of Card 2 and Card 3, the adjustment of electronic money is positive (for example, electronic money is transferred from the settlement system to the computer of the respective brand). As can be seen, the three adjustments of row 94 added up to $ 80.83, which is exactly the amount left over from the POS (column 78 of figure 7), to return the POS to the baseline of $ 750. We will appreciate that in the modality of figure 4 to figure 9, the whole concept of electronic money is really transparent, both for the client and for the merchant. None of them is involved in the handling of electronic money, and for both the electronic money is merely a trainer to extend existing credit and debit services. Therefore, existing mentalities and payment schemes allow adopting the operation scheme and • Accounting in a perfect and simple way to 5 benefit the merchants and bankers customers involved in the payment of card for small transactions. A closer view of figures 6 through 9 shows the following: 10 1. The merchant observes in the record file (Figure 8) all his sales, with each sale against a charge function mark used to perform the payment and also (optionally), a separation between the smallest sales and the most large. This list is presented for the attribution of the respective totals, less the agreed payments coming from the issuers of the respective card brand. This is the normal way of doing business with charge cards. Therefore, the whole concept electronic money becomes really invisible to the merchant !. 2. The issuer of the card sees four numbers in the bottom line (figure 9): • The total 91 of all charges of $ 25.00 or 25 more, made to the customer's cards.

These are conventional charges, processed through regular processing and under standard customer-issuer terms. (The sender • really receives the details of every 5 transaction for processing). Optionally, charges of $ 25.00 to top up the electronic box with change, can be separated from charges of $ 25.00 or more, for direct payment through the card of ^ ^ 10 charge, if they involve different customer payments. • The smallest and largest totals of the merchant 92 and 93, will be paid to the merchant after deduction 15 of the payment; This is a new and unconventional feature, since the actual payment has been made with either electronic money or a charge of $ 25.00, and the electronic money is returned as a change. However, the concept of electronic money as a fraction of the charge transaction (see brief summary) explains and justifies this method. There are very small, negative or positive differences between the charges to the client and the 25 remunerations of the merchant; these are statistical fluctuations of the average zero, and are compensated with time and in a large number of points of sale. Therefore, the merchant's compensation really equals the customer's charges, balancing the integrity of the system as a whole. • An electronic money adjustment 94, which closes the accounting circuit locally and temporally, compensates for the statistical fluctuations of the zero average. 3. It can be seen that the total adjustment 95 made between the various issuers by the transaction processor ($ 80.83 in this example) is compared in part with the total revenues involved, and is exactly the same as the amount of adjustment 79 (Figure 7). ) made in the POS to return the POS to the baseline of $ 750.00 towards the new trading cycle. Therefore, the settlement transaction is perfectly balanced. 4. It should be noted that, although the settlement transactions are a specific charge function mark for the cents and are settled under conventional charge payment schemes with each charge function function, the electronic money stored and flowing through the system of card pre-charge, preparation of the POS, payment, change, adjustment of the POS and adjustment of the settlement, they do not really have a trademark. Therefore, a pool of electronic money that flows freely between stored value devices as needed, allows a separate trade of the brand (possibly under different payment schemes), while maintaining the integrity of the system and perfect accounting. This is an important achievement of the present invention and is its main scope.

Liquidation in an Issuer-Buyer Environment In many card payment adjustments, the settlement is divided between the buyers, who handle the merchant's part, and issuers, who handle the customer's part. In a typical environment, buyers sign merchants in contracts that specify which trademarks a merchant agrees to accept and under which terms of payment, while issuers sign customers with respect to their terms of use. of the charge function and the payments. In a settlement in such environments, the merchant presents the credit and debit transfers to his buyer, which pay the merchant the total transfer amount minus a "Merchant Service Fee" (sometimes called "Merchant Discount"). , for example, a percentage of the total, 5 calculated separately for each payment scheme which has been accepted by the merchant. Subsequently, the buyer presents these transfers, through a complex and sophisticated settlement network, to the different issuers. Subsequently ßß) 10 each respective issuer returns to the buyer the total of the transfers received, less an "Exchange Payment" which is substantially smaller than the service charge to the corresponding merchant. Therefore, the income of the issuer include the exchange payment, while the buyer's income includes the difference between the service charge to the merchant and the exchange payment. The present invention, in one of its variations, focuses on minimizing the changes that need to be made in the buyer-issuer settlement network and procedures. This variation is described in the present invention, with reference to Figure 10 in addition to Figure 9. Figure 10 shows that at the end of the trade cycle, a merchant computer 100 communicates with a computer of the buyer 102 for the • liquidation. The merchant's computer 100 can be a single POS, or a computer in the merchant's office which collects the charge transfers and electronic money, and presents them together with the transaction records for the settlement. The merchant's computer 100 also has the ß10 ability to consolidate charge transfers, electronic money and transaction records for a plurality of merchant POS. The description below focuses on a single P # l payment scheme for small purchases, for example, Payment 1 of Card 1 of Figure 9. With reference to the payment scheme P # 1, the merchant computer 100 presents to the buyer's computer 102 the data file 101, which includes: item 101C- the attribution consolidated one amount $ C = $ 1072.90 (figure 9) which is based on real small sales made in accordance with the P # l payment scheme; items 101S- the charge transfers collected from exchange transactions (step 5 to 8 in the figure 5), whose total is $ S = $ 1100.00 = $ 1574.55 - 474.55 (figure 9); and item 101E- electronic money adjustment of $ E = -27.10 (figure 9). It should be noted that the data file 101 may be a summary or • consolidation of the transaction records of the merchant's 5 point of sale. Within this context, a "computer", such as the merchant's computer 100 or the buyer's computer 102, can be any system, device or groups of devices, including, but not limited to, a conventional computer or network. of computing, which has the ability as described in the present description to present and accept data files. As shown in Figure 10, the purchaser's computer 102 receives charge transfers, electronic money and commissions from the merchant's computer 101, and makes conventional monetary payments to the merchant based on the amount of $ C of the payments, minus a 20 charge for merchant service. In accordance with the rules and mechanisms described here, the system maintains $ C = $ S + $ E (3) That is, the merchant's remuneration is paid by means of transfers and electronic money. Conversely, the electronic money included in the settlement is: $ E = $ C - $ S (4) According to one embodiment of the present invention, the settlement of the buyer 107 with the merchant is based exactly on the actual sales $ C, for example, the merchant receives $ 108.00 in his bank account minus the appropriate merchant service fee. To carry out the settlement to the buyer, the buyer's computer 102 initiates transactions, directly or indirectly with the merchant, optionally through the merchant's bank account 108, for the purpose of making a conventional monetary payment to the merchant. For example, the buyer's computer 102 could simply send a check to the merchant. The settlement of the buyer 105 with the issuers P # through the settlement network 106, is based on the normal processing of P # l transfers, according to the existing networks and procedures, thus producing the buyer the total value of transfers $ S minus the exchange payments in these transfers. Likewise, in an adjustment flow 103 the liquid buyer with a central electronic money fund 104 the amount (positive or negative) of adjustment $ E, which is made through a conventional monetary payment. The electronic money fund 104 stores electronic money and exchanges electronic money with the buyer's computer 102 for conventional monetary payment. It can easily be observed that the merchant is faced with an acceptable payment scheme according to his real sales, while the issuer collects acceptable, "normal" payments based on the presented transfers. Likewise, the liquidation process according to the present invention performs most of the existing settlement networks 106. The settlement network 106 receives charge transfers totaling $ S from the buyer's computer 102 and returns to the buyer's computer 102 a conventional monetary payment for the transfer of charges, in the amount of $ S minus the exchange payment. It is the responsibility of the settlement network 106, to settle the payment of the transfer of charges with the holders of the payment cards. In this regard, the settlement network 106 may be a normal "conventional" charge settlement network in accordance with the prior art. The main difference is with the buyer's payment. Based on the transfers P # l, in the previous conventional system, a buyer could receive from an issuer the amount of $ Aconvenc? Onai: $ Aconvenc? Onal = $ S - I ($ S) (5) where I ( $) is the exchange payment in $ S. In addition, according to the conventional system, the buyer pays the merchant $ MCOnvenc? Onai $ Mconvenc? Onal = $ S - D ($ S) (6) where D ($ S) is the merchant service fee in $ S. according to the aforementioned modality, the buyer collects from the issuers, the same amount that was previously collected ($ ACOnvenc? onai), although it pays the merchant $ M? qu? dac? ón: $ Ml? qu? dac? ón = $ C - D ($ C) (7) and receive an adjustment amount of $ E of electronic money. Both $ C and D ($ S) and $ E are as defined above. The net payment that remains to the buyer in the conventional scheme, indicated here, is conventional: $ Rconventional = D ($ S) - I ($ S) (8) and according to the modality of the present invention, the net payment that remains for the buyer, indicated here as $ i? Data is: $ Rl_.qu_.dac..6n = D ($ S) - I ($ C) (9) The difference between the conventional net payment of the buyer and the net payment of the buyer in accordance with the present invention is: $ Rconventional - $ Rliquidation ~ 1 ($ C) _ I ($ S) (10) 5 In a payment scheme based on a fixed percentage, this is: $ ^ conventional -? Rliquidation = 1 (? C) _? S) (11) and, using Equation (4), this is: v Rconventional - Y Rliquidation - -L (v). (1 Z) ßß 10 In other words, the difference between the conventional net payment and the payment according to the present invention, is the exchange payment calculated in $ E, where $ E is the amount presented in the money fund electronic 104 for adjustment. $ E (made in 15 a conventional monetary payment) can be negative or positive, and is statistically averaged to zero. Therefore, in the mentioned modality, the buyer collects payments that deviate slightly from the "normal" payments collected in accordance with the transfers. Sometimes this small deviation will be positive and other times it will be negative, so that the average is zero. One method to handle these deviations is simply to accept them, since statistically these have no net effect. An alternative method is with respect to the electronic money settings with the electronic money fund of the system 104, together with the respective merchant service charges, and creating a mechanism for • mutual inter-buyer payment adjustment, to compensate for 5 such deviations.

Multiple Charge Functions in a Single Payment Card In another embodiment of the system according to the present invention, a payment card known as a "multiple charge function payment card" contains a plurality of different function marks of position. For example, said one payment card can have both a credit and debit charge function. In such a case, the client will select which of the various functions of charge to use for a particular purchase (provided, of course, the merchant honors the chosen charge function). Continuing with this example, the client 20 could wish to make a purchase of $ 50 pesos using the debit charge function of the payment card, although he may wish to make a purchase of $ 500 pesos using the credit card charge function of the payment card , even when there is a sufficient balance in the debit account to cover the purchase. Multiple charge function payment cards can be used in an isolated flow system (figure 1A, figure A, figure 2, and figure 3) or in a zero averaging flow system (figure 4, figure 4A, Figure 5, Figure 6, and Figure 7). Figure 11 illustrates one embodiment of a multiple charge function payment card which is suitable for use in an isolated flow system according to the present invention. The multiple charge function payment card 200 contains an external interface 200-10 and a plurality of marked charge functions illustrated as 200-1 and 200-5, which respectively have an account identification 200-2 and account identification 200-6; and which respectively have an electronic purchase 200-3 with a balance of electronic money 200-4 and an electronic purchase 200-7 with a balance of electronic money 200-8. The ellipsis (...) indicates that additional charge functions are also present in the 200 payment card. When used in an isolated flow system, the multiple charge function payment card 200 is charged with electronic money in the loading device 2 (figure 1 and figure A), according to the brand of the desired charge transaction selected by the customer 13 (figure 1 A ). For example, a • customer may wish to normally recharge the card payment with electronic money using a debit charge transaction, although you occasionally want to recharge the electronic money payment card using a credit charge transaction. At the moment of loading the payment card ß 10 of multiple charge function with electronic money, the electronic money could be Brand 1 or Brand n (in figure 11) and could be placed in electronic money 200-3 or electronic box 200-7, respectively (figure 11). Subsequently, the money electronic in the electronic box 200-3 will be associated with the Mark 1, and the electronic money in the electronic box 200-7 will be associated with the Mark n. Also, as electronic money flows (Figure 2) of the payment card 23 to the POS 26 and to the financial institution 20, this association of electronic money with the particular brand through which the charge was carried out, is maintained by all the devices that carry out transactions with electronic money. It should be noted that in the modality of Figure 11, each electronic box has a register identifying the brand of the content implicit in its brand identifier. That is, the registrar of the brand identification of the content of each electronic purchase is permanently assigned to the payment card. Figure 12 illustrates another embodiment of a multiple charge function payment card 300 for use in a zero average flow system in accordance with the present invention. Similarly to the payment card 8 of Figure 4A, the payment card 300 contains an external interface 300-10 and a single electronic box 300-1 which has an electronic money balance 300-2. However, in addition, the electronic box 300-1 also has a register of 15 identification of the explicit content 300-3, which associates the electronic money in the box ^ Electronic 300-1 with a specific charge function mark. In addition, instead of a single charge function 8-6 (FIG. 4A), a payment card 300 has 20 multiple charge functions illustrated as a charge function of Mark 1 300-4 and a charge function of Mark n 300 -8. The ellipsis (...) indicates that additional charge functions may also be present on the 300 payment card. The 25 charge function 300-4 has an account identifier 300-5 and a 300-6 mark. The 300-8 charge function also has an account identifier 300-7 and a 300-9 mark. The specific charge function that was most recently used in a charge transaction is identified by having its brand indicated on the brand identification id of the 300-3 content. Subsequently, the electronic box 300-1 has in effect the electronic money associated with the specific charge function, which was most recently used in a charge transaction. For example, if the 300-3 content mark identification registrar indicates the 1 300-6 Mark, then this means that the electronic money balance 300-2 was acquired through a transaction comprising the 1 300- Mark. 6 It should be noted that in the modality of figure 12, the identification recorder of the content mark 300-3 is writable and its value can be assigned again. When used in a zero-average flow system, the multi-charge function payment card 300 is automatically recharged with electronic money in the form of POS exchange, provided the purchase amount exceeds the amount of money electronic in the electronic payment card box (figure 4 and figure 4A) according to the brand of the desired charge function selected by the customer 13 for the charge transaction (figure 4A, with the operation as indicated in Figure 5). Therefore, it is necessary to have a form for associating a charge function mark with the electronic money in a single electronic box 300-1 of the multi-charge function payment card 300 through the brand identification id card. 300-3 content. Although the decision procedures for determining the change are basically the same for a multiple charge function payment card as for a regular payment card (a single charge function) (as stated above), the multiple charge function payment card has additional steps to ensure that all electronic money from the electronic box is associated with a single charge function mark (whose brand is indicated by the brand identification id of the content 300 -3) . If the purchase amount is greater than or equal to the minimum charge transaction, then no change is involved, and the processing of a purchase using a multiple charge function payment card is handled, as illustrated in Figure 5 , in the same way as in the use of a regular payment card. Similarly, if the purchase amount does not exceed the balance of the electronic money in the electronic box of the multiple charge function payment card, then no change is involved, and the processing of a purchase using a payment card Multiple charge function is also handled, as illustrated in Figure 5, in the same way as in the use of a regular payment card. fl 10 However, if the purchase amount is less than the minimum charge transaction, but greater than the balance of the electronic money in the electronic purchase, then a change is involved, and some additional steps are needed to ensure that all the money electronic of the electronic payment card of multiple charge function card, this associated with a single brand of charge function (whose brand is indicated by the brand identification id of the content 300-3). Figure 13, to which referenced below, shows the steps for a multiple charge function payment card, which are executed when the purchase amount is less than the minimum charge transaction but greater than the electronic cash balance of the electronic box.

In Figure 13, the processing begins at the output of step 5-6 (such as in Figure 5), where the total of the payment exceeds the balance of the electronic "" * "'money in the electronic box of the credit card. 5 multiple charge function payment ($ TOTAL <$ BALANCE is not the case, for example, $ TOTAL> $ BALANCE). At this point, it will be necessary to conduct a charge transaction and a multiple charge function payment card, it is the customer who determines the brand of this charge transaction. Therefore, at a decision point 13-2, the choice of the customer's charge function mark for the charge transaction is compared against the brand associated with electronic money in the electronic box, as indicated in the brand identification logger of the 300-3 content. If the customer selects the same charge function mark, then the rest of the transaction is handled in exactly the same way as on a regular charge card, and the The processing is summarized in step 5-7 of figure 5. However, if the customer selects for the present charge transaction, a different charge function mark which is associated with the balance in the electronic box (according to with the recorder identification of the content mark 300-3), then the electronic money existing in the electronic box must be removed and accounted for in some way so that before the money ^ Electronic pp is associated with a function mark of different charge, can be charged in the electronic box. Otherwise, the electronic money associated with various brands of charge function, will be mixed in the electronic box, thus making it impossible to liquidate and account for (adequate flP 10. Therefore, in a step 13-4, the entire balance ($ BALANCE) of the electronic money of the electronic box, it is paid to the purchase ($ TOTAL), thus emptying the electronic box. Subsequently, in a step 13-6, the payment of the $ BALANCE is recorded in the POS registration file for the trademark indicated by the trademark identification id of the content 300-3 (figure 12) of the payment card of the multiple charge function. This is maintained by the fact that the electronic money which has been transferred out of the electronic box is associated with the charge function flag indicated by the brand identification id of the 300-3 content and continues to maintain that association through the last transfer to the financial institution. Subsequently, in a step 13- 8, the $ MINCT of the minimum charge transaction amount is charged to the multiple charge function payment card through the charge function which was selected by the customer. Now at this point, the previous balance of the electronic box has already been paid against $ TOTAL of the purchase amount, so that the amount to be owed in the purchase is $ TOTAL $ BALANCE, where $ BALANCE is the original amount of electronic money in the electronic box at the beginning of the transaction. Therefore, the change that will be returned to the payment card of the multiple charge function through the POS is $ MINCT - $ TOTAL + $ BALANCE and step 13-10, the POS transfers this amount in the electronic purchase of the Multiple charge function payment card. Once the electronic money that represents this amount is associated with the brand of the charge transaction selected by the client, in a step 13-12, the registrar of the identification of the content mark 300-3 is adjusted to the mark selected by the client. The remaining amount due in the purchase ($ T0TAL - $ BALANCE) has been paid through the charge transaction, as in a step 13-14 the payment of $ TOTAL - $ SALDO is registered by the POS in the registration file for the brand selected by the customer (which is the brand now indicated by the identification register of the content mark 300-3). Finally, in a step 13-16, the value of $ BALANCE is updated to the new value of $ MINCT - $ TOTAL + $ BALANCE. The value of $ BALANCE is stored in register 300-2 of the payment card of the multiple payment function (figure 12). At this point, the processing returns to decision point 5-12 as in Figure 5, for a regular payment card. It should be noted that it is also possible to optionally omit decision point 13-2 and proceed directly to step 13-4 regardless of the customer's brand choice for the charge transaction. This produces the same overall net effect, although if the customer selects the same charge function mark for the charge transaction as has already been associated with the electronic money in the electronic box, the purchase transaction will be unnecessary and artificially split in two pieces and registered as in the POS registration file. One piece will comprise the electronic money in the electronic box and the other piece will comprise the charge transaction. Of course, these pieces will be added to the purchase amount ($ TOTAL) and both will be associated with the same charge transaction brand.

Additional Features of the POS The point of sale (POS) features according to the present invention, as described above and as illustrated in Figure 1A and Figure 4A, are sufficient for the basic operation of a customer service system. heterogeneous electronic money. However, in an additional embodiment there are additional features to provide expanded accounting and ease of use in a multiple POS environment. Figure 14, to which reference is now made, illustrates these additional features. An advanced POS 400, as described above, contains aggregate characteristics 400-2. In the case of a POS used in an isolated flow environment (Figure 1 A) the basic POS is illustrated through POS 6, and the added features 400-2 include log file 6-1, total pay 6-2 , electronic purchase payment unit 6-3, electronic money drawer 6-4, card interface 6-5, transaction manager 6-6, customer interface 6-7, electronic security 6-8, transaction unit charge 6-9, of processor interface 6-11. In the case of a POS used in a zero-average flow environment (Figure 4A) the basic POS is illustrated by POS 41, and the added features 400-2 include log file 41-1, total payment 41-2, electronic purchase payment unit 41-3, electronic money drawer 41-4, card interface 41-5, transaction manager 41-6, customer interface 41-7, electronic interface 41-8, charge transaction unit 41-9, electronic box loading unit 41-10, and processor interface 41-11. These additional features of the Advanced POS 400, include brand accounting modules of each brand accepted by the POS 400, illustrated as a brand accounting module of the Mark 1 400-10 and a brand accounting module of the Brand n 400-20. These brand accounting modules contain registers, such as transaction counters 400-12 and 400-22, respectively, and accumulated transaction balance recorders 400-14 and 400-24 respectively. These counters and registrars are additional examples of transaction records, as defined above. The ellipsis (...) indicates that additional marks can be represented by brand accounting modules. For each transaction made with a specific mark, the respective transaction counter is incremented and the accumulated and respective transaction balance register is updated to reflect the total transaction amount observed for the specific mark.

• The accounting information contained in the brand accounting module 5 can be used in a variety of ways. For example, the settlement terms for a particular brand may be conditioned on the number of transactions conducted by that brand. For the advanced POS 400, this number ßf 10 is contained in the transaction counter (400-14, 400-24) of the brand accounting module (400-10, 400-20) advanced POS 400. As another example, a merchant can have a large number of outlets and may want to consolidate the totals of the transaction for each brand, directly from said points of sales without having to extract and compile data from the registration files 6-1 (Figure IA) 0 41-1 (Figure 4A). The totals of the transaction for the respective brands are contained in accumulated transaction balance recorders 400-14 and 400-24. The brand accounting modules 400-10 and 400-20, can be reset to zero, as desired. Although the present invention has been described with With regard to a limited number of modalities, it will be appreciated that many variations, modifications and other applications thereof may be made. • •

Claims (17)

1. NOVELTY OF THE INVENTION Having described the present invention, it is considered as a novelty and therefore, it is claimed as • property contained in the following: 5 CLAIMS 1. A heterogeneous electronic money payment system that has at least two different charge function brands, each brand having charging terms and settlement terms, where the system is 10 of heterogeneous electronic money payment comprises: (a) a plurality of payment cards, each payment card belonging to a customer, each payment card having at least one function 15 charge for an account that can be uploaded remotely from said customer, and at least one electronic purchase that operates to contain electronic money and having a brand identification logger of the content to associate a trademark function with 20 charge with said electronic money; (b) at least one charging device that operates to interface with a specified payment card by adding electronic money to the electronic box of said specified payment card 25 against the payment of a charge function selected in accordance with the load terms of the brand of said selected charge function; (c) at least one point of sale having a transaction record and an electronic money drawer for storing electronic money, said operational point of sale interface with a payment card presented from said plurality of payment cards, receiving a payment of electronic money of said presented payment card, reading the mark of a predetermined charge function of said presented payment card, depositing said electronic money payment in said electronic money drawer and registering said electronic money payment together with said mark of a predetermined charge function in said transaction record; and (d) a settlement system that operates to settle electronic money payments in accordance with the settlement terms of the associated charge function brands of said electronic money payments.
2. 2. The system in accordance with the claim 1, characterized in that said point of sale is additionally operative, when communicating with a payment card and reading the mark of said payment card, to selectively accept or reject said payment card for payment.
3. 3. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that a first payment card is not allowed to transfer electronic money to a second payment card, whose charge function is a different brand than the charge function of said first payment card , and where a point of sale is allowed to transfer electronic money only to a settlement system.
4. 4. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the mark associated with said register of identification of the content mark is predetermined and can not be changed.
5. 5. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that the mark associated with said recorder identifying the content mark can be changed.
6. 6. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that said transaction register comprises a sequential data file.
7. 7. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that said transaction record comprises a cumulative register.
8. 8. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said loading devices is contained within an expanded point of sale, said expanded point of sale being operative when interfacing with a presented payment card chosen to pay a total payment in accordance with a specified charge function selected from said at least one charge function, said charge terms stipulating a predetermined charge total, to automatically determine if: a) the predetermined charge amount is charged to the specified charge function; b) said payment card is returned to the electronic box as a change, an amount of electronic money equal to the difference between said predetermined recharge total and said total payment; and c) record the total payment in the mark of said charge function specified in said transaction record.
9. 9. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that said settlement system is operative additionally to communicate with a selected point of sale and transfer electronic money with the electronic money drawer of ßtk 10 said selected point of sale.
10. 10. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that said settlement system comprises: a) a merchant's computer belonging to a merchant that operates to collect and present charge cards, transaction records and electronic money; b) a settlement network that operates to receive 20 charging networks and issue a conventional monetary payment for it; c) an operating electronic money fund to store electronic money and exchange electronic money for a conventional monetary payment; Y 25 d) a computer of the buyer that operates to: _ receive charge cards and electronic money; _ make a conventional monetary payment to said merchant; _ exchange electronic money with said electronic money fund for the conventional monetary payment; and _ submit charge cards to said settlement network in exchange with the conventional monetary payment.
11. 11. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that said at least one point of sale includes a plurality of brand accounting modules, each of which contains at least one registrar selected from the group consisting of a transaction counter and a cumulative transaction balance recorder.
12. 12. The system according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of said plurality of payment cards is a multiple charge function payment card containing a plurality of different brand charge functions.
13. 13. The system according to claim 8, characterized in that said expanded point of sale, when determining to add said • difference in said electronic box, subtract said difference from the electronic money accumulated in the electronic money drawer of said expanded point of sale.
14. 14. The system according to flj claim 10, characterized in that each of said plurality of charge functions contains an electronic box that has an electronic money balance.
15. 15. The system according to claim 12, characterized in that said multiple charge function payment card contains a single electronic box that has a balance of electronic money and an identification register of the 20 content mark which associates the electronic money in said one electronic box with a specific charge function mark.
16. 16. A method for managing a heterogeneous electronic money environment, the environment having a plurality of charge function marks, each brand having charging terms and settlement terms, the environment additionally having a plurality of payment cards, each card having payment an electronic box and a brand identification register of the content, the environment additionally having at least one loading device and at least one point of sale with an electronic cash drawer and a transaction record, 10 having in addition the environment a system of • settlement, the method comprising the steps of: (a) interfacing a selected payment card with a charging device, initiating a charge transaction with a charging function of said 15 selected payment card, transferring electronic money in the electronic box of said selected payment card according to the loading terms • of the mark of said charge function, and liquidating the identification register of the brand of the 20 content of said payment card selected to said brand of said charge function; (b) interfacing a payment card presented with a specified point of sale, transferring a payment of electronic money from the cashier The electronic card of said payment card presented to the electronic money drawer of said specified point of sale, and registering the adjusted brand in the register of identification of the content mark of said payment card presented in the transaction record of said point of sale. specified sale; and (C) record the sum of the payment and the mark of said charge function specified in said transaction record
17. 17. A method for associating a charge function mark with electronic money returned in the form of change from a purchase transaction to a multiple charge function payment card having a single electronic box, having the purchase transaction a total and being made through the new charge function mark, the electronic box containing only a balance of the electronic money associated with a pre-charge function mark, the electronic box having only one identification register of the content mark indicating the function of charge associated with the electronic money contained in the single electronic box, the method comprising the steps of: (a) paying the balance of the electronic money in the single electronic box the total of the purchase transaction, the payment being associated with the brand of indoor cargo function; (b) upload a predetermined minimum charge transaction amount to the new charge function mark; (c) return, in the form of exchange, an amount of electronic money to the electronic box, equal to said predetermined minimum charge transaction amount plus the balance minus the total transaction of the purchase; and (d) adjust the content mark identification register to indicate the new charge function mark.