WO2002093308A2 - Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance - Google Patents

Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance Download PDF

Info

Publication number
WO2002093308A2
WO2002093308A2 PCT/US2002/015358 US0215358W WO02093308A2 WO 2002093308 A2 WO2002093308 A2 WO 2002093308A2 US 0215358 W US0215358 W US 0215358W WO 02093308 A2 WO02093308 A2 WO 02093308A2
Authority
WO
WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
credit
credit card
card
insurance
balance
Prior art date
Application number
PCT/US2002/015358
Other languages
French (fr)
Other versions
WO2002093308A3 (en
Inventor
Michael Stanfield
Original Assignee
Intersections Inc.
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Intersections Inc. filed Critical Intersections Inc.
Priority to CA002447353A priority Critical patent/CA2447353A1/en
Priority to AU2002305605A priority patent/AU2002305605A1/en
Publication of WO2002093308A2 publication Critical patent/WO2002093308A2/en
Publication of WO2002093308A3 publication Critical patent/WO2002093308A3/en

Links

Classifications

    • GPHYSICS
    • G07CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07FCOIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F7/00Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus
    • G07F7/08Mechanisms actuated by objects other than coins to free or to actuate vending, hiring, coin or paper currency dispensing or refunding apparatus by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06QINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q20/00Payment architectures, schemes or protocols
    • G06Q20/38Payment protocols; Details thereof
    • G06Q20/40Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
    • G06Q20/403Solvency checks
    • G06Q20/4037Remote solvency checks
    • GPHYSICS
    • G06COMPUTING; CALCULATING OR COUNTING
    • G06QINFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
    • G06Q40/00Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
    • G06Q40/08Insurance
    • GPHYSICS
    • G07CHECKING-DEVICES
    • G07FCOIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS
    • G07F17/00Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services
    • G07F17/0014Coin-freed apparatus for hiring articles; Coin-freed facilities or services for vending, access and use of specific services not covered anywhere else in G07F17/00

Definitions

  • the present invention relates generally to the field of credit card balance protection and in particular to providing credit card insurance for multiple credit cards issued by different credit card issuers and a method of risk assessment and premium calculation for credit card insurance.
  • Accidental Death An insurance policy that pays off the outstanding balance or some portion of a cardholders account in the event of accidental death. Premiums are based on the balance at the end of the month, or the average balance, of the specific card.
  • Unemployment Insurance- Insurance that pays or waives the minimum payment due for a cardholder's account for a stated period of time when a cardholder has been laid off from their place of employment. Premiums are based on the balance at the end of the month, or the average balance, of the specific card.
  • the card issuer/insurer sells an insurance policy to the consumer.
  • the consumer then enjoys the benefits of the insurance protection with respect to the credit card to which the insurance relates.
  • the benefit is not widespread to the consumer's other credit cards issued by other issuers/banks.
  • card issuers/insurers are limited in the amount and number of accounts that can be insured by the policy, as will become evident from the following description of the current process.
  • the credit card issuer/Insurer charges an insurance premium to the consumer for providing the insurance protection.
  • the insurance premium is usually a variable amount computed by the card issuer/insurer based on the month end balance of the specific card issued by the specific bank or in some cases the average balance of such card. For example, assume a consumer has four credit cards issued by different issuers. The balances at the end of the month on each credit card are:
  • the consumer is protected by that policy for which he pays, for example, $0.30 per hundred dollars ($3.00) for the credit card insurance.
  • such insurance coverage does not extend to other credit cards issued by other entities where the card issuer/insurer has no specific knowledge of the credit card balances.
  • the credit card company and the insurer which in most cases are one and the same, are limited in issuing the insurance policy to the underlying specific card.
  • AmericanExpress issues policies to cover their Optima card balances.
  • AmericanExpress does not know what other cards an individual might carry so it cannot offer similar coverage on the consumer's other credit cards.
  • the insurer measures the balance of a single card, and the insurance coverage relates to that card.
  • the card issuer must also be the insurer as only the card issuer usually has access to information about the credit card. This leads to a lack of competition in the marketplace and high prices. There is no way to comparison shop for credit insurance under the current system. Either the consumer purchases credit insurance from the entity lending the money or credit or they do not purchase at all. Additionally, the lack of information limits the amount of protection provided and insurance premiums collected by the insurer.
  • FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the invention
  • FIG. 2 is a high level schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG.3 is a schematic diagram of a computer memory according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • FIG. 4 is a detailed flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.
  • the present invention provides a method and system for multi-credit card balance protection risk measurement.
  • banking institutions have begun to offer alternative services called "debt deferment programs" which are provided under rules promulgated under the Office of Controller of the Currency. These programs are limited by law to protecting balances of the card of the issuer.
  • the present invention also is capable of providing a method of providing credit card balance protection for multiple credit cards issued by different credit card issuers and a method of risk assessment and premium of the cost of the credit card protection in a non-insurance form, or any form the regulations in the future may allow.
  • the amount of risk an underwriter undertakes in issuing a credit card insurance policy covering credit cards issued by different issuers can be determined utilizing the invention. Additionally, the invention can be used to determine various parameters of the insurance policy, such as an insurance premium and the insurance policy limits, among others.
  • the present invention can acquire and utilize information on balances of credit cards issue by multiple parties.
  • the balances of these other cards can be computed, thus allowing a basis for insuring and charging premiums related to multiple credit card balances.
  • a method of risk measurement for multiple credit card insurance is provided.
  • Balance information regarding each of the credit cards is obtained.
  • At least two of the credit cards are provided by different issuers.
  • the insurance policy parameters are then determined based on the policy information.
  • balance information for each credit card is obtained from at least two different databases.
  • the balance information for each credit card is averaged to determine an average balance for that credit card.
  • the average balance for each credit card is used to compute the insurance premium.
  • the method may determine when a customer has added or deleted credit cards. These changes can be dynamically reflected in the insurance parameters determined.
  • a system for multi-credit card insurance risk assessment is provided.
  • the system is typically used in an environment where customers own a plurality of credit cards issued by different card issuers.
  • the system includes means for obtaining account information regarding each of the credit cards and means for determining insurance policy parameters based on the account information.
  • the present invention provides a method and system for multi-credit card insurance risk measurement.
  • the amount of risk an underwriter undertakes in issuing a credit card insurance policy covering credit cards issued by different issuers can be determined utilizing the invention. Additionally, the invention can be used to determine various parameters of the insurance policy, such as an insurance premium and the insurance policy limits, among others.
  • the present invention creates the ability for the credit card issuer/insurer to substantially expand the amount of coverage that can be provided. Moreover, the present invention can provide a mechanism for the credit card issuer/insurer to measure the amount of exposure under the policy, to measure and limit that exposure if that is an underwriting requirement and to measure the amount of premium to be charged on a monthly basis.
  • an insurer issues an insurance policy covering a number of credit cards.
  • the policy can cover credit cards issued by different parties.
  • the credit card issuer is typically the insurer. This is due to the fact that in the past only the credit card issuer has access to the account information that is used to determine the parameters, such as the premium, of the insurance policy.
  • any entity can be the insurer.
  • step 10 it is identified which of the consumer's credit cards are covered by the insurance policy. This information can be obtained in any manner for example, from the customer, from a credit bureau or from another source.
  • step 12 data regarding the credit cards is obtained.
  • the data obtained in step 12 includes account or credit information, such as the outstanding balance for the month or average monthly balance, the amount of available credit, etc., for each of the credit cards covered by the policy.
  • a credit report for the customer can be mined to obtain this data.
  • various parameters of the insurance policy are determined based at least in part on the data obtained in step 12. For example, the insurance premium for the policy can be calculated based on the outstanding balances for all credit cards covered by the policy. Information regarding each of the credit cards is preferably obtained in step 12. Therefore, this calculation can be carried out no matter who the issuer of the card may be.
  • the customer is then informed of the policy parameters, for example by being billed in the applicable amount for the insurance premium, in step 16.
  • At least one computer or server 24 is communicatively connected to at least one database 20a-20c via a network 22.
  • the network 22 may include the Internet, intranets, extranets, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and the like.
  • the databases 20a-20c may be any database that contains data of customers needed to carry out the process. As mentioned above, this data can include outstanding balance, available credit, etc. for credit cards.
  • FIG. 2 shows three databases 20a-20c which represent information available from the three current national credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
  • the database may represent an account consohdator, such as Yodlee.
  • the customer may have authorized the account consohdator to access and consolidate online the statements of several credit card accounts.
  • the account consohdator accesses the online systems of these credit card companies on a daily basis, obtains the balance information, and forms the balance information into a consolidated statement.
  • the information in the consolidated statement is made available to the computer 22 via the database 20.
  • the database 20 maybe a database of the credit card companies and credit information can be obtained directly therefrom. Of course, any number of databases can be used.
  • the computer 24 should include means to obtain the data from the database. This may be accomplished by the database sending the data to the computer or the computer may need to search or mine the information available in the database to find the relevant data.
  • the computer may include the necessary software to perform these functions.
  • the computer may include in a memory portion a first code segment for a communication module that interfaces with the databases and acquires the data.
  • a communication module should also be provided to interface with the credit card company or insurer.
  • the computer 24 should have access to some basic customer information.
  • the customer information may simply be a customer name or social security number or it may associate the name or number with the credit cards the customer owns.
  • the customer information may also include information about the insurance policy. This information may be stored on a separate database accessible by the computer or in the computer memory.
  • the computer 24 uses the customer information to communicate with the databases 20 to obtain the data.
  • the computer determines which of the credit cards covered by the insurance policy have balances, what those balances are, and any other information needed to measure the risk or determine the parameters of the insurance policy.
  • the computer After retrieving the data from the databases, the computer uses that information to determine parameters of the insurance policy. This can be done with a second code segment for determining the insurance policy parameters shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the computer can pass the information along to the insurer or another entity that can determine the parameters. After the parameters are determined, they can be provided to the customer and/or the insurer.
  • FIG. 2 illustrates the parameters being provided to a credit card company 26 that has issued credit card insurance to its customers.
  • the computer 24 can calculate insurance premiums and provide the amount of the premium to the credit card company 26 or other insurer.
  • the credit card company 26 then charges the customer 28 the premium, for example, by charging the customer's credit card issued by the insurer.
  • FIG. 4 illustrates a more detailed process according to a further embodiment of the invention. The system shown in FIG.
  • credit has become widely available and most consumers today use several different credit cards. These credit cards may or may not be provided by the same card issuer. Assume for this example, a customer uses four credit cards, each credit cards being issued by a different card issuer. The customer purchases a credit card insurance policy, for example, a credit life policy described above, with Card C's issuing bank. Card C's issuing bank sells the consumer a multi-card Credit Life Insurance program that, in this case, insures all credit cards owned by the customer per step 30. In an alternate embodiment, only selected ones of the customer's credit cards, such as those chosen by the customer, may be covered by the credit card insurance policy.
  • a credit card insurance policy for example, a credit life policy described above
  • the present invention allows parameters of the insurance policy to be determined dynamically based on information about the credit cards. Exactly what parameters can be determined will depend in part on the information that is available about the credit card. Usually balance information about credit cards is available from various databases, such as a national credit bureau or the credit card issuer. Credit report monitoring techniques may be used to obtain data regarding the credit cards covered by the insurance policy.
  • the customer may add new credit cards or delete credit cards depending on the situation. Since the credit card insurance policy issued to the customer in this example covers all the credit cards owned by the customer, it is determined in step 32 exactly what credit cards are owned by the customer at that particular time. As credit cards are added or deleted by the consumer, those changes in credit card status are usually posted in the credit bureau data. That information can be retrieved and used in determining the insurance premium. Thus, the consumer receives the benefit of insurance of new cards and the elimination of the costs of insuring cards that are closed or have no balances. In step 34, balance information or other data is retrieved for each credit card.
  • the information is preferably retrieved from at least two different databases.
  • the balance information from each database for each credit card is averaged and the average is used in subsequent calculations, for example, calculating the insurance premium. Use of this averaging technique will mitigate errors and timing issues as information is reported and entered into the databases.
  • the information is received from three databases that represent the three current national credit bureaus. The following table illustrates balance information that may be received from the databases.
  • the outstanding balances the customer has at Card A, B, C and D is obtained from three different databases.
  • the outstanding balances for each credit card from each database is then averaged per step 36.
  • the average balances are totaled and used to determine the insurance premium in step 38.
  • the total average balance is $6,500, as can be seen from the above table.
  • Most credit card insurance calculates the premium as a percentage of the total outstanding balance, for example $.30 per hundred dollars of outstanding balance.
  • the gross premium will be $6,500 *3 or $19.50 per month.
  • the insurance premium maybe determined based on other information, such as an average monthly balance, and other methods may be used to calculate the premium.
  • various other parameters for the insurance policy can be determined or adjusted based on the data obtained about the credit cards.
  • the policy limits can be adjusted based on the information gathered.
  • Most credit card insurance policies insure the customer up to the credit limit for the card.
  • the insurer may not cover any amounts exceeding the credit limit or may charge an additional premium for such coverage.
  • the method can also be used for risk assessment purposes.
  • the insurance premiums or other parameters should be communicated to the insurer and/or customer. This can be done in any manner.
  • the customer may be issued a statement detailing the balances on the various cards covered by the insurance policy.
  • one of the card issuers is also the insurer.
  • the card issuer/insurer may then charge the premium amount to the customer on their credit card as shown in step 40.
  • the insurance premium is typically calculated based on the credit card balance. As is known, most credit cards bill on a monthly cycle. Thus, the balance and potential risk to the insurer changes monthly. Accordingly, balance information for each of the credit cards covered by the policy should be retrieved from the databases and the calculations performed on a monthly basis. Therefore, the process returns to step 32 and repeats.
  • a system and method for providing multi-credit card insurance allows an insurer to measure the risk and calculate parameters of the insurance policy even if the insurance policy covers credit cards issued by different issuers. Moreover, the present invention can compute that there are balances at multiple cards, what those balances are, and then charge premiums reliably based on that balance information. According to one embodiment, a computer at a central location can calculate the parameters, h another embodiment, the information is passed along to the insurer, who calculates the parameters.
  • the present invention allows for more insurance options for the consumer, instead of having to rely only on the credit card issuer for insurance for that particular card. Furthermore, the method and system increases the premium per acquisition dollar thereby creating an avenue for lower pricing to the consumer.

Abstract

A method and system for multi-credit card insurance risk management is provided. The amount of risk an underwriter undertakes in issuing a credit card insurance policy covering credit cards issued by different issuers can be determined utilizing the invention. Additionally, the invention can be used to determine various parameters of the insurance policy (14), such as premium and the insurance policy limits, among others.

Description

Method and System for Providing Multi-Credit Card Insurance
Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of credit card balance protection and in particular to providing credit card insurance for multiple credit cards issued by different credit card issuers and a method of risk assessment and premium calculation for credit card insurance.
Background of the Invention Modernly, more and more transactions in commerce have come to rely upon the convenience of utilizing a transaction card such as a credit card for the purchasing of goods and services. In fact, credit cards have become ubiquitous in society and it is estimated that U.S. annual credit card charge volume will reach $2 trillion by 2003. As a value-added provision for their customers and an additional source of revenue, many credit card issuers offer credit insurance. Various forms of credit insurance, such as the following, are available.
• Credit Life Insurance- An insurance policy that pays off the outstanding balance of the cardholder's account in the event of natural death. Premiums are based on the balance at the end of the month, or the average balance, of the specific card.
• Accidental Death or Disability- An insurance policy that pays off the balance or some portion thereof of the cardholder's account based on a fixed schedule for death and instances of disability. Premiums are based on the balance at the end of the month, or the average balance, of the specific card.
• Accidental Death- An insurance policy that pays off the outstanding balance or some portion of a cardholders account in the event of accidental death. Premiums are based on the balance at the end of the month, or the average balance, of the specific card.
• Unemployment Insurance- Insurance that pays or waives the minimum payment due for a cardholder's account for a stated period of time when a cardholder has been laid off from their place of employment. Premiums are based on the balance at the end of the month, or the average balance, of the specific card.
hi a typical example of the current process, the card issuer/insurer sells an insurance policy to the consumer. The consumer then enjoys the benefits of the insurance protection with respect to the credit card to which the insurance relates. However, the benefit is not widespread to the consumer's other credit cards issued by other issuers/banks. Moreover, under the current process, card issuers/insurers are limited in the amount and number of accounts that can be insured by the policy, as will become evident from the following description of the current process. In order to cover the risk of providing the insurance, the credit card issuer/Insurer charges an insurance premium to the consumer for providing the insurance protection. The insurance premium is usually a variable amount computed by the card issuer/insurer based on the month end balance of the specific card issued by the specific bank or in some cases the average balance of such card. For example, assume a consumer has four credit cards issued by different issuers. The balances at the end of the month on each credit card are:
Card A: $500
Card B: $1000
Card C: $2000
Card D $3000
The consumer purchases a credit card insurance policy with Card B's issuing bank. The consumer is protected by that policy for which he pays, for example, $0.30 per hundred dollars ($3.00) for the credit card insurance. However, such insurance coverage does not extend to other credit cards issued by other entities where the card issuer/insurer has no specific knowledge of the credit card balances. In each type of insurance described above, or for that matter in any insurance related to the card balance, the credit card company and the insurer, which in most cases are one and the same, are limited in issuing the insurance policy to the underlying specific card. The consumer cannot be offered, or cannot purchase, such insurance with other credit cards they may use, unless they buy the insurance from the other issuing bank. That limitation is created by the lack of information regarding other cards. For example, AmericanExpress issues policies to cover their Optima card balances. However, AmericanExpress does not know what other cards an individual might carry so it cannot offer similar coverage on the consumer's other credit cards. Thus, in all known cases, the insurer measures the balance of a single card, and the insurance coverage relates to that card. Furthermore, the card issuer must also be the insurer as only the card issuer usually has access to information about the credit card. This leads to a lack of competition in the marketplace and high prices. There is no way to comparison shop for credit insurance under the current system. Either the consumer purchases credit insurance from the entity lending the money or credit or they do not purchase at all. Additionally, the lack of information limits the amount of protection provided and insurance premiums collected by the insurer.
Therefore, there is a need for credit card insurance that can cover multiple credit cards, no matter whom issues the credit card. There is also a need for a method of risk assessment and premium calculation for providing the insurance. Additionally, there is a need method and system which can provide credit card insurance covering multiple credit cards at a reasonable cost.
Brief Description of the Drawings
FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG. 2 is a high level schematic diagram of a system according to an embodiment of the invention;
FIG.3 is a schematic diagram of a computer memory according to an embodiment of the invention; and
FIG. 4 is a detailed flow diagram of a method according to an embodiment of the invention.
Summary of the Invention The present invention provides a method and system for multi-credit card balance protection risk measurement. Over recent years, banking institutions have begun to offer alternative services called "debt deferment programs" which are provided under rules promulgated under the Office of Controller of the Currency. These programs are limited by law to protecting balances of the card of the issuer. The present invention also is capable of providing a method of providing credit card balance protection for multiple credit cards issued by different credit card issuers and a method of risk assessment and premium of the cost of the credit card protection in a non-insurance form, or any form the regulations in the future may allow.
The amount of risk an underwriter undertakes in issuing a credit card insurance policy covering credit cards issued by different issuers can be determined utilizing the invention. Additionally, the invention can be used to determine various parameters of the insurance policy, such as an insurance premium and the insurance policy limits, among others.
The present invention can acquire and utilize information on balances of credit cards issue by multiple parties. The balances of these other cards can be computed, thus allowing a basis for insuring and charging premiums related to multiple credit card balances. In an exemplary embodiment, a method of risk measurement for multiple credit card insurance is provided. Balance information regarding each of the credit cards is obtained. At least two of the credit cards are provided by different issuers. The insurance policy parameters are then determined based on the policy information. In a more detailed embodiment, balance information for each credit card is obtained from at least two different databases. The balance information for each credit card is averaged to determine an average balance for that credit card. The average balance for each credit card is used to compute the insurance premium. Additionally, the method may determine when a customer has added or deleted credit cards. These changes can be dynamically reflected in the insurance parameters determined.
According to another embodiment, a system for multi-credit card insurance risk assessment is provided. The system is typically used in an environment where customers own a plurality of credit cards issued by different card issuers. The system includes means for obtaining account information regarding each of the credit cards and means for determining insurance policy parameters based on the account information. Detailed Description of the Invention
The present invention provides a method and system for multi-credit card insurance risk measurement. The amount of risk an underwriter undertakes in issuing a credit card insurance policy covering credit cards issued by different issuers can be determined utilizing the invention. Additionally, the invention can be used to determine various parameters of the insurance policy, such as an insurance premium and the insurance policy limits, among others.
As described above, current credit card insurance only covers credit cards issued by a single card issuer. Until the present invention, it has not been possible to obtain a credit card insurance policy that covers credit cards issued by different issuers. The present invention creates the ability for the credit card issuer/insurer to substantially expand the amount of coverage that can be provided. Moreover, the present invention can provide a mechanism for the credit card issuer/insurer to measure the amount of exposure under the policy, to measure and limit that exposure if that is an underwriting requirement and to measure the amount of premium to be charged on a monthly basis.
Referring now to FIG. 1, an overview of a method according to an embodiment of the invention will be described. As in initial step, an insurer issues an insurance policy covering a number of credit cards. The policy can cover credit cards issued by different parties. Under the current process of providing credit card insurance, the credit card issuer is typically the insurer. This is due to the fact that in the past only the credit card issuer has access to the account information that is used to determine the parameters, such as the premium, of the insurance policy. However, in the present invention any entity can be the insurer. In step 10, it is identified which of the consumer's credit cards are covered by the insurance policy. This information can be obtained in any manner for example, from the customer, from a credit bureau or from another source. Next in step 12, data regarding the credit cards is obtained. The more data that can be obtained, the more the insurance policy can be tailored and modified to fit the particular circumstances. Preferably, the data obtained in step 12 includes account or credit information, such as the outstanding balance for the month or average monthly balance, the amount of available credit, etc., for each of the credit cards covered by the policy. A credit report for the customer can be mined to obtain this data. In step 14, various parameters of the insurance policy are determined based at least in part on the data obtained in step 12. For example, the insurance premium for the policy can be calculated based on the outstanding balances for all credit cards covered by the policy. Information regarding each of the credit cards is preferably obtained in step 12. Therefore, this calculation can be carried out no matter who the issuer of the card may be. The customer is then informed of the policy parameters, for example by being billed in the applicable amount for the insurance premium, in step 16.
Referring now to FIG. 2, a system that can be used to perform a process according to the present invention is described. At least one computer or server 24 is communicatively connected to at least one database 20a-20c via a network 22. The network 22 may include the Internet, intranets, extranets, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), and the like. The databases 20a-20c may be any database that contains data of customers needed to carry out the process. As mentioned above, this data can include outstanding balance, available credit, etc. for credit cards. FIG. 2 shows three databases 20a-20c which represent information available from the three current national credit bureaus, Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion.
In an alternative embodiment, the database may represent an account consohdator, such as Yodlee. The customer may have authorized the account consohdator to access and consolidate online the statements of several credit card accounts. The account consohdator accesses the online systems of these credit card companies on a daily basis, obtains the balance information, and forms the balance information into a consolidated statement. The information in the consolidated statement is made available to the computer 22 via the database 20. In a further embodiment, the database 20 maybe a database of the credit card companies and credit information can be obtained directly therefrom. Of course, any number of databases can be used.
The computer 24 should include means to obtain the data from the database. This may be accomplished by the database sending the data to the computer or the computer may need to search or mine the information available in the database to find the relevant data. In this regard, the computer may include the necessary software to perform these functions. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the computer may include in a memory portion a first code segment for a communication module that interfaces with the databases and acquires the data. A communication module should also be provided to interface with the credit card company or insurer.
To facilitate the acquisition of data relating to the credit cards, the computer 24 should have access to some basic customer information. The customer information may simply be a customer name or social security number or it may associate the name or number with the credit cards the customer owns. The customer information may also include information about the insurance policy. This information may be stored on a separate database accessible by the computer or in the computer memory. Using the customer information, the computer 24 communicates with the databases 20 to obtain the data. In an exemplary embodiment, the computer determines which of the credit cards covered by the insurance policy have balances, what those balances are, and any other information needed to measure the risk or determine the parameters of the insurance policy.
After retrieving the data from the databases, the computer uses that information to determine parameters of the insurance policy. This can be done with a second code segment for determining the insurance policy parameters shown in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the computer can pass the information along to the insurer or another entity that can determine the parameters. After the parameters are determined, they can be provided to the customer and/or the insurer. FIG. 2 illustrates the parameters being provided to a credit card company 26 that has issued credit card insurance to its customers. The computer 24 can calculate insurance premiums and provide the amount of the premium to the credit card company 26 or other insurer. The credit card company 26 then charges the customer 28 the premium, for example, by charging the customer's credit card issued by the insurer. FIG. 4 illustrates a more detailed process according to a further embodiment of the invention. The system shown in FIG. 2 may be used to carry out this method. As discussed above, credit has become widely available and most consumers today use several different credit cards. These credit cards may or may not be provided by the same card issuer. Assume for this example, a customer uses four credit cards, each credit cards being issued by a different card issuer. The customer purchases a credit card insurance policy, for example, a credit life policy described above, with Card C's issuing bank. Card C's issuing bank sells the consumer a multi-card Credit Life Insurance program that, in this case, insures all credit cards owned by the customer per step 30. In an alternate embodiment, only selected ones of the customer's credit cards, such as those chosen by the customer, may be covered by the credit card insurance policy.
The present invention allows parameters of the insurance policy to be determined dynamically based on information about the credit cards. Exactly what parameters can be determined will depend in part on the information that is available about the credit card. Usually balance information about credit cards is available from various databases, such as a national credit bureau or the credit card issuer. Credit report monitoring techniques may be used to obtain data regarding the credit cards covered by the insurance policy.
The customer may add new credit cards or delete credit cards depending on the situation. Since the credit card insurance policy issued to the customer in this example covers all the credit cards owned by the customer, it is determined in step 32 exactly what credit cards are owned by the customer at that particular time. As credit cards are added or deleted by the consumer, those changes in credit card status are usually posted in the credit bureau data. That information can be retrieved and used in determining the insurance premium. Thus, the consumer receives the benefit of insurance of new cards and the elimination of the costs of insuring cards that are closed or have no balances. In step 34, balance information or other data is retrieved for each credit card.
The information is preferably retrieved from at least two different databases. The balance information from each database for each credit card is averaged and the average is used in subsequent calculations, for example, calculating the insurance premium. Use of this averaging technique will mitigate errors and timing issues as information is reported and entered into the databases. Here, the information is received from three databases that represent the three current national credit bureaus. The following table illustrates balance information that may be received from the databases.
Figure imgf000011_0001
Consequently, at a predetermined time, information on the outstanding balances the customer has at Card A, B, C and D is obtained from three different databases. The outstanding balances for each credit card from each database is then averaged per step 36. The average balances are totaled and used to determine the insurance premium in step 38. hi this case, the total average balance is $6,500, as can be seen from the above table. Most credit card insurance calculates the premium as a percentage of the total outstanding balance, for example $.30 per hundred dollars of outstanding balance. Here, the gross premium will be $6,500 *3 or $19.50 per month. Of course, the insurance premium maybe determined based on other information, such as an average monthly balance, and other methods may be used to calculate the premium.
Moreover, various other parameters for the insurance policy can be determined or adjusted based on the data obtained about the credit cards. For example, the policy limits can be adjusted based on the information gathered. Most credit card insurance policies insure the customer up to the credit limit for the card. The insurer may not cover any amounts exceeding the credit limit or may charge an additional premium for such coverage. Thus, the method can also be used for risk assessment purposes. After the insurance premiums or other parameters are determined, they should be communicated to the insurer and/or customer. This can be done in any manner. In this example, the customer may be issued a statement detailing the balances on the various cards covered by the insurance policy. In a preferred embodiment, one of the card issuers is also the insurer. The card issuer/insurer may then charge the premium amount to the customer on their credit card as shown in step 40. As described above, the insurance premium is typically calculated based on the credit card balance. As is known, most credit cards bill on a monthly cycle. Thus, the balance and potential risk to the insurer changes monthly. Accordingly, balance information for each of the credit cards covered by the policy should be retrieved from the databases and the calculations performed on a monthly basis. Therefore, the process returns to step 32 and repeats.
Accordingly, a system and method for providing multi-credit card insurance is provided. The present invention allows an insurer to measure the risk and calculate parameters of the insurance policy even if the insurance policy covers credit cards issued by different issuers. Moreover, the present invention can compute that there are balances at multiple cards, what those balances are, and then charge premiums reliably based on that balance information. According to one embodiment, a computer at a central location can calculate the parameters, h another embodiment, the information is passed along to the insurer, who calculates the parameters.
The present invention allows for more insurance options for the consumer, instead of having to rely only on the credit card issuer for insurance for that particular card. Furthermore, the method and system increases the premium per acquisition dollar thereby creating an avenue for lower pricing to the consumer.
The embodiments illustrated and discussed in this specification are intended only to teach those skilled in the art the best way known to the inventors to make and use the invention. Nothing in this specification should be considered as limiting the scope of the present invention. The above-described embodiments of the invention may be modified or varied, and elements added or omitted, without departing from the invention, as appreciated by those skilled in the art in light of the above teachings. It is therefore to be understood that, within the scope of the claims and their equivalents, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically described. For example, various information other than balance information can be gathered. The gathered information can be used to determine other parameters. Additionally, the different computers and processes they perform can be combined.

Claims

Claims I claim:
1. A method of risk measurement for multiple credit card balance protection, comprising: obtaining balance information regarding each of the credit cards, at least two of the credit cards being provided by different issuers; and determining protection policy parameters based on the policy information.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein balance information is obtained monthly
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protection policy covers selected ones of the credit cards.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the protection policy covers all credit cards owned by the customer.
5. The method of claim 4, further comprising determining all the credit cards owned by the customer using credit report monitoring techniques.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining when the customer has added another credit card; and automatically including balance information regarding the added credit card in determining the protection policy premium.
7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining when the customer has deleted a credit card; and automatically deleting balance information regarding the deleted credit card in determining the protection policy premium.
8. A method for insuring multiple credit cards issued by different card issuers, comprising: receiving balance information regarding each credit card from at least one database; and computing an insurance premium based on the balance information.
9. The method of claim 8, further comprising charging a customer the insurance premium for providing selected insurance protection.
10. The method of claim 8, wherein the database is a national credit bureau.
11. The method of claim 8, further comprising: receiving the balance information for each credit card from at least two different databases; averaging the balance information received for each credit card to determine an average balance for that credit card; and using the average balance as the balance information to compute the insurance premium.
12. The method of claim 8, wherein the balance information for all the credit cards is received from the same database.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the database is an account consohdator.
14. The method of claim 8, wherein the balance information for the credit cards issued by different card issuers is received from different databases.
15. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining when the customer has added another credit card; and automatically receiving balance information regarding the added credit card.
16. The method of claim 8, further comprising: determining when the customer has deleted a credit card; and automatically deleting balance information regarding the deleted credit card from the computation.
17. The method of claim 8, wherein the charging step comprises directly charging the insurance premium to a selected one of the customer's credit cards.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selected one of the credit cards is the credit card issued by an insurer.
19. The method of claim 8, wherein the balance information includes the card balance for each credit card covered by the policy at the end of a billing cycle.
20. The method of claim 8, wherein the balance information includes an average monthly balance for each credit card covered by the policy.
21. A method for insuring a plurality of credit cards owned by a customer and issued by multiple parties, comprising: determining all credit cards owned by the customer; at a predetermined time each month, determining on outstanding balance an each credit card owned by the customer; totaling all of the outstanding balances; and calculating a premium based on the total of the balances.
22. The method of claim 21, further comprising charging the premium to the customer.
23. The method of claim 21 , wherein the determining step comprises monitoring a credit report for the customer.
24. A method for providing credit card insurance, comprising: issuing a credit card insurance policy to a customer having a plurality of credit cards, at least two of the credit cards being issued by different card issuers; generating an insurance premium based on account information regarding at least two of the credit cards that are issued by different card issuers; and charging the insurance premium to the customer.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein the insurance premium is based on a type of insurance provided.
26. The method of claim 24, wherein the account information includes the average balance for the month.
27. The method of claim 24, wherein the account information includes balance information for each of the plurality of credit cards.
28. The method of claim 24, wherein the account information includes the balance on each credit at the end of a billing cycle.
29. The method of claim 24, further comprising: gathering balance information for at least one card from multiple sources; and averaging the balance information.
30. In an environment where customers own a plurality of credit cards issued by different card issuers, a system for multi-credit card insurance risk assessment, comprising: means for obtaining account information regarding each of the credit cards; and means for determining insurance policy parameters based on the account information.
31. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for obtaining comprises a first computer code segment executing on a computer processing unit.
32. The system of claim 30, wherein the means for determining comprises a second computer code segment executing on a computer processing unit.
PCT/US2002/015358 2001-05-17 2002-05-16 Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance WO2002093308A2 (en)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CA002447353A CA2447353A1 (en) 2001-05-17 2002-05-16 Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance
AU2002305605A AU2002305605A1 (en) 2001-05-17 2002-05-16 Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US29160401P 2001-05-17 2001-05-17
US60/291,604 2001-05-17

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
WO2002093308A2 true WO2002093308A2 (en) 2002-11-21
WO2002093308A3 WO2002093308A3 (en) 2003-05-01

Family

ID=23120988

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
PCT/US2002/015358 WO2002093308A2 (en) 2001-05-17 2002-05-16 Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance

Country Status (3)

Country Link
AU (1) AU2002305605A1 (en)
CA (1) CA2447353A1 (en)
WO (1) WO2002093308A2 (en)

Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6088686A (en) * 1995-12-12 2000-07-11 Citibank, N.A. System and method to performing on-line credit reviews and approvals
WO2001016845A1 (en) * 1999-08-31 2001-03-08 Insurance Technology Services Of America, Inc. Method and apparatus for network-based automated insurance transaction processing
US6315196B1 (en) * 1998-04-28 2001-11-13 Citibank, N.A. Method and system for debt deferment
US20020091551A1 (en) * 2000-09-19 2002-07-11 Robert Parisi Internet insurance product
US20020111835A1 (en) * 2000-11-06 2002-08-15 Hele John C. R. Underwriting insurance

Patent Citations (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US6088686A (en) * 1995-12-12 2000-07-11 Citibank, N.A. System and method to performing on-line credit reviews and approvals
US6315196B1 (en) * 1998-04-28 2001-11-13 Citibank, N.A. Method and system for debt deferment
WO2001016845A1 (en) * 1999-08-31 2001-03-08 Insurance Technology Services Of America, Inc. Method and apparatus for network-based automated insurance transaction processing
US20020091551A1 (en) * 2000-09-19 2002-07-11 Robert Parisi Internet insurance product
US20020111835A1 (en) * 2000-11-06 2002-08-15 Hele John C. R. Underwriting insurance

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
WO2002093308A3 (en) 2003-05-01
CA2447353A1 (en) 2002-11-21
AU2002305605A1 (en) 2002-11-25

Similar Documents

Publication Publication Date Title
US20080133278A1 (en) Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance
US7624068B1 (en) Method and system for dynamically adjusting discount rates for a card transaction
US8744915B2 (en) System, program product, and method for debit card and checking account autodraw
US8738451B2 (en) System, program product, and method for debit card and checking account autodraw
US8577698B2 (en) Retail price hedging
US8612347B1 (en) Late fee avoidance system
KR100432430B1 (en) Electronic Stock Used Electronic Payment System, And That Method
US20070118449A1 (en) Trust-linked debit card technology
US20130110557A1 (en) Method for determining insurance benefits and premiums from dynamic credit information
US20060271476A1 (en) Systems and methods to facilitate payment for shipped goods
JP2008512777A (en) System and method for performing asymmetric offset in a risk management system
JP2008515034A (en) System and method for flexible spread participation
KR101797678B1 (en) Peer to Peer platform service system
US20040078250A1 (en) Dedicated risk management line of credit
KR102129495B1 (en) System for unsecured funding to credit card member store via purchase of undetermined future credit obligation
KR101775400B1 (en) The investor leading franchiser funding system via platform construction
KR20050007197A (en) Management system for open position with indication for loss cut and held stock management system with indication for loss cut
US20070073615A1 (en) Presentation instrument transaction processing pricing systems and methods
WO2002093308A2 (en) Method and system for providing multi-credit card insurance
JP2017097669A (en) Accounting system and accounting processing method
KR20030031499A (en) Account settling system
Bradford The investment industry for IT practitioners: an introductory guide
Brown et al. Current developments in bank deposits and payment systems
KR101842686B1 (en) System of Automobile Installment Finance
Butler IRC 461 (h): Tax Fairness and the Deduction of Future Liabilities

Legal Events

Date Code Title Description
AK Designated states

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): AE AG AL AM AT AU AZ BA BB BG BR BY BZ CA CH CN CO CR CU CZ DE DK DM DZ EC EE ES FI GB GD GE GH GM HR HU ID IL IN IS JP KE KG KP KR KZ LC LK LR LS LT LU LV MA MD MG MK MN MW MX MZ NO NZ OM PH PL PT RO RU SD SE SG SI SK SL TJ TM TN TR TT TZ UA UG US UZ VN YU ZA ZM ZW

AL Designated countries for regional patents

Kind code of ref document: A2

Designated state(s): GH GM KE LS MW MZ SD SL SZ TZ UG ZM ZW AM AZ BY KG KZ MD RU TJ TM AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LU MC NL PT SE TR BF BJ CF CG CI CM GA GN GQ GW ML MR NE SN TD TG

121 Ep: the epo has been informed by wipo that ep was designated in this application
DFPE Request for preliminary examination filed prior to expiration of 19th month from priority date (pct application filed before 20040101)
WWE Wipo information: entry into national phase

Ref document number: 2447353

Country of ref document: CA

REG Reference to national code

Ref country code: DE

Ref legal event code: 8642

122 Ep: pct application non-entry in european phase
NENP Non-entry into the national phase in:

Ref country code: JP

WWW Wipo information: withdrawn in national office

Country of ref document: JP