U.S. patent application number 14/190377 was filed with the patent office on 2014-06-26 for system and method for offering and managing online purchasing card transactions.
This patent application is currently assigned to LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION. The applicant listed for this patent is LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION. Invention is credited to Andrea CLINE, Brendan M. FOGARTY, Yolette HUNT, Abram Paul LIETZ, Marilyn PARKS, Johannes WEIGAND.
Application Number | 20140180859 14/190377 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 36757821 |
Filed Date | 2014-06-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140180859 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
CLINE; Andrea ; et
al. |
June 26, 2014 |
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR OFFERING AND MANAGING ONLINE PURCHASING CARD
TRANSACTIONS
Abstract
A purchase card system configured in accordance with the
invention offers purchase card products that facilitate online
purchases of life sciences research products and/or services via an
e-commerce application. The acquisition and use of such purchase
card products complies with mandated procurement, spending, and
appropriations rules, regulations, and laws, such as the Federal
Acquisition Regulation, the Anti-Deficiency Act, and the Department
of Defense "bona fide needs" rule.
Inventors: |
CLINE; Andrea; (San Marcos,
CA) ; PARKS; Marilyn; (Oakton, VA) ; WEIGAND;
Johannes; (Carlsbad, CA) ; LIETZ; Abram Paul;
(San Marcos, CA) ; HUNT; Yolette; (Niagra Falls,
NY) ; FOGARTY; Brendan M.; (San Marcos, CA) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
LIFE TECHNOLOGIES CORPORATION |
Carlsbad |
CA |
US |
|
|
Assignee: |
LIFE TECHNOLOGIES
CORPORATION
Carlsbad
CA
|
Family ID: |
36757821 |
Appl. No.: |
14/190377 |
Filed: |
February 26, 2014 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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12775428 |
May 6, 2010 |
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14190377 |
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11322627 |
Dec 30, 2005 |
7757944 |
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12775428 |
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60640307 |
Dec 30, 2004 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
705/26.1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
G06Q 20/20 20130101;
G06Q 30/0603 20130101; G06Q 30/0601 20130101; G06Q 20/382 20130101;
G06Q 30/0641 20130101; G06Q 20/102 20130101; G06Q 20/3672 20130101;
G06Q 20/12 20130101; G06Q 20/342 20130101; G06Q 20/10 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
705/26.1 |
International
Class: |
G06Q 20/34 20060101
G06Q020/34; G06Q 30/06 20060101 G06Q030/06 |
Claims
1. A method for facilitating purchase card product transactions for
a user account in compliance with procurement, spending, and
appropriations rules, regulations, and laws applicable to the user
account, said method comprising: receiving, via an e-commerce
transaction, a request for a purchase card product having a stated
value, said purchase card product having a product catalog
identifier associated therewith; electronically processing credit
card information, purchase order information, or a combination
thereof, as a method of payment for said purchase card product; and
establishing a purchase card balance for said user account in the
amount of said stated value.
2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising initiating
shipment of said purchase card product to an entity associated with
said user account.
3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the purchase card product
is shipped with a corresponding reconciliation document, said
reconciliation document facilitating procurement system intake
procedures by said entity.
4. A method according to claim 1, wherein the method facilitates
transactions of a government or academic user.
5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: offering life
sciences research products and services for purchase via said
e-commerce transaction; and processing, via a subsequent e-commerce
transaction, a product purchase for said life sciences research
products and services.
6. A method according to claim 5, wherein: establishing a purchase
card balance occurs in a fiscal year of a government or academic
institution associated with the government or academic user
account; and processing said product purchase occurs in a
subsequent fiscal year of said government or academic
institution.
7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising establishing a
maximum value for said stated value, said maximum value qualifying
as a "micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal Acquisition
Regulation.
8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising creating a
card record for said purchase card product, said card record
including a government funding source identifier.
9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising offering a
plurality of stated values for said purchase card product, each of
said plurality of stated values having a different product catalog
identifier associated therewith.
10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: processing,
via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a product purchase for
said user account, said product purchase having a purchase price;
applying said purchase card balance toward said purchase price
without requiring a new purchase order or record of call for said
product purchase; and reducing said purchase card balance by said
purchase price.
11. A method according to claim 10, further comprising: generating
a web page containing a listing of a plurality of available
purchase card balances for said user account; and receiving a
purchase card balance selection that identifies said purchase card
balance from said plurality of available purchase card
balances.
12. A method according to claim 10, further comprising
automatically linking said user account to user-specific pricing
for said product purchase, said automatically linking step being
performed prior to said processing step.
13. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving,
via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a replenish request for
said purchase card product, said replenish request corresponding to
a stated replenish value, said stated replenish value having a
replenish product catalog identifier associated therewith; and
increasing said purchase card balance for said user account in the
amount of said stated replenish value.
14. A method according to claim 13, further comprising modifying an
existing purchase order to reflect payment for said stated
replenish value.
15. A method according to claim 13, further comprising establishing
a maximum replenish value for said stated replenish value, said
maximum replenish value qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as defined
by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
16. A method according to claim 13, further comprising offering a
plurality of stated replenish values for said purchase card
product, each of said plurality of stated replenish values having a
different replenish product catalog identifier associated
therewith.
17. A method according to claim 1, further comprising: receiving a
share request for said purchase card product, said share request
identifying a secondary user; and linking said purchase card
balance to a secondary user account corresponding to said secondary
user.
18. A method according to claim 17, further comprising restricting,
for said secondary user account, rights to share and replenish said
purchase card balance.
19. A method according to claim 17, further comprising: said share
request identifying said secondary user by an email address of said
secondary user; and sending, via said email address, an email
invitation to said secondary user, said email invitation prompting
activation of said share request by said secondary user.
20. A method according to claim 19, further comprising: receiving
an activation request in response to sending said email invitation;
and said linking step being performed in response to said
activation request.
21. A method for facilitating purchase card transactions for a user
account, said method comprising: offering an e-commerce purchase
card for life sciences research products and services, said
e-commerce purchase card having a stated value; maintaining a
purchase card balance for said user account; and applying, via a
subsequent e-commerce transaction for life sciences research
products or services having a purchase price, said purchase card
balance toward said purchase price; wherein offering said
e-commerce purchase card and said subsequent e-commerce transaction
are in compliance with procurement, spending, and appropriations
rules, regulations, and laws applicable to the user account.
22. A method according to claim 21, wherein said applying step
comprises applying said purchase card balance toward said purchase
price without requiring a purchase order or a record of call for
said life science research products or services.
23. A method according to claim 21, further comprising
electronically delivering a unique identification number to a
user.
24. A method according to claim 21, further comprising initiating
shipment of said e-commerce purchase card to an entity associated
with said user account.
25. A method according to claim 24, wherein a corresponding
reconciliation document is shipped to the entity along with the
e-commerce purchase card, said reconciliation document facilitating
procurement system intake procedures by said entity.
26. A method according to claim 21, further comprising establishing
a maximum value for said stated value, said maximum value
qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal
Acquisition Regulation.
27. A method according to claim 21, further comprising establishing
list pricing for said e-commerce purchase card, said list pricing
qualifying as "fair and reasonable" as defined by the
Anti-Deficiency Act.
28. A method according to claim 21, further comprising: receiving,
via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a replenish request for
said e-commerce purchase card, said replenish request corresponding
to a stated replenish value; and increasing said purchase card
balance for said user account in the amount of said stated
replenish value.
29. A method according to claim 28, further comprising modifying an
existing purchase order to reflect payment for said stated
replenish value.
30. A method according to claim 28, further comprising establishing
a maximum replenish value for said stated replenish value, said
maximum replenish value qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as defined
by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
31. A method according to claim 21, wherein: maintaining a purchase
card balance occurs in a fiscal year of a government or academic
institution associated with the user account; and said subsequent
e-commerce transaction occurs in a subsequent fiscal year of said
government or academic institution.
32. A method according to claim 21, wherein said purchase card
balance is maintained in real-time.
33. A method according to claim 32, wherein the purchase card
balance is accessible in real-time to users of the user
account.
34. A method according to claim 21, wherein the offering comprises
offering life sciences research products and/or services other than
oligonucleotides and/or their synthesis.
35. A method according to claim 21, wherein the offering comprises
offering life sciences research products and services comprising
oligonucleotides and/or their synthesis.
36. A method for facilitating purchase card transactions for life
sciences research products and services in compliance with mandated
procurement, spending, and appropriations rules, regulations, and
laws, said method comprising: ordering, via an e-commerce
transaction for a user account, a purchase card product having a
stated value, said stated value qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as
defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation; purchasing, via a
subsequent e-commerce transaction, life sciences research product
or services for said user account, said life sciences research
product or services having a purchase price; and selecting said
purchase card product as a method of payment toward said purchase
price without requesting a purchase order or a record of call for
said life sciences research product or services.
37. A method according to claim 36, further comprising ordering,
via a second subsequent e-commerce transaction, a replenish value
for said purchase card product, said replenish value having a
stated value, said stated value qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as
defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
38. A method according to claim 37, further comprising modifying an
existing purchase order to reflect payment for said replenish
value.
39. A method according to claim 36, further comprising completing a
share request for said purchase card product, said share request
identifying a secondary user, and said share request initiating a
link between said purchase card product and a secondary user
account corresponding to said secondary user.
40. A method according to claim 36, wherein: ordering said purchase
card product occurs in a fiscal year of a government or academic
institution associated with the user account; and purchasing said
life sciences research product or services occurs in a subsequent
fiscal year of said government or academic institution.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. provisional
patent application Ser. No. 60/640,307, filed Dec. 30, 2004 (the
entire content of which is incorporated by reference herein).
TECHNICAL FIELD
[0002] The present invention relates generally to online purchasing
and e-commerce systems. More particularly, the present invention
relates to an online purchasing card program that can be used by
government and academic customers who must abide by strict
procurement, purchasing, and acquisition rules, laws, or
regulations. The card has been designed for use by all customers,
but many of the features lend added value to the U.S. Government
buyer.
BACKGROUND
[0003] The prior art is replete with "prepaid" or "gift" cards that
can be used by customers of retail and service establishments as a
form of payment in lieu of cash or credit card transactions. For
example, many department stores, restaurants, and coffee shops
offer prepaid cards to their customers. Historically, prepaid or
gift cards have not been made available for certain types of goods
and products, such as life science research products, biological
reagents, laboratory specimens, and the like, particularly when a
significant number of the purchasers of such products are
government purchasers, academic purchasers, or other persons or
entities that are governed by certain procurement, appropriations,
and spending rules and regulations. For example, government
purchasers may be restricted by regulations and laws (such as the
Federal Acquisition Regulation, the Anti-Deficiency Act, or the
"bona fide needs" rule), which may prohibit the spending of
government funds in advance, require competitive bidding for
purchases that exceed a specified amount, or mandate "fair and
reasonable" pricing for all purchases.
[0004] Most government purchasing departments charge their end
users an administrative fee to buy products on behalf of the
government. The administrative fee for a given purchase can
represent a significant expenditure of funds that could otherwise
be spent on additional product. Unfortunately, these administrative
fees are assessed for each new purchase made by such end users.
[0005] Furthermore, the market for life science research products
and services is becoming increasingly competitive, particularly for
"commodity" products such as oligonucleotides. In this regard,
traditional purchasing models (including typical e-commerce models)
may not sufficiently streamline the product purchasing routine for
customers, provide a means to fully utilize available funding,
encourage purchasers to use online ordering, foster brand loyalty,
or establish long term purchase commitments.
[0006] Accordingly, it is desirable to have a purchase card system
for government and academic purchasers, where the system is in
compliance with mandated procurement, spending, and appropriations
rules, regulations, and laws. In addition, it is desirable to have
a purchase card system for life sciences research products and
services that provides a legal and ethical means to avoid excessive
administrative fees associated with the purchase of certain
products. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics
of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent
detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction
with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field
and background.
BRIEF SUMMARY
[0007] A purchase card system for life sciences research products
and services is provided in a manner that fully complies with
certain government rules and regulations related to appropriations.
Certain features and characteristics of the purchase card system
are specifically designed to address legal and ethical issues
surrounding the expenditure of government funds. Therefore, a
government or academic purchaser can acquire and use a purchase
card product offered by the system while satisfying mandated
procurement, spending, and appropriations rules and
regulations.
[0008] The above and other aspects of the invention may be carried
out in one form by a method for facilitating purchase card product
transactions for a user account, especially a government or
academic user in compliance with procurement, spending, and
appropriations rules, regulations, and laws that are applicable to
the user account, especially mandated rules, regulations, and laws.
The method involves receiving, via an e-commerce transaction, a
request for a purchase card product having a stated value, the
purchase card product having a product identifier, such as a SKU
and/or a catalog identifier associated therewith, electronically
processing credit card information, purchase order information, or
a combination thereof, as a method of payment for the purchase card
product, and establishing a purchase card balance for the user
account in the amount of the stated value.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0009] A more complete understanding of the present invention may
be derived by referring to the detailed description and claims when
considered in conjunction with the following figures, wherein like
reference numbers refer to similar elements throughout the
figures.
[0010] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a purchase card
system configured in accordance with an example embodiment of the
invention;
[0011] FIGS. 2 and 3 are a flow diagram of an initial card purchase
process according to an example embodiment of the invention;
[0012] FIG. 4 is a screen capture of an example web page that may
be generated by a purchase card system according to the
invention;
[0013] FIG. 5 is a screen capture of an example purchase card
ordering web page that may be generated by a purchase card system
according to the invention;
[0014] FIG. 6 is a screen capture of an example shopping cart web
page that may be generated by a purchase card system according to
the invention;
[0015] FIG. 7 is a screen capture of an example purchase card
maintenance web page that may be generated by a purchase card
system according to the invention;
[0016] FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a product purchase process
according to an example embodiment of the invention;
[0017] FIG. 9 is a screen capture of an example checkout web page
that may be generated by a purchase card system according to the
invention;
[0018] FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a value replenishment process
according to an example embodiment of the invention;
[0019] FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a card sharing process
according to an example embodiment of the invention; and
[0020] FIG. 12 is a screen capture of an example card sharing web
page that may be generated by a purchase card system according to
the invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0021] The following detailed description is merely illustrative in
nature and is not intended to limit the invention or the
application and uses of the invention. Furthermore, there is no
intention to be bound by any expressed or implied theory presented
in the preceding technical field, background, brief summary or the
following detailed description.
[0022] The invention may be described herein in terms of functional
and/or logical block components and various processing steps. It
should be appreciated that such block components may be realized by
any number of hardware, software, and/or firmware components
configured to perform the specified functions. For example, an
embodiment of the invention may employ various computer hardware or
integrated circuit components, e.g., server architectures, data
communication elements, memory elements, logic elements, look-up
tables, or the like, which may carry out a variety of functions
under the control of one or more microprocessors or other control
devices. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that
the present invention may be practiced in conjunction with any
number of data transmission protocols, network architectures, and
e-commerce applications, and that the system described herein is
merely one exemplary application for the invention.
[0023] For the sake of brevity, conventional techniques related to
e-commerce applications, email systems, Internet data communication
protocols and technologies, signaling, network control, and other
functional aspects of the systems (and the individual operating
components of the systems) may not be described in detail herein.
Furthermore, the connecting lines shown in the various figures
contained herein are intended to represent example functional
relationships and/or physical couplings between the various
elements. It should be noted that many alternative or additional
functional relationships or physical connections may be present in
a practical embodiment.
[0024] The following description refers to components or features
being "connected" or "coupled" together. As used herein, unless
expressly stated otherwise, "connected" means that one
component/feature is directly or indirectly connected to another
component/feature, and not necessarily mechanically. Likewise,
unless expressly stated otherwise, "coupled" means that one
component/feature is directly or indirectly coupled to another
component/feature, and not necessarily mechanically. Thus, although
the schematic shown in FIG. 1 depicts one example arrangement of
elements, additional intervening elements, devices, features, or
components may be present in an actual embodiment (assuming that
the functionality of the overall system is not adversely
affected).
[0025] The invention can be deployed in the context of an
e-commerce system maintained by an entity that offers goods and/or
services via online purchasing. The invention is suitable for use
in connection with the online offering of life sciences research
products and services, such as those available for purchase on the
worldwide web at invitrogen.com (incorporated by reference in its
entirety). Life sciences research products and services include,
without limitation: antibodies; clone collections; cloning tools
and technologies; electrophoresis products, such as gels; enzymes;
laboratory services; gene expression tools and technologies; genome
analysis tools and technologies; bioinformatics software; drug
discovery tools and technologies; molecular probes; PCR and RT-PCR
tools and technologies; protein interaction products; purification
products; RNAi products; sequencing products; transfection and
molecular transfer products, such as reagents; transformation
products; reagents; proteomics tools and technologies; cell culture
products; and primers. These and other life sciences research
products and services are available from Invitrogen Corporation.
Briefly, an e-commerce system configured in accordance with the
invention is suitably configured to offer purchase card products to
online customers, where such purchase cards can be used as a method
of payment for life sciences research products and/or services
offered by a manufacturer or reseller of such life sciences
research and/or services products.
[0026] As used herein, the term "customer" refers to any
individual, institution, corporation, university, business entity,
academic entity, or organization seeking to obtain products and/or
services, such as life sciences research products and/or
services.
[0027] As used herein, the term "provider" refers to any
individual, institution, corporation, university, business entity,
academic entity, or organization seeking to provide products and/or
services, such as life sciences research products and/or services.
A provider can be, for example, a manufacturer, retailer, reseller,
distributor, or vendor.
[0028] FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of a purchase card
system 100 configured in accordance with an example embodiment of
the invention. In the preferred embodiment, purchase card system
100 is deployed in the context of an online e-commerce system,
where any number of remote users can purchase products via a web
site maintained by a business entity. In this regard, FIG. 1
depicts an imaginary line 102 that generally divides purchase card
system 100 into two sections. The section to the right of line 102
includes physical and logical components or features that are
maintained, owned, controlled, and/or operated by the business
entity, while the section to the left of line 102 represents
physical and logical components or features corresponding to a
customer site, location, or facility.
[0029] Purchase card system 100 generally includes one or more
customer computer devices 104 (such as personal computers), each of
which is connected to a data communication network (such as the
Internet 106 in this example) to facilitate online transactions as
described herein. Purchase card system 100 may also include a
number of business entity components, including, without
limitation: an email server 108; an e-commerce server 110; a
business management server 112; and various inventory, packing, and
shipping systems 114, which may include any number of additional
servers, computer devices, or related equipment. In this example,
email server 108 and e-commerce server 110 are each connected to
the Internet 106 to facilitate bi-directional communication with
customer computer devices 104. Purchase card system 100 may further
include a number of business entity databases, including, without
limitation: a product catalog identifier database (depicted as an
SKU database 116); a purchase card balance sharing database 118;
and a purchase card record database 120. For purposes of this
example only, these databases are coupled to e-commerce server 110.
It should be appreciated that a practical system may employ a
different database and server architecture than that shown in FIG.
1.
[0030] In FIG. 1, customer computer devices 104, email server 108,
e-commerce server 110, business management server 112, and possibly
certain aspects of inventory, packing, and shipping systems 114
represent physical hardware components, virtual machines, or
logical components. Any given server may be a computing device or a
computer system configured to perform the respective server
application tasks described herein (and possibly other tasks),
while customer computer devices 104 may be personal computers
configured to perform tasks associated with conventional end user
applications, such as web browser applications. In a practical
deployment, the business entity components may communicate with one
another via a suitably configured network architecture.
[0031] A "server" is often defined as a computing device or system
configured to perform any number of functions and operations
associated with the management, processing, storage, retrieval,
and/or delivery of data, particularly in a network environment.
Alternatively, a "server" or "server application" may refer to
software that performs such processes, methods, and/or techniques.
In practical applications, a server component that supports
purchase card system 100 may be configured in accordance with any
known computer platform, e.g., Compaq Alpha Tru64, FreeBSD, HP-UX,
IBM AIX, Linux, NCR MP-RAS, SCO OpenServer, SCO Unixware, SGI Irix,
Solaris (Sparc), Solaris (Intel), Windows 2000, Windows NT, or
Novell Netware. As in most commercially available general purpose
servers, a practical server component that supports purchase card
system 100 may be configured to run on any suitable operating
system such as Unix, Linux, the Apple Macintosh OS, or any variant
of Microsoft Windows, and it may employ any number of
microprocessor devices, e.g., the Pentium family of processors by
Intel or the processor devices commercially available from Advanced
Micro Devices, IBM, Sun Microsystems, or Motorola.
[0032] With regard to customer computer devices 104 and the various
servers described herein, the respective processors communicate
with system memory (e.g., a suitable amount of random access
memory), and an appropriate amount of storage or "permanent"
memory. The permanent memory may include one or more hard disks,
floppy disks, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, magnetic tape, removable media,
solid state memory devices, or combinations thereof. In accordance
with known techniques, the operating system programs and the server
application programs reside in the permanent memory and portions
thereof may be loaded into the system memory during operation. In
accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of
computer programming, the present invention is described herein
with reference to symbolic representations of operations that may
be performed by the various server components or the client
components. Such operations are sometimes referred to as being
computer-executed, computerized, software-implemented, or
computer-implemented. It will be appreciated that operations that
are symbolically represented include the manipulation by the
various microprocessor devices of electrical signals representing
data bits at memory locations in the system memory, as well as
other processing of signals. The memory locations where data bits
are maintained are physical locations that have particular
electrical, magnetic, optical, or organic properties corresponding
to the data bits.
[0033] When implemented in software, various elements of the
present invention (which may reside at the client computer devices
104, or at one or more of the business entity components,
particularly the servers) are essentially the code segments or
instructions that perform the various tasks. The program or code
segments can be stored in a processor-readable medium or
transmitted by a computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave
over a transmission medium or communication path. The
"processor-readable medium" or "machine-readable medium" may
include any medium that can store or transfer information. Examples
of the processor-readable medium include an electronic circuit, a
semiconductor memory device, a ROM, a flash memory, an erasable ROM
(EROM), a floppy diskette, a CD-ROM, an optical disk, a hard disk,
a fiber optic medium, a radio frequency (RF) link, or the like. The
computer data signal may include any signal that can propagate over
a transmission medium such as electronic network channels, optical
fibers, air, electromagnetic paths, or RF links. The code segments
may be downloaded via computer networks such as the Internet, an
intranet, a LAN, or the like.
[0034] E-commerce server 110 includes an e-commerce application
122, which represents the main processing engine for purchase card
system 100. Generally, the e-commerce engine is configured to
generate web pages to facilitate online purchases of life sciences
research and services products for user accounts, and to facilitate
online purchases of purchase card products for user accounts.
E-commerce application 122 is suitably configured to generate an
e-commerce web site for the business entity, where the e-commerce
web site may include any number of web pages designed to support
traditional e-commerce functionality and additional functionality
described herein. In this regard, e-commerce application 122 may
generate and transmit web pages, via the Internet 106, to
conventional web browser applications running on customer computer
devices 104. These web pages preferably enable an online customer
to browse the online product catalog of the business entity, create
an online account profile, select products for purchase, complete
online purchase transactions, view order history, and perform other
tasks normally associated with online e-commerce applications. In
accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention,
e-commerce application 122 also generates web pages that enable an
online customer to buy purchase card products, and to apply a
purchase card balance as a method of payment toward subsequent
online product purchases. As described in more detail below,
e-commerce application 122 may also be configured to generate web
pages that support other features of purchase card system 100, such
as purchase card balance replenishment and purchase card balance
sharing.
[0035] SKU database 116 includes product catalog identifiers
(typically a series of alphanumeric characters) that uniquely
identify all of the products available through e-commerce
application 122 (and possibly other products that are only
available through traditional ordering routes). Notably, SKU
database 116 also includes product catalog identifiers
corresponding to purchase card products available through
e-commerce application 122. In the example embodiment of the
invention, purchase card products having different initial values
are offered to online customers, and each of the different initial
values is identified by a unique product catalog identifier. For
example, purchase card products having initial values of $500,
$750, $1000, $1500, $2000, and $2500 would be identified by six
different product catalog identifiers. In addition, e-commerce
application 122 is preferably configured to offer different
replenishment amounts for active purchase card products, and each
replenishment value is identified by a unique product catalog
identifier. In accordance with one practical embodiment,
replenishment values of $500, $750, $1000, $1500, $2000, and $2500
would be identified by the same product catalog identifiers
utilized for initial card purchases. In an alternate embodiment,
replenishment values of $500, $750, $1000, $1500, $2000, and $2500
would be identified by six different product catalog identifiers
(resulting in a total of 12 different product catalog identifiers
associated with purchase card products). It will be understood that
the purchase cards are used to purchase products that cost up to
the value of a purchase card, or to be applied toward the purchase
of a product that costs more than the value of a purchase card. In
certain exemplary methods, the purchase cards are used to purchase
products whose value is equal to or less than one-half, one-third,
one-fourth, one-fifth, one-tenth, or one-twentieth of the value of
the purchase card. In certain exemplary embodiments, at least 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 75, or 100
transactions are processed using a single purchase card.
[0036] Purchase card balance sharing database 118 includes
information associated with the sharing of purchase card balances
maintained by purchase card system 100. As described in more detail
below, the initial purchaser of a purchase card product is
considered the primary user of that purchase card product. In
accordance with one practical embodiment of the invention, the
primary user can share the purchase card balance with one or more
secondary users. In this regard, purchase card balance sharing
database 118 may store information that links primary users to
secondary users, secondary user purchase information accessible by
the primary users, data related to the establishment and activation
of account sharing, and the like.
[0037] Card record database 120 includes data for purchase card
products that have active (and possibly inactive) balances. For
example, in a practical deployment of purchase card system 100,
each purchase card product may be assigned a unique card number
upon activation, and each card number may have an associated card
record maintained in card record database 120. A card record may
contain any number of data fields, including, without limitation:
the card number; the date of initial purchase; the name of the
purchaser; the username and password of the purchaser; the initial
balance; the current balance; a historical record of prior products
and/or services purchased; the date of any replenishment purchases;
a nickname for the card; a funding source identifier for the card;
or the like. One or more of these fields may be updated to reflect
transactions made with the purchase card product.
[0038] Email server 108 may operate in a conventional manner to
receive, transmit, and process email for purchase card system 100.
For example, email server 108 may be employed to send purchase
confirmation emails to customers, to receive inquiries form
customers, or to facilitate activation of user accounts or account
features for purchase card system 100. Thus, email server 108 may
be coupled to e-commerce server 110 and to the Internet 106 to
facilitate email transmission with online customers. It should be
appreciated that the operating details of email systems are known
to those skilled in the art and, therefore, will not be addressed
herein.
[0039] Business management server 112 includes a business
management application 124, which is suitably configured to perform
a number of functions in support of purchase card system 100 and
e-commerce application 122. For example, business management
application 124 may perform or facilitate any of the following
functions, without limitation: order processing; accounting; and
creation and maintenance of deferred revenue accounts. Furthermore,
business management server 112 may communicate with one or more of
the inventory, packing, and shipping systems 114 to monitor,
control, or initiate the updating of inventory databases, the
packing of purchased product, and the shipping of purchased product
to the intended recipients. In the example embodiment, the business
entity maintains an inventory system for life sciences research
products and services and purchase card products available for
purchase via e-commerce application 122. FIG. 1 depicts purchased
product 126 being transferred from the custody of the business
entity to the customer via a suitable shipping mechanism 128.
Notably, purchased product 126 may represent a tangible purchase
card product that is shipped to the primary user (e.g., the initial
purchaser) and otherwise treated like any other product in the
inventory.
[0040] Purchase Card Product Features
[0041] As alluded to above, purchase card system 100, in certain
illustrative embodiments, is designed to offer purchase card
products suitable for use by purchasers of life sciences research
products and services that may be funded by research grants or
other subsidized funding sources, such as government, academic, and
certain corporate organizations. Purchase card system 100 is
designed to offer such purchase card products for sale, to
establish and maintain purchase card balances in connection with
online user account profiles, process e-commerce transactions for
online purchases made with purchase card balances, and offer other
features that comply with applicable procurement, spending, and
appropriations rules, regulations, and laws, and restrictions. The
following is a summary of several features and functions of
purchase card system 100 and/or purchase card products handled by
purchase card system 100.
[0042] Product SKU--In illustrative embodiments of the invention, a
purchase card product according to the invention is offered,
marketed, and otherwise treated like any other tangible product by
the offering business entity. In this regard, the purchase card
product includes a product catalog identifier, e.g., an SKU number,
associated therewith. As mentioned above, purchase card products
having different initial values (e.g., $500, $750, $1000, $1500,
$2000, and $2500) are identified with different unique SKUs.
Different replenishment values for existing purchase card products
are identified with the same set of SKUs. Thus, purchase card
system 100 and the related business entity can process sales of
purchase card products and replenishments in the same manner as any
other product. Furthermore, this feature is particularly important
to enable purchase card system 100 to satisfy a number of
regulatory requirements imposed upon U.S. government procurements.
For example, purchase cards products are sold as "commercial" items
as defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR"), Part 12.
As a result, the standard terms and conditions of any government
acquisition for the purchase of a commercial item apply to the sale
of such purchase cards.
[0043] Shipping of Purchase Card Product--In certain embodiments,
purchase card products according to the present invention are
"virtual" in that there is no physical product that corresponds to
the purchase card product. Rather, a unique identifier, which is
distinct from the product SKU number, can be used, for example, to
identify the purchase card product, without the need for shipping a
physical product. Accordingly, a unique identifier number can be
electronically delivered to a user or purchaser of the purchase
card. In certain illustrative embodiments, however, purchase card
products according to the invention are shipped to the customer as
a tangible product. Purchase card system 100 may utilize inventory,
packing, and shipping systems 114 to facilitate shipping of the
purchase card products. In one practical embodiment of the
invention, purchase card products are sized to resemble a credit
card, but they have no functional features or electromagnetic
characteristics (in some embodiments, a purchase card product might
include imprinted instructions for use, an imprinted card number,
an imprinted account number, an imprinted user name, or the like).
Purchase card products are preferably shipped with a printed
reconciliation document to facilitate procurement system intake
procedures by the purchasing customer or the purchasing business
entity. The reconciliation document allows the purchasing entity to
receive the purchase card products into its standard procurement
system. In practice, the reconciliation document may be an invoice,
a packing slip, a purchase order confirmation, or the like. These
features are particularly important for government buyers who, in
order to meet certain government requirements, must receive a
deliverable product in exchange for the government expenditure.
[0044] Online Transactions--In accordance with the exemplary
embodiment of the invention, the business entity only offers
purchase card products online via e-commerce application 122, and
restricts subsequent purchases made with purchase card balances to
online purchases via e-commerce application 122. Thus, in the
preferred embodiment, purchase card system 100 will not accept a
purchase card balance as a method of payment for telephone,
facsimile, email, or written orders. These restrictions encourage
customers to use e-commerce application 122 for product purchases,
which can lead to increased revenue for the business entity,
streamlined order processing, recapturing of market share for
low-margin products, enhanced customer loyalty, and other benefits
for both the business entity and the customers.
[0045] Unrestricted Access--In illustrative embodiments, purchase
card system 100 generally allows purchase card product holders to
apply their purchase card balances toward any product or product
line that would otherwise be available via e-commerce application
122. In other words, a purchase card balance need not be restricted
to any particular product, product line, or product type. In
addition, a purchase card balance may be accessible 24 hours a day,
thus enabling product purchases at the convenience of the customer.
Furthermore, the e-commerce nature of purchases using the purchase
card provides real-time access to purchase card balance information
and real-time approval or rejection of a purchase using a purchase
card. Accordingly, in illustrative embodiments the purchase card
balance is maintained in real time and is accessible in real-time
by purchase card product holders. Therefore, in illustrative
embodiments there is no delay in the processing of a purchase under
a purchase card and updating of a balance of the purchase card,
other than the time required to process an e-commerce transaction.
Accordingly, where multiple users share a purchase card account,
each of the users can access the current purchase card balance,
regardless of whether another user made a purchase under the
purchase card recently, for example within the previous 24, 12, 10,
9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.25, 0.2, or 0.1 hours,
or within the previous 60, 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 5, 4, 2, 3, or 1
minutes. Of course, depending upon the particular customer or
customer entity, product offerings might be limited or restricted
by agreement. For example, NIH product offerings may be limited to
only those items that are approved for sale under an NIH Blanket
Purchase Agreement. In certain embodiments, the purchase card
balance is used to purchase life sciences research products and
services other than, or in addition to, oligonucleotides and/or
their synthesis.
[0046] Online Management--The primary holder of a purchase card
product can manage purchase card balance(s) using an online account
profile. For example, e-commerce application 122 may be suitably
configured to generate a summary web page that identifies each
purchase card number and its corresponding balance, and provides
cardholder access to order and transaction history for each active
purchase card product (and possibly inactive purchase card
products). In addition, purchase card system 100 may allow the
cardholder to identify purchase card balances using nicknames,
government funding source identifiers, grant numbers, contract
numbers, or the like. This feature is desirable to enable the
cardholder to quickly identify the source of funds corresponding to
a given purchase card balance, thus preventing misapplication of
funds. Indeed, purchase card system 100 may be suitably configured
to allow the purchaser to earmark the source of purchase card
balance funds and to automatically prevent cross-use of funds.
[0047] Security and Prevention of Misuse of Funds--In the practical
embodiment of the invention, as an added security measure, purchase
card products are not shipped with their card numbers. In addition,
a given card number is linked to the customer's online account
profile, which can only be accessed via a secure online login
procedure (using, e.g., a unique combination of a username and a
password for the online account). Thus, the mere knowledge of a
purchase card number is insufficient to gain access to the online
account and, therefore, insufficient to obtain purchasing power. In
practice, the purchase card records can be centrally stored and
controlled by the business entity using any number of physical and
electronic security systems for protection. These security features
are particularly important to satisfy government concerns related
to the proper use of government funds and the prevention of misuse
of government funds.
[0048] Micro-Purchase Qualification--In accordance with the example
embodiment of the invention, the maximum initial value for new
purchase card products and the maximum replenish value for existing
purchase card balances qualifies as a "micro-purchase" as defined
by the Federal Acquisition Regulation ("FAR"). Currently, the
micro-purchase threshold is $2500. Briefly, purchases that are less
than or equal to the micro-purchase threshold may be transacted
using the simplified acquisition procedures set forth in FAR
Subpart 13.3, namely, the purchaser need not obtain competitive
bids from multiple vendors for the product. In practice, the
authority to make micro-purchases is frequently delegated to
non-procurement personnel of a government agency or organization,
thus facilitating more efficient and streamlined use of purchase
card system 100. Therefore, setting an upper limit on purchase card
product values is particularly important for government buyers who
must comply with FAR. In a practical embodiment, the total running
balance of a given purchase card product may include any number of
replenishment purchases, and the total running balance need not be
limited.
[0049] Purchase Card Balance Sharing--A customer or a customer
entity may want to provide shared purchasing power for a purchase
card product. Accordingly, purchase card system 100 is preferably
configured to facilitate sharing of card balances. In this regard,
purchase card system 100 allows the primary cardholder to control
shared access rights to a purchase card balance such that other
people having an online account profile with the offering business
entity can use the same purchase card balance for product
purchases. In accordance with one practical embodiment of the
invention, purchase card system 100 restricts the shared users
(referred to herein as secondary users or secondary cardholders)
such that shared users can only spend the purchase card funds. In
other words, purchase card system 100 does not allow secondary
users to replenish purchase card balances or establish further
sharing rights with other persons.
[0050] Maximizing Fiscal Year Budgets--Purchase card system 100
allows a customer to utilize existing budget funds and maximize the
use of such funds. Otherwise, funds allocated for a current budget
might be lost. For example, a customer can acquire a purchase card
product using funds from the current fiscal year, then use the
purchase card balance on product purchased in the next fiscal
year.
[0051] Reduction in Administrative Purchase Fees--Certain
purchasers, especially purchasers at large institutions, such as
those with separate accounting departments, for example, government
purchasers, certain academic purchasers, and certain corporate
purchasers, may be assessed an administrative fee for product
purchases made with a purchase order or a record of call. Such
administrative fees are levied by the respective government agency
or organization, and such administrative fees do not appear on the
invoice from the business entity that actually supplies the
product. Typically, each separate purchase order or record of call
triggers the administrative fee process. Purchase card system 100
is suitably configured to avoid administrative fees payable by a
cardholder because only one single purchase order or record of call
need be completed for a given purchase card product. Subsequent
product purchases using the purchase card balance as a method of
payment can be completed without a new purchase order or a new
record of call. Furthermore, purchase card balance replenishments
can be treated as a modification to an existing purchase order or
record of call (in lieu of a new purchase order or record of call),
thus avoiding administrative fees for replenishments. To further
reduce the impact of administrative fees, e-commerce application
122 may be configured to recommend a credit card as the method of
payment for purchase card products. Notably, the customer or the
customer entity would be responsible for properly handling and
characterizing the procurement of purchase card products and
replenishments.
[0052] Limited Purchase Card Lifespan--In accordance with one
practical embodiment of the invention, a purchase card balance
remains active for a limited time, e.g., two years from the date of
purchase. Upon deactivation of a purchase card balance, purchase
card system 100 may attempt to contact the primary user, the
respective business entity, or the respective government
organization or agency to determine how best to process the unused
funds. For example, purchase card system 100 may initiate a balance
refund procedure to avoid misuse or loss of government funds.
[0053] Refundable Purchase Card Balance--In accordance with the
example embodiment of the invention, government purchasers may
redeem a purchase card balance for a refund at any time. Although
the offering business entity need not be obligated to return all of
the unused funds at the end of the fiscal year, it is desirable
(from a federal appropriations standpoint) to make unused purchase
card balances readily available for refunds upon request from
government cardholders. Refunds are processed in the manner in
which the purchase card balance was procured. For example, if a
credit card was used to acquire the purchase card product, then a
credit to the credit card account will be issued. If a purchase
order or record of call was used to acquire the purchase card
product, then the appropriate agency appropriation account will
issued the refund. In practice, the purchase card product itself
and/or the paperwork accompanying the delivery of the purchase card
product may contain a written statement that confirms the
redeemable nature of the purchase card balance for government
buyers. This feature is particularly important for government
buyers, who might otherwise be restricted from using nonrefundable
purchase card products. More specifically, this feature is
desirable to facilitate government compliance with the
Anti-Deficiency Act.
[0054] "Fair and Reasonable" Pricing--The Anti-Deficiency Act
mandates that government buyers are expected to only buy products
that are fair and reasonably priced. The establishment of SKU
numbers, and automatically defaulting the customer to their lowest
available price satisfies the "fair and reasonable" requirement. In
this regard, purchase card system 100 directly links the use of
purchase card products to deliverable products that are identified
by SKU numbers and fair and reasonable list prices.
[0055] Example Purchase Card Product Transactions
[0056] The following is a description of typical purchase card
procurement and usage scenarios supported by purchase card system
100. The following description is not intended to be exhaustive of
all possible processing options and those skilled in the art will
appreciate that many additional and/or alternative features,
options, and protocols may be utilized in a practical deployment of
purchase card system 100.
[0057] Initial Card Purchase--FIGS. 2 and 3 contain a flow diagram
of an initial card purchase process 200 according to an example
embodiment of the invention. Process 200 assumes that the purchaser
(referred to herein as the primary user) has already established an
online profile and e-commerce account with the business entity
offering the purchase card products. The various tasks performed in
connection with process 200 may be performed by software, hardware,
firmware, or any combination thereof. For illustrative purposes,
the following description of process 200 may refer to elements
mentioned above in connection with FIG. 1. In practical
embodiments, portions of process 200 may be performed by different
elements of purchase card system 100, e.g., customer computer
devices 104 or any of the business entity components. It should be
appreciated that process 200 may include any number of additional
or alternative tasks, the tasks shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 need not be
performed in the illustrated order, and process 200 may be
incorporated into a more comprehensive procedure or process having
additional functionality not described in detail herein.
[0058] Initial card purchase process 200 may begin by performing a
secure login procedure (task 202) to access the customer's online
account or profile. In a practical embodiment, e-commerce
application 122 may generate a suitable web page that allows the
customer to enter login data at customer computer device 104. In
this regard, FIG. 4 is a screen capture of an example web page 400
that may be generated by purchase card system 100 to facilitate
task 202. As shown, web page 400 preferably includes a username
data entry field 402 and a password data entry field 404 for
receiving the respective information from the customer. In
accordance with known authentication techniques, web page 400
includes a "login" button or link 406 that functions to transmit
the login data to e-commerce application 122 for processing.
[0059] Assuming that the login is successful, the customer can
access a purchase card product web page via a suitable link 408,
which may be rendered on web page 400 or on another web page
generated by e-commerce application 122 in response to task 202.
Activation of link 408 may prompt the display of another web page
that facilitates the ordering of one or more purchase card
products. Initial card purchase process 200 supports the selection
of different card values and quantities of different purchase card
products (task 204). FIG. 5 is a screen capture of an example
purchase card ordering web page 500 that may be generated by
purchase card system 100 in connection with initial card purchase
process 200. Web page 500 enables the customer to initiate, via an
e-commerce transaction, a request for a purchase card product
having a stated value. As mentioned above, a purchase card product
offered by purchase card system 100 preferably includes a product
catalog identifier associated therewith, and purchase card system
100 preferably offers a plurality of purchase card products having
different initial values. Thus, web page 500 may include a list 502
of the different purchase card products available for purchase,
along with their respective product catalog identifiers and initial
values. Web page 500 may also include quantity entry fields 504
that allow the customer to select card values and quantities for
purchase. After selection of the purchase card products, the
customer can activate an "order" button 506 to add the selected
entries to the current e-commerce transaction.
[0060] If the customer is ready for checkout (query task 206), then
initial card purchase process 200 may display a checkout or
shopping cart web page at customer computer device 104. In this
regard, FIG. 6 is a screen capture of an example shopping cart web
page 600 that may be generated by purchase card system 100 to
facilitate completion of the online transaction. In this example,
the customer has selected five purchase card products, each having
an initial value of $2500, for a total price of $12500. Notably,
each of the $2500 purchase card products may be identified by the
same product catalog identifier "EXP2500." The line item entry for
the purchase card products is identified by reference number 602.
At checkout, the customer is prompted to select a method of payment
for the purchase card products (task 208). In the example
embodiment, the customer has the option to select a credit card, a
purchase order, or (where a corporate contract is in place such as
a Blanket Purchase Agreement) a record of call as a method of
payment. After selecting the method of payment, the customer can
then confirm the order to initiate completion of the transaction
(task 210) at customer computer device 104. In response to the
completion of the transaction, e-commerce server 110 may receive a
suitably formatted request for the purchase card product. Notably,
if the customer issues a purchase order for the purchase card
product, then the funds are immediately obligated to the business
entity offering the purchase card products.
[0061] In response to the completion of the transaction, the
business entity components process the request in a suitable
manner. For example, e-commerce application 122 and/or business
management application 124 may be prompted to electronically
process credit card information, purchase order information, or a
combination thereof in connection with the sale of purchase card
product. In connection with such processing, business management
application 124 may create or update a deferred revenue account
(task 212) to reflect the value of any purchase card products
contained in the order. Such updating is important for compliance
with certain accounting regulations and laws related to revenue
recognition and reporting requirements. In addition, e-commerce
application 122 and/or business management application 124 may
initiate special processing and handling for purchase card products
(task 214). For example, purchase card products are sold without
imposing any sales taxes, and purchase card products are shipped to
the customer without any associated freight or shipping
charges.
[0062] E-commerce application 122 and/or business management
application 124 may create a card record (or records) corresponding
to any purchase card product contained in the customer's order. As
described above, purchase card system 100 may store such card
records in a suitably configured card record database 120, and a
card record may include a number of data items related to the
particular purchase card product. For example, initial card
purchase process 200 may establish unique card numbers for each
purchase card product contained in the customer's order (task 216).
Process 200 may also establish and maintain card balances for each
purchase card product contained in the order (task 218). For
initial card purchases, the beginning card balance will equal the
stated value and will equal the amount paid for the purchase card
product. In accordance with one practical embodiment of the
invention, the customer is able to identify each purchase card
product by a nickname, a contract number, a government funding
source identifier, or other card identifier that is stored with the
card records. Thus, process 200 may also create or update a card
identifier database (task 220) to reflect such card
identifiers.
[0063] In the example embodiment of the invention, the purchase
card product balance is immediately available to the customer upon
processing of the order. Consequently, initial card purchase
process 200 initiates linking of new card numbers to the respective
online user account profile to establish the new purchase card
balances as a payment option for subsequent product purchases (task
222). In practice, the next time the customer logs into his or her
online account, the purchase card balances will be displayed as an
optional method of payment in connection with a checkout web page
(described in more detail below).
[0064] In connection with the completion of the initial purchase
transaction, e-commerce application 122 may generate a suitable
confirmation web page for display at customer computer device 104
(task 224). The confirmation web page may contain a purchase order
number, an invoice number, and other information. In accordance
with one practical embodiment of the invention, the confirmation
web page also contains the purchase card numbers for any purchase
card product contained in the customer's order. In addition, the
confirmation web page may inform the customer that the purchase
card product is being shipped and that the stated value of the card
is now available for use in connection with the customer's online
account profile. Alternatively or additionally, email server 108
can send a confirmation email to one or more email addresses
associated with the customer's online account profile (task 224).
The confirmation email includes the purchase card numbers for any
purchase card products contained in the customer's order. In this
manner, the delivery of the card numbers can be accomplished in a
relatively secure and immediate fashion and the actual tangible
purchase card products need not actually bear the respective card
numbers.
[0065] Finally, initial card purchase process 200 initiates
shipping of the purchase card product and a suitable reconciliation
document to the purchaser (task 226). In practice, inventory,
packing, and shipping systems 114 may perform some or all of the
processing associated with task 226. The actual shipping address
may correspond to any authorized "ship-to" address for any person,
business, or other entity contained in the customer's online
account profile. As mentioned above, the reconciliation document
serves as a means for facilitating procurement system intake
procedures by the recipient.
[0066] E-commerce application 122 is preferably configured to
provide status and maintenance information related to a user's
purchase card products and balances. In this regard, FIG. 7 is a
screen capture of a purchase card maintenance web page 700 that may
be generated by purchase card system 100 for display at customer
computer device 104. Web page 700 preferably includes a listing of
all purchase card products for the primary user. In this example,
each purchase card product is identified by its card number, and
web page 700 includes the following information corresponding to
each card number: the identity of the primary user or an associated
entity; a card nickname; and a current balance. Of course, other
data or information may be displayed in a practical embodiment. Web
page 700 also includes a drop down menu feature 702 that allows the
primary user to replenish or add funds to any of the listed
purchase card products. In addition, as described in more detail
below, web page 700 may include a link or button 704 for each
listed purchase card product to facilitate card balance sharing
with secondary users.
[0067] Subsequent Product Purchase--FIG. 8 is a flow diagram of a
product purchase process 800 according to an example embodiment of
the invention. Process 800 assumes that the primary user has
already obtained a purchase card product having an active purchase
card balance. Process 800 may be performed to facilitate
processing, via an e-commerce transaction, a product purchase for
the user account. The various tasks performed in connection with
process 800 may be performed by software, hardware, firmware, or
any combination thereof. For illustrative purposes, the following
description of process 800 may refer to elements mentioned above in
connection with FIG. 1. In practical embodiments, portions of
process 800 may be performed by different elements of purchase card
system 100, e.g., customer computer devices 104 or any of the
business entity components. It should be appreciated that process
800 may include any number of additional or alternative tasks, the
tasks shown in FIG. 8 need not be performed in the illustrated
order, and process 800 may be incorporated into a more
comprehensive procedure or process having additional functionality
not described in detail herein.
[0068] Product purchase process 800 may begin by performing a
secure login procedure (task 802) to access the customer's online
account or profile. A typical login procedure was described above
in connection with initial card purchase process 200 and web page
400. In accordance with conventional e-commerce methodologies, the
customer can select products online and initiate an online checkout
procedure to complete the transaction (task 804). In a practical
embodiment of the invention, process 800 generates a suitable
checkout web page that is capable of displaying purchase card
products, along with their respective card balances, as methods of
payment for the currently selected products (task 806). In this
regard, FIG. 9 is a screen capture of an example checkout web page
900 that may be generated by purchase card system 100 for display
at customer computer device 104. In this example, checkout web page
900 includes a drop down feature 902 that allows the customer to
select a method of payment for the current transaction. Notably,
drop down feature 902 includes a purchase card option (identified
by the term WEBEXPRESS.TM. in FIG. 9) along with traditional
payment options such as credit card or purchase order. In practice,
if the customer selects the purchase card option, process 800 may
generate a new web page that lists the purchase card balances
available to the customer (similar to web page 700 depicted in FIG.
7). This web page may receive a purchase card balance selection
that identifies a given purchase card balance from the list of
available balances. Alternatively, the web page may receive a
purchase card number selection that identifies a particular card
balance for the current transaction (task 808).
[0069] Assuming that the selected card balance is sufficient to
cover the price of the selected products, then product purchase
process 800 applies the selected balance toward the purchase price
to reflect the current transaction. Otherwise, process 800 may
generate a notification that reminds the customer to either
replenish the selected card balance, select a new method of
payment, or terminate the transaction. Of course, depending upon
the specific implementation of purchase card system 100, a customer
may be able to combine different methods of payment (e.g., credit
card and purchase card) and/or multiple purchase card balances as
payment toward a single product order. In the practical embodiment
of the invention, the purchase card balance can be applied to the
purchase without requiring a new purchase order or record of call
for the purchased product. Once the purchase card funds are applied
toward the purchase, process 800 initiates updating of the
respective card record to reflect the transaction (task 810). Task
810 preferably includes reducing the respective purchase card
balance by the purchase price (or a portion of the purchase price
as applicable) and linking a suitable record to the card number to
facilitate online access to order history corresponding to the card
number.
[0070] Product purchase process 800 may control the generation of
an invoice or other reconciliation document for shipment with the
purchased product or for separate shipment or delivery to the
customer (task 812). In practice, the invoice is printed with a "do
not pay" notice to remind the customer that a purchase card balance
was applied to the order. In accordance with conventional order
handling methodologies, process 800 initiates product shipping
(task 814) to one or more authorized "ship-to" addresses associated
with the online account profile.
[0071] Upon completion of the order, product purchase process 800
may initiate certain accounting activity. For example, process 800
may initiate the updating of one or more deferred revenue accounts
and one or more recognized revenue accounts to reflect the product
purchase (task 816). As described above, unspent purchase card
funds are treated as deferred revenue, while purchase card funds
spent on product are treated as realized revenue. Following task
816, process 800 ends.
[0072] Card Balance Replenishment--FIG. 10 is a flow diagram of a
value replenishment process 1000 according to an example embodiment
of the invention. Process 1000 assumes that the primary user has
already obtained a purchase card product having an active purchase
card balance. Process 1000 may be performed to handle a replenish
request for a purchase card product. The various tasks performed in
connection with process 1000 may be performed by software,
hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. For illustrative
purposes, the following description of process 1000 may refer to
elements mentioned above in connection with FIG. 1. In practical
embodiments, portions of process 1000 may be performed by different
elements of purchase card system 100, e.g., customer computer
devices 104 or any of the business entity components. It should be
appreciated that process 1000 may include any number of additional
or alternative tasks, the tasks shown in FIG. 10 need not be
performed in the illustrated order, and process 1000 may be
incorporated into a more comprehensive procedure or process having
additional functionality not described in detail herein.
[0073] Value replenishment process 1000 may begin by performing a
secure login procedure (task 1002) to access the customer's online
account or profile. A typical login procedure was described above
in connection with initial card purchase process 200 and web page
400. The customer may be prompted, via suitable web pages, to
access a purchase card maintenance web page, such as web page 700,
that displays the user's purchase card products and current
balances (task 1004). As mentioned above, web page 700 preferably
includes a drop down menu feature 702 that allows the user to
select an incremental replenish value for any of the existing
purchase card products (task 1006). Again, each incremental
replenish value preferably has a unique product catalog identifier
or SKU associated therewith. In the example embodiment, the
replenish values are identical to the initial values offered by
purchase card system 100. Web page 700 is suitably configured to
enable the customer to replenish any number of the available card
balances using a single transaction.
[0074] If the customer is ready for checkout (query task 1008),
then value replenishment process 1000 may display a checkout or
shopping cart web page at customer computer device 104. At
checkout, the customer is prompted to select a method of payment
for the card replenishment values and, if applicable, other
products available via e-commerce application 122 (task 1010). In
the example embodiment, the customer has the option to select a
credit card or a purchase order number. In the preferred embodiment
of the invention, purchase card system 100 allows a primary user to
modify an existing purchase order as a method of payment for card
replenishments (in lieu of completing a new purchase order). Thus,
if the customer selects an existing purchase order (query task
1012), then purchase card system 100 can process the transaction as
a modification to the existing purchase order (task 1014).
Otherwise, purchase card system 100 can complete the transaction
(task 1016) in a manner similar to that described above in
connection with initial card purchase process 200.
[0075] In connection with the filling of replenishment orders,
business management application 124 may update the deferred revenue
account (task 1018) to reflect the stated value of any purchase
card replenishments contained in the order. In addition, e-commerce
application 122 and/or business management application 124 may
initiate updating of the respective card records to reflect the
replenishment value (task 1020). Task 1020 preferably includes
increasing the respective purchase card balances for the user
account in the amount of the stated replenish values. In connection
with the completion of the replenishment transaction, purchase card
system 100 may generate a suitable confirmation web page and/or
send a confirmation email to the customer (task 1022). The
confirmation may contain a purchase order number, an invoice
number, and other information. In accordance with one practical
embodiment of the invention, the confirmation also contains the
purchase card numbers for any purchase card product replenished in
the customer's order. In addition, the confirmation may inform the
customer that the replenished value of the card is now available
for use in connection with the customer's online account profile.
Finally, value replenishment process 1000 initiates shipping of a
suitable reconciliation document to the purchaser (task 1024). In
practice, inventory, packing, and shipping systems 114 may perform
some or all of the processing associated with task 1024. The actual
shipping address may correspond to any authorized "ship-to" address
for any person, business, or other entity contained in the
customer's online account profile. As mentioned above, the
reconciliation document serves as a means for facilitating
procurement system intake procedures by the recipient. Following
task 1024, process 1000 ends.
[0076] Card Sharing Procedures--FIG. 11 is a flow diagram of a card
sharing process 1100 according to an example embodiment of the
invention. Process 1100 assumes that the primary user has already
obtained a purchase card product having an active purchase card
balance. Process 1100 may be performed to process a share request
for a primary user's purchase card product, where the share request
identifies a secondary user and initiates a link between the
respective purchase card product and a secondary user account
corresponding to the secondary user. The various tasks performed in
connection with process 1100 may be performed by software,
hardware, firmware, or any combination thereof. For illustrative
purposes, the following description of process 1100 may refer to
elements mentioned above in connection with FIG. 1. In practical
embodiments, portions of process 1100 may be performed by different
elements of purchase card system 100, e.g., customer computer
devices 104 or any of the business entity components. It should be
appreciated that process 1100 may include any number of additional
or alternative tasks, the tasks shown in FIG. 11 need not be
performed in the illustrated order, and process 1100 may be
incorporated into a more comprehensive procedure or process having
additional functionality not described in detail herein.
[0077] Card sharing process 1100 may begin by performing a secure
login procedure (task 1102) to access the customer's online account
or profile. A typical login procedure was described above in
connection with initial card purchase process 200 and web page 400.
The customer may be prompted, via suitable web pages, to access a
card sharing web page that displays sharing information for the
primary user's purchase card products and current balances (task
1104). In this regard, FIG. 12 is a screen capture of an example
card sharing web page 1200 that may be generated by purchase card
system 100 for display at customer computer device 104. Web page
1200 includes a purchase card status field 1202, which may include
the card number, nickname, and current balance of the primary
user's purchase card product. Although web page 1200 depicts only
one purchase card associated with the primary user, any number of
different purchase cards may be listed. Web page 1200 may also
include a current share status field 1204, which may identify a
secondary user by user name and/or email address. Current share
status field 1204 may also include the status associated with the
secondary user, e.g., "sharing enabled" or "sharing disabled," an
active link or button 1206 that enables the primary user to view
and/or edit the purchase history of the secondary user, and an
active enable/disable link or button 1208 that enables the primary
user to enable or disable account sharing rights for the identified
secondary user. Although web page 1200 depicts sharing with only
one secondary user, purchase card system 100 is suitably configured
to support sharing with any number of secondary users.
[0078] Card sharing process 1100 preferably allows the primary user
to select a card number to be shared (task 1106). In this regard,
web page 1200 may represent a web page generated in response to the
selection of a specific card number. To initiate the sharing
process, the primary user enters an email address for the secondary
user (task 1108). Web page 1200 includes a data entry field 1210
that accommodates the entry of the secondary user's email address.
In this manner, the share request identifies the secondary user by
the email address. In the example embodiment of the invention,
e-commerce application 122 initiates the generation and sending of
an appropriate email notification or invitation by email server 108
to the secondary user (task 1110). The email may include
instructions prompting activation of the share request by the
secondary user. In a practical implementation, the email contains
an active link or element that initiates the activation
procedure.
[0079] If the secondary user clicks the active link or otherwise
agrees to the activation of the card sharing feature, then card
sharing process 1100 may initiate the generation of an activation
web page that directs the secondary user to the appropriate
e-commerce site maintained by e-commerce application 122 (task
1114). To prevent unintentional sharing, the active link may be
disabled once the secondary user accesses e-commerce application
122. E-commerce application 122 may then initiate a login (or
online account creation) procedure for the secondary user to
facilitate secured activation of the card sharing feature. If the
secondary user already has an online profile with e-commerce
application 122, then the existing username and password can be
used to access the activation web pages. At the activation web
page, the secondary user may be prompted to accept the invitation
to share the purchase card balance. Acceptance of the invitation
may result in the generation of an activation request by customer
computer device 104, where e-commerce application 122 processes the
activation request. In response to the activation request, process
1100 may generate a suitable confirmation message regarding the
updated share status and secondary user access to the purchase card
balance (task 1116). For example, process 1100 may generate a
confirmation web page for the secondary user, generate and send a
confirmation email to the secondary user, and generate and send a
confirmation email to the primary user.
[0080] To complete the share activation, card sharing process 1100
links the purchase card balance and/or the purchase card number to
the secondary user account profile to establish the shared balance
as a payment option for the secondary user (task 1118). Process
1100 may also update data maintained in sharing database 118 and
card record database 120. Furthermore, card sharing web page 1200
will be updated for the primary user to reflect the enabling of the
shared balance with the invited secondary user. Such updating of
web page 1200 may occur at the next login by the primary user or
when the primary user refreshes web page 1200.
[0081] In accordance with the preferred practical embodiment of the
invention, purchase card system 100 restricts the replenish and
sharing rights of secondary users (task 1120). These restrictions
enable the primary user to maintain control over the shared access
to the card balances and prevents misuse of shared funds. For
example, secondary users are unable to purchase replenishments for
a shared card balance, and secondary users are unable to further
share any card balances maintained by primary users. In other
words, secondary users are only able to make purchases with shared
card balances. Following task 1120, card sharing process 1100 ends.
Subsequent purchases made by secondary users are processed as
described above in connection with product purchase process
800.
[0082] In summary, a purchase card system according to the
invention, while not limited to any particular customer base, is
particularly suitable for a business entity having a customer base
that includes government and/or academic purchasers who are
governed by certain ethical, legal, administrative, or regulatory
rules and guidelines. Procurement and use of a purchase card
product as described herein complies with mandated procurement,
spending, and appropriations rules, regulations, and laws, which
may be common in a grant funded research environment. Consequently,
a purchase card system according to the invention is desirable for
use in connection with the sale of life sciences research products
and/or services to all life sciences researchers, including
government and academic researchers. Systems, devices, and methods
configured in accordance with example embodiments of the invention
relate to:
[0083] A method for facilitating purchase card product transactions
for a government or academic user account in compliance with
mandated procurement, spending, and appropriations rules,
regulations, and laws, the method comprising: receiving, via an
e-commerce transaction, a request for a purchase card product
having a stated value, the purchase card product having a product
catalog identifier associated therewith; electronically processing
credit card information, purchase order information, or a
combination thereof, as a method of payment for the purchase card
product; and establishing a purchase card balance for the user
account in the amount of the stated value. The method may further
comprise initiating shipment of the purchase card product and a
corresponding reconciliation document to an entity associated with
the user account, the reconciliation document facilitating
procurement system intake procedures by the entity. The method may
further comprise: offering life sciences research products and
services for purchase via the e-commerce transaction; and
processing, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a product
purchase for the life sciences research products and services. In
one embodiment, establishing a purchase card balance occurs in a
fiscal year of a government or academic institution associated with
the government or academic user account; and processing the product
purchase occurs in a subsequent fiscal year of the government or
academic institution. The method may further comprise establishing
a maximum value for the stated value, the maximum value qualifying
as a "micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal Acquisition
Regulation. The method may further comprise creating a card record
for the purchase card product, the card record including a
government funding source identifier. The method may further
comprise offering a plurality of stated values for the purchase
card product, each of the plurality of stated values having a
different product catalog identifier associated therewith. The
method may further comprise: processing, via a subsequent
e-commerce transaction, a product purchase for the user account,
the product purchase having a purchase price; applying the purchase
card balance toward the purchase price without requiring a new
purchase order or record of call for the product purchase; and
reducing the purchase card balance by the purchase price. The
method may further comprise: generating a web page containing a
listing of a plurality of available purchase card balances for the
user account; and receiving a purchase card balance selection that
identifies the purchase card balance from the plurality of
available purchase card balances. The method may further comprise
automatically linking the user account to user-specific pricing for
the product purchase, the automatically linking step being
performed prior to the processing step. The method may further
comprise: receiving, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a
replenish request for the purchase card product, the replenish
request corresponding to a stated replenish value, the stated
replenish value having a replenish product catalog identifier
associated therewith; and increasing the purchase card balance for
the user account in the amount of the stated replenish value. The
method may further comprise modifying an existing purchase order to
reflect payment for the stated replenish value. The method may
further comprise establishing a maximum replenish value for the
stated replenish value, the maximum replenish value qualifying as a
"micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
The method may further comprise offering a plurality of stated
replenish values for the purchase card product, each of the
plurality of stated replenish values having a different replenish
product catalog identifier associated therewith. The method may
further comprise: receiving a share request for the purchase card
product, the share request identifying a secondary user; and
linking the purchase card balance to a secondary user account
corresponding to the secondary user. The method may further
comprising restricting, for the secondary user account, rights to
share and replenish the purchase card balance. The method may
further comprise: the share request identifying the secondary user
by an email address of the secondary user; and sending, via the
email address, an email invitation to the secondary user, the email
invitation prompting activation of the share request by the
secondary user. The method may further comprise: receiving an
activation request in response to sending the email invitation; and
the linking step being performed in response to the activation
request.
[0084] A method for facilitating purchase card transactions for a
user account, the method comprising: offering an e-commerce
purchase card for life sciences research products and services, the
e-commerce purchase card having a stated value; maintaining a
purchase card balance for the user account; and applying, via a
subsequent e-commerce transaction for life sciences research
products or services having a purchase price, the purchase card
balance toward the purchase price; wherein offering the e-commerce
purchase card and the subsequent e-commerce transaction are in
compliance with mandated procurement, spending, and appropriations
rules, regulations, and laws. The applying step may comprise
applying the purchase card balance toward the purchase price
without requiring a purchase order or a record of call for the life
science research products or services. The method may further
comprise initiating shipment of the e-commerce purchase card and a
corresponding reconciliation document to an entity associated with
the user account, the reconciliation document facilitating
procurement system intake procedures by the entity. The method may
further comprise establishing a maximum value for the stated value,
the maximum value qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as defined by
the Federal Acquisition Regulation. The method may further comprise
establishing list pricing for the e-commerce purchase card, the
list pricing qualifying as "fair and reasonable" as defined by the
Anti-Deficiency Act. The method may further comprise: receiving,
via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, a replenish request for
the e-commerce purchase card, the replenish request corresponding
to a stated replenish value; and increasing the purchase card
balance for the user account in the amount of the stated replenish
value. The method may further comprise modifying an existing
purchase order to reflect payment for the stated replenish value.
The method may further comprise establishing a maximum replenish
value for the stated replenish value, the maximum replenish value
qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal
Acquisition Regulation. In one embodiment, maintaining a purchase
card balance occurs in a fiscal year of a government or academic
institution associated with the user account; and the subsequent
e-commerce transaction occurs in a subsequent fiscal year of the
government or academic institution.
[0085] A method for facilitating purchase card transactions for
life sciences research products and services in compliance with
mandated procurement, spending, and appropriations rules,
regulations, and laws, the method comprising: ordering, via an
e-commerce transaction for a user account, a purchase card product
having a stated value, the stated value qualifying as a
"micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal Acquisition Regulation;
purchasing, via a subsequent e-commerce transaction, life sciences
research product or services for the user account, the life
sciences research product or services having a purchase price; and
selecting the purchase card product as a method of payment toward
the purchase price without requesting a purchase order or a record
of call for the life sciences research product or services. The
method may further comprise ordering, via a second subsequent
e-commerce transaction, a replenish value for the purchase card
product, the replenish value having a stated value, the stated
value qualifying as a "micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal
Acquisition Regulation. The method may further comprise modifying
an existing purchase order to reflect payment for the replenish
value. The method may further comprise completing a share request
for the purchase card product, the share request identifying a
secondary user, and the share request initiating a link between the
purchase card product and a secondary user account corresponding to
the secondary user. In one embodiment, ordering the purchase card
product occurs in a fiscal year of a government or academic
institution associated with the user account; and purchasing the
life sciences research product or services occurs in a subsequent
fiscal year of the government or academic institution.
[0086] An e-commerce system for life sciences research products and
services, the e-commerce system comprising: an e-commerce engine
configured to generate web pages to facilitate online purchases of
life sciences research products and services for user accounts, and
to facilitate online purchases of purchase card products for user
accounts; an inventory system for life sciences research products
and services and purchase card products available for purchase via
the e-commerce engine; and a purchase card balance database coupled
to the e-commerce engine and configured to maintain purchase card
balances corresponding to purchase card products for at least some
of the user accounts; the e-commerce engine being further
configured to process, via an e-commerce transaction, a life
sciences research product or services purchase for a user account,
the life sciences research product or services purchase having a
purchase price, and to apply a purchase card balance for the user
account toward the purchase price without requiring a purchase
order or a record of call for the life sciences research product or
services purchase. In one practical embodiment, the life sciences
research product or services purchase is in compliance with
mandated procurement, spending, and appropriations rules,
regulations, and laws. The e-commerce engine may be further
configured to offer for purchase a plurality of purchase card
products having different initial stated values, up to a maximum
stated value that qualifies as a "micro-purchase" as defined by the
Federal Acquisition Regulation. The e-commerce system may further
comprise a product catalog identifier database coupled to the
e-commerce engine, each of the plurality of purchase card products
having a different product catalog identifier associated therewith
and maintained in the product catalog identifier database. The
e-commerce engine may be further configured to offer for purchase a
plurality of purchase card replenishment products having different
stated replenish values, up to a maximum stated replenish value
that qualifies as a "micro-purchase" as defined by the Federal
Acquisition Regulation. The e-commerce system may further comprise
a product catalog identifier database coupled to the e-commerce
engine, each of the plurality of purchase card replenishment
products having a different product catalog identifier associated
therewith and maintained in the product catalog identifier
database.
[0087] While at least one example embodiment has been presented in
the foregoing detailed description, it should be appreciated that a
vast number of variations exist. It should also be appreciated that
the example embodiment or embodiments described herein are not
intended to limit the scope, applicability, or configuration of the
invention in any way. Rather, the foregoing detailed description
will provide those skilled in the art with a convenient road map
for implementing the described embodiment or embodiments. It should
be understood that various changes can be made in the function and
arrangement of elements without departing from the scope of the
invention as set forth in the appended claims and the legal
equivalents thereof.
* * * * *