Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

Figure 1: Example Front Side of a $30.00 card ($300.00 total).

http://www.merchant.comMerchant ID: A53451 Card ID: A345bY1e47

© Copyright: Ben Livson 1998. All rights reserved. Confidential.

Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

Figure 2: Example Rear Side of a $30.00 card

(10 scratches = $300.00 total).

Note: 1st number scratched and exposed for use.

Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

Table 1. Minimum Set of Scratch Cash Database Attributes

Attribute Description

Scratch-Sequence The primary key to scratch cash

Scratch-Sequence-

Status

Scratch-Sequence status is in-store non-allocated, allocated for sale or use, used or cancelled

Scratch-Monetary-

Value

Either a pre-allocated nomination eg. $1, $5 etc. or a variable refund value as a portion of the original to support exact change for a purchase.

Scratch-Card-ID A card has multiple usually 10-20 scratch sequences corresponding to a monetary nomination, e.g. a card of 10 scratch sequences $20 each, and corresponds to a

Merchant-ID.

Scratch-Card-Status Scratch card status is in-store non-allocated, allocated for sale or use, in-use, all-used or cancelled

Card-Valid-Until A merchant has the option to set a valid until date that has to be displayed on the card.

Merchant-ID The provider of products or services for a card. A web URL for the Merchant-ID is displayed on the card.

Date-Time-Stamps A date-time-stamp is recorded for each transaction and change of status. Complete history is required.

Transaction-ID A transaction is recorded when a scratch is used

Account-ID All retailers of scratch card must have an account-id. Optionally [larger business] consumers may have an account-id. Accounts may have many cards.

Insurance-ID Optionally, accounts may have insurance against theft or fraud.

Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

Figure 3: Context Diagram - Scratch Cash

Consumer use

Scratch CashBack Office Merchant Accounting

and value validation processes

Consumer Sales

Back office scratch sequence generation and printing of

scratch cash cards

13 4

2

5

Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

4. Scratch Cash End to End Process

1. Initialize back-office scratch cash database and assign monetary value to randomly generated sequences.

2. Produce scratch cash cards and print scratch sequences.

3. Enable consumer card use services, e.g. scratch stamps and e-commerce.

4. Distribute scratch cash for card retail sales.

5. Consumer uses scratch cash for payment

6. Back-office automatically validates scratch cash, updates scratch database status and maintains transaction record.

All. Front of office customer support and help desk.

Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

Fill your shopping cart for $x

Pay by entering scratch sequences $s1+$s2+…+$sn>$x

Validate sequences against the back-end database. If all sequences valid, accept payment and issue consumer a receipt and authorise delivery of goods and services.

Validate

OK

Mark s1,s2,…,sn-1 usedProvide exact change by reducing the value of new$sn==$x-($s1+$s2+…+$sn)Update database statuses,time-stamps and writetransaction records

Deliver

Issue receiptBackend delivery of goods and servicesInterface with ERP Accounts & Financials

Consumer receives areceipt and the goods orservices

OK

Purchase completeWell Done!

All sequences must be validConsumer can retry y-times

Figure 5: Consumer-Merchant Process

Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

Figure 6: Scratch Cash Generation

Charater Set

Scratch CashGenerator

If new, accept into DatabaseAssign Status, Date-Time

Stamp, and Card-IDContinue until Block Size

Generated

Print Cards for the new Card-Ids and Sequences

Allocate cards to retail and other business accounts

Select Block SizeCharacter SetMerchant-ID

Monetary Unit Value

134

2

5

Scratch Cash Method of Payment for Electronic Commerce

Figure 7: Scratch Cash Account Processes

Account-ID Inquiries

Scratch cash cards allocated, scratch sequence statuses, time stamps, values and transaction

records

Cancel cards and their scratch sequences if requested by account

owners or after theft or fraud.Issue replacement scratch cash

Allow non-account holder inquiry for valid scratch sequence value, status, time-stamp history and

transactions