Customized transaction flow

• US 10,127,532 B1
• Filed: 08/19/2015
• Issued: 11/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Grassadonia, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Apple, Kirsten S
• Application Number:
  US14/830,662
• Time in Patent Office: 1,182 Days
• Field of Search: 705 35
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/023 the neutral party being a clearing house
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0279 Fundraising management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

Disclosed is a technology for customizing the flow of a payment transaction at a payer'"'"'s mobile device, based on parameters associated with a payee to which the payer is making the payment. The payee can be an individual person or a specific business entity (e.g., restaurant, political cause, professional service, etc.). The transaction flow technology involves communication between a mobile application installed on the mobile device and a remote payment service system (PSS). A list of potential payees can be displayed for selection by the payer at the mobile application. The payees can be nearby payees identified by using, e.g., BLE, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi®, geofence, etc. Upon selection of a particular payee by the payer, the PSS identifies one or more parameters of that payee, e.g., payee type, and generates a transaction flow to guide the payer through a payment transaction with the selected payee based on those parameters.

Claims

1. A method for customizing a transaction flow of a payment transaction initiated by a payer on a mobile device and facilitated by a payment service system, comprising:

detecting, by a payment application executing on the mobile device, an indication of the payer'"'"'s intent to engage in the payment transaction, wherein the indication of the payer'"'"'s intent is detected through an interaction of the payer with the payment application, the interaction including one or both of a launch of the payment application to initiate the payment transaction and a submittal of an identifying input by the payer into the payment application;

transmitting, by the payment application executing on the mobile device, a message to the payment service system that conveys the payer'"'"'s intent to engage in the payment transaction;

responsive to receiving the message from the payment application, automatically generating, by the payment service system, a set of potential payees for display to the payer at the payment application executing on the mobile device, wherein at least one potential payee is identified based on one or both of the identifying input associated with the potential payee and location information associated with both the mobile device and a payee device of the potential payee;

causing, by the payment service system, the set of potential payees to automatically populate an interface accessible through the payment application for review by the payer, wherein the interface comprises a plurality of user-selectable indicators for each respective potential payee, and selection of a user-selectable indicator results in transmitting a respective payer selection to the payment service system;

receiving, by the payment service system and from the mobile device, a payer selection, associated with a user-selectable indicator, of a payee from the set of potential payees;

in response to receiving the payer selection from the mobile device, automatically and remotely, relative to the mobile device, identifying, by the payment service system, a payee type based on a characteristic of the payee selected from the set of potential payees;

in response to identifying the payee type, automatically performing, by the payment service system, a database lookup, based on the identified payee type, of one of multiple transaction flows as a particular transaction flow associated with the identified payee type for initiation at the payment application, the multiple transaction flows including at least a first transaction flow corresponding to a first payee type and a second transaction flow corresponding to a second payee type, wherein the first transaction flow and the second transaction flow guide payers through different processes to complete payment transactions;

causing, by the payment service system, the particular transaction flow to be initiated automatically at the payment application, the particular transaction flow enabling the payer to complete the payment transaction with the payee through the payment application, wherein the particular transaction flow comprises a series of user interfaces, customized based on the payee type, to complete a payment from the mobile device to the payment service system, wherein the series of user interfaces is associated with a first rule for collecting information from the payer;

receiving, by the payment service system and from the payment application, an approval of a payment associated with the payment transaction with the payee, the approval received at a completion of the particular transaction flow; and

based at least in part on the approval, automatically causing, by the payment service system, the payment to be transferred to a financial account associated with the payee.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the payee type is the first payee type, the first transaction flow is selected, wherein the first payee type is a restaurant type, and wherein initiating the particular transaction flow comprises:

generating an invoice associated with the restaurant type for the payment transaction, the invoice including an itemized restaurant bill that includes a payment amount and restaurant item description;

generating a tipping component for enabling an input of a tipping amount by the payer, the tipping component including a set of tipping amounts predefined based on the restaurant type; and

generating a feedback component associated with the restaurant type for enabling an input of feedback by the payer for the payee.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein, when the payee type is the second payee type, the second transaction flow is selected, wherein the second payee type is a fundraiser type, and wherein initiating the particular transaction flow comprises:

generating an invoice associated with the fundraising type for the payment transaction, the invoice including a donation amount and a donation description; and

generating an information inquiry form for enabling an input of registration information by the payer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of potential payees is generated based on at least one of:

a geofence surrounding the mobile device within which the set of potential payees is located;

or

a short range wireless communication feature that enables computing devices associated with the set of potential payees to establish a presence in proximity to the mobile device.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifying input includes an alphabetical input;

and wherein generating the set of potential payees further comprises;

determining a geographic location associated with the mobile device;

identifying the at least one payee of the set of potential payees based on the geographical location and the alphabetical input, the at least one payee having a payee identifier associated with the alphabetical input and being associated with a payee device located within a range of the geographical location; and

presenting the at least one payee for display to the payer at the payment application.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the series of user interfaces of the particular transaction flow, customized based on the payee type, comprises:

transmitting, by the payment service system to the mobile device, a first rule to generate an invoice user interface defining one or more terms of the transaction flow;

transmitting, by the payment service system to the mobile device, a second rule to generate a user interface to collect information from the payer to process the transaction flow; and

transmitting, by the payment service system to the mobile device, a third rule to generate a completion user interface to guide the payer to complete the transaction flow.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the message comprises a payer identifier, and the set of potential payees comprises past payees to whom the payer has made payments in past transactions.

6. A payment service system comprising:

a communication device through which the payment service system can communicate with remote devices over a network;

a memory; and

a processor coupled to the communication device and the memory and configured to cause the payment service system to perform operations that include;

causing a payment application executing on a mobile device associated with a payer to detect an indication of the payer'"'"'s intent to engage in a payment transaction, wherein the indication of the payer'"'"'s intent is detected through an interaction of the payer with the payment application, the interaction including one or both of a launch of the payment application to initiate the payment transaction and a submittal of an identifying input by the payer into the payment application;

receiving, from the payment application executing on the mobile device, a message that conveys the payer'"'"'s intent to engage in the payment transaction;

responsive to said receiving, generating a set of potential payees for display at the payment application executing on the mobile device, wherein at least one potential payee is identified based on one or both of the identifying input associated with the potential payee and location information associated with both the mobile device and a payee device of the potential payee;

causing the set of potential payees to automatically populate an interface accessible through the payment application for review by the payer, wherein the interface comprises a plurality of user-selectable indicators for each respective potential payee, and selection of a user-selectable indicator results in transmitting a respective payer selection to the payment service system;

receiving, from the payment application executing on the mobile device, a payer selection, associated with a user-selectable indicator, of a payee from the set of potential payees;

in response to receiving the payer selection from the mobile device, automatically and remotely, relative to the mobile device, identifying a payee type based on a characteristic of the payee selected from the set of potential payees;

in response to identifying the payee type, automatically performing a database lookup, based on the identified payee type, of one of multiple transaction flows as a particular transaction flow associated with the identified payee type for initiation at the payment application, the multiple transaction flows including at least a first transaction flow corresponding to a first payee type and a second transaction flow corresponding to a second payee type, wherein the first transaction flow and the second transaction flow guide payers through different processes to complete payment transactions;

causing the particular transaction flow to be initiated automatically at the payment application, the particular transaction flow enabling the payer to complete the payment transaction with the payee through the payment application, wherein the particular transaction flow comprises a series of user interfaces, customized based on the payee type, to complete a payment from the mobile device to the payment service system, wherein the series of user interfaces is associated with a rule for collecting information from the payer;

receiving, from the payment application, an approval of a payment associated with the payment transaction with the payee, the approval received at a completion of the particular transaction flow; and

based at least in part on the approval, automatically causing the payment to be transferred to a financial account associated with the payee.

7. The payment service system of claim 6, wherein the first transaction flow is selected when the payee type is the first payee type, wherein the first payee type is a restaurant type, and wherein initiating the particular transaction flow comprises:

generating an invoice associated with the restaurant type for the payment transaction, the invoice including an itemized restaurant bill that includes a payment amount and restaurant item description;

generating a tipping component for enabling an input of a tipping amount by the payer, the tipping component including a set of tipping amounts predefined based on the restaurant type; and

generating a feedback component associated with the restaurant type for enabling an input of feedback by the payer for the payee.

8. The payment service system of claim 6, wherein the second transaction flow is selected when the payee type is the second payee type, wherein the second payee type is a fundraiser type, and wherein initiating the particular transaction flow comprises:

generating an invoice associated with the fundraising type for the payment transaction, the invoice including a donation amount and a donation description; and

generating an information inquiry form for enabling an input of registration information by the payer.

9. The payment service system of claim 6, wherein the set of potential payees is generated based on at least one of:

a geofence surrounding the mobile device within which the set of potential payees is located;

or

a short range wireless communication feature that enables computing devices associated with the set of potential payees to establish a presence in proximity to the mobile device.

10. The payment service system of claim 6, wherein the identifying input includes an alphabetical input;

and wherein generating the set of potential payees further comprises;

determining a geographic location associated with the mobile device;

identifying the at least one payee of the set of potential payees based on the geographical location and the alphabetical input, the at least one payee having a payee identifier associated with the alphabetical input and being associated with a payee device located within a range of the geographical location; and

presenting the at least one payee for display to the payer at the payment application.