Using card present transaction data to generate payment transaction account

• US 10,229,412 B1
• Filed: 10/21/2015
• Issued: 03/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/13/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, William
• Primary Examiner(s): Zare, Scott A
• Application Number:
  US14/918,814
• Time in Patent Office: 1,238 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/348 Single-use cards, i.e. without possibility of recharging
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3567 Software being in the reader
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules

Abstract

A computer-implemented method for providing payment account information in a user account by receiving payment card information by a card reader at a point of sale. An account can be created when the payment card information is read by the card reader. Optionally, a gift card can be scanned prior to the creation of the account, and the gift card information can be combined with the payment card information. The gift card can be an electronic gift card which can be personalized with textual, visual, video, and/or audio portions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for automation of account generation, the method comprising:

receiving, by one or more processors of a network system configured to process transactions and from a first point of sale computing device associated with a first merchant during a first transaction between a consumer and the first merchant, (i) payment card information from a payment card provided to the first point of sale computing device by the consumer during the first transaction and (ii) user information identifying the consumer;

identifying, by the one or more processors of the network system, that the payment card information is not already associated with any of a plurality of user accounts at the network system;

generating, by the one or more processors of the network system automatically in response to receiving the payment card information during the first transaction and identifying that the payment card information is not already associated with any of the plurality of user accounts at the network system, a consumer user account that comprises the payment card information and the user information, the consumer user account associated with the consumer;

receiving, by the one or more processors of the network system, information from a mobile device that is located within a predetermined proximity to a second point of sale computing device associated with a second merchant, the information including a request to enter into a second transaction between the consumer and the second merchant;

receiving, by the one or more processors of the network system and from the second point of sale computing device, a request to process the second transaction; and

using the information from the mobile device and the request from the second point of sale computing device, and without the consumer presenting the payment card;

identifying the consumer user account that is associated with the consumer; and

using the payment card information as retrieved from the consumer user account to process the second transaction between the consumer and the second merchant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first point of sale computing device includes a card reader, wherein the first point of sale computing device receives the payment card information via the card reader, and wherein the first transaction is thereby a card present transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment card is a credit card.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment card is a gift card redeemable with at least the second merchant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein generating the consumer user account comprises supplementing an existing user account with at least the payment card information, the existing user account associated with the consumer.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first point of sale computing device uses a scanner to optically read the user information identifying the consumer from the payment card.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the consumer user account also identifies an electronic gift card that includes two or more of the following:

text, image, video, or audio.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the user information comprises receiving, by the one or more processors of the network system, the user information via a user interface of the first point of sale computing device during the first transaction.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving gift card information from the first point of sale computing device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

including the gift card information in the consumer user account.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the gift card information corresponds to an electronic gift card, and the gift card information includes scanner information read from an optical indicator of the electronic gift card.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the electronic gift card includes two or more of the following:

text, image, video, or audio.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment card information is added to the consumer user account without manual entry of the payment card information.

14. A system comprising:

one or more processors of a network system; and

one or more memory units communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a first merchant point of sale computing device associated with a first merchant during a first transaction between a consumer and the first merchant, (i) payment card information from a payment card provided to the first point of sale computing device by the consumer during the first transaction and (ii) user information identifying the consumer;

identifying that the payment card information is not already associated with any of a plurality of user accounts at the network system;

generating, automatically in response to receiving the payment card information during the first transaction and identifying that the payment card information is not already associated with any of the plurality of user accounts at the network system, a consumer user account that comprises the payment card information and the user information, the consumer user account associated with the consumer;

receiving information from a mobile device that is located within a predetermined proximity to a second point of sale computing device associated with a second merchant, the information including a request to enter into a second transaction between the consumer and the second merchant; and

using the information from the mobile device and the request from the second point of sale computing device, and without the consumer presenting the payment card;

identifying the consumer user account that is associated with the consumer; and

using the payment card information as retrieved from the consumer user account to process the second transaction between the consumer and the second merchant.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein a card reader of the first merchant point of sale computing device is configured to read the payment card information from the payment card when the payment card is swiped through the card reader.

16. The system of claim 14, further comprising an image capture device to read gift card information from a gift card, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to cause the gift card information to be associated with the consumer user account.

17. A computer program product comprising one or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a network system, cause the one or more processors to:

receive, from a first merchant point of sale computing device associated with a first merchant during a first transaction between a consumer and the first merchant, (i) payment card information from a payment card provided to the first point of sale computing device by the consumer during the first transaction and (ii) user information identifying the consumer;

identify that the payment card information is not already associated with any of a plurality of user accounts at the network system;

generate, automatically in response to receiving the payment card information during the first transaction and identifying that the payment card information is not already associated with any of the plurality of user accounts at the network system, a consumer user account that comprises the payment card information and the user information, the consumer user account associated with the consumer;

receive information from a mobile device that is located within a predetermined proximity to a second point of sale computing device associated with a second merchant, the information including a request to enter into a second transaction between the consumer and the second merchant; and

using the information from the mobile device and the request from the second point of sale computing device, and without the consumer presenting the payment card;

identify the consumer user account that is associated with the consumer; and

using the payment card information as retrieved from the consumer user account, process the second transaction between the consumer and the second merchant.