Payment platform for online service providers

• US 10,360,542 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 07/23/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rom, Guy, Lee, George
• Primary Examiner(s): Rankins, William E
• Application Number:
  US13/196,742
• Publication Number:
  US 20130036046A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,912 Days
• Field of Search: 705 11, 705 4
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems

Abstract

Payment providers interact with an online service provider using a standard interface provided by the online service provider for different payment providers. A payment provider can invoke the interface of the online service provider to add credits for a user of the online service provider. The online service provider allows users to make purchases using credits. The online service provider authorizes purchases made by the user based on credits available for the user or based on a history of payments from the user. The online service provider sends an invoice based on the purchases to the payment provider. The payment provider can be any system that can invoke the interface provided by the online service provider. For example, the payment provider can be a financial institution, another user, or a business that provides credits to the user for performing actions that benefit the business.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

maintaining by an online service provider, user accounts for storing credits for users of the online service provider, the credits for making purchases from the online service provider;

maintaining a standard interface to be provided to a payment provider, the standard interface comprising a function that allows multiple different payment providers to initiate a transaction at the online service provider that adds credits to one or more user accounts;

receiving by the online service provider, a purchase request from a user to purchase a service offered by the online service provider;

receiving, from the payment provider, a request to add credits to a user account of the user, the payment provider newly introduced and not having previously supported users of the online service provider;

providing, to the payment provider, the maintained standard interface;

receiving a payment request from the payment provider via the standard interface, the payment request comprising information identifying the user of the online service provider and an amount for crediting to the user account for the user;

executing a transaction by a processor of the online service provider to increase a number of credits in the user account for the user based on the amount received in the payment request;

sending information comprising an invoice based on the amount by which credits are increased in the user account; and

providing the requested service offered by the online service provider to the user.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user for making a purchase from the online service provider, the purchase for a purchase price; and

authorizing a transaction for the purchase requested by the user based on the credits in the user account.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the payment provider comprises a financial institution, the financial institution providing credits to users responsive to a payment made by the users to the financial institution.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the payment provider comprises an individual.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the payment provider comprises a business providing credits to users for actions performed by the users, the actions comprising interactions between the users and the business.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the payment provider sends a second request to add credits for the user responsive to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the request received from the payment provider initiates a transaction to add credits to one or more user accounts maintained by the online service provider.

8. A computer implemented method comprising:

maintaining by an online service provider an account for storing credits for a user, the credits for making purchases from the online service provider;

maintaining a standard interface, the standard interface comprising a function that enables multiple different payment providers to execute a transaction at the online service provider that adds credits to one or more user accounts;

receiving by the online service provider, a purchase request from a user to purchase a service offered by the online service provider;

providing, to a payment provider, the maintained standard interface, the payment provider newly introduced and not having previously supported users of the online service provider;

receiving, by the online service provider, a request from the payment provider to add credits for the user, the request comprises information identifying the user and a number of credits to be added to the account for the user;

increasing, by a processor, credits in the account for the user based on the number of credits requested to be added; and

sending information describing an invoice from the online service provider to the payment provider, the invoice charging an amount to the payment provider, the amount representing the increased number of credits increased for the user; and

providing the requested service offered by the online service provider to the user.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the invoice is sent to the payment provider responsive to a request from the payment provider invoking the standard interface provided by the online service provider.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the request from the payment provider invokes a standard application programming interface (API) provided by the online service provider, the API for use by the payment provider.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the payment provider is a financial institution, the financial institution providing credits to the user responsive to a payment made by the user to the financial institution.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the payment provider is an individual.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the payment provider is a business providing credits to the user for actions performed by the user, the actions comprising interactions between the user and the business.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the payment provider sends a second request to add credits for the user responsive to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 8, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user for making a purchase from the online service provider, the purchase for a purchase price; and

authorizing a transaction for the purchase requested by the user based on the credits in the user account.

16. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving by a payment provider, a request from a user to add an amount of credits to a user account at an online service provider by making a payment to the payment provider, the payment provider newly introduced and not having previously supported users of the online service provider;

establishing a connection with the online service provider through a standard interface that comprises a function enabling the payment provider to execute a transaction at the online service provider to add the amount of credits to the user account, the standard interface being configured to establish the connection with multiple different payment providers;

sending, a request to the online service provider via the standard interface, the request comprising information identifying the user and the amount of credits to be added to the user account for the user by the online service provider; and

receiving information comprising an invoice for the user from the online service provider, the invoice based on the amount by which credits are increased in the user account.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider is a financial institution, the financial institution providing credits to the user responsive to a payment made by the user to the financial institution.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider is an individual.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider is a business providing credits to the user for actions performed by the user.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider sends a second request to add credits for the user responsive to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending a request for receiving the invoice for purchases by the user.