Local usage of electronic tokens in a transaction processing system

• US 10,380,585 B2
• Filed: 05/31/2012
• Issued: 08/13/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Harris, Theodore, Faith, Patrick
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Steven S
• Application Number:
  US13/485,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20120310838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,630 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3276 using a pictured code, e.g. barcode or QR-code, being read by the M-device
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• 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

Abstract

A method for the use of electronic transactional tokens includes: generating a plurality of transactional tokens including a first token; associating each of the transactional tokens with a plurality of users, the first token associated with a first user; monitoring usage of the transactional tokens in a plurality of transactions in a local region or network; and in response to receiving transactional data for the first transaction, updating the first token from a first state to a second state (e.g., to provide a benefit when the token is applied in the local region or network). The tokens may be generated and monitored using a token processing system, which uses transaction data received by a transaction handler that is handling transaction processing for the transactions.

Claims

1. A method of generating and processing transactional tokens, comprising:

providing a computing system comprising;

a transaction handler interconnecting issuer processors controlling consumer accounts from which payments are made and acquirer processors controlling merchant accounts to which the payments are made;

a data warehouse coupled with the transaction handler, the data warehouse storing transaction data recording the payments processed by the transaction handler in an electronic payment processing network, and account data identifying a plurality of consumer accounts; and

a token processing system coupled with the transaction handler and communicating with user devices, including a first user device associated with a first user and a second user device associated with a second user, computer devices outside the electronic payment processing network;

receiving, by the token processing system and from the first user device, an image of a coupon scanned by the first user device and an identifier associated with the first user device;

in response to receiving the scanned image, associating, by the token processing system, the scanned image with the first user device based on the identifier of the first user device and storing, by the token processing system, the scanned image with the identifier in the data warehouse;

generating, by the token processing system, a first token based on the scanned image, the first token corresponding to a first benefit;

associating, by the token processing system, the first token with the first user device based on the identifier for the first user device and storing, by the token processing system, the first token with the identifier in the data warehouse;

monitoring, by the token processing system, usage of the first token in a transaction of a plurality of transactions, the plurality of transactions comprising a first transaction for which the first token is scanned in at a first transaction terminal from the first user device;

receiving, by the transaction handler, first transaction data associated with the first transaction;

in response to receiving the first transaction data, applying, by the transaction handler, the first benefit to the first transaction;

ascertaining, by the token processing system, that the first benefit has been applied to the first transaction by the transaction handler;

in response to the first benefit being applied to the first transaction, transferring, by the token processing system, the first token from the first user device to the second user device, associating, by the token processing system, the first token with the second user device based on a second identifier of the second user device, and storing, by the token processing system, the first token with the second identifier in the data warehouse;

updating, by the token processing system, the first token from a first state corresponding to the first benefit to a second state corresponding to a second benefit;

receiving, by the transaction handler, second transaction data associated with a second transaction initiated by the second user device at a second transaction terminal by scanning the first token at the second transaction terminal from the second user device; and

processing, by the transaction handler, the second transaction using the first token to provide the second benefit corresponding to the second state;

wherein the receiving the first and second transaction data further comprises receiving, by the transaction handler from acquirer processors, authorization requests for payments to be made by issuer processors according to account identifiers of the first and second users, wherein the issuer processors make the payments on behalf of the first and second users and the acquirer processors receive the payments on behalf of merchants.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising limiting transfer of the first token to a user device within a common network domain, the common network domain comprising a plurality of user devices including the first user device and the second user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first transaction is between the first user device and the first transaction terminal, wherein the first transaction terminal is the second user device, wherein the second state corresponds to a transactional benefit for a future transaction by the second user device.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the transactional benefit for the future transaction requires usage of the first token.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first state corresponds to a discount for a purchase from a first merchant, and the second state corresponds to a discount for a purchase from a second merchant.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein a point of sale terminal of the first merchant and a point of sale terminal of the second merchant are each associated with a common network domain, and the point of sale terminal of the first merchant performs the purchase from the first merchant and the point of sale terminal of the second merchant performs the purchase from the second merchant.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the discount is a fixed currency amount or a fixed percentage discount.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the first token comprises a plurality of attributes including a first attribute, and wherein in the second state, the first attribute provides a percentage reduction in price for a future transaction by the second user device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating a transaction history with the first token, and updating the transaction history based on transactions to which the first token has been applied.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising, responsive to receiving a request from the first user device, transferring the first token to the second user device.

11. A system for generating and processing transactional tokens, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions when executed by the at least one processor causes the at least one processor to perform the operations of;

receive, by a token processing system, an image of a coupon scanned by a first user device and an identifier associated with the first user device, the token processing system coupled with a transaction handler and communicating with user devices, including the first user device associated with a first user and a second user device associated with a second user, computer devices outside an electronic payment processing network;

in response to receiving the scanned image, associate by the token processing system, the scanned image with the first user device based on the identifier of the first user device and store, by the token processing system, the scanned image with the identifier in the data warehouse, the data warehouse storing transaction data recording payments processed by the transaction handler in the electronic payment processing network, and account data identifying a plurality of consumer accounts;

generate, by the token processing system, a first token based on the scanned image, the first token corresponding to a first benefit;

associate, by the token processing system, the first token with the first user device based on the identifier for the first user device and storing, by the token processing system, the first token with the identifier in the data warehouse;

monitor, by the token processing system, usage of the first token in a transaction of a plurality of transactions, the plurality of transactions comprising a first transaction for which the first token is scanned in at a first transaction terminal from the first user device;

receive, by the transaction handler, first transaction data associated with the first transaction;

in response to receiving the first transaction data, apply, by the transaction handler, the first benefit to the first transaction;

ascertain, by the token processing system, that the first benefit has been applied to the first transaction by the transaction handler;

in response to the first benefit being applied to the first transaction, transfer, by the token processing system, the first token from the first user device to the second user device, associate, by the token processing system, the first token with the second user device based on a second identifier of the second user device, and storing, by the token processing system, the first token with the second identifier;

update, by the token processing system, the first token from a first state corresponding to the first benefit to a second state corresponding to a second benefit;

receive, by the transaction handler, second transaction data associated with a second transaction initiated by the second user device at a second transaction terminal by scanning the first token at the second transaction terminal from the second user device; and

process, by the transaction handler, the second transaction using the first token to provide the second benefit corresponding to the second state;

wherein the operation of receive the first and second transaction data further comprises receive, by the transaction handler from acquirer processors, authorization requests for payments to be made by issuer processors according to account identifiers of the first and second users, wherein the issuer processors make the payments on behalf of the first and second users and the acquirer processors receive the payments on behalf of merchants.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the first token is limited to transfer to a user device within a common network domain, the common network domain comprising a plurality of user devices including the first user device and the second user device.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the instructions further instruct the at least one processor to associate a transaction history with the first token, and to update the transaction history based on transactions to which the first token has been applied.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first token is applied to the first transaction, and wherein the receiving the first transaction data comprises receiving the first transaction data by the transaction handler, which receives authorization requests for payments to be made according to account identifiers associated with user devices.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer-readable instructions for generating and processing transactional tokens, which when executed, cause a computer system to perform operations of:

process, by a transaction handler, payment transactions in an electronic payment processing network, the transaction handler interconnecting issuer processors controlling consumer accounts from which payments are made and acquirer processors controlling merchant accounts to which the payments are made;

receive, by a token processing system and from a first user device, an image of a coupon scanned by the first user device and an identifier associated with the first user device, the token processing system coupled with the transaction handler and communicating with user devices, including the first user device associated with a first user and a second user device associated with a second user, outside the electronic payment processing network;

in response to receiving the scanned image, associate the scanned image with the first user device based on the identifier of the first user device and storing, by the token processing system, the scanned image with the identifier in a data warehouse, the data warehouse storing transaction data recording the payments processed by the transaction handler in the electronic payment processing network, and account data identifying a plurality of consumer accounts;

generate, by the token processing system, a first token based on the scanned image, the first token corresponding to a first benefit;

associate, by the token processing system, the first token with the first user device based on the identifier for the first user device and storing, by the token processing system, the first token with the identifier in the data warehouse;

monitor, by the token processing system, usage of the first token in a transaction of a plurality of transactions, the plurality of transactions comprising a first transaction for which the first token is scanned in at a transaction terminal from the first user device;

receive, by the transaction handler, first transaction data associated with the first transaction;

in response to receiving the first transaction data, apply, by the transaction handler, the first benefit to the first transaction;

ascertain, by the token processing system, that the first benefit has been applied to the first transaction by the transaction handler;

in response to the first benefit being applied to the first transaction, transferring by the token processing system, the first token from the first user device to the second user a second user device, associate, by the token processing system the first token with the second user device based on a second identifier of the second user device, and storing, by the token processing system, the first token with the second identifier;

update, by the token processing system, the first token from a first state corresponding to the first benefit to a second state corresponding to a second benefit;

receive, by the transaction handler, second transaction data associated with a second transaction initiated by the second user device at a second transaction terminal by scanning the first token at the second transaction terminal from the second user device; and

process, by the transaction handler, the second transaction using the first token to provide the second benefit corresponding to the second state;

wherein the operation of receive the first and second transaction data further comprises receive, by the transaction handler from acquirer processors, authorization requests for payments to be made by issuer processors according to account identifiers of the first and second users, wherein the issuer processors make the payments on behalf of the first and second users and the acquirer processors receive the payments on behalf of merchants.