Cloud-based generation of receipts using transaction information

• US 10,410,200 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2016
• Issued: 09/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Tsou, Victor, Fineberg, Alan, McCormick, Damon, Hawthorne, Kathryne
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US15/070,675
• Publication Number:
  US 20170270505A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,274 Days
• Field of Search: 705 24, 705 44, 705 1447, 705 39, 705 16, 705 1426
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output

Abstract

This disclosure describes, in part, cloud-based generation of receipts using transaction information. In some examples, a payment service can send receipt templates to a point-of-sale (POS) device of a merchant, receive an indication of a selected receipt template from the POS device, and associated the selected receipt template in a merchant profile of the merchant. The payment system can then receive transaction information from the POS device of the merchant, generate a receipt for the transaction using the selected receipt template associated with the merchant profile, and send data representing the receipt to the POS device. In some examples, the receipt template defines a layout of the receipt, text to include in the receipt, and one or more graphics to include in the receipt.

Claims

1. A payment system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

storing a plurality of templates, an individual template of the plurality of templates defining a respective receipt available for use by merchants when conducting transactions with customers;

storing a plurality of merchant profiles, an individual merchant profile of the plurality of merchant profiles being associated with a respective merchant and being associated with at least one template from the plurality of templates;

providing, over a network and to point-of-sale (POS) device associated with a merchant, first data representing one or more templates from the plurality of templates, wherein the POS device has installed thereon an instance of a POS application configuring the POS device as a POS terminal for generating and transmitting, over the network, at least a request to authorize a transaction to the payment system;

receiving, over the network and from the POS device, second data indicating a selection of a template from the one or more templates;

associating the template with a merchant profile associated with the merchant;

receiving, over the network and from the POS device, the request to authorize the transaction between a customer and the merchant, wherein the request indicates at least an identifier for a payment instrument, an item acquired by the customer, and a cost of the item;

attempting to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the item;

receiving an indication that the payment instrument is authorized for the cost of the item;

generating a receipt for the transaction using the template that is associated with the merchant profile; and

sending, over the network and to the POS device, third data representing the receipt.

2. A payment system as claim 1 recites, wherein the template selected by the merchant defines at least one of:

a layout for the receipt;

text to include in the receipt;

or

one or more graphics to include the receipt.

3. A payment system as claim 2 recites, wherein generating the receipt for the transaction comprises generating the receipt based at least in part on the layout for the receipt, the text to include in the receipt, and the one or more graphics to include in the receipt.

4. A payment system as claim 1 recites, wherein the second data further indicates a first class of items associated with the template, a selection of an additional template of the one or more templates, and a second class of items associated with the additional template, and the operations further comprise:

associating the template with the first class of items;

associating the second template with the merchant profile; and

associating the additional template with the second class of items.

5. A payment system as claim 1 recites, the operations further comprising:

identifying, using the request, an identify of a customer associated with the transaction;

selecting additional content to add to the receipt based at least in part on a customer profile associated with the customer; and

adding the additional content to the receipt.

6. A method performed at least in part by a server computing system of a payment processing service, the method comprising:

providing, over a network and to a device of a merchant, first data representing one or more templates from the plurality of templates, an individual template of the plurality of templates defining a respective receipt available for use by the merchant when conducting a transaction with a customer, wherein the device of the merchant has installed thereon an instance of a point-of-sale (POS) application configuring the device of the merchant as a POS terminal for generating and transmitting at least a request to authorize a transaction to the server computing system over the network;

receiving, over the network and from the device of the merchant, second data indicating a selection of a template from the one or more templates;

generating a merchant profile for the merchant;

associating the template with the merchant profile of the merchant;

receiving, over the network and from the device of the merchant, third data corresponding to the transaction with the customer;

generating, based at least in part on the template associated with the merchant profile, a receipt for the transaction; and

sending, over the network and to the device of the merchant, fourth data representing the receipt.

7. A method as claim 6 recites, further comprising:

storing the plurality of templates in a database; and

storing a plurality of merchant profiles including the merchant profile, an individual merchant profile of the plurality of merchant profiles being associated with a respective merchant and indicating a selection of at least one template from the plurality of templates.

8. A method as claim 6 recites, wherein:

receiving the third data corresponding to the transaction comprises receiving a request to authorize a payment instrument for a cost of an item acquired by the customer; and

generating the receipt comprises generating, based at least in part on the template associated with the merchant profile, the receipt to include information corresponding to the payment instrument, a description of the item, and a cost of the item.

9. A method as claim 8 recites, further comprising:

attempting to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the item;

receiving a first indication that the payment instrument is authorized for the cost of the item; and

sending, to the device of the merchant, a second indication that the payment instrument is authorized for the cost of the item.

10. A method as claim 6 recites, wherein the second data further indicates a customization of the template selected by the merchant, the customization including at least one of:

a selection of a custom layout for the receipt;

an indication of text to include the receipt;

or

a selection of one or more graphics to include the receipt.

11. A method as claim 10 recites, wherein generating the receipt for the transaction comprises generating the receipt based at least in part on the custom layout for the receipt, the text to include in the receipt, and the one or more graphics to include in the receipt.

12. A method as claim 6 recites, wherein the second data further indicates a first class of items associated with the template, a selection of an additional template of the one or more templates, and a second class of items associated with the additional template, and wherein the method further comprising:

associating the template with the first class of items;

associating the additional template with the merchant profile; and

associating the additional template with the second class of items.

13. A method as claim 12 receipts, further comprising:

identifying, from the third data corresponding to the transaction, an item acquired by the customer from the merchant;

determining that the item is associated with the first class of items; and

based at least in part on the determining, selecting the template from the merchant profile for the generating of the receipt.

14. A method as claim 12 receipts, further comprising:

receiving, from the device of the merchant, fifth data corresponding to an additional transaction with an additional merchant;

identifying, from the fifth data corresponding to the additional transaction, an item acquired by the additional customer from the merchant;

determining that the item is associated with the second class of items;

selecting, based at least in part on the determining, the additional template from the merchant profile;

generating, based at least in part on the additional template, an additional receipt for the additional transaction; and

sending, to the device of the merchant, sixth data representing the additional receipt.

15. A method as claim 6 recites, further comprising:

identifying, using the third data corresponding to the transaction, an identify of a customer associated with the transaction;

selecting additional content to add to the receipt based at least in part on a customer profile associated with the customer; and

adding the additional content to the receipt.

16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions executable by the one or more processors, wherein the instructions program the one or more processors to:

provide, over a network and to a device of a merchant, first data representing one or more templates from the plurality of templates, an individual template of the plurality of templates defining a respective receipt available for use by the merchant when conducting a transaction with a customer, wherein the device of the merchant has installed thereon an instance of a point-of-sale (POS) application configuring the device of the merchant as a POS terminal for generating and transmitting at least a request to authorize a transaction to the server computing system over the network;

receive, over the network and from the device of the merchant, second data indicating a selection of a template from the one or more templates;

generate a merchant profile for the merchant;

associate the template with the merchant profile of the merchant;

receive, over the network and from the device of the merchant, third data corresponding to the transaction with the customer;

generate, based at least in part on the template associated with the merchant profile, a receipt for the transaction; and

send, over the network and to the device of the merchant, fourth data representing the receipt.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claim 16 recites, wherein the instructions further program the one or more processors to:

store the plurality of templates in a database; and

store a plurality of merchant profiles including the merchant profile, an individual merchant profile of the plurality of merchant profiles being associated with a respective merchant and indicating a selection of at least one template from the plurality of templates.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claim 16 recites, wherein the instructions further program the one or more processors to:

attempt to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the item;

receive a first indication that the payment instrument is authorized for the cost of the item; and

send, over the network and to the device of the merchant, a second indication that the payment instrument is authorized for the cost of the item.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claim 16 recites, wherein the second data further indicates a first class of items associated with the template, a selection of an additional template of the one or more templates, and a second class of items associated with the additional template, and wherein the instructions further program the one or more processors to:

associate the template with the first class of items;

associate the additional template with the merchant profile; and

associate the additional template with the second class of items.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium as claim 19 recites, wherein the instructions further program the one or more processors to:

receive, over the network and from the device of the merchant, fifth data corresponding to an additional transaction with an additional merchant;

identify, from the fifth data corresponding to the additional transaction, an item acquired by the additional customer from the merchant;

determine that the item is associated with the second class of items;

select, based at least in part on the determining, the additional template from the merchant profile;

generate, based at least in part on the additional template, an additional receipt for the additional transaction; and

send, over the network and to the device of the merchant, sixth data representing the additional receipt.