Propagation of customer preferences

• US 10,430,849 B1
• Filed: 12/31/2014
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/31/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Hipschman, Daniel, Butts, III, James F.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yu, Ariel J
• Application Number:
  US14/588,044
• Time in Patent Office: 1,735 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0637 Approvals
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0639 Item locations
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/12 Hotels or restaurants

Abstract

This disclosure describes, in part, techniques for collecting item preferences of users at a centralized location and propagating these item preferences to users and merchants in an intelligent manner. In some instances, the centralized location is a payment service that functions to both authorize payment instruments of users for costs of transactions conducted at the merchant, and collect and propagate the item preferences to the merchants and the users.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a payment service and from a first merchant point of sale (POS) device of a first merchant, a first request to authorize a payment instrument of a user for a cost of a first transaction between the user and the first merchant, the first request indicating at least payment information associated with the payment instrument and order information pertaining to the first transaction, the order information including a first item customization preference of the user customizing an item acquired by the user in the first transaction;

attempting to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the first transaction;

identifying, using the payment information, a profile of the user at the payment service;

identifying, from the order information, the first item customization preference;

storing the first item customization preference of the user in the profile of the user at the payment service along with at least a second item customization preference of the user;

receiving, from a second merchant POS device of a second merchant and after storing the first item customization preference, a second request to authorize the payment instrument for a cost of a second transaction between the user and the second merchant, the second request indicating at least the payment information and identifying a second item to be acquired by the user in the second transaction;

identifying the profile of the user at the payment service using the payment information in response to receipt of the second request;

ranking a plurality of item customization preferences according to pertinence to the second merchant, wherein the plurality of item customization preferences include the first item customization preference amd the second item customization preference;

identifying one or more most pertinent item preferences of the plurality of item customization preferences based on the ranking of the plurality of item customization preferences according to pertinence to the second merchant, wherein the one or more most pertinent item preferences include the first item customization preference;

sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the second merchant POS device of the second merchant in response to identifying the one or more most pertinent item preferences of the plurality of item customization preferences, thereby sending the first item customization preference to the second merchant POS device without sending the second item customization preference to the second merchant POS device; and

attempting to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the second transaction after sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the second merchant POS device, wherein the second transaction includes acquisition by the user of the second item customized according to the first item customization preference.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

retrieving the profile of the user from memory in response to receiving an indication that a mobile device of the user is proximate to the second merchant POS device of the second merchant.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second request further indicates additional information pertaining to the second transaction, and wherein the method further comprises:

identifying, from the additional information, an additional item customization preference of the user pertaining to the first item; and

storing the additional item customization preference of the user in the profile of the user.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from a mobile device of the user, a request for a payment application;

sending the payment application to the mobile device of the user; and

associating the payment application with the profile of the user at the payment service.

5. The method as recited in claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from the mobile device of the user, via the payment application, an order for the first item from at least one of the second merchant or a fourth merchant; and

sending, to the mobile device of the user, via the payment application, the first item customization preference.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, from a point of sale (POS) device of a first merchant and at a payment service that authorizes payment instruments for at least the first merchant and a second merchant and a third merchant, a request to authorize a payment instrument for a cost of a first transaction between a user and the first merchant, the request indicating at least payment information associated with the payment instrument, the first transaction associated with acquisition of a first item by the first user;

identifying, using the payment information, a profile of the user maintained at the payment service;

determining, from the profile of the user, a first item customization preference customizing a second item and a second item customization preference customizing a third item, the user having expressed the first item customization preference when engaging in a second transaction for the second item with the second merchant, the user having expressed the second item customization preference when engaging in a third transaction for the third item with the third merchant;

ranking a plurality of item customization preferences according to pertinence to the first merchant, wherein the plurality of item customization preferences include the first item customization preference amd the second item customization preference;

identifying one or more most pertinent item preferences of the plurality of item customization preferences based on the ranking of the plurality of item customization preferences according to pertinence to the first merchant, wherein the one or more most pertinent item preferences include the first item customization preference;

sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the first merchant POS device of the first merchant in response to identifying the one or more most pertinent item preferences of the plurality of item customization preferences, thereby sending the first item customization preference to the first merchant POS device without sending the second item customization preference to the first merchant POS device; and

attempting to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the first transaction after sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the first merchant POS device, wherein the first transaction includes acquisition by the user of the first item customized according to the first item customization preference.

7. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

determining that the first merchant and the second merchant offer a same class of items, and wherein identifying the one or more most pertinent item preferences is based at least in part on determining that the first merchant and the second merchant offer the same class of items.

8. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein identifying the one or more most pertinent item preferences includes identifying that the first item customization preference is pertinent to a first class of items offered by the first merchant.

9. The method as recited in claim 8, further comprising:

identifying that the first item is one of the first class of items.

10. The method as recited in claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an indication that the POS device of the first merchant is within a threshold distance of a mobile device of the user.

11. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein the first item includes at least one of a food or a beverage, and wherein the first item customization preference identifies a preparation type of at least the one of the food or the beverage.

12. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein

sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the POS device of the first merchant causes the POS device of the first merchant to present at least the first item customization preference via the POS device during a checkout process for the first transaction between the user and first merchant.

13. The method as recited in claim 6, wherein

sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the POS device of the first merchant causes the POS device of the first merchant to present at least the first item customization preference via the POS device prior to the first transaction between the user and first merchant.

14. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

receiving, from a point of sale (POS) device of a first merchant, a request to authorize a payment instrument for a cost of a first transaction between a user and the first merchant, the request indicating at least payment information associated with the payment instrument, the first transaction associated with acquisition of a first item by the first user;

attempting to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the first transaction;

identifying, using the payment information, a profile of the user;

determining, from the profile of the user, a first item customization preference customizing a second item and a second item customization preference customizing a third item, the user having expressed the first item customization preference when engaging in a second transaction for the second item with a second merchant, the user having expressed the second item customization preference when engaging in a third transaction for the third item with a third merchant;

ranking a plurality of item customization preferences according to pertinence to the first merchant, wherein the plurality of item customization preferences include the first item customization preference amd the second item customization preference;

identifying one or more most pertinent item preferences of the plurality of item customization preferences based on the ranking of the plurality of item customization preferences according to pertinence to the first merchant, wherein the one or more most pertinent item preferences include the first item customization preference; and

sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the first merchant POS device of the first merchant in response to identifying the one or more most pertinent item preferences of the plurality of item customization preferences, thereby sending the first item customization preference to the first merchant POS device without sending the second item customization preference to the first merchant POS device.

15. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the functions further comprise:

determining that the first merchant and the second merchant offer a same class of items, and wherein identifying the one or more most pertinent item preferences is based at least in part on determining that the first merchant and second merchant offer the same class of items.

16. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein identifying the one or more most pertinent item preferences includes identifying that the first item customization preference is pertinent to a first class of items offered by the first merchant.

17. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein:

sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the POS device of the first merchant causes the POS device of the first merchant to present at least the first item customization preference via the POS device during a checkout process for the first transaction between the user and first merchant.

18. The system as recited in claim 14, wherein the functions further comprise:

attempting to authorize the payment instrument for the cost of the first transaction after sending the one or more most pertinent item preferences to the first merchant POS device, wherein the first transaction includes acquisition by the user of the first item customized according to the first item customization preference.