Selecting a preferred payment instrument

• US 10,579,981 B2
• Filed: 05/10/2017
• Issued: 03/03/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Google LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Andrews, Mark William, Blandina, Michael, Bedier, Osama
• Primary Examiner(s): Niquette, Robert R
• Application Number:
  US15/592,166
• Publication Number:
  US 20170243192A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,028 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/067 Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/2295 Parent-child type, e.g. where parent has control on child rights
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes

Abstract

Selecting payment instruments for proxy card transactions comprises associating a plurality of financial accounts with a user proxy account; establishing a model for the user account based on configuration data received from a user, the model comprising identification of a particular financial account to use as a backing instrument for a transaction; receiving data associated with a pending transaction regarding the pending transaction; identifying a financial account to use as a backing instrument for the pending transaction based on a comparison of the model with the pending transaction data; receiving a selection of an alternate financial account to use instead of the identified financial account as the backing instrument; modifying the model account based on the selection of the alternate financial account and the data associated with the pending transaction; and utilizing the modified model in a subsequent selection of a financial account for a subsequent transaction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to select payment accounts for financial card transactions, comprising:

associating, by a user computing device, a plurality of financial accounts with a user account, the user account being maintained by the user computing device;

establishing, by the user computing device, an instrument selection model for the user account based at least in part on configuration data received from a user associated with the user account, wherein the instrument selection model comprises information for identifying a which particular financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as a selected financial account for a transaction using the user account;

receiving, by the user computing device, data associated with a first pending transaction with a first merchant, the first pending transaction being conducted between a first merchant computing device and the user, the data comprising information regarding the first pending transaction and information provided to the first merchant computing device to identify the user account;

identifying, by the user computing device, a first financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the selected financial account for the first pending transaction based at least in part on the instrument selection model and the first pending transaction data;

receiving, by the user computing device, an input of a selection of an alternate financial account to use instead of the first financial account as the selected financial account for the first pending transaction;

logging, by the user computing device, the data associated with the first pending transaction and the alternate financial account;

modifying, by the user computing device, the instrument selection model for the user account based on the selection of the alternate financial account and the data associated with the first pending transaction;

receiving, by the user computing device, data associated with a subsequent pending transaction with a subsequent merchant, the subsequent pending transaction being conducted between a subsequent merchant computing device and the user, the subsequent transaction data comprising information regarding the subsequent pending transaction and information provided to the subsequent merchant computing device to identify the user account; and

executing, by the user computing device, the modified updated instrument selection model to identify the alternate financial account to use as the selected financial account for the subsequent pending transaction instead of the first financial account.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first pending transaction data and the subsequent pending transaction data comprises one or more of location data identifying a location of the user computing device, an identity of the first merchant or the subsequent merchant, a category of the first merchant or the subsequent merchant, a time of day for the first pending transaction and the subsequent pending transaction, a day of week for the first pending transaction and the subsequent pending transaction, and a season of year.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the instrument selection model is further established based on rules received from the user, the rules comprising instructions for selecting a financial account as the selected financial account.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

presenting, by the user computing device, the first financial account selected from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the selected financial account for the first pending transaction based at least in part on the rules received from the user;

determining, by the user computing device, that a second financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the selected financial account for the first pending transaction is identified based at least in part on of the instrument selection model and the first pending transaction data, the second financial account being different than the first financial account; and

presenting, by the user computing device, the first and second financial accounts to the user and an option to select a preferred financial account to use in the first pending transaction.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by the user computing device, from a situation of the user that the instrument selection model for the user should be suspended; and

presenting, by the user computing device, an option to the user to suspend the instrument selection model and an option to select a financial account for a predetermined period of time, the financial account being selected for use in all transactions until the predetermined period of time elapses or a request to reinstate the instrument selection model is received.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, further comprising:

determining, by the user computing device, based on a situation of the user that the instrument selection model for the user should be suspended; and

presenting, using the user computing device, an option to the user to suspend the instrument selection model and an option to employ a second instrument selection model, the second instrument selection model being established based on a second set of rules received from the user, the rules comprising instructions to select a second financial account as the selected financial account.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information to identify the user account is provided to the first merchant computing device by the user computing device associated with the user account.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the information to identify the user account is provided to the first merchant computing device by a magnetic stripe card.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first merchant and the subsequent merchant are the same merchant.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein determining that the subsequent pending transaction has similar transaction data as the data associated with the first pending transaction comprises determining one or more of the following:

the first merchant and the subsequent merchant are the same merchant, a category of the first merchant and the subsequent merchant are the same, a product being purchased in the first pending transaction and the subsequent pending transaction are substantially the same, and the location of the first pending transaction and the subsequent pending transaction are substantially the same.

11. A computer program product, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable storage device having computer-executable program instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computer cause the computer to select payment instruments for financial card transactions, the computer-executable program instructions comprising instructions to;

associate a plurality of financial accounts with a user account, the user account being maintained by a user computing device;

establish a card selection model for the user account based on configuration data received from a user associated with the user account, wherein the card selection model comprises information for identifying a particular financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as a backing instrument for a transaction using the user account;

receive data associated with a first pending transaction with a first merchant, the first pending transaction being conducted between a first merchant computing device and the user, the data comprising information regarding the first pending transaction and information provided to the first merchant computing device to identify the user account;

identify a first financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction based at least in part on the card selection model and the first pending transaction data;

receive an input of a selection of an alternate financial account to use instead of the first financial account as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction;

log the data associated with the first pending transaction and the selected, alternate financial account;

modify the card selection model for the user account based on the selection of the alternate financial account and the data associated with the first pending transaction;

receive data associated with a subsequent pending transaction with a subsequent merchant, the subsequent pending transaction being conducted between a subsequent merchant computing device and the user, the subsequent transaction data comprising information regarding the subsequent pending transaction and information provided to the subsequent merchant computing device to identify the user account; and

execute the modified card selection model to identify the alternate financial account to use as the backing instrument for the subsequent pending transaction instead of the first financial account.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the data associated with the first pending transaction comprises one or more of location data identifying a location of the user computing device, an identity of the first merchant, a category of the first merchant, a time of day for the first pending transaction, a day of week for the first pending transaction, and a season of year.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the card selection model is further established based on rules received from the user, the rules comprising instructions for selecting a financial account as the backing instrument.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable program instructions to:

present the first financial account selected from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction based at least in part on the rules received from the user;

determine that a second financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction is identified based at least in part on the card selection model and the first pending transaction data, the second financial account being different than the first financial account; and

present the first and second financial accounts to the user and an option to select a preferred financial account to use in the first pending transaction.

15. The computer program product of claim 13, further comprising computer-executable program instructions to:

determine based on from a situation of the user that the card selection model for the user should be suspended; and

present an option to the user to suspend the card selection model and an option to select a second financial account for a predetermined period of time, the second financial account being selected for use in all transactions until the predetermined period of time elapses or a request to reinstate the card selection model is received.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the information to identify the user account is provided to the first merchant computing device and the subsequent merchant computing device by the user computing device associated with the user account.

17. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the information to identify the user account is provided to the first merchant computing device by a magnetic stripe card.

18. A system to select payment instruments for card transactions comprising:

a storage resource; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the storage resource, wherein the processor executes application code instructions that are stored in the storage resource to cause the system to;

associate a plurality of financial accounts with a user account, the user account being maintained by the processor;

establish a model for the user account based on configuration data received from a user associated with the user account, wherein the model comprises information for identifying a particular financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as a backing instrument for a transaction using the user account;

receive data associated with a first pending transaction with a first merchant, the first pending transaction being conducted between a first merchant computing device and the user, the data comprising information regarding the first pending transaction and information provided to the first merchant computing device to identify the user account;

identify a first financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction based at least in part on the model and the first pending transaction data;

receive an input of a selection of an alternate financial account to use instead of the first financial account as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction;

log the data associated with the first pending transaction and the alternate financial account;

modify the model for the user account based on the selection of the alternate financial account and the data associated with the first pending transaction;

receive data associated with a subsequent pending transaction with a subsequent merchant, the subsequent pending transaction being conducted between a subsequent merchant computing device and the user, the subsequent transaction data comprising information regarding the subsequent pending transaction and information provided to the subsequent merchant computing device to identify the user account; and

execute the modified model to identify the alternate financial account to use as the backing instrument for the subsequent pending transaction instead of the first financial account.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the data associated with the first pending transaction comprises one or more of location data identifying a location of a user computing device, an identity of the first merchant, a category of the first merchant, a time of day for the first pending transaction, a day of week for the first pending transaction, and a season of year.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein the model is further established based on rules received from the user, the rules comprising instructions for selecting the particular financial account as the backing instrument.

21. The system of claim 20, the processor executing further application code instructions that are stored in the storage device and that cause the system to:

present the first financial account selected from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction based at least in part on the rules received from the user;

determine that a second financial account from among the plurality of financial accounts to use as the backing instrument for the first pending transaction is identified based at least in part on the model and the first pending transaction data, the second financial account being different than the first financial account; and

present the first and second financial accounts to the user and an option to select a preferred financial account to use in the first pending transaction.