LOCATION-BASED AUTOMATIC PAYMENT SYSTEM

• US 20120191603A1
• Filed: 03/30/2012
• Published: 07/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 02/25/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Nuzzi, Frank Anthony
• Granted Patent: US 9,639,829 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• 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

Abstract

A method for making a location-based automatic payment includes receiving an automatic payment instruction that designates a payee account. The automatic payment instruction is associated with a payer account in a database. A payment location is received and associated with the automatic payment request in the database. A payer device that is associated with the payer account is determined to be in the payment location and, in response, a payment request is sent over a network to make a payment from the payer account to the payee account.

Claims

1. A location-based automatic payment system, comprising:

a memory storing account information for at least one payer and at least one payee, wherein the account information comprises payment information for the at least one payer and the at least one payee; and

a processor coupled to the memory and operable to;

receive an automatic payment instruction from a payer, the automatic payment instruction designating a payee account;

associate the automatic payment instruction with a payer account;

receive a payment location and associating the payment location with the automatic payment instruction; and

determine that the payer associated with the payer account is in the payment location and, in response, sending a payment request to make a payment from the payer account to the payee account.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a payment time period and the processor is further operable to:

retrieve a current time; and

determine that the current time is within the payment time period, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location and that the current time is within the payment time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a maximum payment frequency and the processor is further operable to:

retrieve a plurality of previous payments from the payer account to the payee account; and

determine that the plurality of previous payments do not exceed the maximum payment frequency, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location and that the plurality of previous payments does not exceed the maximum payment frequency.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further operable to:

provide an alert to the payer in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location; and

receive a payment confirmation from the payer, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location and receiving the payment confirmation.

5. A method for making a location-based automatic payment, comprising:

receiving, electronically by a processor of a service provider, an automatic payment instruction and associating the automatic payment instruction with a payer account in a database, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a payee account;

receiving, electronically by the processor, a payment location and associating the payment location with the automatic payment instruction in the database; and

determining, electronically by the processor, that a payer device that is associated with the payer account is in the payment location and, in response, electronically sending a payment request over a network to make a payment from the payer account to the payee account.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the determining that the payer device is in the payment location includes:

receiving first location data from the payer device;

comparing the first location data to second location data that is associated with the payment location; and

determining that first location data is within a predetermined distance of the second location data.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the first location data comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) data.

8. The method of claim 5, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a payment amount, and wherein the payment request to make the payment from the payer account to the payee account includes the payment amount.

9. The method of claim 5, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a payment time period and the method further comprises:

retrieving a current time; and

determining that the current time is within the payment time period, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location and that the current time is within the payment time period.

10. The method of claim 5, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a maximum payment frequency and the method further comprises:

retrieving a plurality of previous payments from the payer account to the payee account; and

determining that the plurality of previous payments do not exceed the maximum payment frequency, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location and that the plurality of previous payments does not exceed the maximum payment frequency.

11. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

providing an alert to the payer device in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location; and

receiving a payment confirmation from the payer device, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location and receiving the payment confirmation.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving a payment amount in response to providing the alert, wherein the payment request to make the payment from the payer account to the payee account includes the payment amount.

13. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, are adapted to cause the one or more processors to perform a method comprising:

receiving an automatic payment instruction and associating the automatic payment instruction with a payer account in a database, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a payee account;

receiving a payment location and associating the payment location with the automatic payment instruction in the database; and

determining that a payer device that is associated with the payer account is in the payment location and, in response, sending a payment request over a network to make a payment from the payer account to the payee account.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving first location data from the payer device;

comparing the first location data to second location data that is associated with the payment location; and

determining that first location data is within a predetermined distance of the second location data.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the first location data comprises Global Positioning System (GPS) data.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a payment amount, and wherein the payment request to make the payment from the payer account to the payee account includes the payment amount.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

retrieving a current time; and

determining that the current time is within the payment time period, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location and that the current time is within the payment time period.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the method further comprises:

retrieving a plurality of previous payments from the payer account to the payee account; and

determining that the plurality of previous payments do not exceed the maximum payment frequency, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location and that the plurality of previous payments does not exceed the maximum payment frequency.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises:

providing an alert to the payer device in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location; and

receiving a payment confirmation from the payer device, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer device is in the payment location and receiving the payment confirmation.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving a payment amount in response to providing the alert, wherein the payment request to make the payment from the payer account to the payee account includes the payment amount.

21. A location-based automatic payment system, comprising:

means for receiving an automatic payment instruction from a payer, the automatic payment instruction designating a payee account;

means for associating the automatic payment instruction with a payer account;

means for receiving a payment location and associating the payment location with the automatic payment instruction; and

means for determining that the payer associated with the payer account is in the payment location and, in response, sending a payment request to make a payment from the payer account to the payee account.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a payment time period and the system further comprises:

means for retrieving a current time; and

means for determining that the current time is within the payment time period, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location and that the current time is within the payment time period.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the automatic payment instruction designates a maximum payment frequency and the system further comprises:

means for retrieving a plurality of previous payments from the payer account to the payee account; and

means for determining that the plurality of previous payments do not exceed the maximum payment frequency, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location and that the plurality of previous payments does not exceed the maximum payment frequency.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for providing an alert to the payer in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location; and

means for receiving a payment confirmation from the payer, wherein the payment request is sent in response to determining that the payer is in the payment location and receiving the payment confirmation.