Payment Platform for Online Service Providers

• US 20130036046A1
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Published: 02/07/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/02/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Rom, Guy, Lee, George
• Granted Patent: US 10,360,542 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems

Abstract

Payment providers interact with an online service provider using a standard interface provided by the online service provider for different payment providers. A payment provider can invoke the interface of the online service provider to add credits for a user of the online service provider. The online service provider allows users to make purchases using credits. The online service provider authorizes purchases made by the user based on credits available for the user or based on a history of payments from the user. The online service provider sends an invoice based on the purchases to the payment provider. The payment provider can be any system that can invoke the interface provided by the online service provider. For example, the payment provider can be a financial institution, another user, or a business that provides credits to the user for performing actions that benefit the business.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method comprising:

maintaining by an online service provider, user accounts for storing credits for users of the online service provider, the credits for making purchases from the online service provider;

maintaining by the online service provider, a standard interface for allowing a plurality of payment providers to send requests for adding credits to user accounts;

receiving requests from the plurality of payment providers, each request from a payment provider comprising information identifying a user of the online service provider and an amount for crediting to a user account for the user;

for each request received from the plurality of payment providers, increasing the number of credits in the user account for the identified user based on an amount received in the request; and

sending information comprising an invoice based on the amount by which credits are increased in the user account.

2. The computer implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the identified user for making a purchase from the online service provider, the purchase for a purchase price; and

authorizing a transaction for the purchase requested by the identified user based on the credits in the user account.

3. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of payment providers comprises a financial institution, the financial institution providing credits to users responsive to a payment made by the users to the financial institution.

4. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of payment providers comprises an individual as a payment provider.

5. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of payment providers comprises a business providing credits to users for actions performed by the users, the actions comprising interactions between the users and the business.

6. The computer implemented method of claim 1, wherein the payment provider sends the request to add credits for the user responsive to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

7. A computer implemented method comprising:

maintaining by an online service provider an account for storing credits for a user, the credits for making purchases from the online service provider;

receiving, by the online service provider, a request from a payment provider to add credits for the user, the request comprising information identifying the user and a number of credits to be added to the account for the user;

increasing credits in the account for the user based on the number of credits requested to be added; and

sending information describing an invoice from the online service provider to the payment provider, the invoice charging an amount based on the increased number of credits increased for the user.

8. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the request from the payment provider invokes a standard interface provided by the online service provider.

9. The computer implemented method of claim 8, wherein the invoice is sent to the payment provider responsive to a request from the payment provider invoking the standard interface provided by the online service provider.

10. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the request from the payment provider invokes a standard application programming interface (API) provided by the online service provider, the API for use by a plurality of payment providers.

11. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the payment provider is a financial institution, the financial institution providing credits to the user responsive to a payment made by the user to the financial institution.

12. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the payment provider is an individual.

13. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the payment provider is a business providing credits to the user for actions performed by the user, the actions comprising interactions between the user and the business.

14. The computer implemented method of claim 7, wherein the payment provider sends the request to add credits for the user responsive to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

15. The computer implemented method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving a request from the user for making a purchase from the online service provider, the purchase for a purchase price; and

authorizing a transaction for the purchase requested by the user based on the credits in the user account.

16. A computer implemented method comprising:

receiving by a payment provider, a request from a user, the request for making a payment to the payment provider;

sending a request to an online service provider, the request comprising information identifying the user and an amount of credits to be added for the user by the online service provider, the request configured to invoke an interface provided by the online service provider for allowing a plurality of payment providers to interact with the online service provider; and

receiving information comprising an invoice for the user from the payment provider, the invoice based on purchases made by the user from the online service provider, the purchases utilizing credits of the user.

17. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider is a financial institution, the financial institution providing credits to the user responsive to a payment made by the user to the financial institution.

18. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider is an individual.

19. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider is a business providing credits to the user for actions performed by the user, the actions benefitting the business.

20. The computer implemented method of claim 16, wherein the payment provider sends the request to add credits for the user responsive to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

21. The computer implemented method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending a request for receiving the invoice for purchases by the user.

22. A computer implemented method comprising:

maintaining by a payment platform service, a standard interface for allowing a plurality of payment providers to interact with the payment platform service;

receiving requests invoking the standard interface from the plurality of payment providers, each request comprising information identifying a user and an amount for crediting to the user;

for each request received from a payment provider, adding the amount received in the request to a stored credit amount for the user identified in the request;

receiving a request from an online service provider, the request for authorizing a purchase requested by a user of the online service provider;

sending a response authorizing the purchase requested by the user of the online service provider;

receiving an invoice from the online service provider and sending the invoice to the payment provider;

making a payment to the online service provider, the payment for use by the online service provider towards the purchase requested by the user.

23. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the payment platform service makes a payment to the online service provider responsive to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

24. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the payment platform service makes a payment to the online service provider prior to receiving the invoice from the online service provider.

25. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of payment providers comprises a financial institution, the financial institution providing credits to the user responsive to a payment made by the user to the financial institution.

26. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of payment providers comprises an individual as a payment provider.

27. The computer implemented method of claim 22, wherein the plurality of payment providers comprises a business providing credits to the user for actions performed by the user, the actions comprising interactions of the user with the business.

28. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer program code for:

receiving a request from a user for making a purchase, the online service provider allowing purchases using credits assigned to each user;

receiving a request from a payment provider to add credits for a user, the request comprising information identifying the user and a number of credits to be added for the user;

sending a request to increase a stored number of credits for the user based on the number of credits requested to be added;

responsive to the stored number of credits for the user exceeding a threshold value, authorizing the purchase requested by the user; and

sending information describing an invoice based on the purchase of the user to the payment provider.