LOCATION-BASED SERVICE PAYMENT AND SETUP

• US 20130046691A1
• Filed: 08/15/2011
• Published: 02/21/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/15/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Culton, Dustin
• Application Number:
  US13/210,063
• Publication Number:
  US 20130046691A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/407 Cancellation of a transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes

Abstract

Payments are made to service providers for services rendered at a specific user location when the user is detected at that location. This may be when the user'"'"'s mobile device is detected at a house or business that the user is responsible for service payments. The user may be asked, through the mobile device, whether to make a payment. The request may only be sent when a payment is due. In another embodiment, services are set up for the user when a new address is detected for the user. Specific services may be set up depending on the location and/or user information, such as services utilized by the user at a previous location.

Claims

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

determining a location of a user through a user device;

accessing an account of the user with a payment provider;

determining, by a processor of the payment provider, whether the user is current on a payment for a service associated with the location and the account, wherein the service charges the user a recurring amount for use of the service at the location; and

processing the payment for the service.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, by the processor to the user through a user device, a request to make the payment for the service; and

receiving, from the user device, a confirmation or cancellation of the request.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the location is the location of the user device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the location corresponds to a dwelling or business associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the service is a utility.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment is automatically made to a service provider providing the service when the user device is at the location.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising notifying, by the processor, the user that the payment has been made.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the request comprises information about the service and an amount of the payment.

9. 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:

determining a location of a user through a user device;

accessing an account of the user with a payment provider;

determining, by the payment provider, whether the user is current on a payment for a service associated with the location and the account, wherein the service charges the user a recurring amount for use of the service at the location; and

processing the payment for the service.

10. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

transmitting, to the user through a user device, a request to make the payment for the service; and

receiving, from the user device, a confirmation or cancellation of the request.

11. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the request comprises information about the service and an amount of the payment.

12. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the location is the location of the user device.

13. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the location corresponds to a dwelling or business associated with the user.

14. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the service is a utility.

15. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the payment is automatically made to a service provider providing the service when the user device is at the location.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises notifying the user that the payment has been made.

17-20. -20. (canceled)