CARDLESS PAYMENT TRANSACTIONS

• US 20130132274A1
• Filed: 11/21/2012
• Published: 05/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, William, Dorsey, Jack, Grassadonia, Brian, Wilson, Matthew
• Granted Patent: US 10,185,958 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/325 using wireless networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4012 Verifying personal identification numbers [PIN]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0185 Product, service or business identity fraud

Abstract

A method of processing a transaction between a customer and a merchant includes receiving from a mobile device of the customer or from another device of the customer an indication of consent to perform a cardless payment transaction with the merchant, receiving from the mobile device an indication that the customer is within a predetermined distance of the merchant, after receiving both the indication of consent and the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance, sending to a computer system of the merchant an indication of the presence of the customer and personal identifying information for the customer, receiving data indicating a transaction between the customer and the merchant, and submitting the transaction to a financial service for authorization.

Claims

1. A method of processing a transaction between a customer and a merchant, comprising:

receiving from a mobile device of the customer or from another device of the customer an indication of consent to perform a cardless payment transaction with the merchant;

receiving from the mobile device an indication that the customer is within a predetermined distance of the merchant;

after receiving both the indication of consent and the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance, sending to a computer system of the merchant an indication of the presence of the customer and personal identifying information for the customer;

receiving data indicating a transaction between the customer and the merchant; and

submitting the transaction to a financial service for authorization.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving an indication of consent from the merchant to perform cardless payment transactions with customers; and

receiving location information for the merchant.

3. The method of claim 2, comprising:

receiving from the mobile device of the customer an indication of a request to identify a merchant that will perform cardless payment transactions;

receiving location information for the customer from the mobile device of the customer; and

selecting the merchant from a plurality of merchants based on the location information for the customer and the location information for the merchant; and

sending to the mobile device of the customer an identification of the merchant and the location information for the merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of consent to perform the cardless payment transaction with the merchant is received after the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance of the merchant is received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of consent to perform the cardless payment transaction with the merchant is received before the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance of the merchant is received.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication of consent to perform the cardless payment transaction with the merchant is received in the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance of the merchant.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the personal identifying information is a name and/or a photograph of the customer.

8. The method of claim 1, comprising determining that a value of the transaction exceeds a predetermined amount, and sending to the mobile device of the customer a request for approval of the transaction before submitting the transaction to the financial service.

9. The method of claim 8, comprising receiving a PIN from the mobile device in response to the request for approval and comparing the PIN to a previously received PIN.

10. The method of claim 1, comprising determining that a value of the transaction exceeds a predetermined amount, and sending to the computer system of the merchant a request for approval of the transaction by the customer before submitting the transaction to the financial service.

11. The method of claim 10, comprising receiving a PIN from the merchant device and comparing the PIN to a previously received PIN.

12. The method of claim 1, comprising determining that a value of the transaction does not exceed a predetermined amount, and submitting the transaction to the financial service without sending to the mobile device of the customer a request for approval of the transaction.

13. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving from a mobile device of the customer or from another device of the customer an identification of the financial institution and the personal information.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the data indicating a transaction between the customer is received from the computer system of the merchant.

15. The method of claim 1, comprising receiving an indication from the financial service that the transaction is authorized, and sending a record of the transaction to the user device and/or to the computer system of the merchant.

16. The method of claim 1, comprising submitting the transaction to a financial service for capture before sending the record of the transaction.

21. The method of claim 16, comprising receiving location information for a plurality of merchants, receiving input from the customer selecting the merchant from the plurality of merchants, and sending an identification of the merchant to the computer system of the third party.

17. A method of performing a transaction with a merchant, comprising:

receiving in a mobile device a location of a merchant;

determining in the mobile device whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the location of the merchant;

sending from the mobile device to a computer system of a third party an indication that the customer is within a predetermined distance of the merchant;

sending from the mobile device to the computer system of the third party an indication of consent to perform a cardless payment transaction with the merchant; and

receiving in the mobile device from the computer system of the third party a record of a transaction with the merchant.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the record of the transaction is received without having transmitted an approval for the amount of the transaction.

19. The method of claim 17, comprising receiving in the mobile device a request for approval of the transaction, the request including the amount of the transaction.

20. The method of claim 19, comprising sending a PIN from the mobile device to the computer system of the third party in response to the request for approval.

22. A method of performing a transaction with a customer, comprising:

receiving an indication from a computer system of a third party that a customer is present within a predetermined distance and personal identifying information for the customer;

displaying an option to perform a cardless payment transaction with the customer and displaying the personal identifying information;

receiving user input selecting the option;

receiving user input identifying a transaction with the customer including at least an amount of the transaction;

sending data indicating the transaction to the computer system of the third party; and

receiving from the computer system of the third party a record of a transaction.

23. The method of claim 22, comprising determining that an amount of the transaction exceeds a threshold or receiving a request for approval of the transaction, and requesting input from the customer approving the transaction.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein requesting input comprises requesting a PIN, and comprising sending the PIN to the computer system of the third party.

25. The method of claim 23, comprising determining that the amount of the transaction exceeds the threshold.

26. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable storage media, comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

receive from a mobile device of a customer or from another device of the customer an indication of consent to perform a cardless payment transaction with a merchant;

receive from the mobile device an indication that the customer is within a predetermined distance of the merchant;

after receiving both the indication of consent and the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance, send to a computer system of the merchant an indication of the presence of the customer and personal identifying information for the customer; and

receive data indicating a transaction between the customer and the merchant; and

submit the transaction to a financial service for authorization.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, comprising instructions to:

receive an indication of consent from the merchant to perform cardless payment transactions with customers; and

receive location information for the merchant.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, comprising instructions to:

receive from the mobile device of the customer an indication of a request to identify a merchant that will perform cardless payment transactions;

receive location information for the customer from the mobile device of the customer; and

select the merchant from a plurality of merchants based on the location information for the customer and the location information for the merchant; and

send to the mobile device of the customer an identification of the merchant and the location information for the merchant.

29. The computer program product of any of claims 26, wherein the indication of consent to perform the cardless payment transaction with the merchant is received after the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance of the merchant is received.

30. The computer program product of any of claims 26, wherein the indication of consent to perform the cardless payment transaction with the merchant is received before the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance of the merchant is received.

31. The computer program product of any of claims 26, wherein the indication of consent to perform the cardless payment transaction with the merchant is received in the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance of the merchant.

32. The computer program product of any of claims 26, wherein the personal identifying information is a name and/or a photograph of the customer.

33. The computer program product of any of claims 26, comprising instructions to determine that a value of the transaction exceeds a predetermined amount, and to send to the mobile device of the customer a request for approval of the transaction before submitting the transaction to the financial service.

34. The computer program product of claim 33, comprising instructions to receive a PIN in response to the request for approval and to compare the PIN to a previously received PIN.

35. The computer program product of any of claims 26, comprising instructions to determine that a value of the transaction exceeds a predetermined amount, and send to the computer system of the merchant a request for approval of the transaction by the customer before submitting the transaction to the financial service.

36. The computer program product of claim 35, comprising instructions to receive a PIN from the merchant device and compare the PIN to a previously received PIN.

37. The computer program product of any of claims 26, comprising instructions to determine that a value of the transaction does not exceed a predetermined amount, and to submit the transaction to the financial service without sending to the mobile device of the customer a request for approval of the transaction.

38. The computer program product of any of claims 26, comprising instructions to receive from a mobile device of the customer or from another device of the customer an identification of the financial institution and the personal information.

39. The computer program product of any of claims 26, wherein the data indicating a transaction between the customer is received from the computer system of the merchant.

40. The computer program product of any of claims 26, comprising instructions to receive an indication from the financial service that the transaction is authorized, and to send a record of the transaction to the computer system of the merchant and/or to the user device.

41. The computer program product of any of claims 26, comprising instructions to submit the transaction to a financial service for capture before sending the record of the transaction.

42. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable storage media, comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

receive in a mobile device of a customer a location of a merchant;

determine in the mobile device whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the location of the merchant;

send from the mobile device to a computer system of a third party an indication that the customer is within a predetermined distance of the merchant;

send from the mobile device to the computer system of the third party an indication of consent to perform a cardless payment transaction with the merchant; and

receive in the mobile device from the computer system of the third party a record of a transaction with the merchant.

43. The computer program product of claim 42, wherein the record of the transaction is received without having transmitted an approval for the amount of the transaction.

44. The computer program product of any of claims 42, comprising instructions to receive in the mobile device a request for approval of the transaction, the request including the amount of the transaction.

45. The computer program product of claim 44, comprising instructions to send a PIN from the mobile device to the computer system of the third party in response to the request for approval.

46. The computer program product of claim 44, comprising instructions to receive location information for a plurality of merchants, receive input from the customer selecting the merchant from the plurality of merchants, and send an identification of the merchant to the computer system of the third party.

47. A computer program product, tangibly embodied in a machine readable storage media, comprising instructions for causing a processor to:

receive an indication from a computer system of a third party that a customer is present within a predetermined distance and personal identifying information for the customer;

display an option to perform a cardless payment transaction with the customer and displaying the personal identifying information;

receive user input selecting the option;

receive user input identifying a transaction with the customer including at least an amount of the transaction;

send data indicating the transaction to the computer system of the third party; and

receive from the computer system of the third party a record of a transaction.

48. The computer program product of claim 47, comprising instructions to determine that an amount of the transaction exceeds a threshold or receive a request for approval of the transaction, and request input from the customer approving the transaction.

49. The computer program product of claim 48, wherein the instructions to request input comprise instructions to request a PIN, and comprising instructions to send the PIN to the computer system of the third party.

50. The computer program product of claim 48, comprising instructions to determine that the amount of the transaction exceeds the threshold.

51. A system for processing a transaction between a customer and a merchant, comprising:

a customer mobile device;

a merchant computer system; and

a server system,

wherein the customer mobile device, merchant computer system and server system are configured to perform an operation in which

the mobile device receives customer input indicating consent to perform a cardless payment transaction with the customer and sends to the server system an indication of the consent,

the mobile device receives a location of a merchant, determines whether the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of the location of the merchant, and if the mobile device is within the predetermined distance send to the server system an indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance,

after receiving both the indication of consent and the indication that the customer is within the predetermined distance, the server system sends to the merchant computer system an indication of the presence of the customer and personal identifying information for the customer,

the merchant computer system displays an option to perform a cardless payment transaction with the customer and displays the personal identifying information, receives merchant input identifying a transaction with the customer including at least an amount of the transaction, and sends data indicating the transaction to the server system,

the server system submits the transaction to a financial service for authorization, receives an indication from the financial service that the transaction is authorized, and sends a record of the transaction to the mobile device and to the merchant computer system.