SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO PROCESS PAYMENTS BASED ON PAYMENT DEALS

• US 20130197991A1
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Published: 08/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Basu, Gourab, Sakata, Ross, Mori, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 10,360,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.39
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/386 using messaging services or messaging apps using mobile network messaging services for payment, e.g. SMS G06Q20/3255
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives

Abstract

In one aspect, an account identifier is associated with a deal purchased by a user from a deal site. The deal has a face value applicable to a transaction with a predetermined merchant, if the transaction satisfies one or more predetermined criteria. The user pays the deal site an amount smaller than the face value. When the account identifier is used at a transaction terminal to initiate a payment transaction, a transaction handler determines whether the payment transaction satisfies the one or more predetermined criteria; and if so, the transaction handler provides the transaction terminal with an authorization response identifying the remaining balance, which is determined by deducting the face value from the payment transaction. The account identifier may be a one-time account number generated specifically for the deal purchased by the user, or an account number of the user used to purchase the deal from the deal site.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

receiving, in a computing apparatus, a request to register a deal for a user, the deal having a face value applicable to a transaction with a predetermined merchant;

providing, by the computing apparatus, a one-time account number in response to the request;

receiving, in the computing apparatus, an authorization request from a transaction terminal of the predetermined merchant for a first transaction initiated using the one-time account number;

determining, by the computing apparatus, that the deal is applicable to the first transaction, in accordance with one or more criteria predetermined for the deal; and

providing, by the computing apparatus, an authorization response to the authorization request to apply the face value of the deal to the first transaction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the authorization response specifies a balance owed to the merchant for completing the first transaction and an amount to be disbursed to the merchant from a payment made by the user to purchase the deal; and

the amount to be disbursed to the merchant is smaller than the payment made by the user to purchase the deal, the payment made by the user to purchase the deal is smaller than the face value of the deal, and the balance owed to the merchant is determined based on deducting the face value of the deal from a transaction amount specified in the authorization request.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

generating a fee collection message to pull funds from an account of a deal site from which the user purchased the deal, in accordance with the amount to be disbursed to the merchant; and

generating a funds disbursement message to credit to an account of the merchant, in accordance with the amount to be disbursed to the merchant.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the one-time account number with the deal via at least one of:

storing data to associate the one-time account number with the deal; and

embedding an identifier of the deal in the one-time account number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the authorization request identifies the predetermined merchant and an acquirer account of the merchant; and

the authorization request is received without going through an acquirer processor associated with the acquirer account.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one-time account number is provided to the user after the user purchases the deal from a deal site.

7. A transaction terminal of a merchant, the terminal comprising a mobile device configured to receive a one-time account number associated with a deal of a user, wherein the deal has a face value applicable to a transaction with the merchant, and wherein the transaction terminal is configured to:

send, to a transaction handler, an authorization request for a first transaction initiated using the one-time account number; and

receive, from the transaction handler, an authorization response to the authorization request to apply the face value of the deal to the first transaction.

8. The transaction terminal of claim 7, wherein the authorization request is for use by the transaction handler to determine that the deal is applicable to the first transaction, in accordance with one or more criteria predetermined for the deal.

9. The transaction terminal of claim 7, wherein the one-time account number is received via a digital camera, near field communications, or key entry.

10. The transaction terminal of claim 7, wherein the authorization request includes the one-time account number.

11. The transaction terminal of claim 7, wherein the transaction terminal is further configured to prompt the user for additional payment when a cost of goods or services in the first transaction exceeds the face value of the deal.

12. The transaction terminal of claim 7, wherein a deal identifier is associated with the deal, and the authorization request includes the deal identifier.

13. A system, comprising:

at least one processor; and

memory storing instructions configured to instruct the at least one processor to;

receive a request to register a deal for a user, the deal having a face value applicable to a transaction with a merchant;

provide an account identifier in response to the request;

receive an authorization request from a transaction terminal of the merchant for a first transaction initiated using the account identifier;

determine that the deal is applicable to the first transaction, in accordance with one or more criteria predetermined for the deal; and

provide an authorization response to the authorization request to apply the face value of the deal to the first transaction.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the at least one processor to store the one or more criteria in a data warehouse.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the at least one processor to store data associating the account identifier with the deal.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the at least one processor to control a number of outstanding deals for the merchant and implement an expiry date from when the deal was purchased.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the at least one processor to provide an identifier of the deal to a deal site.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the at least one processor to associate the identifier of the deal with account information that identifies a consumer account used by the user to purchase the deal.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the identifier of the deal is unique to the deal and to the user.

20. The system of claim 13, wherein the instructions are configured to further instruct the at least one processor to:

receive terms of the deal; and

compensate stakeholders in the deal according to the terms.