SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MANAGING TRANSACTIONS WITH A PORTABLE COMPUTING DEVICE

• US 20130211900A1
• Filed: 08/15/2012
• Published: 08/15/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Firethorn Mobile, Inc. (Qualcomm, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dessert, Robert L.
• Application Number:
  US13/586,143
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211900A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14.27
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0238 at point-of-sale [POS]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0268 at point-of-sale [POS]

Abstract

A method and system include verifying credentials for gaining access to a central mobile payment controller using the portable computing device (“PCD”). The central mobile payment controller may receive a merchant identifier corresponding to a vending machine and then it may compare the merchant identifier against loyalty account data stored in a database. The central mobile payment controller through a tender steering module may determine if a profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded payment account and/or with a merchant branded stored value account. The central mobile payment controller may produce a message that lists one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant based on interchange rates for completing a transaction at the vending machine.

Claims

1. A method for managing transactions with a portable computing device, the method comprising:

verifying credentials for gaining access to a central mobile payment controller;

receiving a merchant identifier corresponding to a vending machine from a computer communications network;

determining if a profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded payment account;

determining if the profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded stored value account; and

generating a message that lists one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant for completing a transaction at the vending machine.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically preparing an offer for a merchant branded payment account.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

executing one or more business rules for preparing offers associated with a merchant branded account.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

executing one or more rules for generating offers based on an association of a loyalty program and a number of transactions with one or more vending machines owned by the merchant.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more preferred payment options comprises account information corresponding to at least one of a credit card account, a debit card account, a checking account, a savings account, and a stored value account.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

comparing one or more payment options and their corresponding interchange rates to a final purchase price of a transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

re-ordering the payment options by payment account types.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant on a display device of the personal computing device.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying merchant branded gift card accounts and merchant branded payment accounts in earlier slots of a ranked list on a display device.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising determining a benefits level of a payment account by reviewing at least the first six digits of the payment account.

11. A computer system for managing transactions with a portable computing device, the system comprising:

a processor operable for;

verifying credentials for gaining access to a central mobile payment controller;

receiving a merchant identifier corresponding to a vending machine from a computer communications network;

determining if a profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded payment account;

determining if the profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded stored value account; and

generating a message that lists one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant for completing a transaction at the vending machine.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for automatically preparing an offer for a merchant branded payment account.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the processor is further operable for executing one or more business rules for preparing offers associated with a merchant branded account.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor operable for executing one or more rules for generating offers based on an association of a loyalty program and a number of transactions with one or more vending machines owned by the merchant.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more preferred payment options comprises account information corresponding to at least one of a credit card account, a debit card account, a checking account, a savings account, and a stored value account.

16. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor operable comparing one or more payment options and their corresponding interchange rates to a final purchase price of a trans action.

17. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for re-ordering the payment options by payment account types.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for displaying the one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant on a display device of the personal computing device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for displaying merchant branded gift card accounts and merchant branded payment accounts in earlier slots of a ranked list on a display device.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable for determining a benefits level of a payment account by reviewing at least the first six digits of the payment account.

21. A computer system for managing transactions with a portable computing device, the system comprising:

means for verifying credentials for gaining access to a central mobile payment controller;

means for receiving a merchant identifier corresponding to a vending machine from a computer communications network;

means for determining if a profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded payment account;

means for determining if the profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded stored value account; and

means for generating a message that lists one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant for completing a transaction at the vending machine.

22. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for automatically preparing an offer for a merchant branded payment account.

23. The system of claim 22, further comprising means for executing one or more business rules for preparing offers associated with a merchant branded account.

24. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for executing one or more rules for generating offers based on an association of a loyalty program and a number of transactions with one or more vending machines owned by the merchant.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the one or more preferred payment options comprises account information corresponding to at least one of a credit card account, a debit card account, a checking account, a savings account, and a stored value account.

26. The method of claim 21, wherein the means for comparing one or more payment options and their corresponding interchange rates to a final purchase price of a transaction.

27. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for re-ordering the payment options by payment account types.

28. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for displaying the one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant on a display device of the personal computing device.

29. The system of claim 21, further comprising:

means for displaying merchant branded gift card accounts and merchant branded payment accounts in earlier slots of a ranked list on a display device.

30. The system of claim 21, further comprising means for determining a benefits level of a payment account by reviewing at least the first six digits of the payment account.

31. A computer program product comprising a computer usable medium having a computer readable program code embodied therein, said computer readable program code adapted to be executed to implement a method for managing transactions with a portable computing device, said method comprising:

verifying credentials for gaining access to a central mobile payment controller;

receiving a merchant identifier corresponding to a vending machine from a computer communications network;

determining if a profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded payment account;

determining if the profile of the portable computing device is associated with a merchant branded stored value account; and

generating a message that lists one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant for completing a transaction at the vending machine.

32. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

automatically preparing an offer for a merchant branded payment account.

33. The computer program product of claim 32, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

executing one or more business rules for preparing offers associated with a merchant branded account.

34. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

executing one or more rules for generating offers based on an association of a loyalty program and a number of transactions with one or more vending machines owned by the merchant.

35. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the one or more preferred payment options comprises account information corresponding to at least one of a credit card account, a debit card account, a checking account, a savings account, and a stored value account.

36. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

comparing one or more payment options and their corresponding interchange rates to a final purchase price of a transaction.

37. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

re-ordering the payment options by payment account types.

38. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

displaying the one or more preferred payment options in a ranked fashion that may favor a merchant on a display device of the personal computing device.

39. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

displaying merchant branded gift card accounts and merchant branded payment accounts in earlier slots of a ranked list on a display device.

40. The computer program product of claim 31, wherein the program code implementing the method further comprises:

determining a benefits level of a payment account by reviewing at least the first six digits of the payment account.