Systems, Methods, and Computer Program Products for Using Proxy Accounts

• US 20130246202A1
• Filed: 05/29/2012
• Published: 09/19/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Tobin, John Patrick Edgar
• Granted Patent: US 9,105,021 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/18
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/326 Payment applications installed on the mobile devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3278 RFID or NFC payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/385 using an alias or single-use codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules

Abstract

An electronic device including an input/output interface operable to receive an input from a user and communicate an output to the user, a transceiver operable to electronically communicate with a computer network, a computer processor operable to execute instructions, and a memory storage operable to store the instructions, the memory storage further comprising a program module that is operable to: receive credentials for a proxy payment account, where the proxy payment account is linked to a primary payment account and not linked directly to a method of payment underlying the primary payment account, and make payment at a Point of Sale (POS) using the received credentials.

Claims

1. An electronic device, comprising:

an input/output interface operable to receive an input from a user and communicate an output to the user;

a transceiver operable to electronically communicate with a computer network;

a computer processor operable to execute instructions; and

a memory storage operable to store the instructions, the memory storage further comprising a program module that is operable to;

receive credentials for a proxy payment account, where the proxy payment account is linked to a primary payment account and not linked directly to a method of payment underlying the primary payment account; and

make payment at a Point of Sale (POS) using the received credentials.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the program module is further operable to cache in a local store the received credentials as well as additional credentials for additional proxy payment accounts.

3. The electronic device of claim 2, wherein the program module is further operable to retrieve the received credentials from the local store and to make payment using the received credentials offline.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein receiving credentials includes receiving the credentials while at the POS over a network.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises at least one of a laptop computer, a tablet computer, and a phone.

6. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the program module is further operable to request additional credentials when a store of free proxy accounts falls below a threshold.

7. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the program module is further operable to place a rule on a proxy account associated with the received credentials.

8. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein program module encrypts the rule into the received credentials.

9. The electronic device of claim 7, wherein the program module places the rule in response to recognizing a merchant.

10. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein the program module is further operable to:

present an electronic Graphical User Interface (GUI) to the user;

receive input from the user through the GUI to instruct the program module to make payment; and

receive further input from the user through the GUI to create an operating rule for the proxy payment account.

11. A method comprising:

at a mobile device, receiving credentials for a proxy payment account associated with a primary payment account, wherein the primary payment account is linked to a method of payment, further wherein the proxy payment account is linked to the primary account but is not linked directly to the method of payment, wherein payments to and from the proxy payment account are cleared through the primary account; and

making payment for a transaction by passing the received credentials to a Point of Sale (POS).

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

associating a rule with the proxy payment account.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein associating the rule comprises encrypting the rule into the received credentials.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving the credentials includes storing the received credentials in a local store of the mobile device along with additional credentials for additional proxy payment accounts.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein making payment further comprises:

retrieving the received credentials from the local store; and

indicating in metadata that the proxy payment account has been used.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the received credentials are stored in the local store in an encrypted form only accessible to a mobile payment application that makes the payment.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

requesting additional credentials for additional proxy payment accounts when a number of credentials in a local store falls below a threshold.

18. The method of claim 11, generating a Graphical User Interface (GUI) for a human user to access the proxy payment account and to associate one or more rules with the proxy payment account.

19. A computer program product having a computer readable medium tangibly recording computer program logic for managing electronic payment, the computer program product comprising:

code to generate an electronic user interface on a mobile computing device for managing electronic payment;

code to receive input from a user, via the user interface, indicating a request to use a proxy payment account for payment at a Point of Sale (POS);

code to receive credentials for the proxy payment account at the mobile computing device, the proxy payment account being linked to a primary payment account and to a payment method through the primary payment account, the proxy payment account not being directly linked to the payment method; and

code to pass the received credentials to the POS from the mobile computing device.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the code to receive credentials comprises:

code to save the receive credentials to a local store at the mobile computing device, where the local store also includes additional credentials for additional proxy payment accounts; and

code to retrieve the received credentials from the local store in response to the request to use the proxy payment account.