Use of Ticket for Purchasing

• US 20140095219A1
• Filed: 10/02/2012
• Published: 04/03/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/02/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Zises, Matthew Scott
• Granted Patent: US 10,332,036 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/5
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/02 Reservations, e.g. for tickets, services or events
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for facilitating payment for products purchased at events. More particularly, a ticket, rather than cash or credit cards, can be used to purchase products at events. For example, ticket holder can purchase food and drinks at a merchant'"'"'s concession using the ticket or the ticket holder can purchase souvenirs at a gift shop associated with the event using the ticket. A bar code or the like can be scanned by the merchant and communicated to a payment provider to facilitate the transaction. The purchase can be made anonymously, such that information regarding the user cannot be obtained by merchant and/or sold for use by marketing companies.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a memory storing account information for a user, the account information including information regarding a purchase of a ticket for an event by the user and information regarding features of the ticket;

one or more processors operable to;

receive a communication including an indication of a desire of the user to purchase a product from a merchant using the ticket;

access the account information of the user;

determine, at least in part, from the account information if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product; and

authorize purchasing of the product using the ticket if the ticket is approved to purchase the product.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the ticket lacks information that identifies the user to the merchant.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein information regarding features of the ticket include an identification of the ticket.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the information regarding features of the ticket includes information regarding at least one item selected from the list consisting of:

a bar code of the ticket;

a quick response (QR) code of the ticket; and

an radio frequency identification (RFID) code of the ticket.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the information regarding features of the ticket includes limitations on use of the ticket; and

determining if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product includes determining if any limitations on use of the ticket will be violated by the purchase.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the information regarding features of the ticket includes a purchasing money limit for the ticket; and

determining if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product comprises, at least in part, determining if an amount of the purchase will cause the purchasing money limit for the ticket to be exceeded.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to select a funding source for the purchase that depends, at least in part, upon the product purchased.

8. A method comprising:

storing, in a memory, account information for a user, the account information including information regarding a purchase of a ticket for an event by the user and information regarding features of the ticket;

receiving, electronically by one or more processors, a communication including an indication of a desire of the user to purchase a product from a merchant using the ticket;

accessing, by the one or more processors, the account information of the user;

determining, by the one or more processors, at least in part, from the account information if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product; and

authorizing, by the one or more processors, purchasing of the product using the ticket if the ticket is approved to purchase the product.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the ticket lacks information that identifies the user to the merchant.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein information regarding features of the ticket include an identification of the ticket.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the information regarding features of the ticket includes information regarding at least one item selected from the list consisting of:

a bar code of the ticket;

a quick response (QR) code of the ticket; and

an radio frequency identification (RFID) code of the ticket.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the information regarding features of the ticket includes limitations on use of the ticket; and

determining if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product includes determining if any limitations on use of the ticket will be violated by the purchase.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein:

the information regarding features of the ticket includes a purchasing money limit for the ticket; and

determining if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product comprises, at least in part, determining if an amount of the purchase will cause the purchasing money limit for the ticket to be exceeded.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more processors are further operable to select a funding source for the purchase that depends, at least in part, upon the product purchased.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having computer readable and executable code for instructing one or more processors to perform a method, the method comprising:

storing account information for a user, the account information including information regarding a purchase of a ticket for an event by the user and information regarding features of the ticket;

receiving a communication including an indication of a desire of the user to purchase a product from a merchant using the ticket;

accessing the account information of the user;

determining at least in part, from the account information if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product; and

authorizing purchasing of the product using the ticket if the ticket is approved to purchase the product.

16. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the ticket lacks information that identifies the user to the merchant.

17. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein information regarding features of the ticket include an identification of the ticket.

18. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the information regarding features of the ticket includes information regarding at least one item selected from the list consisting of:

a bar code of the ticket;

a quick response (QR) code of the ticket; and

an radio frequency identification (RFID) code of the ticket.

19. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

the information regarding features of the ticket includes limitations on use of the ticket; and

determining if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product includes determining if any limitations on use of the ticket will be violated by the purchase.

20. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein:

the information regarding features of the ticket includes a purchasing money limit for the ticket; and

determining if the ticket is approved to be used to purchase the product comprises, at least in part, determining if an amount of the purchase will cause the purchasing money limit for the ticket to be exceeded.

21. The computer program product of claim 15, wherein the method further comprises selecting a funding source for the purchase that depends, at least in part, upon the product purchased.