MOBILE BILLING OPERATOR SERVER PROGRAMMED FOR USER ACQUISITION WITHIN A REPEAT PAYMENT COMPUTER SYSTEM

• US 20140235202A1
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Adam, Prideaux, Jonathan P., Corner, Katherine Ann, Nebrich, Samantha Elena
• Granted Patent: US 9,066,222 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/407
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/322 Aspects of commerce using mobile devices [M-devices]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/51 for resellers, retailers or service providers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/75 Account location specifications
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/751 Card based account, e.g. smart card, SIM card or USIM
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/02 Coin-freed or check-freed systems , e.g. mobile- or card-operated phones, public telephones or booths
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/10 Account details or usage
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/103 using SIMs (USIMs) or calling cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 17/106 using commercial credit or debit cards
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A repeat payment computer system includes a merchant server and mobile billing operator server that are programmed for user acquisition through carrier billing and subsequent conversion to credit card billing. An advantage of the process is that the user does not have to enter credit card information for the default billing cycles to occur. The user only enters a phone number and password. Fewer barriers are provided for the user to become a regular repeat customer of the merchant server. The fees associated with mobile billing according to the default billing cycles have to be paid by the merchant server and may be too high in the long run. The merchant server can avoid the high fees associated with carrier billing by switching the user to billing according to the credit card information provided. The user is typically switched after the user has already become a regular customer.

Claims

1. A computer-based method of processing repeat payments, comprising:

receiving, with a mobile billing operator sever, a phone number of a user mobile phone;

registering, with the mobile billing operator server, the phone number for repeat payments with a mobile billing scheduling assistant of the mobile billing operator server;

executing, with the mobile billing scheduling assistant, at least one default payment cycle that includes causing a charge to be entered against the phone number in an account database of a carrier server;

transmitting, with the mobile billing operator server, a text to the user mobile phone at the phone number with a switch-over option after the default billing cycle, the switch-over option including a link that is selectable by a user of the user mobile phone to open a page that allows the user to enter credit card information for purposes of executing at least one modified billing cycle instead of the default billing cycle wherein the modified billing cycle includes charging a credit card having the credit card details at a credit card institution server other than the carrier server.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the default billing cycle includes receiving a payment from the carrier server at the mobile billing operator server.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the phone number is received at the mobile billing operator server from a merchant server.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the default billing cycle further includes making a payment from the mobile billing operator server to the merchant server.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the payment made from the mobile billing operator server is in response to the payment made to the mobile billing operator server.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the link causes the user mobile phone to open a browser window, request a switch-over page from the merchant server, and receive the switch-over page from the merchant server.

7. The method of claim 3, wherein if the user fails to select the link, the mobile billing scheduling assistant repeats the default payment schedule.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving, at the mobile billing operator server, a cancel notification from the merchant server when the merchant server receives the credit card information; and

cancelling, with the mobile billing operator server, the default payment on the mobile billing scheduling assistant in response to the cancel notification.

9. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

receiving, with the mobile billing operator server, a charge amount and a schedule from the merchant server; and

registering, with the mobile billing operator server, the charge amount and schedule with the mobile billing scheduling assistant, wherein the default payment is repeatedly executed according to the schedule and the charge includes an amount that is based on the charge amount.

10. A repeat payment computer system, comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium connected to the processor; and

a set of instructions on the computer-readable medium, the set of instructions being executable by the processor including;

a module receiving a phone number of a user mobile phone;

a mobile billing scheduling assistant, the phone number being registered for repeat payments with the mobile billing scheduling assistant executing at least one default payment cycle that includes causing a charge to be entered against the phone number in an account database of a carrier server; and

an SMS gateway transmitting a text to the user mobile phone at the phone number with a switch-over option after the default billing cycle, the switch-over option including a link that is selectable by a user of the user mobile phone to open a page that allows the user to enter credit card information for purposes of executing at least one modified billing cycle instead of the default billing cycle wherein the modified billing cycle includes charging a credit card having the credit card details at a credit card institution server other than the carrier server.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the default billing cycle includes receiving a payment from the carrier server at the mobile billing operator server.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the module receiving the phone number is a server call module that receives the phone number from the merchant server.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the default billing cycle further includes making a payment from the mobile billing operator server to the merchant server.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the payment made from the mobile billing operator server is in response to the payment made to the mobile billing operator server.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the link causes the user mobile phone to open a browser window, request a switch-over page from the merchant server, and receive the switch-over page from the merchant server.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein if the user fails to select the link, the mobile billing scheduling assistant repeats the default payment schedule.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the server call module receives a cancel notification from the merchant server when the merchant server receives the credit card information, and cancels the default payment on the mobile billing scheduling assistant in response to the cancel notification.

18. A computer-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor of a mobile billing operator server, carries out a method comprising:

receiving, with the mobile billing operator sever, a phone number of a user mobile phone;

registering, with the mobile billing operator server, the phone number for repeat payments with a mobile billing scheduling assistant of the mobile billing operator server;

executing, with the mobile billing scheduling assistant, at least one default payment cycle that includes causing a charge to be entered against the phone number in an account database of a carrier server;

transmitting, with the mobile billing operator server, a text to the user mobile phone at the phone number with a switch-over option after the default billing cycle, the switch-over option including a link that is selectable by a user of the user mobile phone to open a page that allows the user to enter credit card information for purposes of executing at least one modified billing cycle instead of the default billing cycle wherein the modified billing cycle includes charging a credit card having the credit card details at a credit card institution server other than the carrier server.