METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR OBTAINING MERCHANT IDENTIFICATION WITHIN PAYMENT AUTHORIZATION NETWORKS

• US 20150149353A1
• Filed: 11/27/2013
• Published: 05/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Meta Platforms, Inc. (f/k/a Facebook, Inc.)
• Inventors: Linden, Lee Charles, Bowers, Neville S., Zagat, Ted Edward E.
• Application Number:
  US14/092,654
• Publication Number:
  US 20150149353A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/28 Pre-payment schemes, e.g. "pay before"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/342 Cards defining paid or billed services or quantities
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

Exemplary methods and systems for enabling a multi-merchant gift card program are disclosed. In particular, the present application details exemplary methods and systems for obtaining merchant identification information associated with a merchant. Upon obtaining the merchant identification for a merchant, the present application further details exemplary methods and systems for enabling a gift card services for the merchant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

associating, using at least one processor, a token with a merchant;

receiving a request associated with the merchant;

identifying the token within the received request;

parsing additional information within the request to obtain a merchant identifier associated with the merchant; and

enabling a gift card service using the merchant identifier.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the request received from the merchant is a payment authorization request.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating the token to be associated with the merchant.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the token comprises a monetary value.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein identifying the token within the received payment authorization request comprises identifying the monetary value requested to be authorized by the payment authorization request.

6. The method of claim 4, further comprising providing the monetary value for entry into a merchant system as the payment amount to be authorized.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

issuing a gift card; and

detecting that the gift card has been physically swiped at the merchant system for the amount of the monetary value.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising sending a request to a third-party with instructions to initiate a gift card transaction with the gift card at the merchant system and using the monetary value.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising sending a gift card number to the merchant to initiate a gift card transaction for the monetary value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein parsing the additional information within the payment authorization request to obtain the merchant identifier comprises identifying a merchant identifier number (MID) associated with the merchant.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising linking the token with a gift card having a unique card number.

12. A method comprising:

maintaining a database identifying a plurality of available merchants for gifting;

associating a token with a merchant not included in the plurality of available merchants for gifting;

receiving a request from the merchant;

identifying the token within the received request;

analyzing additional information within the request to obtain an identifier of the merchant; and

adding the merchant and the obtained identifier to the database identifying the plurality of available merchants for gifting.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the request received from the merchant is a payment authorization request.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving a request from a user of a social-networking system to add the merchant to the plurality of available merchants for gifting.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising generating the token as a monetary value.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing the monetary value for entry into a merchant system associated with the merchant.

17. A method comprising:

determining whether an identifier was found in a database search;

if the identifier is found, associating the identifier with the merchant; and

if the identifier is not found;

requesting the identifier from the merchant;

determining whether the merchant provided the identifier in response to the request;

if the merchant provides the identifier, associating the identifier with the merchant; and

if the merchant does not provide the identifier, analyzing an unidentified payment authorization request using a fuzzy logic routine to identify merchant name information and merchant location information associated with the merchant.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising matching the unidentified payment authorization request with the merchant based on the merchant name information and the merchant location information.

19. The method of claim 18, further comprising identifying the identifier within the unidentified payment authorization request.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising storing a value associated with the merchant on a gift card of a user of a social-networking system.