Electronic payment method for making payments using a mobile identifier
First Claim
1. A method comprising:
- providing at least one electronic payment system that, with at least one electronic processor, enables—
storing in a memory information indicative of a plurality of payment accounts;
receiving, in conjunction with a purchase by a buyer using a personal computing device in the purchase from a first merchant of content displayed on a display of the personal computing device, a mobile telephone number that corresponds to the buyer, wherein the buyer is an accountholder associated with a payment account of said plurality of payment accounts;
receiving, in conjunction with said purchase by the buyer from the first merchant, information identifying a monetary amount corresponding to the price to be paid for the content being purchased by the buyer from the first merchant;
electronically transmitting, to a mobile communications device of the buyer, information to which the buyer must respond to authorize the purchase by the buyer from the first merchant, wherein the personal computing device is a first device and the mobile communications device is a second device, wherein said mobile communications device of the buyer is associated with said mobile telephone number corresponding to the buyer;
receiving, from the mobile communications device of the buyer, an electronic reply, to said information sent to the mobile communications device of the buyer, that indicates the buyer'"'"'s authorization of said purchase by the buyer from the first merchant;
causing, following receipt of said electronic reply to said information sent to the mobile communications device of the buyer, said monetary amount corresponding to the price to be paid for the content being purchased by the buyer from the first merchant to be charged to a mobile subscriber account, of the buyer, that corresponds with said mobile telephone number of the buyer and that enables a wireless communications service to be used with the mobile communications device of the buyer;
receiving, in conjunction with a purchase by the accountholder at a point of sale terminal located at a physical retail location of a second merchant, information for identifying said payment account of the accountholder based upon entry of a mobile telephone number corresponding to the accountholder into said point of sale terminal at a physical retail location of said second merchant;
receiving, in conjunction with said purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant, information identifying a monetary amount to be paid by the accountholder for the purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant;
using said information for identifying said payment account of the accountholder, received in conjunction with said purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant, to identify said payment account of the second accountholder;
using said payment account of the accountholder to process a payment from the accountholder to the second merchant for said purchase by the accountholder from said second merchant;
storing information indicative of said payment from the accountholder to the second merchant;
receiving, from the mobile communications device of the accountholder, information indicative of the current location of the mobile communications device of the accountholder;
transmitting, in response to receiving said information indicative of the location of the mobile communications device of the accountholder and to the mobile communications device of the accountholder, information corresponding to a third merchant having a physical retail location that corresponds to said current location of the mobile communications device;
receiving information indicative of a purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant, wherein said purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant is initiated by the accountholder using the mobile communications device of the accountholder and comprises a selection, by the accountholder using the mobile communications device, of said information corresponding to the third merchant that was transmitted to the mobile communications device;
transmitting to, and for display at, a point of sale terminal at the physical retail location of said third merchant information for identifying the accountholder by a human operator of the point of sale terminal of the third merchant; and
processing said purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant using said payment account corresponding to the accountholder.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for providing an electronic payment system includes receiving, in conjunction with a purchase by a buyer using a personal computing device in the purchase of content, a mobile telephone number of the buyer. The electronic payment system transmits, to a mobile communications device of the buyer, information to which the buyer must respond to authorize the purchase. The electronic payment system causes, following receipt of a reply to the information sent to the buyer'"'"'s mobile communications device, a monetary amount corresponding to the price to be paid for the content to be charged to a mobile subscriber account corresponding to the mobile telephone number of the buyer. Methods further include processing a payment for a purchase at a POS terminal at a retail location based upon entry of the mobile telephone number of the buyer into the POS terminal.
175 Citations
12 Claims
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1. A method comprising:
- providing at least one electronic payment system that, with at least one electronic processor, enables—
storing in a memory information indicative of a plurality of payment accounts;
receiving, in conjunction with a purchase by a buyer using a personal computing device in the purchase from a first merchant of content displayed on a display of the personal computing device, a mobile telephone number that corresponds to the buyer, wherein the buyer is an accountholder associated with a payment account of said plurality of payment accounts;
receiving, in conjunction with said purchase by the buyer from the first merchant, information identifying a monetary amount corresponding to the price to be paid for the content being purchased by the buyer from the first merchant;
electronically transmitting, to a mobile communications device of the buyer, information to which the buyer must respond to authorize the purchase by the buyer from the first merchant, wherein the personal computing device is a first device and the mobile communications device is a second device, wherein said mobile communications device of the buyer is associated with said mobile telephone number corresponding to the buyer;
receiving, from the mobile communications device of the buyer, an electronic reply, to said information sent to the mobile communications device of the buyer, that indicates the buyer'"'"'s authorization of said purchase by the buyer from the first merchant;
causing, following receipt of said electronic reply to said information sent to the mobile communications device of the buyer, said monetary amount corresponding to the price to be paid for the content being purchased by the buyer from the first merchant to be charged to a mobile subscriber account, of the buyer, that corresponds with said mobile telephone number of the buyer and that enables a wireless communications service to be used with the mobile communications device of the buyer;
receiving, in conjunction with a purchase by the accountholder at a point of sale terminal located at a physical retail location of a second merchant, information for identifying said payment account of the accountholder based upon entry of a mobile telephone number corresponding to the accountholder into said point of sale terminal at a physical retail location of said second merchant;
receiving, in conjunction with said purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant, information identifying a monetary amount to be paid by the accountholder for the purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant;
using said information for identifying said payment account of the accountholder, received in conjunction with said purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant, to identify said payment account of the second accountholder;
using said payment account of the accountholder to process a payment from the accountholder to the second merchant for said purchase by the accountholder from said second merchant;
storing information indicative of said payment from the accountholder to the second merchant;
receiving, from the mobile communications device of the accountholder, information indicative of the current location of the mobile communications device of the accountholder;
transmitting, in response to receiving said information indicative of the location of the mobile communications device of the accountholder and to the mobile communications device of the accountholder, information corresponding to a third merchant having a physical retail location that corresponds to said current location of the mobile communications device;
receiving information indicative of a purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant, wherein said purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant is initiated by the accountholder using the mobile communications device of the accountholder and comprises a selection, by the accountholder using the mobile communications device, of said information corresponding to the third merchant that was transmitted to the mobile communications device;
transmitting to, and for display at, a point of sale terminal at the physical retail location of said third merchant information for identifying the accountholder by a human operator of the point of sale terminal of the third merchant; and
processing said purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant using said payment account corresponding to the accountholder. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11, 12)
- providing at least one electronic payment system that, with at least one electronic processor, enables—
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10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon for making an electronic payment using an identifier, wherein the program instructs a processor to perform the steps of:
- storing in a memory information indicative of a plurality of payment accounts, wherein each said payment account corresponds to an accountholder and enables a service to be used with a mobile communications device corresponding to the accountholder;
receiving, in conjunction with a purchase by an accountholder using a personal computing device in the purchase from a first merchant of content displayed on a display of the personal computing device, an identifier that corresponds to the accountholder and that enables an electronic communication to be initiated with the accountholder;
receiving, in conjunction with said purchase by the accountholder from the first merchant, information identifying a monetary amount corresponding to the price to be paid for the content being purchased by the accountholder from the first merchant;
electronically transmitting, to the mobile communications device of the accountholder, information to which the accountholder must respond to authorize the purchase by the accountholder from the first merchant, wherein the personal computing device is a first device and the mobile communications device is a second device;
receiving, from the mobile communications device of the accountholder, an electronic reply, to said information sent to the mobile communications device of the accountholder, that indicates the accountholder'"'"'s authorization of said purchase by the accountholder from the first merchant, wherein said receiving said electronic reply comprises receiving a password of the accountholder that is entered by the accountholder into said mobile communications device of the accountholder; and
using, following receipt of said electronic reply to said information sent to the mobile communications device of the accountholder, said payment account of the accountholder to process said purchase by the accountholder from the first merchant;
receiving, in conjunction with a purchase by the accountholder at a point of sale terminal located at a physical retail location of a second merchant, information for identifying said payment account of the accountholder based upon entry of a mobile telephone number corresponding to the accountholder into said point of sale terminal at a physical retail location of said second merchant;
receiving, in conjunction with said purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant, information identifying a monetary amount to be paid by the accountholder for the purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant;
using said information for identifying said payment account of the accountholder, received in conjunction with said purchase by the accountholder from the second merchant, to identify said payment account of the second accountholder;
using said payment account of the accountholder to process a payment from the accountholder to the second merchant for said purchase by the accountholder from said second merchant;
storing information indicative of said payment from the accountholder to the second merchant;
receiving, from the mobile communications device of the accountholder, information indicative of the current location of the mobile communications device of the accountholder;
transmitting, in response to receiving said information indicative of the location of the mobile communications device of the accountholder and to the mobile communications device of the accountholder, information corresponding to a third merchant having a physical retail location that corresponds to said current location of the mobile communications device;
receiving information indicative of a purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant, wherein said purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant is initiated by the accountholder using the mobile communications device of the accountholder and comprises a selection, by the accountholder using the mobile communications device, of said information corresponding to the third merchant that was transmitted to the mobile communications device;
transmitting to, and for display at, a point of sale terminal at the physical retail location of said third merchant information for identifying the accountholder by a human operator of the point of sale terminal of the third merchant; and
processing said purchase by the accountholder from said third merchant using said payment account corresponding to the accountholder.
- storing in a memory information indicative of a plurality of payment accounts, wherein each said payment account corresponds to an accountholder and enables a service to be used with a mobile communications device corresponding to the accountholder;
Specification