Real-time alert during on-line transaction

• US 8,538,827 B1
• Filed: 04/29/2011
• Issued: 09/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Intuit, Inc.
• Inventors: Shulman, Mark R., Homier, Matthew J., Dryer, Trevor D., Chao, Derrick R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wong, Eric T
• Application Number:
  US13/098,137
• Time in Patent Office: 872 Days
• Field of Search: 705/39, 705/26.1
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce

Abstract

Systems, computerized methods and computer program products for alerting consumers during on-line transactions. A consumer utilizes a browser executing on a computer to begin an on-line transaction. An add-on such as a plug-in to the browser detects that the consumer has begun an on-line transaction. The add-on accesses an account of the consumer hosted by a financial management system and compares alert criteria and data of the on-line transaction and before the on-line transaction is completed, generates an alert that is displayed to the consumer if execution of the on-line transaction would generate a pre-determined result relative to the alert criteria, e.g., if the transaction causes the consumer to go over budget or a bank account balance would drop below a certain level. The alert can be a passive notification or an active alert that invokes a waiting or cooling off period or prevents the consumer from completing the transaction.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for alerting a consumer during an on-line transaction, the method comprising:

a first computer utilized by the consumer and executing a web browser allowing the consumer to access a website of a merchant through a first network, the website being hosted by a second computer;

the first computer detecting when the consumer is in the process of purchasing an item from the merchant during an on-line transaction through the website;

the first computer communicating with a financial management system and receiving data of an account the consumer has with the financial management system in response to detecting the on-line transaction, the account data comprising alert criteria received by the first computer before the on-line transaction is completed;

the first computer comparing data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria; and

the first computer generating an alert that is displayed to the consumer when execution of the on-line transaction would generate a pre-determined result relative to the alert criteria before the on-line transaction has been completed.

2. The method of claim 1, the first computer detecting that the consumer is in the process of purchasing the item during the on-line transaction based at least in part upon at least one transaction indicator being displayed by the web browser, the at least one transaction indicator comprising at least one of:

a pre-determined URL address or on-line merchant; and

a pre-determined word or phrase associated with an on-line transaction.

3. The method of claim 2, the pre-determined word or phrase being related to an electronic shopping cart after the item has been added to the electronic shopping cart.

4. The method of claim 1, the first computer communicating through a second network with a third computer hosting the financial management system, wherein the consumer and respective other users have respective accounts with the financial management system.

5. The method of claim 1, the alert criteria comprising whether execution of the on-line transaction to purchase the item would result in at least one of:

the consumer exceeding a predetermined credit card balance,

the consumer exceeding a predetermined budget amount for purchases of the item;

the consumer exceeding a predetermined budget amount for purchases from the merchant, and

a balance of a financial account of the consumer dropping below a predetermined balance.

6. The method of claim 1, the first computer being triggered to access the financial management system, compare data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria and generate the alert in response to the consumer adding the item to an electronic shopping cart of the merchant website.

7. The method of claim 1, the first computer being triggered to access the financial management system, compare data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria and generate the alert in response to the consumer proceeding to checkout with the item already added to an electronic shopping cart of the merchant website.

8. The method of claim 1, the first computer being triggered to access the financial management system, compare data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria and generate the alert in response to entry of credit card information on a screen of the merchant website.

9. The method of claim 8, the first computer being triggered to access the financial management system, compare data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria and generate the alert in response to the consumer manually entering or selecting a type of credit card on a page of the merchant website displayed on a screen of the first computer of the consumer.

10. The method of claim 8, the first computer being triggered to access the financial management system, compare data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria and generate the alert in response to the consumer manually entering a credit card number or certain digits of the credit card number on a screen of the merchant website.

11. The method of claim 8, the first computer being triggered to access the financial management system, compare data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria and generate the alert in response to the consumer visiting the merchant website having a pre-determined URL address.

12. The method of claim 1, the alert comprising a passive alert that informs the consumer of the pre-determined result that would occur if the consumer proceeds with completing the on-line transaction.

13. The method of claim 1, the alert comprising an active alert that temporarily interrupts the on-line transaction.

14. The method of claim 13, the active alert comprising the first computer initiating a timer to implement a pre-determined waiting period before the consumer can proceed with the on-line transaction.

15. The method of claim 1, the active alert terminating or blocking completion of the on-line transaction.

16. The method of claim 15, the active alert blocking or covering a button that is to be pressed or selected by the consumer to complete the transaction.

17. The method of claim 15, the active alert terminating the on-line transaction by closing the merchant website.

18. The method of claim 15, the active alert terminating the on-line transaction by closing the browser.

19. The method of claim 15, the active alert terminating the on-line transaction by directing the consumer from the merchant website to a different website.

20. The method of claim 12, the passive alert comprising a popup window displayed on a screen of the first computer of the consumer.

21. The method of claim 13, the active alert comprising at least on input element selectable by the consumer to allow the consumer indicate whether the interrupted on-line transaction should proceed.

22. The method of claim 21, the active alert comprising:

a first input element selectable by the consumer to terminate the interrupted on-line transaction;

a second input element selectable by the consumer to proceed with the interrupted on-line transaction; and

a third input element selectable by the consumer to save the interrupted on-line transaction, wherein the first computer bookmarks a web page currently displayed in response to the consumer indicating the interrupted on-line transaction should be saved.

23. The method of claim 1, the first computer executing a plug-in to the web browser for accessing data of the consumer account hosted by a financial management system and initiating the alert.

24. The method of claim 1, the first computer comprising a mobile communication device that communicates with the second computer by wireless or cellular communications.

25. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

the first computer receiving a response to the alert from the consumer; and

the first computer determining whether to continue with completing the on-line transaction based at least in part upon the received response.

26. A system for alerting a consumer during an on-line transaction, the system comprising:

an add-on to a web browser executing on a computer of the consumer, the add-on being configured to detect when the consumer is in the process of purchasing an item from the merchant during an on-line transaction involving a website hosted by a computer of a merchant in communication with the consumer computer; and

an intermediate computer hosting a computerized financial management system, the intermediate computer being accessible by the consumer computer and other respective computers of other users of the financial management system, the financial management system being in communication with respective computers comprising electronic sources of financial or transaction data through respective networks and being configured to collect, organize and store financial and transaction data of the consumer and respective other users from respective electronic sources, the add-on being configured to be triggered to communicate with the computerized financial management system of the intermediate computer in response to detecting the on-line transaction, the computerized financial management system being configured to provide alert criteria of an account of the consumer hosted by the financial management system to the add-on before the on-line transaction is completed, the add-on being further configured to compare data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria, and generate an alert that is displayed to the consumer when execution of the on-line transaction would generate a pre-determined result relative to the alert criteria before the on-line transaction has been completed.

27. The system of claim 26, the alert comprising a passive alert that informs the consumer of the pre-determined result if the consumer proceeds with completing the on-line transaction.

28. The system of claim 26, the alert comprising an active alert that temporarily interrupts the on-line transaction.

29. The system of claim 26, the alert comprising an active alert that terminates or blocks completion of the on-line transaction.

30. The system of claim 26, the alert comprising a popup window.

31. The system of claim 26, the add-on comprising a plug-in to the web browser.

32. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory, computer readable storage medium having instructions which, when executed by a first computer of a consumer, cause one or more processors to execute a process for alerting the consumer during an on-line transaction, the process comprising:

detecting, by the first computer, when the consumer is in the process of purchasing an item from the merchant during an on-line transaction involving a second computer of a merchant in communication with the first computer,

in response to detecting the on-line transaction;

communicating, by the first computer with a financial management system and receiving data of an account the consumer has with the financial management system, wherein the account data comprises alert criteria of the financial management system, and wherein the account data is accessed by an add-on before the on-line transaction is completed;

comparing, by the first computer, data of the on-line transaction and the alert criteria; and

generating, by the first computer, an alert that is displayed to the consumer when execution of the on-line transaction would generate a predetermined result relative to the alert criteria before the on-line transaction has been completed.