Request money social networking applications

• US 8,612,351 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 11/05/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: eBay Inc.
• Inventors: Liu, Deborah Yee-Ky, Lu, Su-I
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/539,388
• Publication Number:
  US 20120271766A1
• Time in Patent Office: 535 Days
• Field of Search: 705/44, 705/35
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/24 Credit schemes, i.e. "pay after"
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/384 using social networks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking

Abstract

In example embodiments, a system and method provides receiving a funds request that contains an identifier to uniquely identify a first member of a first social network, an identifier to uniquely identify a second member of a second social network, and an amount of funds to be exchanged between the first and the second member. The information in the funds request is received via a user interface provided by the first social network that is customized to the first member. A funds authorization from the second member is received. An exchange of the amount of funds between an account held by the first member of the first social network and an account held by the second member of the second social network based on the receiving of the funds authorization is implemented. The first and the second social network are each a community of members that share a common interest.

Claims

1. A machine-readable hardware device comprising machine-executable instructions which, when implemented by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

receiving a funds request from a first member of a first social network, the funds request including an identifier to uniquely identify a second member of a second social network and an amount of funds to be exchanged between the first member and the second member, information in the funds request received via a payment interface on a social network page of the first member provided by the first social network;

receiving a funds authorization from the second member in response to the funds request from the first member, the funds authorization received via a social network page of the second member provided by the second social network; and

causing an exchange of the amount of funds between an account held by the first member of the first social network and an account held by the second member of the second social network based on the receiving of the funds authorization from the social network page of the second member, the first social network and the second social network each being a community of members that share a common interest.

2. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the first social network and the second social network are the same social network.

3. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the social network page of the first member that includes the payment interface comprises a homepage of the first member on the first social network.

4. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the social network page of the second member comprises a homepage of the second member on the second social network.

5. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the identifier that uniquely identifies the second member is one of a network handle or an e-mail address.

6. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise providing a request money application to the first social network, the request money application to be implemented on the payment interface on the social network page of the first member that is provided by the first social network to the first member.

7. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the payment interface provided by the first social network comprises a textbox to search for members that are designated as friends of the first member in one of the first social network or the second social network from which to choose the second member to exchange the amount of funds.

8. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the payment interface provided by the first social network comprises a listing of members that are designated as friends of the first member in one of the first social network or the second social network from which to choose the second member to exchange the amount of funds.

9. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise causing a list of one or more pending funding requests to be displayed on the payment interface on the social network page of the first member that is provided by the first social network.

10. The machine-readable hardware device of claim 1, wherein the operations further comprise:

determining whether the first member has an account with a payment processor;

determining whether the second member has an account with the payment processor; and

prompting one of the first member or the second member to establish the account with the payment processor based on the first member or the second member not having the account with the payment processor,

wherein the causing of the exchange of the amount of funds occurs between the account of the first member with the payment processor and the account of the second member with the payment processor.

11. A method comprising:

receiving a funds request from a first member of a first social network, the funds request including an identifier to uniquely identify a second member of a second social network and an amount of funds to be exchanged between the first member and the second member, information in the funds request received via a payment interface on a social network page of the first member provided by the first social network;

receiving a funds authorization from the second member in response to the funds request from the first member, the funds authorization received via a social network page of the second member provided by the second social network; and

causing, using a processor of a machine, an exchange of the amount of funds between an account held by the first member of the first social network and an account held by the second member of the second social network based on the receiving of the funds authorization from the social network page of the second member, the first social network and the second social network each being a community of members that share a common interest.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first social network and the second social network are the same social network.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the social network page of the first member that includes the payment interface comprises a homepage of the first member on the first social network.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the social network page of the second member comprises a homepage of the second member on the second social network.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising providing a request money application to the first social network, the request money application to be implemented on the payment interface on the social network page of the first member provided by the first social network.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the payment interface provided by the first social network comprises a textbox to search for members that are designated as friends of the first member in one of the first social network or the second social network from which to choose the second member to exchange the amount of funds.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the payment interface provided by the first social network comprises a listing of members that are designated as friends of the first member in one of the first social network or the second social network from which to choose the second member to exchange the amount of funds.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising causing a list of one or more pending funding requests to be displayed on the payment interface on the social network page of the first member that is provided by the first social network.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining whether the first member has an account with a payment processor;

determining whether the second member has an account with the payment processor; and

prompting one of the first member or the second member to establish the account with the payment processor based on the first member or the second member not having the account with the payment processor,

wherein the causing of the exchange of the amount of funds occurs between the account of the first member with the payment processor and the account of the second member with the payment processor.

20. A system comprising:

means for receiving a funds request from a first member of a first social network, the funds request including an identifier to uniquely identify a second member of a second social network and an amount of funds to be exchanged between the first member and the second member, information in the funds request received via a payment interface on a social network page of the first member provided by the first social network;

means for receiving a funds authorization from the second member in response to the funds request from the first member, the funds authorization received via a social network page of the second member provided by the second social network; and

means for causing, using a processor of a machine, an exchange of the amount of funds between an account held by the first member of the first social network and an account held by the second member of the second social network based on the receiving of the funds authorization from the social network page of the second member, the first social network and the second social network each being a community of members that share a common interest.