Mobile system and method for payments and non-financial transactions

• US 8,635,157 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 01/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Payme inc.
• Original Assignee: Payme inc.
• Inventors: Smith, Randy, Hornbostel, Earl, Valenzuela, Steve, Young, Ryan
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Hai
• Application Number:
  US13/186,260
• Publication Number:
  US 20120016731A1
• Time in Patent Office: 917 Days
• Field of Search: 705/41
• US Class Current: 705/41
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/204 comprising interface for record bearing medium or carrier for electronic funds transfer or payment credit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0233 Method of redeeming a frequent usage reward
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions

Abstract

A method and system for mobile commerce, communication, and transaction processing to real-world POS, web, e-commerce, virtual terminal, mobile personal digital assistant, mobile phone, mobile device, or other computer based transactions involving either one or both financial and non-financial such as loyalty based transactions as a mobile payment system is described. One embodiment comprises using a mobile phone via a consumer mobile software application (CMA) in lieu of a consumer card (examples include physical, virtual, or chips) to conduct payment transactions in the Real or Virtual World of commerce. An embodiment is related to making payments to real-world stores via having the CMA on a mobile device on behalf of the consumer present to conduct transactions and no physical card required.

Claims

1. A mobile payment system, comprising:

a merchant point of sale system;

a third party payment network comprising a processing platform, card association, or other processing host for the formal authorization and settlement of customer and merchant payment information;

a transaction authorization system that coordinates the activities among a customer device that hosts a consumer mobile application, the merchant point of sale system, and the third party payment network, in order to authorize and void transactions;

a tender type button for initiating a transaction by the merchant point of sale or payment system, wherein the button processes the transaction with the mobile payment service provider'"'"'s issuer identification number and forwards it to transaction authorization system directly from the point of sale or indirectly such as through middleware, frontend switch, gateway, processor, payment networks, or a backend switch; and

a terminal identification that is read by the customer at the point of sale and entered into the consumer mobile application at the point of sale for linking the customer and merchant upon the transaction reaching the transaction authorization system.

2. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the third party payment network provides additional features and functionalities including transaction reporting, cardholder data storage, fraud screening and protection, and related processing offerings.

3. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the transaction authorization system stores and retrieves loyalty information from a loyalty data store that is used by the merchant to offer discounts and additional services to the customer through the customer device.

4. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the transaction authorization system stores tokenized versions of the customer'"'"'s payment methods in a tokenized payment method data store.

5. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the button is replaced by the use of a mobile payment card comprising the mobile payment service provider'"'"'s issuer identification number and card number assigned to the merchant and capable of being magnetically swiped through the merchant point of sale system.

6. The mobile payment system of claim 5, wherein the mobile payment card is replaced by the merchant keying in the card number assigned to the merchant at the merchant point of sale system.

7. The mobile payment system of claim 1, further comprising a virtual terminal including a standalone software or hardware device.

8. The mobile payment system of claim 7, wherein the standalone software or hardware device selected from the group consisting of:

a mobile personal digital assistant;

a mobile phone;

a mobile device; and

a computer based system, device or software application installed alongside the point of sale software and residing on the same platform and hardware of the merchant point of sale or existing as an independent device.

9. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the customer device comprises a mobile device selected from the group consisting of:

an iPhone;

an iPad;

an iTouch;

an Android;

a Windows-based mobile device; and

a Research In Motion Blackberry device.

10. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the merchant communicates a terminal identification to the customer by posting a sticker, label, or other display of the terminal identification on or near the merchant point of sale.

11. The mobile payment system of claim 10, wherein the terminal identification comprises a numeric value, a barcode, a quick response barcode, or other representation consisting of a unique value for a transaction occurring at a point of time with the merchant and the specific terminal.

12. The mobile payment system of claim 10, wherein the terminal identification is transmitted to the customer device using Bluetooth, radio frequency identification, near-field communication, quick response codes, or Two Factor Authentication.

13. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the merchant point of sale system comprises a point of sale system used for electronic commerce or a conventional point of sale system located in a real world store.

14. The mobile payment system of claim 1, wherein the customer and merchant are linked upon the transaction reaching the transaction authorization system by using a known location of the merchant and the instant location of the customer accessing the consumer mobile application as determined by global positioning satellite in the customer device hosting the consumer mobile application.

15. A method for performing a transaction using a mobile payment system including a merchant point of sale system, a third party payment network comprising a processing host for the formal authorization and settlement of customer and merchant payment information, and a transaction authorization system that coordinates the activities among a customer device, the merchant point of sale system, and the third party payment network, in order to authorize and void transactions, the method comprising:

receiving a transaction from a customer device that hosts a consumer mobile application at the transaction authorization system for a purchase at the merchant point of sale;

storing the transaction at the transaction authorization system as a pending transaction;

submitting the transaction to the third party payment network for account authorization; and

allowing the customer to utilize the consumer mobile application to access an automated teller machine for performing a consumer financial transaction, wherein a terminal identification is read by the customer at the point of sale and entered into the consumer mobile application at the point of sale for linking the customer and merchant upon the transaction reaching the transaction authorization system.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising providing historical transactions for review by the customer and merchants as facilitated by the transaction authorization system.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the account authorization comprises a sufficient or non-sufficient fund verification.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the consumer mobile application enables a function to allow the customer to send a payment to any other mobile payment service provider'"'"'s customers, thus creating a customer-to-customer transaction relationship.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the consumer financial transaction comprises making a cash withdrawal.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the consumer financial transaction comprises making a cash withdrawal and making a cash deposit.