Alternative payment implementation for electronic retailers

• US 8,762,210 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 06/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CardinalCommerce Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CardinalCommerce Corporation (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Balasubramanian, Chandra S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Frenel, Vanel
• Application Number:
  US13/832,395
• Publication Number:
  US 20130211934A1
• Time in Patent Office: 466 Days
• Field of Search: 705/30, 705/42, 705/44, 709/204, 715/234
• US Class Current: 705/16
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/027 involving a payment switch or gateway
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/22 Payment schemes or models
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• 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 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

A system and method process a transaction between a merchant and a consumer at a point of sale (POS). Transaction information for the transaction is received from the consumer at the POS. The transaction information identifies an alternative payment option of an alternative payment provider to use for the transaction. A universal merchant platform (UMP) is requested to approve the transaction with the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option. The request includes the received transaction information and is provided to the UMP according to a unified payment implementation. In response to approval of the transaction, an order identifier is received from the UMP. The order identifier uniquely identifies the transaction. The UMP is requested to authorize and/or capture funds for the transaction using a payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option.

Claims

1. A system for processing a transaction between a merchant and a consumer at a point of sale (POS), said system comprising:

at least one processor programmed to;

receive transaction information for the transaction from the consumer at the POS, the transaction information identifying an alternative payment option of an alternative payment provider to use for the transaction;

request a universal merchant platform (UMP) to approve the transaction with the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option, the UMP providing a unified payment implementation for transacting with a plurality of alternative payment providers, including the alternative payment provider, and the request including the received transaction information, wherein the request is provided to the UMP according to the unified payment implementation;

in response to approval of the transaction, receive an order identifier from the UMP, the order identifier uniquely identifying the transaction; and

,

request the UMP to authorize or capture funds for the transaction using a payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option, the request identifying the transaction with the received order identifier and provided to the UMP according to the unified payment implementation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the receiving the transaction information includes:

receiving identification of the alternative payment option from the consumer;

configuring a user interface to collect transaction information required to carry out the transaction using the identified alternative payment option, the user interface configured specifically for the identified alternative payment option; and

,

receiving the required transaction information from the consumer using the user interface.

3. The system according to claim 2, wherein identification of the alternative payment option is received using a second user interface, different than the user interface.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the receiving further includes:

receiving order information identifying goods or services or customer information identifying the consumer, using the second user interface, the transaction information including the order information or the customer information.

5. The system according to claim 3, further including:

a POS consumer device displaying the user interface to the consumer; and

,

a POS control system displaying the second user interface to the merchant.

6. The system according to claim 1, further including:

a UMP plugin generating the approval request, the UMP plugin being a java applet.

7. The system according to claim 1, further including:

an order management system of the merchant generating the authorize or capture request.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further programmed to:

after authorizing or capturing the funds, receive a request for a refund from the consumer;

in response to the request for the refund, request the UMP to refund funds for the transaction using the payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option, the request identifying the transaction with the order identifier and provided to the UMP according to the unified payment implementation.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option defines message formats, response codes and communication protocols.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the POS is located at a place of business of the merchant.

11. The system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is managed by the merchant and the UMP is managed by a third party, where the alternative payment provider, the merchant, the consumer and the third party are all different parties.

12. A method for processing a transaction between a merchant and a consumer at a point of sale (POS), said method comprising:

receiving by at least one processor transaction information for the transaction from the consumer at the POS, the transaction information identifying an alternative payment option of an alternative payment provider to use for the transaction;

requesting by the at least one processor a universal merchant platform (UMP) to approve the transaction with the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option, the UMP providing a unified payment implementation for transacting with a plurality of alternative payment providers, including the alternative payment provider, and the request including the received transaction information, wherein the request is provided to the UMP according to the unified payment implementation;

in response to approval of the transaction, receiving by the at least one processor an order identifier from the UMP, the order identifier uniquely identifying the transaction;

requesting by the at least one processor the UMP to authorize and/or or capture funds for the transaction using a payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option, the request identifying the transaction with the received order identifier and provided to the UMP according to the unified payment implementation; and

generating the authorize or capture request using an order management system of the merchant.

13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the receiving the transaction information includes:

receiving identification of the alternative payment option from the consumer;

configuring a user interface to collect transaction information required to carry out the transaction using the identified alternative payment option, the user interface configured specifically for the identified alternative payment option; and

,

receiving the required transaction information from the consumer using the user interface.

14. The method according to claim 13, wherein identification of the alternative payment option is received using a second user interface, different than the user interface.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein the receiving further includes:

receiving order information identifying goods or services or customer information identifying the consumer, using the second user interface, the transaction information including the order information or the customer information.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the user interface is displayed to the consumer using a POS consumer device and the second user interface is displayed to the merchant using a POS control system displaying.

17. The method according to claim 12, further including:

after authorizing or capturing the funds, receiving a request for a refund from the consumer;

in response to the request for the refund, requesting the UMP to refund funds for the transaction using the payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option, the request identifying the transaction with the order identifier and provided to the UMP according to the unified payment implementation.

18. The method according to claim 12, wherein the payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option defines message formats, response codes and communication protocols.

19. A non-transitory computer readable medium carrying software which controls at least one processor to perform the method according to claim 12.

20. A system for processing a transaction between a merchant and a consumer at a point of sale (POS), said system comprising:

a point of sale consumer device including a display device; and

,

a point of sale control system including at least one processor, the at least one processor programmed to;

receive first transaction information for the transaction from the consumer at the POS, wherein the first transaction information includes order information or customer information and identifies an alternative payment option of an alternative payment provider to use for the transaction, and wherein the first transaction information is received using a first user interface displayed to a representative of the merchant on a display device of the point of sale system;

configure a second user interface to collect second transaction from the consumer at the POS, the second transaction information including transaction information required to carry out the transaction using the identified alternative payment option, the second user interface configured specifically for the identified alternative payment option;

receive the second transaction information from the consumer using the second user interface, where the second transaction information is displayed on the display device of the point of the sale consumer device;

request a universal merchant platform (UMP) to approve the transaction with the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option, the UMP providing a unified payment implementation for transacting with a plurality of alternative payment providers, including the alternative payment provider, and the request including the first transaction information or the second transaction information, wherein the request is provided to the UMP according to the unified payment implementation;

in response to approval of the transaction, receive an order identifier from the UMP, the order identifier uniquely identifying the transaction; and

,

request the UMP to authorize and/or or capture funds for the transaction using a payment implementation specific to the alternative payment provider of the identified alternative payment option.