Merchant server programmed for user acquisition within a repeat payment computer system

• US 9,258,691 B2
• Filed: 02/20/2013
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Boku Incorporated
• Inventors: Lee, Adam, Prideaux, Jonathan P., Corner, Katherine Ann, Nebrich, Samantha Elena
• Primary Examiner(s): Htun, San
• Assistant Examiner(s): GLOMAH, TABLA K
• Application Number:
  US13/772,267
• Publication Number:
  US 20140235198A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,084 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/14 specially adapted for billing systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/16 Payments settled via telecommunication systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/43 Billing software details
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/50 for cross-charging network operators
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 15/68 Payment of value-added services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/24 Accounting or billing

Abstract

A repeat payment computer system includes a merchant server and mobile billing operator server that are programmed for user acquisition through carrier billing and subsequent conversion to credit card billing. An advantage of the process is that the user does not have to enter credit card information for the default billing cycles to occur. The user only enters a phone number and password. Fewer barriers are provided for the user to become a regular repeat customer of the merchant server. The fees associated with mobile billing according to the default billing cycles have to be paid by the merchant server and may be too high in the long run. The merchant server can avoid the high fees associated with carrier billing by switching the user to billing according to the credit card information provided. The user is typically switched after the user has already become a regular customer.

Claims

1. A computer-based method of processing repeat payments, comprising:

receiving, with a merchant server, a phone number of a user mobile phone;

transmitting, with the merchant server, the phone number to a mobile billing operator server for the mobile billing operator server to execute at least one default payment cycle on a mobile scheduling assistant that includes transmitting, by the mobile billing server, a message to a carrier server of the mobile phone with the phone number of the mobile phone and a charge amount, receiving, by the mobile billing server, a payment from the carrier server, the mobile billing operator server keeping a portion of the payment received from the carrier server and the mobile billing server transmitting a payment to the merchant server, the payment to the merchant server being for the payment received from the carrier operator server minus the portion kept by the mobile billing operator server, the merchant server receiving the payment from the mobile billing operator server at the merchant server, wherein the mobile billing operator server transmits a text to the user mobile phone at the phone number with a switch-over option after the default billing cycle, the switch-over option including a link that is selectable by a user of the user mobile phone to transmit a switch-over page request;

receiving, with the merchant server, the switch-over page request from the user mobile phone;

transmitting, with the merchant server, a switch-over page to the user mobile phone in response to the switch-over page request, the switch-over page having fields for entry of the credit card details, including a credit card number, that is received at the merchant server;

receiving, at the merchant server, the credit card details from the user mobile phone at the merchant server;

registering, with the merchant server, the credit card details with a merchant scheduling assistant of the merchant server;

transmitting, with the merchant server, a cancel notification to the mobile billing server when the merchant server receives the credit card information, the mobile billing server cancelling the default payment cycle on the mobile scheduling assistant in response to the cancel notification; and

executing, with the merchant scheduling assistant, at least one modified billing cycle that includes causing a charge to be entered against the credit card number in an account database of a credit card institution server other than the carrier server.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, with the merchant server, a first page request from the user mobile phone; and

transmitting, with the merchant server, a first page to the user mobile phone in response to the first registration page request, the first registration page request including a phone number field for entering the phone number, the phone number being received by the merchant server following entry of the phone number in the phone number field.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first registration page has a password field for entry of a password, further comprising:

receiving, at the merchant server, the password from the user mobile phone.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising:

transmitting, with the merchant server, a text with a PIN to the user mobile phone at the phone number in response to receiving the phone number and password; and

receiving the PIN from the mobile phone due to entry of the PIN into the PIN field by a user of the user mobile phone, wherein the merchant server only registers the phone number on the mobile billing operator server for execution of a first of the default payments after receiving the PIN.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, with the merchant server, a charge amount and a schedule to the mobile operator billing server together with the phone number.

6. A repeat payment computer system comprising:

a processor;

a computer-readable medium connected to the processor; and

a set of instructions on the computer-readable medium, the set of instructions being executable by the processor and including a merchant server having;

an account database;

a mobile website; and

a merchant scheduling assistant, wherein the website receives a phone number of a user mobile phone, transmits the phone number to a mobile billing operator server for the mobile billing operator server to execute at least one default payment cycle default payment cycle on a mobile scheduling assistant that includes transmitting, by the mobile billing server, a message to a carrier server of the mobile phone with the phone number of the mobile phone and a charge amount, receiving, by the mobile billing server, a payment from the carrier server, the mobile billing operator server keeping a portion of the payment received from the carrier server and the mobile billing server transmitting a payment to the merchant server, the payment to the merchant server being for the payment received from the carrier operator server minus the portion kept by the mobile billing operator server, the merchant server receiving the payment from the mobile billing operator server and recording the payment in the account database, wherein the mobile billing operator server transmits a text to the user mobile phone at the phone number with a switch-over option after the default billing cycle, the switch-over option including a link that is selectable by a user of the user mobile phone to transmit a switch-over page request, the website further receiving the switch-over page request from the user mobile phone, the website further transmitting a switch-over page to the user mobile phone in response to the switch-over page request, the switch-over page having fields for entry of the credit card details, including a credit card number, that is received at the merchant server, the website further receiving the credit card details from the user mobile phone and registering the credit card details with the merchant scheduling assistant, transmitting a cancel notification to the mobile billing server when the merchant server receives the credit card information, the mobile billing server cancelling the default payment cycle on the mobile scheduling assistant in response to the cancel notification, the merchant scheduling assistant executing at least one modified billing cycle that includes causing a charge to be entered against the credit card number in an account database of a credit card institution server other than the carrier server.

7. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the mobile website further receives a first registration page request from the user mobile phone;

and

transmitting, with the merchant server, a first page to the user mobile phone in response to the first registration page request, the first registration page request including a phone number field for entering the phone number, the phone number being received by the merchant server following entry of the phone number in the phone number field.

8. The computer system of claim 7, wherein the first registration page has a password field for entry of a password and the mobile website further receives the password from the user mobile phone.

9. The computer system of claim 8, wherein the merchant server further includes:

an SMS gateway that transmits a text with a PIN to the user mobile phone at the phone number in response to receiving the phone number and password, the mobile website receiving the PIN from the mobile phone due to entry of the PIN into the PIN field by a user of the user mobile phone, wherein the merchant server only registers the phone number on the mobile billing operator server for execution of a first of the default payments after receiving the PIN.

10. The computer system of claim 6, wherein the mobile website transmits the charge amount and a schedule to the mobile operator billing server together with the phone number.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon a set of instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computer, carries out a method comprising:

receiving, with a merchant server, a phone number of a user mobile phone;

transmitting, with the merchant server, the phone number to a mobile billing operator server for the mobile billing operator server to execute at least one default payment cycle on a mobile scheduling assistant that includes transmitting, by the mobile billing server, a message to a carrier server of the mobile phone with the phone number of the mobile phone and a charge amount, receiving, by the mobile billing server, a payment from the carrier server, the mobile billing operator server keeping a portion of the payment received from the carrier server and the mobile billing server transmitting a payment to the merchant server, the payment to the merchant server being for the payment received from the carrier operator server minus the portion kept by the mobile billing operator server, the merchant server receiving the payment from the mobile billing operator server at the merchant server, wherein the mobile billing operator server transmits a text to the user mobile phone at the phone number with a switch-over option after the default billing cycle, the switch-over option including a link that is selectable by a user of the user mobile phone to transmit a switch-over page request;

receiving, with the merchant server, the switch-over page request from the user mobile phone;

transmitting, with the merchant server, a switch-over page to the user mobile phone in response to the switch-over page request, the switch-over page having fields for entry of the credit card details, including a credit card number, that is received at the merchant server;

receiving, at the merchant server, the credit card details from the user mobile phone at the merchant server;

registering, with the merchant server, the credit card details with a merchant scheduling assistant of the merchant server;

transmitting, with the merchant server, a cancel notification to the mobile billing server when the merchant server receives the credit card information, the mobile billing server cancelling the default payment cycle on the mobile scheduling assistant in response to the cancel notification; and

executing, with the merchant scheduling assistant, at least one modified billing cycle that includes causing a charge to be entered against the credit card number in an account database of a credit card institution server other than the carrier server.