Proxy card payment with digital receipt delivery

• US 9,542,681 B1
• Filed: 04/21/2015
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Borovsky, Andrew, Aaron, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Danneman, Paul
• Application Number:
  US14/692,655
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/047 using payment protocols involving electronic receipts
• 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 20/209 Specified transaction journal output feature, e.g. printed receipt or voice output
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/34 using cards, e.g. integrated circuit [IC] cards or magnetic cards
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/346 Cards serving only as information carrier of service
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3572 Multiple accounts on card
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/387 Payment using discounts or coupons relating to marketing G06Q30/02
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/405 Establishing or using transaction specific rules
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/409 Device specific authentication in transaction processing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0282 Rating or review of business operators or products

Abstract

Disclosed herein are techniques for providing a digital receipt to a consumer upon tender of payment to a merchant through the use of a proxy payment card in a financial transaction. The proxy payment card can be associated with multiple financial accounts (e.g., accounts associated with credit cards, debit cards, or gift cards). The digital receipt is automatically received at a personal computing device of the consumer in response to the financial transaction being charged to a financial account associated with the proxy payment card. The digital receipt includes information indicative of the financial transaction. The digital receipt can also include one or more interactive components that allow the consumer to interact with the transaction (and/or merchant) subsequent to transmission of the receipt, such as adding a tip, providing feedback, redeeming a promotion reward, tracking loyalty reward points, or reviewing transaction records of past and present transactions.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by a transaction computer system, via a network, and from a point-of-sale (POS) system associated with a payee;

transaction information of indicating a financial transaction between a payer and the payee, the financial transaction involving use of a payment object associated with the payer to pay for products or services provided by the payee in the financial transaction; and

payment object information read from the payment object via a reader device coupled to the POS system;

in response to receiving the payment object information, automatically;

accessing, by the transaction computer system, a database to obtain payment account information associated with the payment object;

selecting, by the transaction computer system, a particular payment account associated with the payment object based on the accessed payment account information; and

transmitting, by the transaction computer system, the transaction information and payment account information to a financial system associated with the selected particular payment account for authorization;

receiving, by the transaction computer system, a notification of payment authorization of the selected particular payment account associated with the payment object for charging a payment associated with the financial transaction; and

in response to the payment authorization of the particular payment account, automatically;

generating, by the transaction computer system, a digital receipt indicative of the financial transaction, the digital receipt including an interactive feedback component;

identifying, by the transaction computer system, a unique identifier associated with the payer based on the accessed payment account information; and

based on the unique identifier, transmitting the digital receipt, by the transaction computer system, over the network, to a personal computing device associated with the payer for display by a mobile application at the personal computing device, wherein the interactive feedback component enables the payer to input feedback via the mobile application, the feedback associated with the products or services relating to the financial transaction

wherein the transaction computer system is configured to automatically communicate feedback input by the payer via the interactive feedback component, to a third-party aggregator that aggregates a set of feedback associated with the payee.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital receipt is transmitted to the personal computing device for delivery to the payer at a display of the personal computing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital receipt is transmitted to the mobile application at the personal computing device via an electronic message including any of an email message or a text message.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the unique identifier includes any of an email address or telephone number.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transaction computer system is further configured to automatically communicate feedback, input by the payer via the interactive feedback component, to the payee.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

associating the payment object with a plurality of payment accounts;

wherein the selected particular payment account is selected from the plurality of payment accounts for charging the payment to the particular payment account.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the plurality of payment accounts comprise any of a loyalty program account, a credit card account, a debit card account, a gift card account, or a fleet card account.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the particular payment account is selected from the plurality of payment accounts based on a transaction item of the financial transaction.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the digital receipt further includes a payment accounts component that allows the payer to input a user selection to change the particular payment account selected to another payment account associated with the payment object.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the digital receipt further includes an interactive tipping component that allows the payer to input a tip amount associated with the financial transaction within a specified time period.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

receiving the tip amount input by the payer within the specified time period; and

causing funds to be transferred from the particular payment account associated with the payment object to an account associated with the payee, wherein the funds is based on the tip amount input.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the method further comprises:

causing, based on the financial transaction being charged to the particular payment account, funds to be transferred from the particular payment account associated with the payment object to an account associated with the payee.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment object is a payment card.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment object is a biometrically identifiable object.

15. A method comprising:

receiving, by a transaction computer system, via a network, and from a POS system associated with a merchant;

transaction information of a payment transaction between the merchant and a consumer, the payment transaction involving use of a payment card associated with the consumer at the POS system to pay for products or services provided by the payee in the financial transaction; and

payment card information read from the payment card via a card reader device coupled to the POS system;

in response to receiving the payment card information, automatically,

accessing, by the transaction computer system, a database to obtain payment account information associated with the payment card;

selecting, by the transaction computer system, a particular payment account associated with the payment card based on the accessed payment account information; and

transmitting, by the transaction computer system, the transaction information and payment account information to a financial system associated with the selected particular payment account for authorization;

receiving, by the transaction computer system, a notification of payment authorization of the selected particular payment account associated with the payment card for charging a payment associated with the financial transaction; and

based on the payment authorization of the particular payment account, automatically;

generating, by the transaction computer system on behalf of the POS system, a digital receipt indicative of the payment transaction, the digital receipt including an interactive feedback component;

identifying, by the transaction computer system, a unique identifier associated with the consumer based on the accessed payment account information; and

based on the unique identifier, transmitting, by the transaction computer system, the digital receipt to a computing device associated with the with the consumer for display by a mobile application at the computing device, wherein the interactive feedback component prompts and enables the consumer to input, to the interactive feedback component via the mobile application at the computing device, feedback associated with the products or services relating to the payment transaction;

wherein the transaction computer system is configured to automatically communicate feedback input by the consumer via the interactive feedback component, to a third-party aggregator that aggregates a set of feedback associated with the merchant.

16. The method of claim 15,

wherein the transaction computer system is further configured to automatically communicate feedback, input by the consumer via the interactive feedback component, to the merchant.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the wherein the unique identifier is any of an email, a phone number, or a mobile application.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

associating the payment card with a plurality of payment accounts;

wherein the selected particular payment account is selected from the plurality of payment accounts for charging the payment to the particular payment account.

19. The method of claim 18,

wherein the plurality of payment accounts comprise any of a loyalty program account, a credit card account, a debit card account, a gift card account, or a fleet card account;

and

wherein the particular payment account is selected from the plurality of payment accounts based on a transaction item of the financial transaction.

20. A transaction computer system comprising:

a communication device through which to communicate with remote devices;

a processor coupled to the communication device; and

a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing instructions which when executed by the processor cause the transaction computer system to perform operations including;

receiving, via the communication device, from a point-of-sale (POS) system associated with a payee;

transaction information indicating a financial transaction between a payer and the payee, the financial transaction involving use of a payment object associated with the payer to pay for products or services provided by the payee in the financial transaction; and

payment object information read from the payment object via a reader device coupled to the POS system;

in response to receiving the payment object information, automatically,

accessing a database to obtain payment account information associated with the payment object;

selecting a particular payment account associated with the payment object based on the accessed payment account information; and

transmitting, by the communications device, the transaction information and payment account information to a financial computer system associated with the selected particular payment account for authorization;

receiving, by the communications device, a notification of payment authorization of the selected particular payment account associated with the payment object for charging a payment associated with the financial transaction;

in response to the payment authorization of the particular payment account, automatically;

generating a digital receipt indicative of the financial transaction, the digital receipt including an interactive feedback component;

identifying a unique identifier associated with the payer based on the accessed payment account information; and

based on the unique identifier, transmitting the digital receipt to a computing device associated with the with the payer for display by a mobile application at the computing device, wherein the interactive feedback component allows the payer to input feedback via the mobile application, the feedback associated with the products or services relating to the payment transaction; and

automatically transmitting the feedback input by the payer to a third-party aggregator that aggregates a set of feedback associated with the payee.