Methods and systems for making a pre-payment

• US 9,602,164 B1
• Filed: 04/30/2012
• Issued: 03/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Original Assignee: United Services Automobile Association
• Inventors: Luera, Leopoldo III, Bear, Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): TRANDAI, CINDY HUYEN
• Application Number:
  US13/460,380
• Time in Patent Office: 1,786 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3223 Realising banking transactions through M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/327 Short range or proximity payments by means of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/36 using electronic wallets or electronic money safes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/367 involving electronic purses or money safes
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/72 for local intradevice communication

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for making a pre-payment from a vehicle. In some embodiments, a user is provided with a mobile wallet; information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet is received; information that the mobile wallet is usable with respect to the vehicle is received; information that the mobile wallet has been presented by the vehicle to a payment location is received; an authorized pre-payment corresponding to items or an amount associated with the payment location is received; a token is received from the user at the payment location; and the pre-payment is settled using the payment instrument.

Claims

1. A method of making a pre-payment, comprising:

providing a mobile wallet to a user;

receiving, from the user, information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet;

receiving an indication that the mobile wallet has been presented to a payment location;

receiving, from the user, a pre-payment corresponding to one or more items available for purchase at the payment location using at least one payment instrument from the mobile wallet for settlement of the pre-payment, wherein the pre-payment identifies the at least one payment instrument to the payment location via the mobile wallet;

in response to the pre-payment being received by the payment location, providing the user with a token to the mobile wallet, wherein the token identifies the user, the pre-payment, and the one or more items to the payment location, wherein the token includes an identifier used to identify the user, wherein the token is presented by the user via the mobile wallet upon exit from the payment location to verify that the prepayment corresponds to the one or more items; and

settling the pre-payment using the one of the at least one payment instrument.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the token changes on a transaction-per-transaction basis.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the identifier is a membership number associated with the user.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying possible payment locations for presentment, wherein the possible payment locations are payment locations within a proximity of a vehicle;

presenting the possible payment locations to the user on a user interface; and

receiving a selection of the payment location.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

providing the user with one or more discounts based on the payment location.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location;

providing the user with a selectable list of the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location;

receiving a selection of at least one of the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location; and

providing a total cost associated with the selection of the at least one of the one or more items available for purchase at the payment location.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is integral with a vehicle.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is docked with a vehicle.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is linked to a vehicle from a mobile device via near-field communication.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the mobile wallet is hosted remotely from the vehicle.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet contains personal information from the user, wherein the personal information is usable by the user for identifying the user to the payment location, wherein a provider of the mobile wallet is a membership organization, wherein the user is a member of the membership organization.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is linked to the payment location using dedicated short-range communications.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the payment location is a fixed payment location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the token provides verification for the pre-payment to be settled.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile wallet is usable with respect to a vehicle, wherein the method further comprises using personal identification from a mobile device hosting the mobile wallet to access a secure area using the vehicle, wherein the personal identification is presented to an access control device of the secure area by the vehicle.

16. The method of claim 1, wherein a form of the pre-payment is at least one of:

a credit card, a pre-paid card, a stored value card, and a gift card.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions that, when executed by a processor, configure the processor to make a pre-payment, the computer-executable instructions comprising:

provide a mobile wallet to a user;

receive information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet;

receive an indication that the mobile wallet has been presented to a payment location;

receive a pre-payment corresponding to one or more items available for purchase at the payment location using at least one payment instrument from the mobile wallet for settlement of the pre-payment,

wherein the pre-payment identifies the at least one payment instrument to the payment location via the mobile wallet;

in response to the pre-payment being received by the payment location, provide the user with a token to the mobile wallet, wherein the token includes an identifier that identifies the user, the pre-payment, and the one or more items to the payment location, wherein the token is presented by the user via the mobile wallet upon exit from the payment location to verify that the prepayment corresponds to the one or more items; and

settle the pre-payment using the one of the at least one payment instrument.

18. A system for making a pre-payment, the system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor in connection with the memory, the processor operable to execute software modules, the software modules comprising;

a mobile wallet application module operable to;

provide a mobile wallet to a user, wherein the mobile wallet is integral with a vehicle, and

receive information populating at least one payment instrument to the mobile wallet,

an information receiving module operable to;

receive an indication that the mobile wallet has been presented to a payment location,

a pre-payment receiving module operable to;

receive a pre-payment corresponding to one or more items available for purchase at the payment location using at least one payment instrument from the mobile wallet for settlement of the pre-payment, the pre-payment being received from the vehicle,

wherein the pre-payment identifies the at least one payment instrument to the payment location via the mobile wallet, and

in response to receiving the pre-payment being received by the payment location, provide the user with a token to the mobile wallet, wherein the token includes a membership number that identifies the user, the pre-payment, and the one or more items to the payment location, wherein the token changes on a transaction-per-transaction basis, wherein the token is presented by the user via the mobile wallet upon exit from the payment location to verify that the prepayment corresponds to the one or more items; and

a payment settlement module operable to settle the pre-payment using the one of the at least one payment instrument.