Updating merchant location for cardless payment transactions

• US 9,652,791 B1
• Filed: 02/08/2013
• Issued: 05/16/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Square Inc (Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.))
• Inventors: Brock, Zachary
• Primary Examiner(s): Zurita, James
• Application Number:
  US13/763,504
• Time in Patent Office: 1,558 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261, 705 271
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/00 Payment architectures, schemes or protocols apparatus for performing or posting payment transactions G07F7/08, G07F19/00; electronic cash registers G07G1/12
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/20 Point-of-sale [POS] network systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method that includes receiving, from a user device, a request for a listing of merchants; in response to receiving the request for a listing of merchants, sending, to the user device, data describing one or more merchants and respective initial geographic locations of the one or more merchants; receiving, from the user device, a user request for updating a geographic location of a particular merchant in the one or more merchants; sending a request for an updated geographic location to a computing device of the particular merchant; receiving, from the computing device of the particular merchant, data describing an updated geographic location of the particular merchant; and providing, to the user device, data describing the updated geographic location of the particular merchant.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

storing, in a database of a payment server, information associated with a financial account of a user, wherein the financial account is associated with a mobile device of the user;

receiving, from the mobile device, via a network, an indication of a current geographic location of the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device via the network, a request for a listing of merchants;

in response to receiving the request for the listing of merchants, sending, to the mobile device via the network, first data describing one or more merchants, the first data describing the one or more merchants including respective initial geographic locations of the one or more merchants;

defining, based at least in part on an initial geographic location of a particular merchant of the one or more merchants, an initial geo-location around the particular merchant, wherein a payment system can process, using the financial account, payment transactions between the user and the particular merchant based at least in part on the current geographic location of the mobile device being within the initial geo-location around the particular merchant;

determining that the current geographic location of the mobile device is not within the initial geo-location around the particular merchant;

receiving, from the mobile device via the network, a request for updating the initial geographic location of the particular merchant;

sending, to a merchant point-of-sale (POS) device of the particular merchant, a request for an updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

receiving, from the merchant POS device of the particular merchant, second data describing the updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

updating, based at least in part on the updated geographic location of the particular merchant, the initial geo-location around the particular merchant in order to define an updated geo-location around the particular merchant;

providing, to the mobile device via the network, third data describing the updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

determining that the current geographic location of the mobile device is within the updated geo-location around the particular merchant; and

based at least in part on determining that the current geographic location of the mobile device is within the updated geo-location around the particular merchant, processing a payment transaction between the user and the particular merchant using the financial account and without physically presenting a payment card to the merchant.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first data describing the one or more merchants further includes, for each merchant, a respective merchant name and one or more of:

one or more coupons provided by the merchant, an icon representing the merchant, or an icon indicating whether the merchant is authorized to perform a transaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more merchants are located within a threshold distance from the current geographic location of the mobile device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein before receiving the request for updating the initial geographic location of the particular merchant, the method further comprises:

determining to refrain from processing an initial payment transaction between the user and the particular merchant.

5. A method, comprising:

storing information associated with a financial account, wherein the financial account is associated with a user device;

receiving, from the user device via a network, an indication of a current geographic location of the user device;

receiving, from the user device via the network, a request for first data describing a merchant that is within a threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device, wherein the first data describing the merchant indicates the merchant not being within the threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device;

in response to receiving the request for the first data describing the merchant, providing, to the user device via the network, the first data describing the merchant, wherein providing the first data describing the merchant causes an application on the user device to not allow the user device to conduct a payment transaction with the merchant using the financial account;

receiving, from the user device via the network, a request for updating an initial geographic location of the merchant;

sending, to a computing device of the merchant, a request for an updated geographic location of the merchant;

receiving, from the computing device of the merchant, second data describing the updated geographic location of the merchant, the second data describing the updated geographic location indicating that the merchant is within the threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device;

providing, to the user device via the network, third data describing the updated geographic location of the merchant, wherein providing the third data describing the updated geographic location causes the application on the user device to allow the user device to conduct the payment transaction with the merchant using the financial account; and

processing the payment transaction between the user device and the merchant using the financial account.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first data describing the merchant includes a merchant name and one or more of:

the initial geographic location of the merchant, one or more coupons provided by the merchant, an icon representing the merchant, or an icon indicating whether the merchant is authorized to perform a transaction.

7. The method of claim 5, further comprising:

updating the first data describing the merchant with the updated geographic location of the merchant.

8. A system comprising:

a processor; and

computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

storing information associated with a financial account, wherein the financial account is associated with a user device;

receiving, from the user device via a network, an indication of a current geographic location of the user device;

receiving, from the user device via the network, a request for a listing of merchants;

in response to receiving the request for the listing of merchants, sending, to the user device via the network, first data describing one or more merchants, the first data describing the one or more merchants including respective initial geographic locations of the one or more merchants;

defining, based at least in part on an initial geographic location of a particular merchant of the one of more merchants, an initial geo-location around the particular merchant, wherein the system can process, using the financial account, payment transactions between the user device and the particular merchant based at least in part on the current geographic location of the user device being within the initial geo-location around the particular merchant;

determining that the current geographic location of the user device is not within the initial geo-location around the particular merchant;

receiving, from the user device, a request for updating the initial geographic location of the particular merchant;

sending, to a computing device of the particular merchant, a request for an updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

receiving, from the computing device of the particular merchant, second data describing the updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

updating, based at least in part on the updated geographic location of the particular merchant, the initial geo-location around the particular merchant in order to define an updated geo-location around the particular merchant;

providing, to the user device via the network, third data describing the updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

determining that the current geographic location of the user device is within the updated geo-location around the particular merchant; and

based at least in part on determining that the current geographic location of the user device is within the updated geo-location around the particular merchant, processing a payment transaction between the user device and the particular merchant using the financial account.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first data describing the one or more merchants further includes, for each merchant, a respective merchant name and one or more of:

one or more coupons provided by the merchant, an icon representing the merchant, or an icon indicating whether the merchant is authorized to perform a transaction.

10. The system of claim 8 wherein the one or more merchants are located within a threshold distance from the current geographic location of the mobile device.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein before receiving the request for updating the initial geographic location of the particular merchant, the operations further comprising:

determining to refrain from processing an initial payment transaction between the user and the particular merchant.

12. A system comprising:

a processor; and

computer-readable medium coupled to the processor and having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

storing information associated with a financial account, wherein the financial account is associated with a user device;

receiving, from the user device via a network, an indication of a current geographic location of the user device;

receiving, from the user device via the network, a request for first data describing a merchant that is within a threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device, wherein the first data describing the merchant indicates the merchant as not being within the threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device;

in response to receiving the request for the first data describing the merchant, providing, to the user device via the network, the first data describing the merchant, wherein providing the first data describing the merchant causes an application on the user device to not allow the user device to conduct payment transactions with the merchant using the financial account;

receiving, from the user device via the network, a request for updating an initial geographic location of the merchant;

sending, to a computing device of the merchant, a request for an updated geographic location of the merchant;

receiving, from the computing device of the merchant, second data describing the updated geographic location of the merchant, the second data describing the updated geographic location indicating that the merchant is within the threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device;

providing, to the user device via the network, third data describing the updated geographic location of the merchant, wherein providing the third data describing the updated geographic location causes the application on the user device to allow the user device to conduct a payment transaction with the merchant using the financial account; and

processing the payment transaction between the user device and the merchant using the financial account.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first data describing the merchant includes a merchant name and one or more of:

the initial geographic location of the merchant, one or more coupons provided by the merchant, an icon representing the merchant, or an icon indicating whether the merchant is authorized to perform a transaction.

14. The system of claim 12, the operations further comprising:

updating the first data describing the merchant with the updated geographic location of the merchant.

15. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

storing information associated with a financial account, wherein the financial account is associated with a mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device via a network, an indication of a current geographic location of the mobile device;

receiving, from the mobile device via the network, a request for a listing of merchants;

in response to receiving the request for the listing of merchants, sending, to the mobile device via the network, first data describing one or more merchants, the first data describing the one or more merchants including respective initial geographic locations of the one or more merchants;

defining, based at least in part on an initial geographic location of a particular merchant of the one of more merchants, an initial geo-location around the particular merchant, wherein a payment system can process, using the financial account, payment transactions between the user and the particular merchant based at least in part on the current geographic location of the mobile device being within the initial geo-location around the particular merchant;

determining that the current geographic location of the mobile device is not within the initial geo-location around the particular merchant;

receiving, from the mobile device via the network, a request for updating the initial geographic location of the particular merchant;

sending, to a computing device of the particular merchant, a request for an updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

receiving, from the computing device of the particular merchant, second data describing the updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

updating, based at least in part on the updated geographic location of the particular merchant, the initial geo-location around the particular merchant in order to define an updated geo-location around the particular merchant;

providing, to the mobile device via the network, third data describing the updated geographic location of the particular merchant;

determining that the current geographic location of the mobile device is within the updated geo-location around the particular merchant; and

based at least in part on determining that the current geographic location of the mobile device is within the updated geo-location around the particular merchant, processing a payment transaction between the user and the particular merchant using the financial account.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the first data describing the one or more merchants further includes, for each merchant, a respective merchant name and one or more of:

one or more coupons provided by the merchant, an icon representing the merchant, or an icon indicating whether the merchant is authorized to perform a transaction.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein the one or more merchants are located within a threshold distance from the current geographic location of the mobile device.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 15, wherein before receiving the request for updating the initial geographic location of the particular merchant, the operations further comprising:

determining to refrain from processing an initial payment transaction between the user and the particular merchant.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

storing information associated with a financial account, wherein the financial account is associated with a user device;

receiving, from the user device via a network, an indication of a current geographic location of the user device;

receiving, from the user device via the network, a request for first data describing a merchant that is within a threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device, wherein the first data describing the merchant indicates the merchant as not being within the threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device;

in response to receiving the request for the first data describing the merchant, providing, to the user device via the network, the first data describing the merchant, wherein providing the first data describing the merchant causes an application on the user device to not allow the user device to conduct payment transactions with the merchant using the financial account;

receiving, from the user devices via the network, a request for updating an initial geographic location of the merchant;

sending, to a computing device of the merchant, a request for an updated geographic location of the merchant;

receiving, from the computing device of the merchant, second data describing the updated geographic location of the merchant, the second data describing the updated geographic location indicating that the merchant is within the threshold distance from the current geographic location of the user device;

providing, to the user device via the network, third data describing the updated geographic location of the merchant, wherein providing the third data describing the updated geographic location causes the application on the user device to allow the user device to conduct a payment transaction with the merchant using the financial account; and

processing the payment transaction between the user device and the merchant using the financial account.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, wherein the first data describing the merchant includes a merchant name and one or more of:

the initial geographic location of the merchant, one or more coupons provided by the merchant, an icon representing the merchant, or an icon indicating whether the merchant is authorized to perform a transaction.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 19, the operations further comprising:

updating the first data describing the merchant with the updated geographic location of the merchant.