Cardless payment transactions with multiple users

• US 9,665,858 B1
• Filed: 10/11/2012
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kumar, Abhay
• Primary Examiner(s): Khattar, Rajesh
• Application Number:
  US13/649,603
• Time in Patent Office: 1,692 Days
• Field of Search: 705 40
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/102 Bill distribution or payments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/388 using mutual authentication without cards, e.g. challenge-response
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/42 Confirmation, e.g. check or permission by the legal debtor of payment
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/02 Banking, e.g. interest calculation or account maintenance credit or loans G06Q40/03

Abstract

A method of managing a cardless payment transaction between a customer and a merchant includes receiving, from a device of a customer, an indication of consent to join the customer to a cardless payment transaction, where the cardless payment transaction is between one or more other customers and the merchant; receiving from the customer device, location data indicating that the customer device is in proximity with the merchant; joining the customer with the cardless payment transaction between the one or more other customers and the merchant; receiving transaction data between the merchant and each customer; and submitting, for each customer associated with the cardless payment transaction, a transaction between the merchant and the customer to a financial service for authorization.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a first user device associated with a first user, a request for at least one nearby cardless payment transaction with a merchant initiated by social contacts of the first user;

identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective user with the merchant via a respective user device, the respective user device being within a threshold distance of a location of the merchant;

identifying a first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, the first nearby cardless payment transaction being initiated by a second user who is a social contact of the first user in a social networking system;

receiving, from the first user device, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the location of the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on a global positioning system (GPS) in the first user device and an application running on the first user device as a background process automatically detecting that the first user device is proximate to the location of the merchant;

in response to receiving the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction initiated by the second user with the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity includes a consent by the first user to conduct a cardless payment transaction with the merchant, based at least in part on a configuration setting on the first user device;

receiving, from the first user device, an authorization of the first nearby cardless payment transaction initiated by the second user with the merchant;

receiving transaction data including a payment amount for the first user in the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

processing a cardless payment between the merchant and the first user according to the payment amount for the first user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first nearby cardless payment transaction comprises:

obtaining one or more contacts of the first user in the social networking system; and

determining that the first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions was initiated by the second user who is among the one or more contacts of the first user in the social networking system.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving one or more modifications to the first nearby cardless payment transaction, wherein the one or more modifications change a payment amount owed by the first user.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the one or more modifications include one or more of the following:

splitting a total cost of the transaction equally, splitting the total cost on a percentage basis, or splitting the total cost on a per-item basis.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending a receipt to the merchant, wherein the receipt includes a single bill amount, a single tax amount, or a single tip amount.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending an individual receipt to the merchant for the first user, wherein the individual receipt includes payment information between the first user and the merchant.

7. A method comprising:

sending, to a server system by a first user device associated with the first user, a request for nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by social contacts of the first user, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective social contact of the first user with a merchant at a merchant location that is within a threshold distance of a location of the first user device;

receiving, from the server system, information identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by respective social contacts of the first user with the merchant;

sending, to the server system, user input comprising an indication of consent to join the first user to a first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions;

determining, by an application running on the first user device, that the current location of the first user device is within a threshold distance of the merchant location;

sending, to the server system, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the merchant location, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on the first user device being with the threshold distance of the merchant location and an application running on the first user device automatically detects that the first user device is proximate to the merchant location;

in response to sending the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

receiving an indication that the first user has been successfully joined to the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

displaying, on a display of the first user device, a presentation of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, wherein the user input further comprises a user selection of the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

34. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving, at the first user device, payment information comprising a payment amount owed by the first user to the merchant.

35. The method of claim 34, further comprising, in response to receipt of a payment amount owed by the first user to the merchant, sending, from the first user device to the server system, a modification to the cardless payment transaction, wherein the modification changes the payment amount owed by the first user to the merchant.

36. The method of claim 7, further comprising receiving, at the first user device, a receipt for the first nearby cardless payment transaction, wherein

the receipt includes payment information between the first user and the merchant.

9. A method comprising:

receiving, from a server system at a first user device associated with a first user, information identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by social contacts of the first user, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective social contact of the first user with a merchant at a merchant location that is within a threshold distance of a location of the first user device;

displaying, at the first user device, the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by the social contacts of the first user;

sending, from the first user device to the server system, user input selecting a first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions displayed at the user device, wherein the first nearby cardless payment transaction was initiated by a second user with the merchant, the second user being a social contact of the first user and the user input comprises an indication of consent to join the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction;

sending, from the first user device to the server system, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the location of the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on a global positioning system (GPS) in the first user device and an application running on the first user automatically detects that the first user device is proximate to the merchant location;

in response to sending the user input and the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

receiving, from the server system, an indication that the first user is participating in the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending, to the server system, a request for the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by the social contacts of the first user.

11. A computer program product encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations to manage a cardless payment transaction between a first user and a merchant, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a first user device associated with a first user, a request for nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by social contacts of the first user;

identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective user with a merchant at a merchant location that is within a threshold distance of a location of the first user device;

identifying a first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, the first nearby cardless payment transaction being initiated by a second user who is a social contact of the first user in a social networking system;

receiving, from the first user device, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the location of the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on a global positioning system (GPS) in the first user device and an application running on the first user device automatically detects that the first user device is proximate to the merchant location;

in response to receiving the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction initiated by the second user with the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity constitutes a consent by the first user to conduct a cardless payment transaction with the merchant based at least in part on a configuration setting on the first user device;

receiving, from the first user device, an authorization of the first nearby cardless payment transaction initiated by the second user with the merchant;

receiving transaction data including a payment amount for the first user in the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

processing a cardless payment between the merchant and the first user according to the payment amount for the first user.

12. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein identifying the first nearby cardless payment transaction comprises:

obtaining one or more contacts of the first user in a social networking system; and

determining that the first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions was initiated by the second user who is among the one or more contacts of the first user in the social networking system.

13. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise receiving one or more modifications to the cardless payment transaction, wherein the one or more modifications change the payment amount owed by the first user.

14. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein the one or more modifications include one or more of the following:

splitting a total cost of the transaction equally, splitting the total cost on a percentage basis, or splitting the total cost on a per-item basis.

15. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise sending a receipt to the merchant, wherein the receipt includes a single bill amount, a single tax amount, or a single tip amount.

16. The computer program product of claim 11, wherein the operations further comprise sending an individual receipt to the merchant for the first user, wherein the individual receipt includes payment information between the first user and the merchant.

17. A computer program product encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations to manage a transaction between a first user and a merchant, the operations comprising:

sending, to a server system by a first user device associated with the first user, a request for nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by social contacts of the first user, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective social contact of the first user with a merchant at a merchant location that is within a threshold distance of a location of the first user device;

receiving, from the server system, information identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by respective social contacts of the first user with the merchant;

sending, to the server system, user input comprising an indication of consent to join the first user to a first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions;

determining, by an application using a global positioning system (GPS) and running as a background process on the first user device, that the current location of the first user device is within a threshold distance of the merchant location;

sending, to the server system, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the merchant location, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on the first user device being with the threshold distance of the merchant location and the application running on the first user device automatically detects that the first user device is proximate to the merchant location;

in response to sending the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

receiving an indication that the first user has been successfully joined to the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying, on a display of the first user device, a presentation of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, wherein the user input further comprises a user selection of the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

19. A computer program product encoded on a non-transitory computer storage medium, operable to cause data processing apparatus to perform operations to manage a transaction between a first user, a second user, and a merchant, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a server system at a first user device associated with the first user, information identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by social contacts of the first user, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective social contact of the first user with a merchant at a merchant location that is within a threshold distance of a location of the first user device;

displaying, at the first user device, the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by the social contacts of the first user;

sending, from the first user device to the server system, user input selecting a first nearby cardless payment transaction of one or more nearby cardless payment transactions displayed at the user device, wherein the first nearby cardless payment transaction was initiated by a second user with the merchant, the second user being a social contact of the first user and the user input comprises an indication of consent to join the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction;

sending, from the first user device to the server system, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the location of the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on a global positioning system (GPS) in the first user device and an application running on the first user device automatically detect that the first user device is proximate to the merchant location;

in response to sending the user input and the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

receiving, from the server system, an indication that the first user has been joined to the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the operations further comprise sending, to the server system, a request for the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by the social contacts of the first user.

21. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations to manage a cardless payment transaction between a first user and a merchant, the operations comprising;

receiving, from a first user device associated with the first user, a request for nearby cardless payment transactions with the merchant, initiated by social contacts of the first user;

identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective user with the merchant via a respective user device, the respective user device being within a threshold distance of a location of the merchant;

identifying a first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, the first nearby cardless payment transaction being initiated by a second user who is a social contact of the first user in a social networking system;

receiving, from the first user device, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the location of the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on a global positioning system (GPS) in the first user device and an application running on the first user device automatically detects that the first user device is proximate to the location of the merchant;

in response to receiving the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction initiated by the second user with the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity constitutes a consent by the first user to conduct a cardless payment transaction with the merchant based at least in part on a configuration setting on the first user device;

receiving, from the first user device, an authorization of the first nearby cardless payment transaction initiated by the second user with the merchant;

receiving transaction data including a payment amount for the first user in the first cardless payment transaction; and

processing a cardless payment between the merchant and the first user according to the payment amount for the first user.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein identifying the first nearby cardless payment transaction comprises:

obtaining one or more contacts of the first user in a social networking system; and

determining that the first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions was initiated by the second user who is among the one or more contacts of the first user in the social networking system.

23. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise receiving one or more modifications to the cardless payment transaction, wherein the one or more modifications change the payment amount owed by the first user.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more modifications include one or more of the following:

splitting a total cost of the transaction equally, splitting the total cost on a percentage basis, or splitting the total cost on a per-item basis.

25. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise sending a receipt to the merchant, wherein the receipt includes a single bill amount, a single tax amount, or a single tip amount.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the operations further comprise sending an individual receipt to the merchant for the first user, wherein the individual receipt includes payment information between the first user and the merchant.

27. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations to manage a transaction between a first user and a merchant, the operations comprising;

sending, to a server system by a first user device associated with the first user, a request for nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by social contacts of the first user, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective social contact of the first user with a merchant at a merchant location that is within a threshold distance of a location of the first user device;

receiving, from the server system, information identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by respective social contacts of the first user with the merchant;

sending, to the server system, user input comprising an indication of consent to join the first user to a first nearby cardless payment transaction of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions;

determining, by an application using a global positioning system (GPS) and running as a background process on the first user device, that the current location of the first user device is within a threshold distance of the merchant location;

sending, to the server system, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the merchant location, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on the first user device being with the threshold distance of the merchant location and the application running on the first user device automatically detects that the first user device is proximate to the merchant location;

in response to sending the indication of proximity, automatically adding the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

receiving an indication that the first user has been successfully joined to the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the operations further comprise:

displaying, on a display of the first user device a presentation of the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions, wherein the user input further comprises a user selection of the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

29. A system comprising:

one or more computers and one or more storage devices storing instructions that are operable, when executed by the one or more computers, to cause the one or more computers to perform operations to manage a transaction between a first user, a second user, and a merchant, the operations comprising;

receiving, from a server system at a first user device associated with the first user, information identifying one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by social contacts of the first user, each nearby cardless payment transaction being a cardless payment transaction initiated by a respective social contact of the first user with a merchant at a merchant location that is within a threshold distance of a location of the user device;

displaying, at the first user device, the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by the social contacts of the first user;

sending, from the first user device to the server system, user input selecting a first nearby cardless payment transaction of one or more nearby cardless payment transactions displayed at the user device, wherein the first nearby cardless payment transaction was initiated by a second user with the merchant, the second user being a social contact of the first user and the user input comprises an indication of consent to join the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction;

sending, from the first user device to the server system, an indication of proximity of the first user device to the location of the merchant, wherein the indication of proximity is based at least in part on a global positioning system (GPS) in the first user device and an application running on the first user device automatically detects that the first user device is proximate to the merchant location;

in response to sending the user input and the indication of proximity, automatically joining the first user to the first nearby cardless payment transaction; and

receiving, from the server system, an indication that the first user has been joined to the first nearby cardless payment transaction.

30. The system of claim 29, wherein the operations further comprise sending, to the server system, a request for the one or more nearby cardless payment transactions initiated by the social contacts of the first user.

31. The system of claim 29, further comprising receiving, at the first user device, payment information comprising a payment amount owed by the first user to the merchant.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising, in response to receipt of a payment amount owed by the first user to the merchant, sending, from the first user device to the server system, a modification to the cardless payment transaction, wherein the modification changes the payment amount owed by the first user to the merchant.

33. The system of claim 29, further comprising receiving, at the first user device, a receipt for the first nearby cardless payment transaction, wherein the receipt includes payment information between the first user and the merchant.