Cardless payment transactions based on geographic locations of user devices

• US 10,783,531 B2
• Filed: 03/29/2016
• Issued: 09/22/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 03/16/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Block, Inc. (f/k/a Square, Inc.)
• Inventors: Henderson, William, Dorsey, Jack, Grassadonia, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Bartley, Kenneth
• Application Number:
  US15/084,390
• Publication Number:
  US 20160210606A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/202 Interconnection or interaction of plural electronic cash registers [ECR] or to host computer, e.g. network details, transfer of information from host to ECR or from ECR to ECR
• 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 20/227 characterised in that multiple accounts are available, e.g. to the payer
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/32 using wireless devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3224 Transactions dependent on location of M-devices
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4015 using location information
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0631 Item recommendations

Abstract

Techniques directed to performing a cardless payment transaction based on a geographical location of a mobile device are described. The techniques may include displaying a user interface with a list of merchants that are proximate to the mobile device. User input may be received to enable automatic check-in with a merchant. The techniques may further include determining that the mobile device is within a particular distance to the merchant and sending an indication to carry out a cardless payment transaction with the merchant.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, by an application associated with a cardless payment system that facilitates cardless payment transactions, a current geographical location of a mobile device associated with a user;

generating a ranked list of merchants that are within a threshold distance of the current geographical location of the mobile device, the ranked list of merchants being generated based on a weighted combination of merchant information including information on products offered by each merchant and purchase trends of the user, the user and each of the merchants having a corresponding account with the cardless payment system that includes respective payment information of the user and the merchants for conducting cardless payment transactions;

receiving, by the application and at a first time, user input to enable an auto check-in feature for at least one merchant of the list of merchants, the auto check-in feature authorizing the at least one merchant to perform a cardless payment transaction with the user using respective accounts of the user and the at least one merchant with cardless payment system;

sending, by the mobile device to the cardless payment system without further input from the user, an indication of consent for the at least one merchant to perform a cardless payment transaction using the corresponding account of the user with the cardless payment system;

displaying the list of merchants on a display of the mobile device including the at least one merchant;

when the current geographical location of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of a current geographical location of the at least one merchant and while the application is running in a background of the mobile device, automatically checking in by the application, with a point of sale device of the at least one merchant at a second time subsequent to the first time to allow processing of a cardless payment transaction between the at least one merchant and the user using respective accounts of the user and the at least one merchant with the cardless payment system without an exchange of financial information between the user and the at least one merchant; and

receiving, by the application, a receipt from the cardless payment system indicating that the cardless payment transaction has been processed.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the cardless payment system, data indicating the current geographical location of the at least one merchant.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving additional user input indicating a maximum amount of fees that can be charged for the cardless payment transaction; and

setting an approval limit on the cardless payment transaction based at least in part on the maximum amount of fees.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by the application, a picture of the user; and

sending, by the application and to the cardless payment system, the picture of the user to associate with the account of the user at the cardless payment system.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sending, by the cardless payment system and to the point of sale device associated with the at least one merchant, information identifying the user, the information including a picture and a name of the user;

receiving, by the cardless payment system and from the point of sale device, an indication to proceed with processing the cardless payment transaction; and

processing the cardless payment transaction.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, by a merchant application associated with the point of sale device of the merchant, merchant input to perform the cardless payment transaction with the user associated with the mobile device;

sending, by the merchant application and to the cardless payment system, a request to perform the cardless payment transaction;

receiving, by the merchant application and from the cardless payment system, information identifying the user, the information including a picture and a name of the user;

receiving, by the merchant application, merchant input indicating a confirmation of an identity of the user based on the information; and

sending, by the merchant application and to the cardless payment system, an indication to proceed with processing the cardless payment transaction.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

displaying the receipt on the mobile device of the user interface.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein

the information on products offered by each merchant includes information on each merchant'"'"'s inventory, prices of items offered by each merchant and sales data associated with each merchant, and

the trends of the user include information on past transactions by the user and information on user'"'"'s dwell time around each merchant.

9. A system for enabling cardless payment transactions, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having computer-readable instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide a user application to;

determine a current geographical location of a mobile device;

generate a ranked list of merchants that are within a threshold distance of the current geographical location of the mobile device, the ranked list of merchants being generated based on information on products offered by each merchant and purchase trends of a user associated with the mobile device, the user and each of the merchants having a corresponding account with a cardless payment system that includes respective payment information of the user and the merchants for conducting cardless payment transactions;

receive, at a first time, user input to enable an auto check-in feature for at least one merchant of the list of merchants, the auto check-in feature authorizing the at least one merchant to perform a cardless payment transaction with the user using respective accounts of the user and the at least one merchant with cardless payment system;

provide for display of the list of merchants on the mobile device including the at least one merchant;

upon determining that the current geographical location of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of a current geographical location of the at least one merchant and while the user application is running in a background of the mobile device, perform an automatic check in of the user, at a second time after the first time, with a point of sale device of the at least one merchant to enable processing of a cardless payment transaction between the at least one merchant and the user using respective accounts of the user and the at least one merchant with the cardless payment system without an exchange of financial information between the user and the at least one merchant; and

receive, by the application, a receipt from the cardless payment system indicating that the cardless payment transaction has been processed.

10. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a location sensing component communicatively coupled to the one or more processors and configured to determine the current location of the mobile device based on at least one of Global Positioning System (GPS) data, cellphone data, or wireless network data.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

receive data indicating the location of the at least one merchant; and

determine that the current location of the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the location of the at least one merchant based at least in part on the data indicating the location of the merchant.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

receive user input indicating a maximum amount of fees that can be charged for cardless payment transactions; and

set an approval limit on the cardless payment transaction based at least in part on the maximum amount of fees.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured to execute the computer-readable instructions to:

receive, from a merchant application on a point of sale terminal associated with the at least one merchant, a request to perform the cardless payment transaction with the user;

determine that an indication for the merchant to carry out the cardless payment transaction has been previously received from the mobile device through activation of the auto check-in feature;

send, to the merchant application, information identifying the user, the information including a picture and a name of the user;

receive, from the merchant application, an indication to proceed with processing the cardless payment transaction; and

process the cardless payment transaction.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising:

a merchant application executable by one or more processors of a point of sale terminal associated with the merchant to;

receive merchant input for performing the cardless payment transaction with the user associated with the mobile device;

receive, from the cardless payment system, information identifying the user, the information including a picture and a name of the user;

receive merchant input indicating a confirmation of an identity of the user based on the received information; and

send, to the cardless payment system, an indication to proceed with processing the cardless payment transaction.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein

the information on products offered by each merchant includes information on each merchant'"'"'s inventory, prices of items offered by each merchant and sales data associated with each merchant, and

the purchase trends of the user include information on past transactions by the user and information on user'"'"'s dwell time around each merchant.

16. One or more non-transitory computer-readable media having instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to provide an application to:

determine a current geographical location of a mobile device;

generate a ranked list of merchants that are within a threshold distance of the current geographical location of the mobile device, the ranked list of merchants being generated based on a weighted combination of merchant information including information on products offered by each merchant and purchase trends of a user associated with the mobile device, the user and each of the merchants having a corresponding account with a cardless payment system that includes respective payment information of the user and the merchants for conducting cardless payment transactions;

receive, at a first time, user input to enable an auto check-in feature for at least one merchant of the list of merchants, the auto check-in feature authorizing the at least one merchant to perform a cardless payment transaction with the user using respective accounts of the user and the at least one merchant with cardless payment system;

display the list of merchants on a display of the mobile device including the at toast one merchant;

when the current geographical location of the mobile device is within a predetermined distance of a current geographical location of the at least one merchant and while the application is running in a background of the mobile device, perform an automatic check in, at a second time after the first time, with a point of sale device of the at least one merchant to enable processing of a cardless payment transaction between the at least one merchant and the user using respective accounts of the user and the at least one merchant with the cardless payment system without an exchange of financial information between the user and the at least one merchant; and

receive, by the application, receipt from the cardless payment system that indicating that the cardless payment transaction has been processed.

17. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to determine the current location of the mobile device based on at least one of Global Positioning System (GPS) data, cellphone data, or wireless network data.

18. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

receive data indicating the location of the at least one merchant; and

determine that the current location of the mobile device is within the predetermined distance of the location of the at least one merchant is based at least in part on the data indicating the location of the merchant.

19. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

receive user input indicating a maximum amount of fees that can be charged for cardless payment transactions; and

set an approval limit on the cardless payment transaction based at least in part on the maximum amount of fees.

20. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

receive user input via the user interface, the input being at least for enabling the auto check-in feature for the at least one merchant.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

receive a picture of a user associated with the mobile device; and

send, to the cardless payment system, the picture of the user to associate with the account of the user at the cardless payment system.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media of claim 16, wherein the execution of the instructions by the one or more processors cause the one or more processors to:

receive information associated with the receipt for the cardless payment transaction; and

display the receipt.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 16, wherein

the information on products offered by each merchant includes information on each merchant'"'"'s inventory, prices of items offered by each merchant and sales data associated with each merchant, and

the purchase trends of the user include information on past transactions by the user and information on user'"'"'s dwell time around each merchant.