MOBILE DEVICE COMMUNICATION SYSTEM

• US 20110055038A1
• Filed: 11/08/2010
• Published: 03/03/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: PayPal, Inc. (PayPal Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Mengerink, Matthew
• Application Number:
  US12/941,944
• Publication Number:
  US 20110055038A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/26.1
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/085 involving remote charge determination or related payment systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/382 insuring higher security of transaction
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0222 During e-commerce, i.e. online transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]

Abstract

A method and system to conduct financial transactions over a communication network is provided. A purchase request is received via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user. A purchase amount and a merchant account are identified based on the purchase request. A financial account module is configured to debit a financial account of the user with the purchase amount and credit the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount. Also, an airtime account module to credit the mobile airtime account of the user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving a purchase request via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user;

identifying a purchase amount and a merchant account based on the purchase request;

debiting a financial account of the user with the purchase amount;

crediting the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount; and

crediting the mobile airtime account of the user.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising crediting a portion of the purchase amount to a mobile service provider managing the mobile airtime account of the user.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited based on the purchase amount.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited a fixed value for each purchase request received.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited a predetermined number of airtime minutes.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the predetermined number of airtime minutes is associated with at least one restriction.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the purchase request is for a purchase of airtime.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile airtime account is not debited for access to the communication network associated with the purchase request.

9. A system comprising:

a purchase request infrastructure to;

receive a purchase request via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user, and

identifying a purchase amount and a merchant account based on the purchase request;

a financial account module to;

debit a financial account of the user with the purchase amount, and

credit the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount; and

an airtime account module to credit the mobile airtime account of the user.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the financial account module is further to credit a portion of the purchase amount to the mobile service provider as a service fee.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the airtime account module is to credit the mobile airtime account of the user based on the purchase amount.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the airtime account module is to credit the mobile airtime account of the user a fixed value for each purchase request received.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the airtime account module is to credit the mobile airtime account of the user a predetermined number of airtime minutes.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the predetermined number of airtime minutes is associated with at least one restriction.

15. The system of claim 9, wherein the purchase request is for a purchase of airtime.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the mobile airtime account is not debited for access to the communication network associated with the purchase request.

17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising instructions that when executed by a machine perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving a purchase request via a communication network, the purchase request associated with a mobile airtime account of a user;

identifying a purchase amount and a merchant account based on the purchase request;

debiting a financial account of the user with the purchase amount;

crediting the merchant account with at least a portion of the purchase amount; and

crediting the mobile airtime account of the user.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, further comprising allocating a service fee to the mobile service provider.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 18, wherein the service fee is a portion of the purchase amount.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the mobile airtime account of the user is credited a number of airtime minutes, the airtime minutes having at least one restriction.