Square, Inc.

Block, Inc.

Daniele Perito

Ayokunle Omojola

Robert Loring Andersen

Brian Grassadonia

Michael Dustin Moring

Joachim Bekmann

Kristopher David Stipech

Jesse Wilson

Nathan Spindel

Shuvo Chatterjee

Daniel Federman

Sean Slinsky

Marcelo Cortes

Peter Westen

Jochen Bekmann

Kristopher Stipech

Robert Andersen

Brian Grassasdonia

Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for discovery of and communication with nearby devices using direct radio signal communication. One of the methods includes receiving, by a payment service system, a message authorizing a payment from a user account to a merchant account, wherein the message was sent by a user device using direct radio signal communication to a nearby merchant device and forwarded to the payment service system by the merchant device. The message is decrypted to obtain a session token that authenticates the user device as being associated with the user account. If the session token is valid a payment transaction is conducted between the user account and the merchant account.

Discovery and communication using direct radio signal communication

In one embodiment, a payment service system-implemented method of assigning payment card numbers for individual user accounts associated with the payment service system includes receiving payment card numbers activated by a third-party server that are unassigned to accounts registered. The method includes receiving a first transaction authorization request for one of the payment card numbers and denying the request, without notifying the third-party server, based on the number being unregistered with the payment service system. The method includes receiving, via an executable application, a request to register a user account for a payment service system user, and in response, generating a record assigning the payment card number to the user account. The method includes receiving a second transaction authorization request for the payment card number, authorizing the request based on the number being assigned to the user account, and notifying the third-party server, causing user account's balance to be modified.

Secure account creation

In some examples, a system and method for generating a payment instrument are described. The method includes receiving a unique signature that a recipient intends to associate with the payment instrument; verifying that the received feature meets an acceptability criterion; generating a representation of the received signature, wherein the representation is in a form capable of being physically associated with the payment instrument, and wherein association is established by embedding or exposing the representation on the payment instrument; and causing physical generation of the payment instrument having associated therewith the representation of the signature.

Payment application initiated generation of payment instruments

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, by a payment service system (PSS), a payment request from a payment application executing on a device of a sender. The payment request includes a recipient identifier corresponding to a recipient. The sender and recipient have financial accounts associated with the PSS. The method includes determining a similarity score based on a comparison of contact records associated with the device of the sender and contact records associated with a device of the recipient. The method includes, responsive to determining that the similarity score does not satisfy a threshold similarity score, transmitting a confirmation request to the device of the sender to confirm an identity of the recipient. The method includes receiving, from the device of the sender, an approval response to the confirmation request. The method includes, authorizing a payment transaction associated with the payment request based on the approval response.

Contacts for misdirected payments and user authentication

In one embodiment, a payment service system-implemented method of assigning payment card numbers for individual user accounts associated with the payment service system includes receiving a request, in the context of an authorization for a payment transaction, to assign a payment card number to a user account associated with a user of the payment service system. The method includes retrieving, from a database associated with the payment service system, an account record associated with the user account. The method includes determining that the user account is not associated with an active payment card number. The method includes identifying an unassigned payment card number and modifying the account record to assign the unassigned payment card number to the user account as an active payment card number. The method includes authorizing the payment transaction using the active payment card number, causing a modification to an account balance of the user account.

In some examples, a system and method for activating a physical payment card are described. The method includes receiving from a mobile device of a user a request for a physical payment card and first state data indicating a state of the mobile device or an application executing on the mobile device at a time of the request. The physical payment card is mailed to the user. The mobile device reads an identifier on a surface of the container via a sensor of the mobile device and sends the identifier data and a second state data from the time of the reading. The identifier data is compared to a user identifier in a customer profile of the user and the second state data is determined to correspond to the first state data. The physical payment card is then automatically activated.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for real-time provisioning of new payment card numbers to users of a payment-service system, wherein the new payment card numbers are issued to users without activation or registration. By issuing payment card numbers in real-time and without registration, these systems and methods can provide a relatively frictionless experience for users. As such, these systems and methods can issue more payment card numbers, increase market penetration and use of the payment card numbers because the systems and methods are relatively efficient to use compared with prior methods of issuing payment card numbers.

Disclosed herein are systems and methods for processing a payment request that use mobile devices to have money transferred. These mobile devices are capable of running a payment transfer application that facilitates a transfer of money. A user can then execute the payment transfer application using a mobile device to send money, through a payment processing system that runs the payment transfer application, to a recipient account. One or more techniques authenticate a user of the mobile device by multi factor authentication prior to processing requests for money transfer initiated by the user.

Disclosed are a system and a method for purchasing items from a merchant system using friction-less payment processing technology. A customer initiates a purchase transaction from a user interface of the merchant system by selecting a payment button in lieu of payment information or login credentials or signing-into accounts. An auto-payment component parses a navigable link connected to the payment button to locate a mobile payment portal either installed on the mobile device as a mobile payment application or authenticated as a web application in a web-browser. The auto-pay component generates a payment request and sends the request to a payment service system via the mobile payment portal. The payment service system uses information in the payment request to identify financial accounts associated with the customer and the merchant. The payment service system then initiates a transfer of a payment amount from the customer to the merchant.

Friction-less purchasing technology

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a third-party payment application integrated with a native wallet application executing on a mobile device, a payment request and a near-field communication code received from a payment terminal associated with a merchant. The mobile device includes secure elements accessible by the third-party payment application based on a processor of the mobile device being in a secure mode. The method includes authenticating a user through a secure subsystem executing on the mobile device. The method includes facilitating payment between the user and the merchant through a third-party payment server based on the authenticating the user and identifying a loyalty program status associated with the merchant. The method includes updating the payment request with the loyalty program to generate an updated loyalty program status. The method includes displaying a user computing device, comprising the updated loyalty program status.

Third-party access to secure hardware

Integrating third-party applications and native applications allows platform designers to provide greater services than otherwise would be available. This integration can increase security, provide more features, and give users a better experience with devices. Examples of such integration can allow third-party applications to have access to hardware and to provide seamless services to users. Such services can include registering payment accounts, allowing for loyalty programs, and providing additional information and services in native applications to provide a seamless experience.

In some examples, a system and method for activating a payment instrument. The method includes leveraging an activation feature associated with a payment instrument. The representation, obtained by a sensor, of the activation feature is received by the payment processing system. The payment processing system compares the representation of the activation feature with stored activation features corresponding to a user associated with the payment instrument. If the representation matches a user-associated activation feature, the payment processing system activates the payment instrument, wherein activating further includes granting the recipient access to a predetermined amount of funds through the activated payment instrument.

Sensor-enabled activation of payment instruments

Disclosed are a system and a method for purchasing items from a merchant system using friction-less payment processing technology. A user initiates a purchase transaction from a user interface of the merchant system by submitting an indication or intent to use payment proxy in lieu of payment information or login credentials or signing-into accounts. An auto-payment component then generates a payment request including the payment proxy and sends the request to a payment service system. The payment service system uses the payment proxy to identify a financial account associated with the customer and the merchant. The payment service system initiates a transfer of a payment amount associated with the purchase transaction from a financial account associated payment proxy to a financial account associated with the merchant system to pay for the purchase transaction.

Growing community of inventors

San Francisco, CA, United States of America

Daniele Perito