Apparatus and method for providing cooperative shopping service in association with chat application

A method, performed by one or more processors, for providing a cooperative shopping service in association with a chat application, comprising:

• receiving a selected identifier transmitted from a version of the chat application installed on a host device, wherein
• the selected identifier is included in a list of identifiers displayed in the version of the chat application installed on the host device, and the list of identifiers is managed by the chat application,
• the selected identifier is selected through a user interface of the version of the chat application installed on the host device, and
• the selected identifier is associated with at least one guest device, on each of which the chat application is installed;
• generating an invitation message and an invitation link for the selected identifier;
• transmitting the generated invitation message and the generated invitation link to the host device and the at least one guest device, wherein the invitation message and the invitation link are displayed in the user interface of the version of the chat application installed respectively on the host device and the at least one guest device;
• generating a list of products in response to an acceptance signal from the at least one guest device responding to the invitation message, adding at least one product listed in the list of products to a shopping cart displayed on the host device upon a request from the host device or the at least one guest device;
• transmitting order information about the at least one product to the version of the chat application installed on, respectively, at least one of the host device or the at least one guest device;
• and
• transmitting a cooperative shopping complete message to the group chat room through the chat application in response to the cooperative shopping service being terminated,
• wherein the list of products generated based on a location of a delivery destination transmitted from the host device;
• and
• transmitting the generated invitation message to a group chat room in which the host device or the at least one guest device participates through the chat application.

A host device that provides a cooperative shopping service in association with a chat application, comprising:

• at least one processor having the chat application which includes:
• an invitation unit configured to:
• receive a user's input to select an identifier through a user interface of the host device, wherein
• the selected identifier is included in a list of identifiers displayed by a version of the chat application installed on the host device, and
• the list of identifiers is managed by the version of the chat application installed on the host device, and
• the selected identifier is associated with at least one guest device, on each of which a version of the chat application is installed,
• generate an invitation message and an invitation link for the selected identifier, and
• transmit the invitation message and the invitation link to the at least one guest device, wherein the invitation message and the invitation link are displayed in the version of the chat application installed on the at least one guest device;
• and
• a cooperative shopping service providing unit configured to:
• generate a list of products based on a location of a determined delivery destination,
• add at least one product listed in the list of products into a shopping cart displayed on the host device or the at least one guest device upon a request on from the host device or the at least one guest device, and
• transmit order information for the at least one product to at the at least one guest device, and
• wherein the invitation unit is further configured to transmit the generated invitation message to a group chat room in which the host device or the at least one guest device participates through the chat application, and
• the invitation unit is further configured to transmit a cooperative shopping complete message to the group chat room through the chat application when the cooperative shopping service is terminated.