Digital cart monitoring and validation using interprocess communication

A method comprises:

• receiving, from a mobile device, location information that indicates a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the mobile device;
• determining, based at least in part upon the location information, that the mobile device is entered into a geofence area associated with a physical location, wherein the geofence area is a virtual geographical boundary around the physical location;
• in response to determining that the mobile device is entered into the geofence area:
• enabling inter-process communications among multiple devices comprising the server, the mobile device, a merchant device, and a validation terminal to cooperatively perform a particular task comprising processing a transaction;
• instructing the mobile device to perform one or more operations based at least in part upon the transaction, such that:
• if it is determined that the transaction is valid, the mobile device is enabled to complete the transaction;
• and
• if it is determined that the transaction is invalid, the mobile device is prevented from completing the transaction;
• receiving product information for a first product scanned by a mobile device, the mobile device associated with a user account;
• in response to receiving the product information for the first product:
• transmitting an identification of the user account to the merchant device;
• storing the product information for the first product in a digital cart comprising product information for one or more products scanned by the mobile device;
• receiving, by the merchant device, the identification of the user account;
• and
• displaying, by the merchant device, the identification of the user account on a display;
• receiving a transaction request from the mobile device for the one or more products scanned by the mobile device;
• in response to receiving the transaction request:
• determining that the first product is associated with a validation requirement;
• in response to determining that the first product is associated with the validation requirement, transmitting a validation request to the merchant device, the validation request associated with the validation requirement;
• in response to transmitting the validation request to the merchant device:
• receiving, by the merchant device, the validation request;
• determining, by the merchant device, that the validation requirement is satisfied;
• and
• transmitting, by the merchant device, an indication that the validation requirement is satisfied;
• in response to transmitting, by the merchant device, the indication that the validation requirement is satisfied:
• receiving the indication that the validation requirement is satisfied;
• and
• processing the transaction for the one or more products, based on the product information for the one or more products stored in the digital cart;
• and
• in response to processing the transaction:
• transmitting, to the merchant device, an indication that the transaction is complete;
• receiving, by the merchant device, the indication that the transaction is complete;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication that the transaction is complete, displaying, by the merchant device, the indication that the transaction is complete on the display;
• in response to processing the transaction:
• generating a barcode;
• and
• transmitting the barcode to the mobile device;
• detecting, by the validation terminal located at a registered location, that a barcode reader scanned the barcode;
• in response to detecting that the barcode reader scanned the barcode, transmitting, by the validation terminal to the merchant device, an indication that the transaction has been validated;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication that the transaction has been validated, displaying, by the merchant device, the indication that the transaction has been validated.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions that are configured, when executed by a hardware processor, to:

• receive, from a mobile device, location information that indicates a Global Positioning System (GPS) location of the mobile device;
• determine, based at least in part upon the location information, that the mobile device is entered into a geofence area associated with a physical location, wherein the geofence area is a virtual geographical boundary around the physical location;
• in response to determining that the mobile device is entered into the geofence area:
• enable inter-process communications among multiple devices comprising the server, the mobile device, a merchant device, and a validation terminal to cooperatively perform a particular task comprising processing a transaction;
• instruct the mobile device to perform one or more operations based at least in part upon the transaction, such that:
• if it is determined that the transaction is valid, the mobile device is enabled to complete the transaction;
• and
• if it is determined that the transaction is invalid, the mobile device is prevented from completing the transaction;
• receive product information for a first product scanned by a mobile device, the mobile device associated with a user account;
• in response to receiving the product information for the first product:
• transmit an identification of the user account to the merchant device, wherein the merchant device is configured to:
• receive the identification of the user account;
• and
• display the identification of the user account on a display;
• and
• store the product information for the first product in a digital cart comprising product information for one or more products scanned by the mobile device;
• receive a transaction request from the mobile device for the one or more products scanned by the mobile device;
• in response to receiving the transaction request:
• determine that the first product is associated with a validation requirement;
• in response to determining that the first product is associated with the validation requirement:
• transmit a validation request to the merchant device, the validation request associated with the validation requirement, wherein the merchant device is further configured to:
• receive the validation request;
• and
• in response to receiving the validation request:
• determine that the validation requirement is satisfied;
• and
• transmit the indication that the validation requirement is satisfied;
• and
• receive, from the merchant device, an indication that the validation requirement is satisfied;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication that the validation requirement is satisfied, process the transaction for the one or more products, based on the product information for the one or more products stored in the digital cart;
• and
• in response to processing the transaction, transmit, to the merchant device, an indication that the transaction is complete, wherein the merchant device is further configured to:
• receive the indication that the transaction is complete;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication that the transaction is complete, display the indication that the transaction is complete on the display;
• in response to processing the transaction:
• generating a barcode;
• and
• transmitting the barcode to the mobile device;
• detecting, by the validation terminal located at a registered location, that a barcode reader scanned the barcode;
• in response to detecting that the barcode reader scanned the barcode, transmitting, by the validation terminal to the merchant device, an indication that the transaction has been validated;
• and
• in response to receiving the indication that the transaction has been validated, displaying, by the merchant device, the indication that the transaction has been validated.