Card reader based payment transactions from a web browser

A mobile computing device associated with a customer, the mobile computing device comprising:

• a touch-sensitive display;
• one or more transceivers;
• one or more processors coupled to the one or more transceivers and the touch-sensitive display;
• and
• a memory coupled to the one or more processors and the touch-sensitive display, the memory storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes the mobile computing device to:
• receive, from an online system over a wireless communication network, a push notification including a payment request and a set of instructions for activating a card reader using a mobile payment app residing on the mobile computing device, the payment request identifying a purchase from a merchant and a purchase amount owed by the customer to the merchant;
• launch the mobile payment app using the one or more processors in response to receiving the set of instructions included in the push notification;
• activate the card reader using the mobile payment app based at least in part on the set of instructions included in the push notification;
• receive, on the touch-sensitive display of the mobile computing device, customer authorization for electronic payment of the purchase amount via the card reader;
• instruct the card reader using the mobile payment app to process a credit card for the purchase amount based on receiving the customer authorization;
• and
• receive a payment confirmation of the purchase amount from the card reader using the mobile payment app.