Automatic authorization of programmatic transactions

A computer-implemented method for a third-party transaction authorizer to automatically authorize programmatic transactions between parties, the method comprising:

• receiving an indication of a programmatic transaction between at least first and second parties that includes the second party providing a requested service to the first party and an associated financial payment from the first party to the second party for the service, the first and second parties distinct from the third-party transaction authorizer;
• receiving indications of a first reference token of the first party and a second reference token of the second party for use in determining whether to authorize the associated financial payment for the programmatic transaction, wherein the first party has multiple distinct payment instruction rule sets that have multiple distinct associated reference tokens, the first reference token being one of the multiple associated reference tokens;
• retrieving a first predefined payment instruction rule set for the first party that is associated with the first token and a second predefined payment instruction rule set for the second party that is associated with the second token;
• automatically, under control of one or more programmed computing systems, determining whether the retrieved first and second payment instruction rule sets are compatible so as to authorize the associated financial payment from the first party to the second party;
• after the first and second payment instruction rule sets are determined to be compatible, providing the associated financial payment to the second party on behalf of the first party, so as to facilitate provision of the service to the first party from the second party;
• receiving an indication of a second transaction between at least the first party and another party and of an indication of a third reference token of the first party that the first party has selected for use in determining whether to authorize a second associated financial payment for the second transaction from the first party to the another party, the third reference token being one of the multiple associated reference tokens and being distinct from the first reference token;
• and
• automatically, under the control of at least one of the one or more programmed computing systems, determining whether to authorize the second associated financial payment from the first party to the another party based in part on the payment instruction rule set of the first party that is associated with the third reference token, the payment instruction rule set of the first party associated with the third reference token being distinct from the payment instruction rule set of the first party associated with the first reference token,
• so that the first party may select distinct payment instruction rule sets for use with distinct transactions by indicating the reference token associated with a selected payment instruction rule set.

A computer-readable medium whose contents include instructions that when executed cause a transaction authorization computing system to automatically authorize transactions between parties, by performing a method comprising:

• receiving an indication of a transaction between distinct first and second parties that includes providing one or more services;
• receiving indications of a first reference for the first party and a second reference for the second party for use in determining whether to authorize the transaction, wherein the first party has multiple distinct references that each are associated with a distinct usage instruction rule set of the first party, the first reference being one of the multiple distinct references;
• automatically, under control of one or more programmed computing systems, determining whether a first predefined usage instruction rule set associated with the first reference is compatible with a second predefined usage instruction rule set associated with the second reference in such a manner as to authorize the transaction;
• when the first and second usage instruction rule sets are determined to be compatible, providing an indication that the transaction is authorized;
• receiving an indication of a second transaction between at least the first party and another party and of an indication of a third reference of the first party that the first party has selected for use in determining whether to authorize the second transaction from the first party to the another party, the third reference being one of the multiple distinct references and being distinct from the first reference;
• and
• automatically, under control of one or more programmed computing systems, determining whether the usage instruction rule set of the first party that is associated with the third reference is compatible with a usage instruction rule set for the another party, the usage instruction rule set of the first party associated with the third reference being distinct from the usage instruction rule set of the first party associated with the first reference,
• so that the first party may select distinct usage instruction rule sets for use with distinct transactions by indicating the reference associated with a selected usage instruction rule set.

A computer-readable medium whose contents include instructions that when executed cause a computing system to automatically authorize programmatic transactions between parties, by performing a method comprising:

• receiving an indication of a programmatic transaction between at least first and second parties that includes the second party providing a requested service to the first party and an associated financial payment from the first party to the second party for the service, the first and second parties being distinct from a third-party transaction authorizer;
• receiving indications of a first reference token of the first party and a second reference token of the second party for use in determining whether to authorize the programmatic transaction;
• retrieving a first predefined payment instruction rule set for the first party that is associated with the first token and a second predefined payment instruction rule set for the second party that is associated with the second token, the first reference token being one of the multiple distinct reference tokens of the first party that are each associated with one of multiple distinct payment instruction rule sets of the first party;
• automatically, under control of one or more programmed computing systems, determining whether the retrieved first and second payment instruction rule sets are compatible so as to authorize the programmatic transaction;
• and
• after the first and second payment instruction rule sets are determined to be compatible, providing the associated financial payment to the second party on behalf of the first party.

A computing device, comprising:

• one or more processors;
• a transaction validater component that is programmed to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors,
• receive an indication of a programmatic transaction between at least first and second parties that includes the second party providing a requested service to the first party and an associated financial payment from the first party to the second party for the service, the first and second parties being distinct from a third-party transaction authorizer;
• receive indications of a first reference token of the first party and a second reference token of the second party for use in determining whether to authorize the programmatic transaction;
• retrieve a first predefined payment instruction rule set for the first party that is associated with the first token and a second predefined payment instruction rule set for the second party that is associated with the second token, the first reference token being one of the multiple distinct reference tokens of the first party that are each associated with one of multiple distinct payment instruction rule sets of the first party;
• and
• automatically determine whether the retrieved first and second payment instruction rule sets are compatible so as to authorize the programmatic transaction;
• and
• a transaction handler component that is programmed to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, and after the first and second payment instruction rule sets are determined to be compatible, provide the associated financial payment to the second party on behalf of the first party, so as to facilitate provision of the service to the first party from the second party.