US 7,742,994 B1 · Providing payments automatically in accordance with predefined instructions

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as by using an authorization system to automatically authorize financial payments between parties in accordance with previously specified private authorization instructions of at least one of the parties. In some situations, some or all of the payments are associated with commerce-related or other transactions, such as transactions initiated by a consumer via the Web to acquire items from a retailer. The authorization instructions may include predefined instruction sets that regulate conditions under which a potential payment can be authorized, with the instruction sets each associated in some situations with a reference. After one or more parties each supply one or more such references or otherwise indicate one or more such instruction sets for use with a potential payment, the authorization system can determine whether to authorize the payment based on whether the instruction sets are compatible or otherwise satisfied.

Claims106

Dependent claims

A computing device, comprising:

one or more processors;
a validater component that is programmed to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors:
receive one or more indications of a proposed financial payment from one or more first parties to one or more second parties and of one or more indications of one or more payment instruction sets associated with at least one of the first parties, the received one or more indications including one or more references associated with the one or more payment instruction sets by an authorization system, and each of the payment instruction sets including one or more conditions to be satisfied in order to authorize the financial payment;
obtain at least one of the indicated payment instruction sets based at least in part on the one or more references;
determine whether the obtained at least one payment instruction set authorizes obtaining the proposed financial payment from one or more financial accounts of one or more of the first parties;
and
a handler component that is programmed to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors, and if the obtaining of the financial payment is determined to be authorized, facilitate the obtaining of the financial payment from the one or more financial accounts.

4 more elements

A computer-implemented method for automatically authorizing financial payments between parties, the method comprising:

under control of one or more programmed computing systems,
receiving one or more indications of a proposed financial payment from one or more first parties to one or more second parties and of one or more payment instruction sets associated with at least one of the first parties, the received one or more indications including one or more references associated with the one or more payment instruction sets by an authorization system, and each of the payment instruction sets including one or more conditions to be satisfied in order to authorize the financial payment;
obtaining at least one of the indicated payment instruction sets based at least in part on the one or more references;
automatically determining whether the obtained at least one payment instruction set authorizes obtaining the financial payment from one or more financial accounts of one or more of the first parties;
and
if the obtaining of the financial payment is determined to be authorized by the at least one payment instruction set, facilitating the obtaining of the financial payment from the one or more financial accounts.

3 more elements

A computer-readable storage medium whose contents include instructions that when executed program a computing system to automatically authorize financial payments between parties, by performing a method comprising:

receiving, by the computing system, one or more indications of a proposed financial payment from one or more first parties to one or more second parties and of one or more payment instruction sets associated with at least one of the first parties, the received one or more indications including one or more references associated with the one or more payment instruction sets by an authorization system, and each of the payment instruction sets including one or more conditions to be satisfied in order to authorize the financial payment;
obtaining at least one of the indicated payment instruction sets based at least in part on the one or more references;
after the receiving of the one or more indications, automatically determining whether the obtained at least one payment instruction set authorizes obtaining the financial payment from one or more financial accounts of one or more of the first parties, the automatic determining being performed by the programmed computing system;
and
if the obtaining of the financial payment is determined to be authorized by the at least one payment instruction set, facilitating the obtaining of the financial payment from the one or more financial accounts.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Providing payments automatically in accordance with predefined instructions

Life of this patent

Providing payments automatically in accordance with predefined instructions

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims106