Purchase card data persistence using mobile card reader in direct sales system

A method for facilitating a recurring purchase of goods over a communications network, comprising:

• reading, on a mobile computing device coupled to the communications network, purchase card data from a purchase card of a buyer and buyer enrollment data comprising at least contact information for the buyer, a product identifier for one or more products, and a period of time;
• encrypting, on the mobile computing device, the purchase card data so as to produce encrypted purchase card data;
• transmitting, by the mobile computing device, the buyer enrollment data and the encrypted purchase card data to a server, via the communications network;
• generating, by the server, one or more records associated with the buyer, wherein the one or more records comprise the buyer enrollment data and the encrypted purchase card data;
• transmitting, by the server, the encrypted purchase card data, and a request for payment of a monetary amount corresponding to the one or more products, to a payment gateway, via the communications network;
• transmitting, by the server, via the communications network, an order for the one or more products to a fulfillment party, wherein the order includes at least the product identifier and the contact information for the buyer;
• detecting, by the server, the passage of the period of time;
• and
• responsive to detecting the passage of the period of time, executing the following steps:
• (a) accessing, by the server, the one or more records associated with the buyer and reading the encrypted purchase card data and the product identifier from the one or more records;
• (b) transmitting, by the server, the encrypted purchase card data that was read, and a request for payment of a monetary amount corresponding to the one or more products of the product identifier that was read, to the payment gateway via the communications network;
• and
• (c) transmitting, by the server, via the communications network, an order for the one or more products to the fulfillment party.

A system for facilitating a recurring purchase of goods over a communications network, comprising:

• a mobile computing device comprising:
• a graphical user interface for reading buyer enrollment data, which includes at least contact information for the buyer, and a product identifier for one or more products, and a period of time defining how often a purchase of the one or more products will occur;
• a mobile card reader for reading purchase card data from a purchase card of the buyer;
• a processor configured for encrypting the purchase card data so as to produce encrypted purchase card data;
• a network interface connection for coupling the mobile computing device to the communications network;
• and
• a transmitter for transmitting the buyer enrollment data and the encrypted purchase card data, to a server via the network interface connection and communications network;
• and
• a server comprising:
• a network interface communication for coupling the server to the communications network;
• a receiver, coupled to the network interface connection, for receiving the buyer enrollment data and the encrypted purchase card data transmitted from the mobile device;
• a database for storing one or more records associated with the buyer, wherein the one or more records comprise the buyer enrollment data and the encrypted purchase card data that was received;
• a transmitter for transmitting, via network interface connection and the communications network, the encrypted purchase card data, and a request for payment of a monetary amount corresponding to the one or more products, to a payment gateway, and for transmitting an order for the one or more products to a fulfillment party, wherein the order includes at least the product identifier and the contact information for the buyer;
• a processor configured for detecting the passage of the period of time, and responsive to detecting the passage of the period of time, executing the following steps:
• accessing the one or more records associated with the buyer, and reading the encrypted purchase card data and the product identifier from the one or more records;
• instructing the transmitter to transmit the encrypted purchase card data and a request for payment of a monetary amount corresponding to the one or more products, to the payment gateway via network interface connection and the communications network, and
• instructing the transmitter to transmit via the network interface connection and the communications network, an order for the one or more products to the fulfillment party.