Method and system for making payment for a service at a service station

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10706398-B2
Application number	US-201815902087-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 22, 2018
Priority date	Feb 28, 2017
Publication date	Jul 7, 2020
Grant date	Jul 7, 2020

Abstract

There is provided a method and system for making payment for a service at a service station which allow users to make payment even when their mobile devices lose data connectivity and when there is a high turnover of users at the service station. In addition, the method and system can lead to enhanced revenues at the service stations as well as improved user experiences when making payments at service stations.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for making payment for a first service session at a service station initiated by a first user device, the system including one or more electronic processing devices configured to:
provide a service token to a second user device upon establishment of a second service session between the second user device and the service station, the service token comprising a first portion including request information for the second service session, and result information for the first service session;
provide, from the second user device, the service token and payment or subscription information to a payment system via a communications network;
process, at the payment system, the service token and the payment or subscription information to determine an authorised payment amount;
determine, at the payment system, if payment for the first session has been completed; and
process, at the payment system, in response to determining that payment for the first service session has not been completed, a payment transaction for the first service session, or an update to the subscription information.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the request information comprises data selected from the group consisting of: a service station identifier, a payment amount due, a maximum authorised payment amount, service duration, service identifier, user device identifier, date/time stamp, and session identifier; and wherein the result information comprises data selected from the group consisting of: first session payment information, outstanding payment amount, and first session identifier.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the authorised payment amount is capped at a pre-determined amount.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more electronic processing devices are in communication with the first and second user devices via a wireless communications protocol.

5. The system according to claim 4 , wherein the wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth™ Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

6. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the first service session is immediately preceding the second service session.

7. A computer-implemented method for making payment for a first service session at a service station initiated by a first user device, the method including, in one or more electronic processing devices:
providing a service token to a second device, upon establishment of a second service session between a second user device and the service station, the service token comprising a first portion including request information for the second service session, and result information for the first service session;
providing, from the second user device, the service token and payment or subscription information to a payment system via a communications network;
processing, at the payment system, the service token and the payment or subscription information to determine an authorised payment amount;
determining, at the payment system, if payment for the first service session has been completed; and
processing, at the payment system, in response to determining that payment for the first service session has not been completed, a payment transaction for the first service session, or an update to the subscription information.

8. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the request information comprises data selected from the group consisting of: a service station identifier, a payment amount due, a maximum authorised payment amount, service duration, service identifier, user device identifier, date/time stamp, and session identifier; and wherein the result information comprises data selected from the group consisting of: first session payment information, outstanding payment amount, and first session identifier.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the authorised payment amount is capped at a pre-determined amount.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the one or more electronic processing devices are in communication with the first and second user devices via a wireless communications protocol.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth™ Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

12. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the first service session is immediately preceding the second service session.

13. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium embodying thereon a program of computer readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a payment system in communication with a plurality of user devices, cause the payment system to perform a method for making payment for a first service session initiated by a first user device at a service station, the method embodying the steps of:
receiving a service token from a second user device, upon establishment of a second service session between a second user device and the service station, the service token comprising a first portion including request information for the second service session, and result information for the first service session;
receiving, from the second user device, payment or subscription information to a payment system via a communications network;
processing the service token and the payment or subscription information to determine an authorised payment amount;
determining, if payment for the first service session has been completed; and
processing, in response to determining that payment for the first service session has not been completed, a payment transaction for the first service session, or an update to the subscription information.

14. The storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein the request information comprises data selected from the group consisting of: a service station identifier, a payment amount due, a maximum authorised payment amount, service duration, service identifier, user device identifier, date/time stamp, and session identifier; and wherein the result information comprises data selected from the group consisting of: first session payment information, outstanding payment amount, and first session identifier.

15. The storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein the authorised payment amount is capped at a pre-determined amount.

16. The storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein the one or more processors are in communication with the first and second user devices via a wireless communications protocol.

17. The storage medium according to claim 16 , wherein the wireless communications protocol is Bluetooth™ Low Energy (BLE) protocol.

18. The storage medium according to claim 13 , wherein the first service session is immediately preceding the second service session.

Assignees

• Mastercard Asia Pacific Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Li Jiaming
• Wang Xijing
• Zhang Jie

Classifications

• G06Q20/145 Primary

  Payments according to the detected use or quantity · CPC title

• Y02T90/12

  Electric charging stations · CPC title

• G06Q20/3223

  Realising banking transactions through M-devices · CPC title

• G07F15/005

  dispensed for the electrical charging of vehicles (electrical charging as such, B60L50/00) · CPC title

• G06Q20/4014

  Identity check for transactions · CPC title