WO2020106301A1

WO2020106301A1 - Platform for efficient and diverse sharing of transaction data

Info

Publication number: WO2020106301A1
Application number: PCT/US2018/062399
Authority: WO
Inventors: Hari Hara Kumar NUTI
Original assignee: Visa International Service Association
Priority date: 2018-11-23
Filing date: 2018-11-23
Publication date: 2020-05-28

Abstract

A software application product installed on a mobile device providing access to a digital marketplace. The digital marketplace includes applications provided by third- party providers, the third-party providers seek access to the user's transaction data via the applications. The software application product provides GUI views to grant access to the applications. In response to monitored transaction data or transactions conducted on the mobile device, the software application product generates a dynamic action as a function of the transaction data and services provided by one of the applications. The software application product or the one of the third-party providers executes the dynamic action automatically or upon an activation from the user.

Description

PLATFORM FOR EFFICIENT AND DIVERSE SHARING OF TRANSACTION DATA

Technical Field

[0001] Embodiments of the invention generally relate to identifying locations that accept certain payment devices.

Background

[0002] Non-cash payment means, such as credit cards, debit cards, mobile payments, contactless payments, etc., have drastically change spending habits for consumers. These payment mechanisms have evolved overtime; from a plastic card with magnetic stripes to cards with advanced security technology such as (EMV) cards. Other functionalities have also added such as contactless devices or transponders have embedded into the cards themselves.

[0003] Moreover, with the versatility of mobile devices and the software

installed thereon (e.g., apps), convenience of making payments has further increased when payment mechanisms have transformed to the software installed on the mobile devices. Contactless hardware chips are now commonplace in mobile devices (e.g., mobile phones and smartwatches) to enable consumers to link the mobile devices to accounts associated with their cards for payments. With the stronger security mechanisms available on the mobile devices, it is even more reliable than the physical card itself.

[0004] However, as they conduct more transactions via these non-cash

payment mechanisms, consumers are also sensitive to the transaction data that is collected and later used. Some of the data has been used by institutions that store or hold them in advertising, which may be outside the expectation of the consumers even though the institutions usually have opt-in or opt-out provisions that the consumers fail to notice in the fine-print. In a more active participatory online climate, consumers feel being left-out or being ignored in their voices to control how their transaction data may be used.

[0005] Moreover, technical problems of existing approaches include a lack of a common and open computer networked platform to exchange the transaction data with the user and a lack of common data communications between the entities. Furthermore, the users have no easy way to expose the transaction data to third-party providers.

[0006] Embodiments of the invention attempt to solve or address one or more of the problems identified.

Summary

[0007] Embodiments of the invention may provide a new technical solution by creating a new paradigm and computer platform that enable the user to be in control of the transaction data. Aspects of the invention include creating a digital marketplace for using the transaction data and enable exchanges of it through such platform. With the digital marketplace, aspects of the invention enable non-cash payment mechanism issuers to work with third-party providers to access the transaction data of the user. Embodiments of the invention further provide contextual actions and artificial intelligence ability in processing the transaction data. The technical solution may further include an instantiation of a mobile application on a mobile device of the user to interact with the applications from the third-party providers. Furthermore, the technical solutions include analyzing the transaction data and retrieval of data from the mobile device as well as other relevant applications to generate a dynamic action executable on the mobile device.

Brief description of the drawings

[0008] Persons of ordinary skill in the art may appreciate that elements in the figures are illustrated for simplicity and clarity so not all connections and options have been shown to avoid obscuring the inventive aspects. For example, common but well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may often not be depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments of the present disclosure. It will be further appreciated that certain actions and/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order of occurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that such specificity with respect to sequence is not actually required. It will also be understood that the terms and expressions used herein may be defined with respect to their corresponding respective areas of inquiry and study except where specific meanings have otherwise been set forth herein.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a system according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0010] FIG. 2 is a system according to another embodiment of the invention.

[0011] FIGS. 3A to 3D are diagrams illustrating graphical user interface (GUI) on a mobile device according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0012] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a graphical user interface (GUI) on a mobile device illustrating an application accessing transaction data according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0013] FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a graphical user interface (GUI) on a mobile device illustrating an application accessing transaction data according to one embodiment of the invention

[0014] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating a graphical user interface (GUI) on a mobile device illustrating an application accessing transaction data according to one embodiment of the invention

[0015] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a computerized method according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0016] FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating a portable computing device according to one embodiment of the invention.

[0017] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a remote computing device according to one embodiment of the invention.

Detailed Description

[0018] The present invention may now be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, which form a part hereof, and which show, by way of illustration, specific exemplary embodiments by which the invention may be practiced. These illustrations and exemplary embodiments may be presented with the understanding that the present disclosure is an

exemplification of the principles of one or more inventions and may not be intended to limit any one of the inventions to the embodiments illustrated. The invention may be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein; rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. Among other things, the present invention may be embodied as methods, systems, computer readable media, apparatuses, or devices.

Accordingly, the present invention may take the form of an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment, or an embodiment combining software and hardware aspects. The following detailed description may, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense.

[0019] Referring now to FIG. 1 , a system 100 diagram illustrating

embodiments of the invention. In one embodiment, the system 100 includes a server 102 that establishes a digital marketplace 104 with applications provided by third-party providers 106. In one example, the server 102 may be a backend server for a non-cash payment transaction processor. In another embodiment, the server 102 may be configured in a distributed fashion with computing devices running across various geographical locations connected by a computer network, e.g., the Internet. The digital marketplace 104 may include one or more applications that may provide services may be used to illustrate an exemplary use scenario to further illustrate aspects of the invention. For example, the digital marketplace 104 may include an

application 108 for public transportation routes and schedules; an application 110 from a utility company for activating appliances such as an air

conditioner, a refrigerator, or a coffee maker; and an application 112 for creating notes. Each of the applications 108, 110, and 112 may be linked with one of the third-party providers 106. It is to be understood that the

applications 108, 110, and 112 are to be installed on a mobile device 114 to provide the functionality generated or created from the applications.

[0020] For example, the mobile device 114 may be a smartphone, a tablet computer, a laptop, a smartwatch, a smart glasses, or a device with network connectivity and image capturing devices. In another example, the mobile device 114 may be a device similar to that of a device 801 in FIG. 8 that includes a processor and a memory for storing an operating system that provides an execution environment for the app or software to be executed. The mobile device 114 may include a physical screen for displaying objects to a user and may include input components or elements to receive inputs from the user. It is to be understood that the mobile device 100 may provide output such as audio to user, instead visual renderings on the display. It is also to be understood that the user may provide audio input or other inputs (e.g., tactile or gesture) to the mobile device 114 to interact with the mobile device 114. However, for the sake of simplicity and not as a limitation, FIG. 1 illustrates a visual embodiment of the invention as an exemplary use scenario.

[0021] In another embodiment, the server 102 further may be connected with a data server 116 for storing data for the digital marketplace 104. In one example, the data server 116 may include a frontend server 120 for providing interactions with users. In another embodiment, the server 102 may provide another set of frontend servers (not shown) for interfacing with the third-party providers 106 for management of the applications in the digital marketplace 104. In another embodiment, the data server 116 may store transaction data of the users in a distributed database spread across various locations.

[0022] In another embodiment, the server 102 may further provide other

frontend servers to providing portals for the third-party providers 106 to provide customer service pages; transaction pages if the users wish to pay for extra services or content; or the like. In yet another embodiment, the server 102 may provide application programming interface (API) to interact with one or more institution servers 118. In one embodiment, the institution servers 118 may include servers of the banks or card issuers, etc.

[0023] In another embodiment, the server 102 may be connected with a

subscription engine 122. In one embodiment, the subscription engine 122 may manage messages, notifications, or data from the digital marketplace 104 or the server 102 to the third-party providers 106 and/or the institution servers 118.

[0024] In one embodiment, the institution servers 118 may include a list of approved third-party providers 106 to be available when the users add the account to an app 124 supported by the server 102.

[0025] To better illustrate aspects of the invention, FIG. 2 is another system diagram that further illustrates various exemplary operations of embodiments of the invention. In this example, a user 202 may use the mobile device 114 to first install the app 124 to access the digital marketplace 104. The user 202 may download the app 124 directly from the digital marketplace 104 or from other sources that provide application or software product for download to be installed or run on a mobile device. In this embodiment, the app 124 may be presented on the mobile device 114 with icons or buttons to interact with the user. In another embodiment, app 124 may be instantiated or executed directly by the operating system of the mobile device 114 as a module.

[0026] Once the user 202 installed the app 124, the app 124 may request the user 202 to login or create an account. It is to be understood that there are many ways to login or create an account without departing from the scope or spirit of embodiments of the invention. Once logged in, the app 124 may request the user 202 to enter one or more payment accounts. In one embodiment, the app 124 may include a graphical user interface (GUI) as shown in FIG. 3A. In one example, the app 124 may provide a header 302 showing one or more payment accounts 304 that the user 202 may wish to use via the app 124. The app 124 may further include a button 306 for the user 202 to add more payment accounts.

[0027] In one embodiment, each payment account, such as the payment account 304-1 , may be connected with an institution connected with one of the institution servers 118, such as the institution server 118-1. The institution may be a bank or a government entity. In another embodiment, the institution server 118-1 may provide a variety of services to the user 202. In another embodiment, the institution server 118-1 may wish to have other services from the third-party providers 106 to the user 202.

[0028] As the app 124 may include one or more payment accounts registered by the user 202, the app 124 may store a copy or a portion of a copy of transaction data associated with the payment accounts 304. In one embodiment, the app 124 may interact with the server 102 to retrieve transaction data from the server 102 or the data server 116. In this

embodiment, the server 102 may have received user’s permission for the third-party providers 106 to access them. In a further example, once the app 124 is installed and the user logged in, the server 102 may systematically transfer/transmits a copy of the transaction data to the mobile device 114 for association by the app 124, the application 108, 110, or the 112. [0029] According to FIG. 3B, a GUI 310 is presented to the user 202 from the app 124 according to one embodiment of the invention. In one example, the GUI 310 includes a request notification 312 from one of the third-party providers asking for a permission to access the transaction data of one of the payment accounts (e.g., payment account A 304-1 ) of the user 202. The user 202 may choose either a YES button 314 to approve the request or a NO button 316 to deny the request.

[0030] In another embodiment, the GUI 310 may further provide an indicator 318 within the button 314 to enable the user 202 to drill down to more details about what the user 202 is sharing with the third-party providers. For example, once the indicator 318 is activated (e.g., in response to user’s touch or press, or in response to hovering over the indicator 318), another GUI element 320 may be presented showing a message“CLICK HERE TO SHOW WHICH DATA YOU ARE SHARING...”. In another embodiment, instead of a

message, the GUI element 320 may display or provide a summary of the data fields of the transaction data. As such, it is to be understood that the message in the GUI element 320 may contain substantive content or informative message. In another embodiment, the user 202 may interact with the GUI element 320 to identify further details about the transaction data that he or she is sharing with the third-party providers.

[0031] Referring now to FIG. 3C, an exemplary GUI 320 illustrates a list of fields of the transaction data that the user 202 may wish to share with the third-party providers. In this example, the GUI 320 provides a heading 322 showing a title informing the user 202 of the content to be presented. A table 324 may be provided below the heading showing a header row followed by information below each header. For example, a row 326 may provide that a date of a transaction is currently shared with the third-party providers such that app 124 or applications 108, 110, and 112 may have access. A

checkmark 338 may indicate that the data of the date of the transaction is sharing with the third-party providers. Another row 328 may illustrate that a time of a transaction; a row 330 may illustrate that a location of a transaction; a row 332 may illustrate that an item of a transaction; a row 334 may illustrate a merchant of a transaction, and a row 336 may illustrate a nature of the merchant referred to in the row 334 may be shared with the third-party providers. It is to be understood that other fields may be provided without departing from the scope or spirit of embodiments of the invention.

[0032] Further, as the GUI 320 may illustrate, the row 336, instead of having the checkmark 338 like the other rows, includes an empty circle 340. In this embodiment, the empty circle 340 may indicate that the user 202 has not given permission to the sharing of this field. In another embodiment, as the GUI 320 is an interactive GUI, the user 202 may interact with the empty circle 340 to select that the user 202 wishes to share this field with the third-party providers. Similarly, the user 202 may interact with the checkmark 338 in the rows 326 through 334 to deselect that permission. In one embodiment, the permissions may be preselected for the user 202 due to the user’s preexisting relationship with the institutions that issue the payment accounts. However, due to the sensitivity of the content of the transaction data, aspects of the invention provide another opportunity for the user to change/modify such permissions.

[0033] Moreover, the rows 326 to 336 and others that may be part of the

transaction data may indicate that the server 102, the data server 116, and/or API provide corresponding data structures for classifying and storing the data in the data fields that are shown in FIG. 3C.

[0034] Referring now to FIG. 3D, another GUI 330 of the app 124 shows the confirmation of the interactions of the user with the GUI 310 in FIG. 3B and 3C. For example, the app 124 may display a notification 342 with a message confirming the granting of the access while a graphical icon 344, which may be animated.

[0035] In one example, the granting of the permission may be based on the institution. For example, in one embodiment, the user 202 may possess multiple cards from one single bank or credit union that issues payment accounts, such as debit accounts or credit card accounts. As such, in one embodiment, when one of the applications of the third-party providers requesting access to accounts issued by the same institution, instead of the asking the user to confirm each accounts separately, the app 124 may present a GUI similar to those shown in FIGS. 3B-3C to the user 202. In another embodiment, if the user 202 already has an account with the server 102, after the user signed in to the app 124, the app 124 may provide another GUI asking the user to confirm all transaction data access request in one notification such as“DO YOU AGREE TO GRANT ACCESS BY THIRD- PARTY PROVIDERS’ APPS TO ALL YOUR ACCOUNTS?” In another embodiment, the app 124 may provide a setting (not shown) page to allow the user 202 to configure and change opt-in or opt-out choices for these access permissions.

[0036] As the data server 116 stores the transaction data of users, including the user 202, it is to be understood that the storage and transmission of such data is encrypted through various means and may include, for example, hash, tokens, encryptions of different standards and there may also different and various layers of encryptions. Similarly, the transmission of data between the server 102, the data server 116, the mobile device 114, and all other elements in the system 100 may be encoded by various means of encryption. As such, whether the encryption may include biometrics or other specific mechanisms may be included in the various embodiments of the invention without departing from the scope or spirit of embodiments of the invention.

[0037] Referring now to FIG. 4, an exemplary GUI 400 shows one

implementation and operation of aspects of the invention. In one embodiment, the GUI 400 may be provided by the app 108, an application for public transportation routes and schedules. In one embodiment, the user 202 may have used the app 124 to purchase a ticket at a station kiosk. In another embodiment, the user 202 may use the actual payment mechanism, e.g., the credit card for the payment account, to make the purchase without using the app 124. As previously described, when the user 202 grants the access to the third-party providers, the granting of the permission does not need to take place via the app 124. The user 202 may access a web portal (not shown) of the server 102 via the mobile device 114 to add payment accounts and granting permissions. In another embodiment, the user 202 may call the customer service line of the server 102 to provide the permission. As such, the application of the third-party provider, such as the application 108, may obtain such transaction data after the permission has been received. With such permission, and the vast possibilities presented by the digital

marketplace 104, the applications such as the application 108 may provide complex contextual features to the user 202. It is to be understood that the third-party providers would monitor transactions in real-time or substantially real-time to provide some of the functionalities described below.

[0038] Still referring to FIG. 4, the third-party provider 106 of the application 108 detects and processes the transaction data of the user 202 after she made a transit purchase, the third-party provider 106 may first identify a state of the mobile device 114 of the user 202. For example, the state may include: ON; OFF; DO NOT DISTURB; SILENCE, etc. Once the third-party provider 106 determines that the mobile device 114 may be able to receive messages or notifications in response to the state determination, the mobile device 114 may receive a notification with messages shown in FIG. 4. In one

embodiment, the notification may display the messages within the application 108. In another embodiment, the notification may display the messages within the app 124. In a further embodiment, the notification may display the messages on the mobile device 114 not tied to any application or software products.

[0039] In one example, the messages may include, as further illustrated in FIG. 4: a header 402 confirming the purchase of the transaction. In one example, the header may further include an icon 422 to indicate the transaction was completed. On the other hand, the header 402 may include another icon 424 with an exclamation mark that the user 202 may select in case the transaction was not an authorized transaction.

[0040] The GUI 400 may also display another message 404 showing further contextual details derived from the transaction. For example, the message 404 may indicate a schedule of the next train in the nearest station. As a further reference, a map 406 may be displayed with an indicator 408 showing on the map where the nearest station is. In another embodiment, a message 410 further shows how the user 202 may get to the nearest station. In one example, the mobile device 114 may have GPS, cellular triangulation capabilities to determine its location relative to the nearest station. As such, the application 108 may retrieve such geolocation information from the mobile device 114 in providing such information. In another embodiment, as a further detail from the message 410, additional actionable messages may be provided in buttons, such as a button 412“WALKING,” a button 414“TAXI,” a button 416“RIDE SHARE,” or a button 418“MORE.”

[0041] Aspects of the invention expanded the richness of the transaction data from that transaction (e.g., transaction to make a purchase of a transit ticket) to something useful and relevant to the user 202.

[0042] Referring to another example, FIG. 5 illustrates another GUI 500 that processes the transaction data from the user 202 via access to the digital marketplace 104. In this example, the user 202 may again completed a transaction for a transit ticket. In this embodiment, the user 202 may have also installed the application 110 from the utility company of her choice. In one embodiment, the user 202 may have already set up the application 110 to control or manage her appliances at home. In one example, the application 110 may control activating or deactivating of appliances remotely. In another example, the application 110 may manage another device at home and that device may in term control other devices.

[0043] As such, the GUI 500 may provide a header 502 showing again that the user 202 has completed the transaction. The header 502 may further include a button 520 to confirm the purchase and an exclamation 524 for the user 202 to select if the transaction was not made by the user 202 or maybe fraudulent. The GUI 500 may further provide a message 504 indicating that “YOUR APPLIANCE WILL BE TURNED ON IN 15 MINUTES BASED ON YOUR CURRENT TRAFFIC CONDITION/SCHEDULE.” In other words, the application 110, based on the transaction data, may perform contextual processing of the nature of the transaction, time of the transaction, merchant name, location of the merchant, and amount of the transaction (e.g., express train ticket versus regular train ticket). Based on that information and other data, the application 110 may provide other recommendations. For example, suppose the mobile device 114 receives temperature data from weather forecast stations as well as room temperature data from digital thermostat via apps or other sources. As such, that information or data is made available by the mobile device 114 to all applications installed thereon. In this example, the application 110 may aggregate the transaction data, the temperature data, the transit data (e.g., derived from the transaction data), and contextual data (e.g., traffic conditions, etc.) to provide the message 504. In one example, the message 504 may indicate that the“appliance” is an air conditioner because the temperature outside is 90 degrees F while the room temperature may be 85 degrees F. As such, the message 504 may indicate to the user 202 that the application 110 may activate the air conditioner in about 15 minutes so that by the time the user 202 gets home about 25 minutes later, for example, the room would be closer to a comfortable temperature for the user 202, such as 76 degrees F.

[0044] Referring to FIG. 6, another application 112 that may also access

transaction data of the user 202. In this example, the application 112 may create notes and tables for the user 202. With access to the transaction data, the application 112 may create tables and notes related to transactions. For example, the GUI 600 may provide a header 602 indicating the most recent transaction. As such, using the example above where the user 202 purchased a transit ticket, the header 602 shows such message. Similar to FIGS. 4 and 5 above, the GUI 600 may present two more indicators 620 and 622 to confirm the transaction. The indicator 622 may be interactive such that the user 202 may activate or trigger an action if the user 202 fails to recognize such transaction.

[0045] In another embodiment, the GUI 202 for the application 112 may

further provide a table 604 showing a list of entries of transactions 606, 608, and 610. Each transaction may include information such as date of the transaction, the descriptions thereof, amount of the transaction, and any additional details of the transaction. In one embodiment, the application 112 may include actionable items in the details section such that the content may be more meaningful to the user 202. For example, the details for the transaction 606 may include details about where the transaction took place. In such an example, the application 112 may also provide the name of the station, e.g.,“GRAND STATION,” and that name is an actionable link. The actionable link, once selected by the user 202, may direct the user 202 to a map application of the mobile device 114. [0046] In another example, the details of the transaction 608 may indicate an offer or a coupon such that the user 202 may select and use in future purchases. In a further example, the details of the transaction 610 may indicate a sales restriction or condition of the item that was purchased.

[0047] As one may appreciate, aspects of the invention open up the

capabilities of the transaction data of the user 202 to a new level where not only the user 202 is in control of the access, but also can enjoy value-added services from third-party providers who may provide artificial intelligence or contextual processing to make the transaction data richer than before. It is also to be understood that the transaction data, as illustrated above, may be combined with data from applications or apps installed on the mobile device 114, data from the mobile device 114 itself, and/or data retrieved by the mobile device 114. In addition, actions that may be applied to the transaction data and other data may include combination, concatenation, correlation, aggregation, etc.

[0048] In a further example, the server 102, through the app 124 or the mobile device, may generate a dynamic action correlating the transaction to one or more services provided by an application from one of the third-party providers, such as application 108, 110, and 112. In other words, because of the APIs between the server 102 and the servers for the third-party providers 106, the server 102 may possess full capabilities in generate actionable instructions, as illustrated in FIGS. 4-6 for the execution by the mobile device 114 or the applications 108, 110, or 112. As such, this further alleviate the heavy processing burdens by these third-party providers 106, where the server 102 may be built for serving a larger size of users and may possess higher processing capabilities.

[0049] Referring now to FIG. 7, a flow chart illustrating a computerized method for building a merchant acceptance infrastructure. At 702, a method such as via the app 124 or the system 100 may generate a digital marketplace. In one embodiment, a backend server may incorporate the method and may generate such digital marketplace. At 704, the backend server may receive from one of the applications a request to access transaction data of the user. At 706, the backend server may provide one of GUI views to interact with the user to obtain a permission from the user granting access to the transaction data by the one of the applications.

[0050] In another embodiment, at 708, in response to the permission be

obtained, the backend server may monitor transaction data of the user. At 710, the backend server may generate a dynamic action correlating the transaction data to one or more services provided by the one of the

applications of one of the third-party providers. At 712, the backend server may install on a mobile device of the user a user application. At 714, the backend server may receive from the user a registration of a payment account via the installed user application on the mobile device. At 716, the mobile device, the backend server, or the installed application may associate with the dynamic action for execution on the mobile device upon an activation by the user.

[0051] FIG. 8 may be a high level illustration of a portable computing device 801 communicating with a remote computing device 841 but the application may be stored and accessed in a variety of ways. In addition, the application may be obtained in a variety of ways such as from an app store, from a web site, from a store Wi-Fi system, etc. There may be various versions of the application to take advantage of the benefits of different computing devices, different languages and different API platforms.

[0052] In one embodiment, a portable computing device 801 may be a mobile device 112 that operates using a portable power source 855 such as a battery. The portable computing device 801 may also have a display 802 which may or may not be a touch sensitive display. More specifically, the display 802 may have a capacitance sensor, for example, that may be used to provide input data to the portable computing device 801. In other

embodiments, an input pad 804 such as arrows, scroll wheels, keyboards, etc., may be used to provide inputs to the portable computing device 801. In addition, the portable computing device 801 may have a microphone 806 which may accept and store verbal data, a camera 808 to accept images and a speaker 810 to communicate sounds.

[0053] The portable computing device 801 may be able to communicate with a computing device 841 or a plurality of computing devices 841 that make up a cloud of computing devices 811. The portable computing device 801 may be able to communicate in a variety of ways. In some embodiments, the communication may be wired such as through an Ethernet cable, a USB cable or RJ6 cable. In other embodiments, the communication may be wireless such as through Wi-Fi (802.11 standard), Bluetooth, cellular communication or near field communication devices. The communication may be direct to the computing device 841 or may be through a communication network 102 such as cellular service, through the Internet, through a private network, through Bluetooth, etc. FIG. 8 may be a simplified illustration of the physical elements that make up a portable computing device 801 and FIG. 9 may be a simplified illustration of the physical elements that make up a server type computing device 841.

[0054] FIG. 8 may be a sample portable computing device 801 that is

physically configured according to be part of the system. The portable computing device 801 may have a processor 850 that is physically configured according to computer executable instructions. It may have a portable power supply 855 such as a battery which may be rechargeable. It may also have a sound and video module 860 which assists in displaying video and sound and may turn off when not in use to conserve power and battery life. The portable computing device 801 may also have volatile memory 865 and non-volatile memory 870. It may have GPS capabilities 880 that may be a separate circuit or may be part of the processor 850. There also may be an input/output bus 875 that shuttles data to and from the various user input devices such as the microphone 806, the camera 808 and other inputs, such as the input pad 804, the display 802, and the speakers 810, etc. It also may control of

communicating with the networks, either through wireless or wired devices. Of course, this is just one embodiment of the portable computing device 801 and the number and types of portable computing devices 801 is limited only by the imagination.

[0055] As a result of the system, better information may be provided to a user at a point of sale. The information may be user specific and may be required to be over a threshold of relevance. As a result, users may make better informed decisions. The system is more than just speeding a process but uses a computing system to achieve a better outcome.

[0056] The physical elements that make up the remote computing device 841 may be further illustrated in FIG. 9. At a high level, the computing device 841 may include a digital storage such as a magnetic disk, an optical disk, flash storage, non-volatile storage, etc. Structured data may be stored in the digital storage such as in a database. The server 841 may have a processor 1000 that is physically configured according to computer executable instructions. It may also have a sound and video module 1005 which assists in displaying video and sound and may turn off when not in use to conserve power and battery life. The server 841 may also have volatile memory 1010 and non volatile memory 1015.

[0057] The database 1025 may be stored in the memory 1010 or 1015 or may be separate. The database 1025 may also be part of a cloud of computing device 841 and may be stored in a distributed manner across a plurality of computing devices 841. There also may be an input/output bus 1020 that shuttles data to and from the various user input devices such as the microphone 806, the camera 808, the inputs such as the input pad 804, the display 802, and the speakers 810, etc. The input/output bus 1020 also may control of communicating with the networks, either through wireless or wired devices. In some embodiments, the application may be on the local computing device 801 and in other embodiments, the application may be remote 841. Of course, this is just one embodiment of the server 841 and the number and types of portable computing devices 841 is limited only by the imagination.

[0058] The user devices, computers and servers described herein may be general purpose computers that may have, among other elements, a microprocessor (such as from the Intel Corporation, AMD, ARM, Qualcomm, or MediaTek); volatile and non-volatile memory; one or more mass storage devices (i.e. , a hard drive); various user input devices, such as a mouse, a keyboard, or a microphone; and a video display system. The user devices, computers and servers described herein may be running on any one of many operating systems including, but not limited to WINDOWS, UNIX, LINUX, MAC OS, iOS, Android, or Windows (XP, VISTA, etc.). It is contemplated, however, that any suitable operating system may be used for the present invention. The servers may be a cluster of web servers, which may each be LINUX based and supported by a load balancer that decides which of the cluster of web servers should process a request based upon the current request-load of the available server(s).

[0059] The user devices, computers and servers described herein may

communicate via networks, including the Internet, WAN, LAN, Wi-Fi, other computer networks (now known or invented in the future), and/or any combination of the foregoing. It should be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, drawings, and claims before them that networks may connect the various components over any

combination of wired and wireless conduits, including copper, fiber optic, microwaves, and other forms of radio frequency, electrical and/or optical communication techniques. It should also be understood that any network may be connected to any other network in a different manner. The

interconnections between computers and servers in system are examples.

Any device described herein may communicate with any other device via one or more networks.

[0060] The example embodiments may include additional devices and

networks beyond those shown. Further, the functionality described as being performed by one device may be distributed and performed by two or more devices. Multiple devices may also be combined into a single device, which may perform the functionality of the combined devices.

[0061] The various participants and elements described herein may operate one or more computer apparatuses to facilitate the functions described herein. Any of the elements in the above-described Figures, including any servers, user devices, or databases, may use any suitable number of subsystems to facilitate the functions described herein.

[0062] Any of the software components or functions described in this

application, may be implemented as software code or computer readable instructions that may be executed by at least one processor using any suitable computer language such as, for example, Java, C++, or Perl using, for example, conventional or object-oriented techniques.

[0063] The software code may be stored as a series of instructions or

commands on a non-transitory computer readable medium, such as a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a magnetic medium such as a hard-drive or a floppy disk, or an optical medium such as a CD-ROM.

Any such computer readable medium may reside on or within a single computational apparatus and may be present on or within different

computational apparatuses within a system or network.

[0064] It may be understood that the present invention as described above may be implemented in the form of control logic using computer software in a modular or integrated manner. Based on the disclosure and teachings provided herein, a person of ordinary skill in the art may know and appreciate other ways and/or methods to implement the present invention using hardware, software, or a combination of hardware and software.

[0065] The above description is illustrative and is not restrictive. Many

variations of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the disclosure. The scope of the invention should, therefore, be determined not with reference to the above description, but instead should be determined with reference to the pending claims along with their full scope or equivalents.

[0066] One or more features from any embodiment may be combined with one or more features of any other embodiment without departing from the scope of the invention. A recitation of "a", "an" or "the" is intended to mean "one or more" unless specifically indicated to the contrary. Recitation of "and/or" is intended to represent the most inclusive sense of the term unless specifically indicated to the contrary.

[0067] One or more of the elements of the present system may be claimed as means for accomplishing a particular function. Where such means-plus- function elements are used to describe certain elements of a claimed system it will be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art having the present specification, figures and claims before them, that the corresponding structure is a general purpose computer, processor, or microprocessor (as the case may be) programmed to perform the particularly recited function using functionality found in any general purpose computer without special programming and/or by implementing one or more algorithms to achieve the recited functionality. As would be understood by those of ordinary skill in the art that algorithm may be expressed within this disclosure as a mathematical formula, a flow chart, a narrative, and/or in any other manner that provides sufficient structure for those of ordinary skill in the art to implement the recited process and its equivalents.

[0068] While the present disclosure may be embodied in many different forms, the drawings and discussion are presented with the understanding that the present disclosure is an exemplification of the principles of one or more inventions and is not intended to limit any one of the inventions to the embodiments illustrated.

[0069] The present disclosure provides a solution to the long-felt need

described above. In particular, the systems and methods described herein may be configured for improving verification and discovery of merchants or stores that do not accept non-cash payment devices or that do accept non cash payments devices but differentiate them between local/national issued ones versus foreign issued ones. Further advantages and modifications of the above described system and method will readily occur to those skilled in the art. The disclosure, in its broader aspects, is therefore not limited to the specific details, representative system and methods, and illustrative examples shown and described above. Various modifications and variations can be made to the above specification without departing from the scope or spirit of the present disclosure, and it is intended that the present disclosure covers all such modifications and variations provided they come within the scope of the following claims and their equivalents.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A computerized method for providing a platform for using transactions data comprising:

providing, by a backend server, a distributed network environment having one or more data servers storing transaction data of a user;

generating, by the backend server, a digital marketplace, said digital marketplace comprising graphical user interface (GUI) views displaying applications provided by third-party providers;

receiving, by the backend server, from one of the applications a request to access the transaction data of the user;

providing, by the backend server, one of the GUI views to interact with the user to obtain a permission from the user granting access to the transaction data by the one of the applications;

in response to the permission being obtained, monitoring transaction data by the backend server;

generating a dynamic action correlating the transaction data to one or more services provided by the one of the applications;

installing a user application, hosted by the backend server, on a mobile device of the user;

receiving, by the backend server, from the user a registration of a payment account via the installed user application on the mobile device, said payment account including a portion of the transaction of the data; and

associating the dynamic action with the mobile device for executing on the mobile device upon an activation by the user.

2. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a pre-selected list of the applications of the third-party providers from an issuer of the payment account of the user, wherein the pre-selected list of the applications provides services approved by the issuer.

3. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving a subscription request from one of the third-party providers at a subscription engine to participate in the generated digital marketplace.

4. The computerized method of claim 1 , wherein providing the one of the GUI views comprises providing the one of the GUI views by the subscription engine accessible by the backend server.

5. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving, by the backend server, a new transaction via the payment account, wherein the associating comprises associating the dynamic action, tailored to on the new transaction, with the mobile device for executing on the mobile device upon the activation by the user.

6. The computerized method of claim 1 , further comprising triggering, by the backend server, another user application installed on the mobile device to provide services to the user as a function of the dynamic action.

7. A computerized method for providing a platform for using transactions data comprising:

receiving, by the backend server, from one of the applications a request to access transaction data of the user;

providing, by a front-end server connected to the backend server, one of the GUI views to interact with the user to obtain a permission from the user granting access to the transaction data by the one of the applications;

generating, by the backend server, a dynamic action correlating the

transaction data to one or more services provided by the one of the applications of one of the third-party providers;

installing on a mobile device of the user a user application, hosted by the backend server;

receiving, by the backend server, from the user a registration of a payment account via the installed user application on the mobile device, said payment account including a portion of the transaction of the data; and associating the dynamic action with the mobile device for executing on the mobile device upon an activation by the user.

8. The computerized method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a pre-selected list of the applications of the third-party providers from an issuer of the payment account of the user, wherein the pre-selected list of the applications provides services approved by the issuer.

9. The computerized method of claim 7, further comprising receiving, by the backend server, a new transaction via the payment account, wherein the associating comprises associating the dynamic action, tailored to on the new transaction, with the mobile device for executing on the mobile device upon the activation by the user.

10. The computerized method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a subscription request from the one of the third-party providers at a subscription engine to participate in the generated digital marketplace.

11. The computerized method of claim 10, further comprising transmitting by the subscription engine the new transaction to the one of the third-party providers.

12. The computerized method of claim 7, further comprising triggering, by the backend server, another user application of the one of the third-party providers to provide services to the user as a function of the dynamic action.

13. The computerized method of claim 7, further comprising transmitting the portion of the transaction data of the user to the one of the third-party providers.

14. The computerized method of claim 13, further comprising receiving, by the backend server, additional services provided the one of the third-party providers as a function of the portion of the transaction data.

15. A non-transitory computer readable medium stored thereon computer-executable instructions embodied in a software product executed by a processor, wherein the computer-executable instructions comprising: generating a registration graphical user interface (GUI) on a mobile device for registering one or more payment accounts of the user;

in response to registering, collecting past transaction data, from a transaction server, associated with the one or more payment accounts, said transaction data comprising at least one of the following: a transaction date, a transaction time, a merchant name, a location of the merchant, a description of at least one item of the transaction data, and an amount of the transaction;

generating marketplace GUI views to the user via the mobile device displaying applications provided by third-party providers in a digital marketplace; in response to receiving an access request from one of the third-party providers, generating one of the GUI views to interact with the user to obtain a permission from the user granting the access request to the transaction data of the user by one of the applications provided by the one of the third-party providers; in response to the permission being obtained, receiving a notification from the transaction server, said notification indicating a transaction using the one or more payment accounts of the user including data relevant to the one of the third-party providers has occurred;

generating a dynamic action correlating the transaction to one or more functions provided by the one of the applications; and

associating the dynamic action with the mobile device for executing on the mobile device.

16. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising, in response to registering, receiving a pre-selected list of the applications of the third- party providers from an issuer of the one or more payment accounts of the user, wherein the pre-selected list of the applications provides services approved by the issuer.

17. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 16, further comprising, in response to registering, generating one of the GUI views on the mobile device identifying the pre-selected list of the applications of the third-party providers.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 15, further comprising receiving interactions from the user to conduct a new transaction with one of the one or more payment accounts.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 18, wherein generating the dynamic action comprises generating the dynamic action as a function of the new transaction.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 19, further comprising triggering, by the backend server, another user application of the one of the third- party providers to provide services to the user as a function of the dynamic action.