Group peer-to-peer financial transactions

Abstract

Various techniques are provided for carrying out peer-to-peer financial transactions using one or more electronic devices. In one embodiment, a request for payment is transmitted from a first device to a second device using a near field communication (NFC) interface. In response to the request, the second device may transmit payment information to the first device. The first device may select a crediting account and, using a suitable communication protocol, may communicate the received payment information and selected crediting account to one or more external financial servers configured to process and determine whether the payment may be authorized. If the payment is authorized, a payment may be credited to the selected crediting account. In a further embodiment, a device may include a camera configured to obtain an image of a payment instrument. The device may further include an application to extract payment information from the acquired image.

1 . A method for conducting a group transaction having a plurality of group transaction members on a handheld electronic device, the method comprising:
 acquiring a group invoice on the handheld electronic device, the group invoice comprising one or more group invoice items;   paying the entirety of the group invoice using the handheld electronic device;   determining a partial invoice for each group transaction member, each partial invoice including a payment amount owed by a respective group transaction member;   providing each of the partial invoices to a respective group transaction member; and   collecting a payment from each of the group transaction members based on the payment amount included in each of the group transaction members' respective partial invoice.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein acquiring the group invoice comprises receiving the group invoice using a communication interface on the handheld handheld electronic device, the communication interface being configured to establish a communication path with a communication interface on a separate device. 
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the communication interface comprises an NFC interface, and wherein the communication path comprises an NFC path established by an NFC tap operation between the handheld electronic device and the separate device. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein paying the entirety of the group invoice comprises:
 determining a payment account stored on the handheld electronic device; and   transmitting payment information to the separate device using the communication interface, the payment information including the determined payment account, the separate device being configured to transmit the payment information to at least one external server configured to authorize a payment to satisfy the group invoice using the determined payment account.   
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the partial invoices comprises apportioning the one or more group invoice items. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the one or more group invoice items are split equally among the group transaction members. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein apportioning the items on the group invoice comprises:
 (a) selecting a group invoice item from the one or more group invoice items in response to an input by the user of the handheld electronic device;   (b) associating the selected group invoice item with at least one corresponding group transaction member; and   (c) repeating steps (a) and (b) until all the group invoice items are apportioned.   
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the selected group invoice item is shared between two or more of the group transaction members, and wherein associating the selected group invoice item comprises apportioning the cost of the selected group invoice item among the two or more group transaction members. 
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising establishing a network using the handheld electronic device, wherein a separate device being operated by a group transaction member may connect, and wherein the apportioning of the one or more group invoice items on the handheld electronic device is displayed on the separate device, the separate device being connected to the network and operated by the network and operated by the group transaction member. 
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein collecting a payment from each of the group transaction members based on their respective partial invoice comprises:
 (a) selecting a group transaction member in response to an input from a user of the handheld electronic device;   (b) communicating a corresponding partial invoice to the selected group transaction member; and   (c) acquiring payment information from the selected group transaction member, the payment information including a payment account selected by the selected group transaction member;   
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10 , further comprising:
 (d) transmitting the payment information to at least one external server to obtain authorization to receive a payment made from the payment account; and   (e) repeating steps (a)-(e) until all the partial invoices have been paid.   
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein communicating the partial invoice comprises transmitting the partial invoice to a separate device operated by the selected group transaction member using the communication interface to establish a communication path with a communication interface on a separate device operated by device operated by the selected group transaction member. 
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein acquiring the payment information from the selected group transaction member comprises receiving the payment information using the communication interface. 
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein acquiring the payment information comprises:
 acquiring an image of a payment instrument provided by the selected group transaction member; and   processing the acquired image to extract payment information data.   
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the payment account comprises a credit card account, a bank account, or a non-cash account. 
   
   
       16 . A system for conducting a group transaction having a plurality of group transaction members comprising an initiating handheld electronic device configured to acquire a group invoice, pay the group invoice, and determine a partial invoice for each group transaction member based on inputs received by a user of the handheld electronic device;
 wherein paying the group invoice comprises transmitting payment information including at least one payment account stored on the initiating handheld electronic device and selected by the user to a separate device operated by the provider of the operated by the provider of the group invoice using a communication interface configured to establish a communication path with a communication interface on the separate device.   
   
   
       17 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the communication interface comprises an NFC interface, and wherein the communication path comprises an NFC path. 
   
   
       18 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the initiating handheld electronic device is configured to apportion one or more items on the group invoice to one or more corresponding group transaction members based on the received inputs. 
   
   
       19 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the initiating handheld electronic device is configured to apportion the group invoice equally among the group transaction members based on the received inputs. 
   
   
       20 . The system of  claim 16 , wherein the initiating handheld electronic device is further configured to determine a crediting account and to collect a payment from each of the group transaction members based on a payment amount included in their respective partial invoice, and wherein collecting the payment comprises acquiring payment information including at least one payment account from each of the group transaction members. 
   
   
       21 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the payment information is received from at least one of a separate device operated by a group transaction member or a smart card provided by a group transaction member, the payment information being received on the initiating handheld electronic device using the communication interface. 
   
   
       22 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the payment information is acquired by extracting payment information from an image of a payment instrument provided by a group transaction member using a camera on the initiating handheld electronic device. 
   
   
       23 . The system of  claim 20 , wherein the initiating handheld electronic device is further configured to transmit the payment information acquired from each of the group transaction members to at least one external server configured to authorize, based upon the acquired payment information, a payment corresponding to a partial invoice, wherein the payment is credited to the crediting account if the payment is authorized by the at least one external server. 
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one external server comprises at least one of a credit card server, a bank server, or an external server associated with a non-cash account. 
   
   
       25 . A handheld electronic device comprising:
 a processor;   at least one communication interface, wherein the at least one communication interface comprises a first communication interface configured to establish a communication path with a communication interface on a separate device; and   a memory device communicatively coupled to the processor and configured to store at least one payment account, at least one crediting account, and a transaction application executable by the processor, the transaction application being configured to display a group invoice received from the separate device using the first communication interface, determine a payment account, provide payment information including at least the payment account to the separate device, determine a partial invoice for each of one or more group transaction members, and collect a payment from each of the one or more group transaction members based on a respective partial invoice.   
   
   
       26 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 25 , wherein the partial invoice for each of the one or more group transaction members is determined by apportioning one or more invoice items on the group invoice to a corresponding group transaction member in response to one or more inputs by a user of the handheld electronic device. 
   
   
       27 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 25 , wherein the partial invoice for each of the one or more group transaction members is determined by apportioning the group invoice equally among the one or more group transaction members in response to one or more inputs by a user of the handheld electronic device. 
   
   
       28 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 25 , wherein collecting the payment from each of the one or more group transaction members comprises receiving payment information for each of the partial invoices, the payment information including at least one payment account selected by each of the one or more group transaction members. 
   
   
       29 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 28 , wherein the payment information is transmitted from a separate device operated by a group transaction member and received on the first communication interface. 
   
   
       30 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 28 , wherein the payment information is transmitted from a smart card belonging to a group transaction member and received on the first communication interface. 
   
   
       31 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 28 , further comprising a camera configured to acquire an image of a payment instrument provided by a group transaction member, and wherein the payment information received by the handheld handheld electronic device is extracted from the image of the payment instrument. 
   
   
       32 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 28 , wherein the transaction application is further configured to determine a crediting account based upon one or more inputs provided by a user of the handheld electronic device. 
   
   
       33 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 32 , wherein the crediting account is determined based upon a previous configuration performed by a user of the handheld electronic device. 
   
   
       34 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 32 , wherein the crediting account is determined by displaying a listing of crediting account information stored on the handheld electronic device in response to a request by a user of the handheld electronic device and selecting a crediting account from the listing based upon a selection input received by the user of the handheld electronic device. 
   
   
       35 . The handheld electronic device of  claim 32 , wherein the at least one communication interface further comprises a second communication interface configured to establish a communication path with a communication interface of at least one external server, and wherein payment information received by the one or more group transaction members is transmitted to at least one external server one external server configured to authorize a payment to the crediting account based upon the received payment information.