Performing automatically authorized programmatic transactions

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as by performing transactions between parties that are automatically authorized via a third-party transaction authorization system. In some situations, the transactions are programmatic transactions involving the use of fee-based Web services by executing application programs, with the transaction authorization system authorizing and/or providing payments in accordance with private authorization instructions previously specified by the parties. The authorization instructions may include predefined instruction rule sets that regulate conditions under which a potential transaction can be authorized, with the instruction rule sets each referenced by an associated reference token. After one or more of the parties to a potential transaction supply reference tokens for the parties, the transaction authorization system can determine whether to authorize the transaction based on whether the instruction rule sets associated with the reference tokens are compatible or otherwise satisfied.

1 - 147 . (canceled) 
     
     
         148 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that configure a computing system associated with a transaction authorization system to perform a method, the method comprising:
 receiving, by the configured computing system, a set of rules from a first user of the transaction authorization system that specify one or more conditions for use in authorization of a potential transaction involving the first user and an associated payment;   generating, by the configured computing system, a reference associated with the set of rules, the reference being for a single use with the potential transaction;   providing the generated reference for use with the potential transaction;   after the providing, receiving information about the potential transaction proceeding, the received information including the provided reference;   retrieving information about the set of rules based on the provided reference included in the received information about the potential transaction; and   initiating authorization for the potential transaction to occur based on the retrieved information about the set of rules, wherein the initiating includes determining that at least one of the specified one or more conditions of the set of rules are satisfied.   
     
     
         149 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 148  wherein the specified one or more conditions further relate to the first user making a payment for the potential transaction to another user involved in the potential transaction, and wherein the initiating of the authorization for the potential transaction includes initiating the payment for the potential transaction from the first user. 
     
     
         150 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 148  wherein the specified one or more conditions further relate to the first user receiving a payment for the potential transaction from another user involved in the potential transaction, and wherein the initiating of the authorization for the potential transaction includes initiating receipt of the payment for the potential transaction by the first user. 
     
     
         151 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 148  wherein the providing of the generated reference for use with the potential transaction includes providing the generated reference to the first user. 
     
     
         152 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 148  wherein the receiving of the set of rules from the first user includes receiving an indication of the potential transaction, and wherein the generating of the reference associated with the set of rules is performed dynamically by the configured computing system for use only with the indicated potential transaction. 
     
     
         153 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 148  wherein the generated reference is a single-use reference token, wherein the receiving of the information about the potential transaction proceeding includes receiving information about a second reference previously generated by the transaction authorization system for a second user involved in the potential transaction, and wherein the stored contents are software instructions for execution by one or more processors of the configured computing system that further configure the computing system to determine that the potential transaction is authorized based at least in part on the provided reference and on the second reference. 
     
     
         154 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more configured computing systems providing a transaction authorization system, a request that is for a transaction and that includes a reference associated with a set of rules, wherein the set of rules specify one or more conditions under which a payment from a user is authorized, and wherein the reference is generated for a single use in making the payment;   retrieving, by the transaction authorization system and based on the reference included with the transaction request, information about the one or more conditions specified by the set of rules; and   initiating, by the transaction authorization system, a payment from the user for the transaction based on the one or more conditions specified by the set of rules, wherein the initiating includes determining that at least one of the one or more conditions specified by the set of rules are satisfied.   
     
     
         155 . The method of  claim 154  further comprising:
 before the receiving of the request for the transaction,
 receiving, by the transaction authorization system, the set of rules from a first user of the transaction authorization system; 
 generating, by the transaction authorization system, the reference based on the receiving of the set of rules; and 
 providing to the first user, by the transaction authorization system, the generated reference, and 
 
 wherein the user from whom the payment is initiated for the transaction request is the first user. 
 
     
     
         156 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the receiving of the set of rules from the first user is performed at a time of intended use by the first user of the set of rules in making the payment for the transaction, and wherein the generating of the reference is performed dynamically by the transaction authorization system for use only with that intended use. 
     
     
         157 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the receiving of the set of rules from the first user includes receiving instructions from the first user that have information corresponding to the transaction, and wherein the generating of the reference is performed dynamically by the transaction authorization system based on the received instructions for use only with that transaction. 
     
     
         158 . The method of  claim 157  wherein the generated reference is a single-use reference token. 
     
     
         159 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the receiving of the set of rules from the first user includes receiving information indicating a use count that is a quantity not more than one, and wherein the generating of the reference for the single use is performed by the transaction authorization system in accordance with the indicated use count. 
     
     
         160 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the generating of the reference includes preventing information about the first user from being included in the generated reference, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous if made available to another entity distinct from the first user and from the transaction authorization system. 
     
     
         161 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the generating of the reference includes preventing information about the first user from being accessible, from use of the generated reference, to another entity distinct from the first user and from the transaction authorization system, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous if made available to the another entity. 
     
     
         162 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the generating of the reference includes preventing information about the specified one or more conditions from being included in the generated reference, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous if made available to another entity distinct from the first user and from the transaction authorization system. 
     
     
         163 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the generating of the reference includes preventing information about the specified one or more conditions from being accessible, from use of the generated reference, to another entity distinct from the first user and from the transaction authorization system, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous if made available to the another entity. 
     
     
         164 . The method of  claim 155  wherein the receiving of the set of rules from the first user is based on invocation of a Web service interface of the transaction authorization system by a computer system associated with the first user. 
     
     
         165 . The method of  claim 154  wherein the receiving of the request is based on invocation of a Web service interface of the transaction authorization system by a computer system associated with one of the first user and a second party involved in the transaction. 
     
     
         166 . The method of  claim 154  wherein the reference is a single-use reference token. 
     
     
         167 . The method of  claim 154  wherein the received request includes a second reference associated with a second set of rules for a second user involved in the transaction, and wherein the method further comprises determining that the transaction is authorized based in part on the second set of rules being satisfied for the transaction. 
     
     
         168 . The method of  claim 167  further comprising, before the receiving of the request:
 receiving, by the transaction authorization system, the second set of rules from the second user, wherein the second set of rules specify one or more conditions under which a transaction involving the second user is authorized; and 
 providing to the second user, by the transaction authorization system, the second reference. 
 
     
     
         169 . The method of  claim 154  wherein the specified one or more conditions include a maximum payment amount, and wherein the determining that at least one of the specified one or more conditions are satisfied includes determining that the payment for the transaction does not exceed the maximum payment amount. 
     
     
         170 . The method of  claim 154  wherein the specified one or more conditions include an expiration date, and wherein the determining that at least one of the specified one or more conditions are satisfied includes determining that the expiration date has not passed at a time of the transaction. 
     
     
         171 . A system comprising:
 one or more processors of one or more computing systems that are configured to provide a transaction authorization system; and   one or more components configured to, when executed by at least one of the one or more processors:
 receive a set of rules from a first user of the transaction authorization system that specify one or more conditions for use in authorization of a potential transaction involving the first user and an associated payment; 
 generate a reference associated with the set of rules, the generating being performed to prevent information from being accessible via the generated reference to other entities distinct from the first user and from the transaction authorization system; 
 provide the generated reference for use with the potential transaction; 
 receive information about the potential transaction proceeding, the received information including the provided reference; 
 retrieve information about the set of rules based on the provided reference included in the received information about the potential transaction; and 
 initiate authorization for the potential transaction to occur based on the retrieved information about the set of rules, wherein the initiating includes determining that at least one of the specified one or more conditions of the set of rules are satisfied. 
   
     
     
         172 . The system of  claim 171  wherein the preventing of the information from being accessible to the other entities includes preventing information about the first user from being included in the generated reference, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous if made available to any of the other entities. 
     
     
         173 . The system of  claim 171  wherein the preventing of the information from being accessible to the other entities includes preventing information about the specified one or more conditions from being included in the generated reference, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous if made available to any of the other entities. 
     
     
         174 . The system of  claim 171  wherein the generated reference is a reference token, wherein the receiving of the information about the potential transaction proceeding includes receiving information about a second reference previously generated by the transaction authorization system for a second user involved in the potential transaction, and wherein the one or more components include software instructions for execution by the at least one of the one or more processors that further configure the one or more components to determine that the potential transaction is authorized based at least in part on the provided reference and on the second reference.