Digital currency purchasing flows

Abstract

A social networking system leverages information obtained regarding user interactions with applications hosted through the social networking system as well as information obtained regarding purchases of application-related digital items and digital currencies to provide insight into user behavior. The social networking system can use these insights to enhance the user's experience of the applications, purchases, and the social networking system generally. For example, the social networking system can customize transaction flows, provide credit referrals, and provide users with aggregated yet personally tailored sales information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving transaction information for a plurality of users of a social networking system from a plurality of applications interfacing with the social networking system, the transaction information comprising historical purchase data for items purchased by the users;   receiving a request from an interfacing application for a transaction flow for a user, the transaction flow comprising at least one interaction requesting user input to complete the transaction;   determining the user's experience with transactions based on the transaction information;   determining, by a computer processor, the transaction flow from a plurality of different transaction flows comprising differing interactions to complete the transaction, the determined transaction flow based on the user's experience with transactions; and   sending the determined transaction flow to the interfacing application;   receiving a transaction request for the user from the interfacing application;   processing the transaction request; and   sending the interfacing application a confirmation responsive to the transaction request being processed.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction information comprises at least one of information regarding the user's purchases of digital currency and purchase data for digital items. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining the user's experience with transactions is further based on a profile of the user maintained by the social networking system. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the transaction request is a purchase of an item for a second user connected to the user within the social networking system, and wherein determined transaction flow comprises an altered price of the item as a result of the connection between the user and the second user. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is inexperienced with transactions, wherein the determined transaction flow comprises a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions comprising educational material regarding transactions. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is inexperienced with transactions, wherein the determined transaction flow comprises a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions enables the user to complete the transaction by spending either digital currency or real-world currency. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is experienced with digital item transactions, and wherein the determined transaction flow comprises only a single interaction, and wherein the transaction is processed using digital currency. 
     
     
         8 . A method comprising:
 receiving transaction information for a plurality of users, the transaction information comprising historical purchase data for items purchased by the users;   receiving a transaction request for a user;   determining the user's experience with transactions based on the transaction information;   determining, by a computer processor, a transaction flow from a plurality of different transaction flows, each transaction flow comprising one or more interactions requesting user input to complete the transaction, the determined transaction flow based on the user's experience with transactions; and   processing the transaction request by:
 providing the one or more interactions of the determined transaction flow, 
 receiving user input responsive to each provided interaction, and 
 processing instructions to debit a cost based on the received user input. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the transaction information comprises at least one of information regarding the user's purchases of digital currency and purchase data for digital items. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein determining the user's experience with transactions is further based on a profile of the user maintained by a social networking system. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the transaction request is a purchase of an item for a second user connected to the user within the social networking system, and wherein determined transaction flow comprises an altered price of the item as a result of the connection between the user and the second user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is inexperienced with transactions, wherein the determined transaction flow comprises a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions comprising educational material regarding transactions. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is inexperienced with transactions, wherein the determined transaction flow comprises a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions enables the user to complete the transaction by spending either digital currency or real-world currency. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is experienced with digital item transactions, and wherein the determined transaction flow comprises only a single interaction, and wherein the transaction is processed using digital currency. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 receiving a transaction request from a user of the social networking system to initiate a transaction to purchase an item;   obtaining transaction information for the user from a social networking system, the transaction information comprising purchase data for items purchased by the user;   determining the user's experience with transactions based on the obtained transaction information;   determining, by a computer processor, a transaction flow from a plurality of different transaction flows comprising differing interactions requesting user input to complete the transaction, the determined transaction flow based on the user's experience with digital item transactions; and   communicating with the social networking system to complete the transaction using the determined transaction flow.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining the user's experience comprises receiving an indication of the user's experience from the social networking system. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the transaction information comprises purchase data from a plurality of other applications interfacing with the social networking system. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the transaction information comprises at least one of information regarding the user's purchases of digital currency and purchase data for digital items. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the transaction request is a purchase of an item for a second user connected to the user within the social networking system, and wherein determined transaction flow comprises an altered price of the item as a result of the connection between the user and the second user. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is inexperienced with transactions, wherein the determined transaction flow comprises a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions comprising educational material regarding transactions. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is inexperienced with transactions, wherein the determined transaction flow comprises a plurality of interactions, at least one of the interactions enables the user to complete the transaction by spending either digital currency or real-world currency. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the user's experience indicates that the user is experienced with digital item transactions, and wherein the determined transaction flow comprises only a single interaction, and wherein the transaction is processed using digital currency.