Multi-User Funding Sources

Abstract

A computer-implemented method includes receiving, from a processing network, a request to approve a transaction, with the request comprising identifying information of a first user who initiated the transaction and an amount of the transaction; determining, based on the identifying information of the first user, that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated among at least a first user account of the first user and a second user account of a second user; determining, based on the amount of the transaction, a first allocation amount that is allocated to the first user account and a second allocation amount that is allocated to the second user account; causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount; and transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of approval of the transaction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by one or more processing devices, comprising:
 receiving, from a processing network, a request to approve a transaction, with the request comprising identifying information of a first user who initiated the transaction and an amount of the transaction;   determining, based on the identifying information of the first user, that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated among at least a first user account of the first user and a second user account of a second user;   determining, based on the amount of the transaction, a first allocation amount that is allocated to the first user account and a second allocation amount that is allocated to the second user account;   causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount; and   transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of approval of the transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein determining that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated comprises:
 identifying a virtual tab that is opened by the first user and that is associated with the transaction.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction is initiated by a funding source payment card to promote funding the transaction with multi-user funding sources; and
 wherein the multi-user funding sources comprise the first user account and the second user account.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processing devices automatically perform, in real-time and independent of a request from the first user, the operation of determining that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated and the operation of determining the first and second allocation amounts. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a first geographic location of the first user;   determining a second geographic location of the second user; and   determining a match between the first geographic location and the second geographic location;   wherein causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount comprises:
 in response to the determined match, causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount. 
   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a first geographic location of the first user;   determining a second geographic location of the second user;   determining a mismatch between the first geographic location and the second geographic location; and   in response to the determined mismatch, transmitting, to a client device associated with the second user, a message requesting authorization to charge the second allocation amount to the second user account of the second user.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the transaction comprises one or more of a credit card transaction and a debit card transaction. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount comprises:
 accessing information indicative of a first payment card associated with the first user account and information indicative of a second payment card associated with the second user account;   charging the first payment card the first allocation amount; and   charging the second payment card the second allocation amount.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein a payment card comprises one or more of a credit card and a debit card. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount comprises:
 accessing information indicative of a first payment card associated with the first user account and information indicative of a second payment card associated with the second user account;   transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of a first card number for the first payment card and the first allocation amount;   transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of a second card number for the second payment card and the second allocation amount;   causing, based on transmission of the first and second card numbers and the first and second allocation amounts, a third payment card that initiated the transaction to be loaded with funds for the transaction, with the third payment card being associated with the first user account; and   for the second payment card,
 causing a charge to be processed to the second payment card for the second allocation amount, with the processed charge being credited to the first user account. 
   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein the first payment card and the third payment card comprise a same payment card. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount comprises:
 accessing information indicative of a first payment card associated with the first user account and information indicative of a second payment card associated with the second user account;   transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of a first card number and the first allocation for processing of the first allocation amount by the processing network; and   transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of a second card number and the second allocation amount for processing of the second allocation amount by the processing network.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount comprises:
 accessing information indicative of a first payment card associated with the first user account and information indicative of a second payment card associated with the second user account;   charging the first payment card the first allocation amount;   charging the second payment card the second allocation amount; and   transmitting, to the processing network, information to activate a third payment card that initiated the transaction and instructions for the third payment card that initiated the transaction to remain active until the transaction is complete, with the third payment card that initiated the transaction being associated with the first user account.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first payment card and the third payment card comprise a same payment card. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount comprises:
 accessing information indicative of a first payment card associated with the first user account and information indicative of a second payment card associated with the second user account;   receiving information specifying a re-allocation of at least a portion of one or more of the first and second allocation amounts to one or more of the first user account and the second user account;   determining, based on the received information specifying the re-allocation, a first re-allocation amount for the first user account and a second re-allocation amount for the second user account; and   causing the first payment card to be charged the first re-allocation amount; and   causing the second payment card to be charged the second re-allocation amount.   
     
     
         16 . One or more machine-readable hardware storage devices storing instructions that are executable by one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a processing network, a request to approve a transaction, with the request comprising identifying information of a first user who initiated the transaction and an amount of the transaction;   determining, based on the identifying information of the first user, that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated among at least a first user account of the first user and a second user account of a second user;   determining, based on the amount of the transaction, a first allocation amount that is allocated to the first user account and a second allocation amount that is allocated to the second user account;   causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount; and   transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of approval of the transaction.   
     
     
         17 . The one or more machine-readable hardware storage of  claim 16 , wherein determining that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated comprises:
 identifying a virtual tab that is opened by the first user and that is associated with the transaction.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more machine-readable hardware storage of  claim 16 , wherein the transaction is initiated by a funding source payment card to promote funding the transaction with multi-user funding sources; and
 wherein the multi-user funding sources comprise the first user account and the second user account.   
     
     
         19 . An electronic system comprising:
 one or more processing devices; and   one or more machine-readable hardware storage devices storing instructions that are executable by the one or more processing devices to perform operations comprising:   receiving, from a processing network, a request to approve a transaction, with the request comprising identifying information of a first user who initiated the transaction and an amount of the transaction;   determining, based on the identifying information of the first user, that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated among at least a first user account of the first user and a second user account of a second user;   determining, based on the amount of the transaction, a first allocation amount that is allocated to the first user account and a second allocation amount that is allocated to the second user account;   causing the first user account to be charged the first allocation amount and the second user account to be charged the second allocation amount; and   transmitting, to the processing network, information indicative of approval of the transaction.   
     
     
         20 . The electronic system of  claim 19 , wherein determining that the amount of the transaction is to be allocated comprises:
 identifying a virtual tab that is opened by the first user and that is associated with the transaction.