System and method for location based mobile commerce

Abstract

In accordance with one or more embodiments of the present disclosure, a method for facilitating financial transactions over a network includes communicating with a user via a first mobile communication device over the network, obtaining a geo-location of the first mobile communication device, communicating with a merchant via a second mobile communication device over the network, obtaining a radius of coverage for the second mobile communication device, determining whether the geo-location of the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the second mobile communication device, and providing a listing to the first mobile communication device of one or more items for sale by the merchant when the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the second mobile communication device.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 determining, by a server device, a geo-location of a first mobile communication device associated with a user;   accessing, by the server device, user item preferences for the user;   determining, by the server device, a plurality of merchants having merchant parameters matching the user item preferences, wherein the user item preferences comprise information for distribution of a list of items for sale from each of the plurality of merchants;   determining, by the server device, a trusted merchant of the plurality of merchants based on an election to release the geo-location to the trusted merchant by the user;   determining, by the server device, a radius of coverage for the trusted merchant using a communication device associated with the trusted merchant;   determining, by the server device, whether the geo-location of the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the trusted merchant; and   providing, by the server device, the list of items for sale from the trusted merchant to the first mobile communication device when the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the trusted merchant.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving the election to release the geo-location to the trusted merchant from the user via the first mobile communication device; and   receiving at least one coverage parameter from the trusted merchant, wherein the at least one coverage parameter identifies the radius of coverage selected by the trusted merchant.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 verifying a first identity of the user based on user information obtained from the first mobile communication device; and   verifying a second identity of the trusted merchant based on merchant information obtained from a second communication device of the trusted merchant.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a purchase request for at least one item on the list of items for sale from the user via the first mobile communication device; and   processing the purchase request on behalf of the user and the trusted merchant.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 maintaining at least one first account for the user and at least one second account for the trusted merchant, wherein the at least first account includes first account information related to the user and the at least one second account includes second account information related to the trusted merchant.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first account information comprises first private financial information of the user and wherein the second account information comprises second private financial information for the trusted merchant. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first account information and the second account information comprises at least account number, password, credit card information, and banking information. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the geo-location comprises information related to at least one of a zip-code and GPS coordinates including longitude and latitude coordinates. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the radius of coverage comprises information related to at least one of an area of at least one zip-code and an area of a plurality of GPS coordinates including longitude and latitude coordinates. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the list of items for sale comprises products and services offered for sale by the each of the plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first mobile communication device comprises a mobile cellular phone. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the trusted merchant utilized a second communication device comprising a personal computer at a merchant location to communicate the items for sale to at least one of the server device and the first mobile communication device. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a non-transitory memory storing user item preferences; and   at least one hardware processor in communication with the non-transitory memory and configured to:
 determine a geo-location of a first mobile communication device associated with a user; 
 access the user item preferences for the user; 
 determining a plurality of merchants having merchant parameters matching the user item preferences, wherein the user item preferences comprise information for distribution of a list of items for sale from each of the plurality of merchants; 
 determine a trusted merchant of the plurality of merchants based on an election to release the geo-location to the trusted merchant by the user; 
 determine a radius of coverage for the trusted merchant using a communication device associated with the trusted merchant; 
 determine whether the geo-location of the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the trusted merchant; and 
 provide the list of items for sale from the trusted merchant to the first mobile communication device when the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the trusted merchant. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:
 receive the election to release the geo-location to the trusted merchant from the user via the first mobile communication device; and   receive at least one coverage parameter from the trusted merchant via a second communication device for the trusted merchant, wherein the at least one coverage parameter identifies the radius of coverage selected by the trusted merchant.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the election to release the geo-location is one of manually set by the user and automatically generated based on preferred merchants of the user. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the geo-location of the user is dynamic. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the geo-location of the user is manually set as at least one of a zip code and a plurality of GPS coordinates including longitude and latitude coordinates. 
     
     
         18 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the radius of coverage for the trusted merchant is optimized based on at least one of the geo-location of the user and the user item preferences. 
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 13 , the list of items for sale is one of automatically distributed by the trusted merchant and distributed by the trusted merchant based on the user item preferences. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising executable modules which, in response to execution by a server device, cause the server device to perform a method comprising:
 determining a geo-location of a first mobile communication device associated with a user;   accessing user item preferences for the user;   determining a plurality of merchants having merchant parameters matching the user item preferences, wherein the user item preferences comprise information for distribution of a list of items for sale from each of the plurality of merchants;   determining a trusted merchant of the plurality of merchants based on an election to release the geo-location to the trusted merchant by the user;   determining a radius of coverage for the trusted merchant using a communication device associated with the trusted merchant;   determining whether the geo-location of the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the trusted merchant; and   providing the list of items for sale from the trusted merchant to the first mobile communication device when the first mobile communication device is within the radius of coverage of the trusted merchant.