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 communication device associated with a user;   accessing, by the server device, user item preferences for the user;   accessing, by the server device, merchant parameters for a plurality of merchants, wherein the merchant parameters comprise information for distribution of a list of items for sale from each of the plurality of merchants;   determining, by the server device, one of the plurality of merchants having merchant parameters matching the user item preferences;   determining, by the server device, a radius of coverage for the one of the plurality of merchants using a second communication device associated with the one of the plurality of merchant;   determining, by the server device, whether the geo-location of the first communication device is within the radius of coverage of the one of the plurality of merchants; and   providing, by the server device, the list of items for sale from the one of the plurality of merchants to the first communication device when the first communication device is within the radius of coverage of the one of the plurality of merchants.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving at least one release parameter from the user via the first communication device, wherein the at least one release parameter allows release of geo-location information from the first communication device to the server device; and   receiving at least one coverage parameter from the one of the plurality of merchants via the second communication device, wherein the at least one coverage parameter identifies the radius of coverage selected by the one of the plurality of merchants.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 verifying a first identity of the user based on user information obtained from the first communication device; and   verifying a second identity of the one of the plurality of merchants based on merchant information obtained from the second communication device.   
     
     
         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 communication device; and   processing the purchase request on behalf of the user and the one of the plurality of merchants.   
     
     
         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 one of the plurality of merchants, 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 one of the plurality of merchants.   
     
     
         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 one of the plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         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 one of the plurality of merchants. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one of the plurality of merchants is a trusted merchant of the user, and wherein the trusted merchant comprises a merchant designated to receive the geo-location of the user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the second communication device comprises a personal computer at a merchant location. 
     
     
         13 . A system comprising:
 a non-transitory memory storing user item preferences and merchant parameters; and   at least one hardware processor in communication with the non-transitory memory and configured to:
 determine a geo-location of a first communication device associated with a user; 
 access the user item preferences for the user; 
 access the merchant parameters for a plurality of merchants, wherein the merchant parameters comprise information for distribution of a list of items for sale from each of the plurality of merchants; 
 determine one of the plurality of merchants having merchant parameters matching the user item preferences; 
 determine a radius of coverage for the one of the plurality of merchants using a second communication device associated with the one of the plurality of merchant; 
 determine whether the geo-location of the first communication device is within the radius of coverage of the one of the plurality of merchants; and 
 provide the list of items for sale from the one of the plurality of merchants to the first communication device when the first communication device is within the radius of coverage of the one of the plurality of merchants. 
   
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the at least one hardware processor is further configured to:
 receive at least one release parameter from the user via the first communication device, wherein the at least one release parameter allows release of geo-location information from the first communication device to the server device; and   receive at least one coverage parameter from the one of the plurality of merchants via the second communication device, wherein the at least one coverage parameter identifies the radius of coverage selected by the one of the plurality of merchants.   
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the at least one release parameter 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 one of the plurality of merchants 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 one of the plurality of merchants and distributed by the one of the plurality of merchants 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 communication device associated with a user;   accessing user item preferences for the user;   accessing merchant parameters for a plurality of merchants, wherein the merchant parameters comprise information for distribution of a list of items for sale from each of the plurality of merchants;   determining one of the plurality of merchants having merchant parameters matching the user item preferences;   determining a radius of coverage for the one of the plurality of merchants using a second communication device associated with the one of the plurality of merchant;   determining whether the geo-location of the first communication device is within the radius of coverage of the one of the plurality of merchants; and   providing the list of items for sale from the one of the plurality of merchants to the first communication device when the first communication device is within the radius of coverage of the one of the plurality of merchants.