Charge-for-service near field communication transactions

Abstract

A method for purchasing a value item using near field communication (NFC) includes placing a NFC enabled data communication device of a buyer of the item in close proximity to a NFC enabled data communication device of a seller of the item, the devices being interoperable to establish a NFC communication link between the devices when placed in close proximity to each other, transferring a request for payment for the item from the seller's device to the buyer's device via the NFC link, and transmitting the payment request, together a buyer's authorization therefor, to a third party service provider via a network. In response to receipt of the transmission, the service provider transfers money in an amount equal to the purchase price of the item from a funding account of the buyer to a receiving account of the seller, and optionally, can send the parties a message confirming the transfer.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An electronic payment method for facilitating purchase and transfer of a value item, the method comprising:
 in response to detecting a first tap at a user device, establishing a near field communication (NFC) link by the user device with a merchant device;   receiving, at the user device, a transaction request from the merchant device via the NFC link;   displaying, at the user device, information corresponding to the received transaction request;   creating, at the user device, a payment request based on the received transaction request;   in response to detecting a second tap at the user device, transmitting the payment request by the user device to a payment provider system via a communication channel that is distinct from the NFC link, wherein the payment request is configured to cause the payment provider system to transfer funds from an account associated with the user device to an account associated with the merchant device; and   receiving, at the user device, information corresponding to the value item.   
     
     
         2 . The electronic payment method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving information corresponding to the value item includes receiving a transmission of the value item. 
     
     
         3 . The electronic payment method of  claim 1 , wherein the receiving information corresponding to the value item includes receiving information for unlocking use of the value item. 
     
     
         4 . The electronic payment method of  claim 3 , further comprising receiving at the user device, in response to the first tap, a locked version of the value item. 
     
     
         5 . The electronic payment method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the displaying the information corresponding to the received transaction request includes displaying an option to enter modifications to the displayed information; and   the creating the payment request based on the received transaction request is further based on the modifications.   
     
     
         6 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a plurality of machine-readable instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of one, the other, or both of a communication device of a user and a communication device of a seller, are adapted to cause one, the other or both of the devices to perform a method comprising:
 in response to detecting a first tap between the user device and the merchant device, establishing a near field communication (NFC) link between the user device and the merchant device;   receiving, at the user device, a transaction request from the merchant device via the NFC link;   displaying, at the user device, information corresponding to the received transaction request;   generating, at the user device, a payment authorization based on the received transaction request;   in response to receiving a user authorization at the user device, transmitting the payment authorization by the user device to a payment provider system via a communication channel different from the NFC link, the payment authorization being configured to cause the payment provider system to effect a transfer of funds from an account associated with the user to an account associated with the merchant; and   receiving a value item at the user device.   
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the receiving a user authorization comprises detecting a second tap between the user device and the merchant device. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the transaction request comprises at least one of the group consisting of an identity of the merchant, phone number, an address, a receiving account identity and a price of the value item. 
     
     
         9 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the payment authorization comprises at least one of the group consisting of an identity of the user, a password, a personal identification number (PIN), a phone number, an address, a payment funding account identity and an amount of funds to be transferred. 
     
     
         10 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 6 , wherein the method further comprises receiving, at one, the other, or both the user device and the merchant device, a message from the payment provider system confirming the transfer of funds. 
     
     
         11 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the value item is received in a locked form, and   the method further comprises transmitting, from the merchant device to the user device, information for unlocking use of the value item.   
     
     
         12 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein the transmitting information for unlocking use of the value item is in response to the receiving, at the merchant device, the message from the payment provider system confirming the transfer of funds. 
     
     
         13 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 7 , wherein the value item is received after the first tap, the second tap or after receiving, at one, the other, or both the user device and the merchant device, a message from the payment provider system confirming the transfer of funds. 
     
     
         14 . A method, comprising:
 causing a first tap between a buyer's communication device and a seller's communication device, the first tap being effective to:
 establish a near field communication (NFC) link between the buyer's communication device and the seller's communication device; and 
 transmit an offer of sale of a value item from the seller's communication device to the buyer's communication device via the NFC link; 
   creating, on the buyer's communication device, a payment authorization based on the offer of sale;   causing a second tap between the buyer's communication device and the seller's communication device, the second tap being effective to:
 transmit the payment authorization by the user device to a payment provider via a communication channel that is distinct from the NFC link, the payment authorization being effective to cause the payment provider to effect a transfer of funds from an account associated with the buyer to an account associated with the seller; and 
   receiving information relating to the value item at the buyer's communication device.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the receiving information relating to the value item includes receiving a transmission of the value item. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the receiving information relating to the value item includes receiving information for unlocking use of the value item. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising receiving, at the buyer's communication device, in response to the first tap, a locked version of the value item. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising displaying information relating to the offer of sale on the buyer's communication device, wherein the displaying includes displaying an option to enter modifications to the offer of sale, and the creating is further based on the modifications. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least a portion of the communication channel that is distinct from the NFC link is wireless. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising receiving, at one, the other, or both the buyer's communication device and the seller's communication device, a message from the payment provider confirming the transfer of funds.