Performing automatically authorized programmatic transactions

Abstract

Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between computing systems, such as by performing transactions between parties that are automatically authorized via a third-party transaction authorization system. In some situations, the transactions are programmatic transactions involving the use of fee-based Web services by executing application programs, with the transaction authorization system authorizing and/or providing payments in accordance with private authorization instructions previously specified by the parties. The authorization instructions may include predefined instruction rule sets that regulate conditions under which a potential transaction can be authorized, with the instruction rule sets each referenced by an associated reference token. After one or more of the parties to a potential transaction supply reference tokens for the parties, the transaction authorization system can determine whether to authorize the transaction based on whether the instruction rule sets associated with the reference tokens are compatible or otherwise satisfied.

1 - 174 . (canceled) 
     
     
         175 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving, by one or more configured computing systems providing a transaction authorization system, and from a client device of a user of the transaction authorization system, instructions from the user regarding one or more conditions under which a payment from a bank account of the user is to be automatically authorized during a later single use, wherein the later single use is not identified or initiated at a time of the receiving;   generating, by the one or more configured computing systems and in response to the instructions, a reference that is enabled to later authorize the payment for the later single use if the one or more conditions are satisfied for the later single use, wherein the generating of the reference includes preventing any information from being included in the reference that is associated with the bank account or with the user or with the one or more conditions;   storing, by the one or more configured computing systems, information about the reference in association with the user and with the one or more conditions and with information about the bank account, and providing, via one or more first electronic communications sent over one or more computer networks to the client device, the reference to the user for the later single use;   receiving, by the one or more configured computing systems at a later time after the providing of the reference to the user, a request from the user that is for a transaction having an indicated payment and that includes the reference without any other information associated with the bank account or with the one or more conditions or with the user;   retrieving, by the one or more configured computing systems and based on the reference included with the request, the stored information about the one or more conditions and about the user and about the bank account, and determining that at least one of the one or more conditions are satisfied for the transaction to authorize the indicated payment as the later single use; and   initiating, by the transaction authorization system based on the determining, and via one or more second electronic communications sent over the one or more computer networks, an Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) transfer for the indicated payment from the bank account based on the one or more conditions.   
     
     
         176 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the determining that the at least one condition is satisfied for the transaction further includes confirming, at the later time, an identity of the user, and authorizing use of the generated reference to make the indicated payment based at least in part on the confirming. 
     
     
         177 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the determining that the at least one condition is satisfied for the transaction further includes confirming, at the later time, authorization of the user to use the generated reference, and authorizing use of the generated reference to make the indicated payment based at least in part on the confirming. 
     
     
         178 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 177  wherein the receiving of the instructions from the user include receiving one or more rules from the user that include the one or more conditions, and wherein the confirming of the authorization of the user is specified by one of the rules and is performed as part of evaluating the one rule while determining that the at least one conditions are satisfied. 
     
     
         179 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the determining that the at least one conditions are satisfied for the transaction further includes interacting, at the later time, with the user to obtain additional information, and authorizing use of the generated reference to make the indicated payment based at least in part on the obtaining of the additional information. 
     
     
         180 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the determining that the at least one condition is satisfied for the transaction further includes confirming, at the later time, validity of the bank account of the user, and authorizing use of the generated reference to make the indicated payment based at least in part on the confirming. 
     
     
         181 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the generating of the reference further includes preventing information about the user from being accessible, during the later use, to another entity distinct from the user and from the transaction authorization system, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous to the another entity. 
     
     
         182 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the generating of the reference further includes preventing information about the specified one or more conditions from being accessible, during use of the generated reference, to another entity distinct from the user and from the transaction authorization system, to enable the generated reference to be anonymous to the another entity. 
     
     
         183 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the transaction authorization system provides a Web service interface for use by users of the transaction authorization system, and wherein at least one of the receiving of the instructions from the user or the receiving of the request is based on invocation of the Web service interface by a computer system associated with the user. 
     
     
         184 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the received request includes a second reference associated with a second set of conditions for a second user involved in the transaction, and wherein the method further comprises determining that the transaction is authorized based in part on the second set of conditions being satisfied for the transaction and on the at least one condition being satisfied. 
     
     
         185 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 175  wherein the one or more conditions include at least one of a maximum payment amount or an expiration date, and wherein the determining that at least one condition is satisfied includes determining at least one of that the indicated payment does not exceed the maximum payment amount or that the expiration date has not passed at the later time. 
     
     
         186 . A system comprising:
 one or more hardware processors of one or more computing systems; and   one or more memories with stored instructions that, when executed by at least one of the one or more hardware processors, cause the at least one hardware processor to provide a transaction authorization system, the providing of the transaction authorization system including:
 generating, at a first time for a user of the transaction authorization system, a reference for a single use in authorizing a payment from a bank account of the user if one or more specified conditions are satisfied, wherein the reference lacks any information about the bank account or about the user or about the one or more conditions; 
 storing information that is associated with the reference about the user and the one or more conditions and the bank account, and providing the reference to the user; 
 receiving a request from the user that is for a transaction and that includes the reference, wherein the request lacks any information specific to the bank account; 
 retrieving, based on the reference included with the request, the stored information associated with the reference, and determining that a payment for the transaction is authorized based at least in part on the retrieved information, the determining including identifying at a time of the request that at least one condition of the one or more conditions is satisfied for the transaction and including confirming at the time of the request at least one of an identity of the user or authorization of the user to use the token; and 
 initiating, based on the determining that the payment is authorized, an Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) transfer from the bank account of the payment for the transaction. 
   
     
     
         187 . The system of  claim 186  wherein the determining that the payment is authorized includes confirming the identity of the user and the authorization of the user to use the reference, and includes authorizing use of the reference to make the ACH transfer of the payment. 
     
     
         188 . The system of  claim 186  wherein the determining that the payment is authorized further includes interacting, at the time of the request, with the user to obtain additional information, and authorizing use of the reference to make the ACH transfer of the payment based at least in part on the obtaining of the additional information. 
     
     
         189 . The system of  claim 186  wherein the generating of the reference further includes receiving information about the transaction and performing the generating of the reference for use in authorizing the transaction as the single use. 
     
     
         190 . The system of  claim 186  wherein the received request includes a second reference associated with a second group of one or more conditions for a second user involved in the transaction, and wherein the stored instructions further cause the at least one hardware processor to, as part of determining that the payment is authorized, determine that the one or more conditions of the second group are satisfied for the transaction. 
     
     
         191 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored contents that cause a computing system associated with a transaction authorization system to at least:
 receive, by the computing system, a request from a user of the transaction authorization system that is for a transaction and that includes a reference associated with a bank account of the user, wherein the reference and the request lack any information specific to the bank account;   retrieve, by the computing system based on the reference included with the transaction request, previously stored information associated with the reference that identifies the bank account and that includes one or more specified conditions under which a payment from the bank account is authorized;   determine, by the computing system, that the payment is authorized based at least in part on the retrieved information, the determining including identifying that at least one condition of the one or more specified conditions is satisfied at a time of the determining and including confirming at the time of the determining at least one of an identity of the user or authorization of the user to use the reference; and   initiate, by the computing system and based on the determining that the payment is authorized, and via one or more electronic communications sent over one or more computer networks, an Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) transfer from the bank account of the payment for the transaction.   
     
     
         192 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 191  wherein the stored contents include software instructions that, when executed, cause the computing system to, before the receiving of the request and in response to instructions from the user, generate the reference for later use without including any information associated with the bank account in the reference, store the information associated with the reference and provide the reference to the user for later use. 
     
     
         193 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 191  wherein the determining that the payment is authorized includes confirming the identity of the user and the authorization of the user to use the reference. 
     
     
         194 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 191  wherein the determining that the payment is authorized further includes interacting, at the time of the determining, with the user to obtain additional information, and performing the determining that the payment is authorized based at least in part on the obtaining of the additional information.