Text payment system

Abstract

Systems and methods are disclosed to facilitate payment of a restaurant bill via text message. For example, a text message having a restaurant bill code may be sent from a customer device to an MPS phone number. A restaurant network address may be extracted for a restaurant computing system. A query may be sent to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant network address with the restaurant bill code. In response, the restaurant computing system may send restaurant bill data that includes least one restaurant menu item, a price for the at least one restaurant menu item, and a total bill amount. A unique URL may be created that when entered into a web browser presents a webpage that includes at least the restaurant bill data. The unique URL may be used by the customer to pay the restaurant bill.

That which is claimed: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a server, a message from a customer device via a first network, wherein the first network includes a text message network, wherein the message is received from the customer device having a customer phone number, wherein the message is sent to an MPS phone number, and wherein the message comprises a restaurant bill code;   extracting restaurant bill retrieval information for a restaurant associated with the MPS phone number;   requesting via a second network restaurant bill data for the specific restaurant using the restaurant bill retrieval information and the restaurant bill code;   receiving restaurant bill data at the server via the second network, the restaurant bill data including at least one restaurant menu item, a price for the at least one restaurant menu item, and a total bill amount;   creating a unique URL that when entered into a web browser presents a webpage that includes at least the restaurant bill data and a customer-interactive credit card payment field;   sending the unique URL to the customer device via the customer phone number via the first network;   receiving credit card information from the customer device via the second network, wherein the credit card information is entered via the webpage; and   sending the credit card information to a credit card processing system via the second network.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising sending a confirmation code to the customer device indicating that the transaction has been completed successfully. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the credit card processing system comprises at least in part the restaurant computing system. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the credit card processing system comprises a third-party credit card processing system. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first network and the second network include at least one common communication network. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the second network does not include a text message network. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving geolocation data from the customer device; and   sending the geolocation data to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant bill retrieval information.   
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending the customer phone number to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant bill retrieval information via the second network.   
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the webpage includes a customer-interactive code entry field, wherein the method further comprises:
 sending a verification code to the customer device via the first network;   receiving a customer-entered verification code from the customer device via the webpage; and   sending the verification code and the customer-entered verification code to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant bill retrieval information via the second network.   
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending the customer phone number to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant bill retrieval information via the second network.   
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the webpage includes a signature entry field; the method further comprising:
 receiving a signature from the customer device via the webpage; and   sending the signature to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant bill retrieval information via the second network.   
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a photograph from the customer device via the second network or the first network; and   sending the photograph to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant bill retrieval information via the second network.   
     
     
         13 . A method comprising:
 receiving restaurant bill data from a restaurant computer system that includes at least one restaurant menu item, a price for the at least one restaurant menu item, a total bill amount, and a restaurant bill code;   storing the restaurant bill data in a database in relation to a restaurant bill code;   receiving a text message from a customer phone number, directed to an MPS phone number, and having a restaurant bill code;   extracting the restaurant bill data from the database using the restaurant bill code;   creating a unique URL that when entered into a web browser presents a webpage that includes at least the restaurant bill data and a customer-interactive credit card payment field;   sending the unique URL to the customer device via the customer phone number;   receiving credit card information from the customer device, wherein the credit card information is entered via the webpage; and   sending the credit card information to a credit card processing system.   
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the restaurant bill data is extracted from the database using the restaurant bill code and the MPS phone number. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising finding a restaurant identifier based on the MPS phone number; and wherein the restaurant bill data is extracted from the database using a restaurant identifier. 
     
     
         16 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein:
 the text message is received via a network that includes a text message network;   the unique URL is sent to the customer device via the network that includes the text message network;   the restaurant bill data is received via a computer network that does not include a text message network; and   the credit card information is received via the computer network.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 13 , wherein the webpage includes a signature entry field; the method further comprising:
 receiving a signature from the customer device via the webpage; and   sending the signature to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant network address via the second network.   
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving geolocation data from the customer device; and   sending the geolocation data to the restaurant computing system using the restaurant network address.   
     
     
         19 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a text payment server, a message from a text message gateway, wherein the message is sent from a customer phone number as a text message to an MPS phone number, the message including a restaurant bill code, the customer phone number, and an MPS phone number;   extracting restaurant information and restaurant bill retrieval information for a restaurant associated with the MPS phone number;   creating a unique URL associated with the restaurant bill code and the restaurant information;   sending a request to the text message gateway to send the unique URL to the customer phone number as a text message;   requesting restaurant bill data for the restaurant associated with the MPS phone number using the restaurant bill retrieval information, and the restaurant bill code;   receiving restaurant bill data that includes at least one restaurant menu item, a price for the at least one restaurant menu item, and a total bill amount;   receiving an HTTP request from a customer device for a webpage associated with the unique URL;   providing a webpage with the restaurant bill data and one or more payment fields;   receiving payment information; and   sending the payment information to the restaurant.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , wherein the webpage includes a tip entry field, and wherein payment information includes a tip amount and/or a total payment amount.