Group travel system in an online marketplace

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for receiving from a first computing device associated with a first user, a request to register a group trip comprising at least one trip item, the request including parameters for the group trip, and receiving authorization from a second computing device associated with a second user to be included in the group trip. The systems and method further providing for receiving from the first computing device, a request to book a trip item for the group trip, approving the request to book the trip item for the group trip based on determining that the trip item meets the parameters for the group trip, and automatically charging a payment device associated with the first user and a payment device associated with the second user according to the parameters related to the group trip.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 receiving, by a server computing system in an online marketplace from a first computing device associated with a first user, a request to register a group trip for an accommodation, the request including parameters for the group trip and contact information for a second user to be part of the group trip;   sending, by the server computing system in the online marketplace, notification to a second computing device associated with the received contact information of the second user to request approval to include the second user in the group trip, authorization for a transaction that falls into the parameters for the group trip, and a request for a payment method;   receiving, by the server computing system in the online marketplace, authorization from the second computing device to be included in the group trip;   sending, by the server computing system in the online marketplace, a notification to the first computing device associated with the first user that the second user has been verified and has agreed to authorize transactions associated with the group trip;   accessing, by the server system in the online marketplace, one or more data stores to determine for the accommodation and the parameters for the group trip, the details for the accommodation comprising a reservation date range for the accommodation, a total cost of the reservation for the accommodation, a number of rooms of the accommodation, and amenities of the accommodation;   comparing, by the server computing system in the online marketplace, the reservation date range for the accommodation, the total cost of the reservation for the accommodation, the number of rooms of the accommodation, and the amenities of the accommodation to the parameters for the group trip to determine whether the details in the listing for the accommodation fall into the parameters for the group trip;   based on determining that the details in the listing for the accommodation fall into the parameters for the group trip, performing, in near-real time from receiving a request to book the accommodation for the group trip, operations comprising:
 approving, by the server computing system in the online marketplace, the request to book the accommodation for the group trip; 
 instantaneously charging, by the server computing system in the online marketplace, a payment device associated with the first user and a payment device associated with the second user according to the parameters for the group trip indicating an amount of split cost for the group trip; and 
 sending, by the server computing system in the online marketplace, a confirmation notification to the first computing device and to the second computing device confirming booking of the accommodation; and 
   based on determining that the details in the listing for the accommodation do not fall into the parameters for the group trip, denying the request to book the accommodation for the group trip.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a cancelation request from the first computing device associated with the first user or the second computing device associated with the second user to cancel the accommodation;   analyzing a cancelation policy associated with the accommodation to determine whether the accommodation may be canceled;   canceling the trip item based on determining that the accommodation may be canceled according to the cancelation policy; and   refunding the amount charged to the first user and the second user based on the parameters for the group trip.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein before canceling the trip item, the server computing system sends a request to a computing device associated with the user that did not send the cancelation request for approval from the user that did not send the cancelation request and only after receiving approval from computing device associated with the user that did not send the cancelation request does the server computing system cancel the trip item. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the group trip further comprises a third user, and the method further comprises:
 receiving a cancelation request from the second computing device associated with the second user to cancel a spot reserved for the trip item for only the second user;   analyzing the parameters for the group trip to determine the cancelation policy for the group trip;   determining, that the cancelation policy for the group trip allows the second user to cancel the spot reserved for the accommodation for only the second user;   canceling the spot reserved for the accommodation only for the second user;   refunding the amount charged the second user; and   automatically charging the first user and the third user for the remaining balance of the trip item based on the parameters for the group trip.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the request to register for the group trip further comprises contact information for a third user to be part of the group trip, and further comprising:
 receiving authorization from a third computing device associated with the third user to be included in the group trip, the authorization comprising an alteration to the parameters for the group trip comprising an alteration to the amount of split cost for each user;   sending a request for approval of the alternation to the parameters to the first computing device associated with the first user and the second computing device associated with the second user;   receiving a denial of the alteration from at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device; and   based on the received denial, not approving the alteration to the parameters of the group trip.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 verifying the third user as a trustworthy user; and   sending a notification to the first computing device associated with the first user and the second computing device associated with the second user that the third user has been verified.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first user is designated to book an accommodation for the group trip and the second user is not designated to book an accommodation for the group trip. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving a request to book a second accommodation for the group trip from the second computing device associated with the second user; and   denying the request based on determining that the second user is not designated to book at accommodation for the group trip.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the parameters of the group trip further comprise the number of group members necessary for the group to constitute being complete. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first user and the second user can each add a review of the accommodation after the group trip is complete. 
     
     
         11 . A server computer in an online marketplace, comprising:
 at least one processor; and   a computer-readable medium coupled with the at least one processor, the computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by the at least one processor to cause the server computer to perform operations comprising:   receiving, from a first computing device associated with a first user, a request to register a group trip for an accommodation, the request including parameters for the group trip and contact information for a second user to be part of the group trip;   sending notification to a second computing device associated with the received contact information of the second user to request approval to include the second user in the group trip, authorization for a transaction that falls into the parameters for the group trip, and a request for a payment method;   receiving authorization from the second computing device to be included in the group trip;   sending a notification to the first computing device associated with the first user that the second user has been verified and has agreed to authorize transactions associated with the group trip;   accessing one or more data stores to determine for the accommodation and the parameters for the group trip, the details for the accommodation comprising a reservation date range for the accommodation, a total cost of the reservation for the accommodation, a number of rooms of the accommodation, and amenities of the accommodation;   comparing the reservation date range for the accommodation, the total cost of the reservation for the accommodation, the number of rooms of the accommodation, and the amenities of the accommodation to the parameters for the group trip to determine whether the details in the listing for the accommodation fall into the parameters for the group trip;   based on determining that the details in the listing for the accommodation fall into the parameters for the group trip, performing, in near-real time from receiving a request to book the accommodation for the group trip, operations comprising:
 approving the request to book the accommodation for the group trip; 
 instantaneously charging a payment device associated with the first user and a payment device associated with the second user according to the parameters for the group trip indicating an amount of split cost for the group trip; and 
 sending a confirmation notification to the first computing device and to the second computing device confirming booking of the accommodation; and 
   based on determining that the details in the listing for the accommodation do not fall into the parameters for the group trip, denying the request to book the accommodation for the group trip.   
     
     
         12 . The server computer of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a cancelation request from the first computing device associated with the first user or the second computing device associated with the second user to cancel the accommodation;   analyzing a cancelation policy associated with the accommodation to determine whether the accommodation may be canceled;   canceling the trip item based on determining that the accommodation may be canceled according to the cancelation policy; and   refunding the amount charged to the first user and the second user based on the parameters for the group trip.   
     
     
         13 . The server computer of  claim 12 , wherein before canceling the trip item, the server computing system sends a request to a computing device associated with the user that did not send the cancelation request for approval from the user that did not send the cancelation request and only after receiving approval from computing device associated with the user that did not send the cancelation request does the server computing system cancel the trip item. 
     
     
         14 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the group trip further comprises a third user, and the operations further comprising:
 receiving a cancelation request from the second computing device associated with the second user to cancel a spot reserved for the trip item for only the second user;   analyzing the parameters for the group trip to determine the cancelation policy for the group trip;   determining, that the cancelation policy for the group trip allows the second user to cancel the spot reserved for the accommodation for only the second user;   canceling the spot reserved for the accommodation only for the second user;   refunding the amount charged the second user; and   automatically charging the first user and the third user for the remaining balance of the trip item based on the parameters for the group trip.   
     
     
         15 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the request to register for the group trip further comprises contact information for a third user to be part of the group trip, and the operations further comprise:
 receiving authorization from a third computing device associated with the third user to be included in the group trip, the authorization comprising an alteration to the parameters for the group trip comprising an alteration to the amount of split cost for each user;   sending a request for approval of the alternation to the parameters to the first computing device associated with the first user and the second computing device associated with the second user;   receiving a denial of the alteration from at least one of the first computing device or the second computing device; and   based on the received denial, not approving the alteration to the parameters of the group trip.   
     
     
         16 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first user is designated to book an accommodation for the group trip and the second user is not designated to book an accommodation for the group trip. 
     
     
         17 . The server computer of  claim 11 , the operations further comprising:
 receiving a request to book a second accommodation for the group trip from the second computing device associated with the second user; and   denying the request based on determining that the second user is not designated to book at accommodation for the group trip.   
     
     
         18 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the parameters of the group trip further comprise the number of group members necessary for the group to constitute being complete. 
     
     
         19 . The server computer of  claim 11 , wherein the first user and the second user can each add a review of the accommodation after the group trip is complete. 
     
     
         20 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising instructions stored thereon that are executable by at least one processor to cause a computing device associated with a first data owner to perform operations comprising:
 receiving, from a first computing device associated with a first user, a request to register a group trip for an accommodation, the request including parameters for the group trip and contact information for a second user to be part of the group trip;   sending notification to a second computing device associated with the received contact information of the second user to request approval to include the second user in the group trip, authorization for a transaction that falls into the parameters for the group trip, and a request for a payment method;   receiving authorization from the second computing device to be included in the group trip;   sending a notification to the first computing device associated with the first user that the second user has been verified and has agreed to authorize transactions associated with the group trip;   accessing one or more data stores to determine for the accommodation and the parameters for the group trip, the details for the accommodation comprising a reservation date range for the accommodation, a total cost of the reservation for the accommodation, a number of rooms of the accommodation, and amenities of the accommodation;   comparing the reservation date range for the accommodation, the total cost of the reservation for the accommodation, the number of rooms of the accommodation, and the amenities of the accommodation to the parameters for the group trip to determine whether the details in the listing for the accommodation fall into the parameters for the group trip;   based on determining that the details in the listing for the accommodation fall into the parameters for the group trip, performing, in near-real time from receiving a request to book the accommodation for the group trip, operations comprising:
 approving the request to book the accommodation for the group trip; 
 instantaneously charging a payment device associated with the first user and a payment device associated with the second user according to the parameters for the group trip indicating an amount of split cost for the group trip; and 
 sending a confirmation notification to the first computing device and to the second computing device confirming booking of the accommodation; and 
   based on determining that the details in the listing for the accommodation do not fall into the parameters for the group trip, denying the request to book the accommodation for the group trip.