Transaction authentication

Abstract

Methods, computer program products, and apparatus for open tab transactions. A customer device, e.g., a smart phone, can generate an order for purchasing one or more goods or services from a merchant. A list of the items can be stored in a data structure designated as a tab. The list is routed to a merchant device, e.g., a tablet computer. The customer device can be carried by a user to the merchant. When the user reaches the merchant, the customer device or merchant device can receive a request to add an additional item to the list. The tab remains open and modifiable until the customer device or merchant device receives an input to close it. Payment for the goods or services listed in the modified tab is processed upon closing of the tab.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 - 32 . (canceled) 
     
     
         33 . A system for identity verification, the system comprising:
 a memory; and   a processor configured to:
 store an image of a customer in association with an indication of an identity of the customer in a database; 
 receive an indication that a person matching the image has arrived within a proximity of a device associated with a merchant; 
 verify that an identity of the person matches the identity of the customer based on the receiving of the indication and based on a comparison of the person to the image as retrieved from the database; 
 generate a tab data structure corresponding to the identity of the customer based on the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer; 
 track, within the tab data structure over a period of time, a plurality of items associated with the merchant that the customer selects over a course of the period of time; and 
 send, after the period of time and based on the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer, an aggregation of the plurality of items identified in the tab data structure as a combined purchase record to a processing server to process a combined payment from the customer for the plurality of items. 
   
     
     
         34 . The system of  claim 33 , further comprising:
 a sensor device configured to detect the proximity.   
     
     
         35 . The system of  claim 33 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 track a location of a device associated with the customer.   
     
     
         36 . A system for identity verification, the system comprising:
 a memory; and   a processor configured to:
 store an image of a customer in association with an indication of an identity of the customer; 
 receive an indication that a person matching the image has arrived within a proximity of a device associated with a merchant; 
 verify that an identity of the person matches the identity of the customer based on the receiving of the indication; 
 generate a tab data structure corresponding to the identity of the customer based on the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer; 
 track, within the tab data structure over a period of time, a plurality of items associated with the merchant that the customer selects over a course of the period of time; and 
 send, after the period of time and based on the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer, an aggregation of the plurality of items identified in the tab data structure as a combined purchase record to a processing server to process a combined payment from the customer for the plurality of items. 
   
     
     
         37 . The system of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a database, wherein the image of the customer is stored in association with the indication of the identity of the customer in the database, wherein the image is retrieved from the database for the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer.   
     
     
         38 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer is also based on a comparison of the person to the image. 
     
     
         39 . The system of  claim 36 , further comprising:
 a sensor device configured to detect the proximity.   
     
     
         40 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 track a location of a device associated with the customer.   
     
     
         41 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive an indication of a communication between a device of the person and the device associated with the merchant, wherein the indication that the person matching the image has arrived within the proximity of device associated with the customer is based on the indication of the communication.   
     
     
         42 . The system of  claim 41 , wherein the communication is a wireless communication. 
     
     
         43 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 store a passcode of the customer in association with the indication of the identity of the customer;   receive an indication that a person matching the image has provided the passcode; and   verify that the passcode provided by the person matches the passcode of the customer.   
     
     
         44 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the processor is configured to:
 receive an indication that the person is no longer in the proximity of the device associated with the merchant, wherein the sending of the aggregation is based on the receiving of the indication that the person is no longer in the proximity of the device associated with the merchant.   
     
     
         45 . A method of identity verification, the method comprising:
 storing an image of a customer in association with an indication of an identity of the customer;   receiving an indication that a person matching the image has arrived within a proximity of a device associated with a merchant;   verifying that an identity of the person matches the identity of the customer based on the receiving of the indication;   generating a tab data structure corresponding to the identity of the customer based on the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer;   tracking, within the tab data structure over a period of time, a plurality of items associated with the merchant that the customer selects over a course of the period of time; and   sending, after the period of time and based on the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer, an aggregation of the plurality of items identified in the tab data structure as a combined purchase record to a processing server to process a combined payment from the customer for the plurality of items.   
     
     
         46 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the image of the customer is stored in association with the indication of the identity of the customer in a database, wherein the image is retrieved from the database for the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer. 
     
     
         47 . The method of  claim 45 , wherein the verifying that the identity of the person matches the identity of the customer is also based on a comparison of the person to the image. 
     
     
         48 . The method of  claim 45 , the device associated with the merchant includes a sensor device configured to detect the proximity. 
     
     
         49 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 tracking a location of a device associated with the customer.   
     
     
         50 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication of a communication between a device of the person and the device associated with the merchant, wherein the indication that the person matching the image has arrived within the proximity of device associated with the customer is based on the indication of the communication.   
     
     
         51 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 storing a passcode of the customer in association with the indication of the identity of the customer;   receiving an indication that a person matching the image has provided the passcode; and   verifying that the passcode provided by the person matches the passcode of the customer.   
     
     
         52 . The method of  claim 45 , further comprising:
 receiving an indication that the person is no longer in the proximity of the device associated with the merchant, wherein the sending of the aggregation is based on the receiving of the indication that the person is no longer in the proximity of the device associated with the merchant.