Application, Method and System for Purchasing a Product

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to an application, method and system whereby a consumer uses a payment application 110 operated on an electronic device 100 to purchase a product from a merchant. The application 110 is configured to receive a graphical representation 120 of data that comprises an identification code, extract from the graphical representation 120 of data the identification code, transmit the identification code to a server 130 that can then obtain a transaction amount for the product and return it to the application 110 so that the application 110 can execute a payment transaction between a bank account of the consumer to the merchant for the transaction amount.

Description

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an application, a method and a system for purchasing a product.

BACKGROUND

[0002] It is common for consumers to purchase products, be they goods or services, using the internet. For example, a consumer may purchase a book using the internet by visiting the relevant page on a website of a merchant; ordering the book by completing a form that includes details of their delivery address and payment means, for example credit card details; paying for the book by authorizing the merchant to carry out an electronic transfer of funds from the payment means to the merchant and then waiting for delivery of the book from the merchant. Likewise, a consumer may pay a bill, for example a utility bill, that has been issued by a merchant by visiting the merchant's website, entering the bill identification number and details of their payment means, and authorizing the merchant to carry out an electronic transfer of funds.

[0003] Optically machine readable codes, for example barcodes and QR codes, are regularly used to mark and identify products. A number of software applications--"apps"--installed on consumer electronic devices, for example smart phones or tablets, have utilised these codes for use in on-line shopping. For example, if a consumer has nearby to them a book that they would like to purchase, they may use the app on their electronic device to scan the barcode on the book. The app may then extract the unique product identifier, for example the ISBN, which is used by the app to direct the consumer to the page for that book on any number of different merchants' websites, after which the consumer may choose to purchase the book.

[0004] However, this system requires a merchant web page for a product to be returned to the consumer's electronic device. The web page is likely to be data rich and therefore require lengthy download time, particularly where the consumer's data connection is slow.

[0005] Furthermore, the consumer's payment details must be transmitted to the merchant so that they may subsequently instruct a transfer of funds from the consumer to the merchant, for example by transmitting the consumer's and the merchant's financial details to a credit card company or a bank. Payment details are very sensitive and their transmission to the merchant and retention by the merchant, even if only temporarily, represents a security risk.

[0006] Furthermore, the optically machine readable code may be used to direct the consumer to any merchant of the product. Consequently, a merchant who has invested in the promotion of a particular product, which has brought the product to the consumer's attention, may not benefit at all as the consumer may be directed by the app to a different merchant's website.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0007] In a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a payment application to be operated on an electronic device, wherein the application is suitable for use by a consumer for paying a merchant for a product, and wherein the application comprises logic configured to: receive a graphical representation of data that comprises an identification code; extract from the graphical representation of data the identification code; transmit the identification code; receive a transaction amount in response to the transmitted identification code; and execute a payment transaction between a bank account of the consumer to the merchant for the transaction amount.

[0008] By using the application, a product may be purchased by a consumer without loading a merchant's website on the electronic device. This reduces data usage, which in turn reduces the time required to make a purchase and reduces any data usage costs that may be incurred by the consumer, thus improving the consumer's shopping experience.

[0009] Furthermore, because the transaction is executed directly by the application, the consumer's payment details need never be transmitted to the merchant. Not only does this mean that the transaction is carried out more quickly and efficiently, it also reduces security risks associated with the transmission and retention of sensitive information.

[0010] Along with the transaction amount, the application may also receive a product description and/or a product photograph so that they can review that information before executing the transaction.

[0011] The identification code may identify the product to be purchased and the merchant of the product, either by comprising two parts, the first part identifying the merchant and the second identifying the product, or by having a single part that is unique to a product from a particular merchant. Thus, the graphical representation of data may be linked to a particular merchant so that the advertising efforts of the merchant, such as posters and flyers that include the graphical representation of data may be tied to the merchant. Thus, sales are not taken away from the merchant by other suppliers of the same product (as in the case with barcodes that simply identify a product).

[0012] The identification code may also include advertising reference that indicates, for example, the magazine or poster stand that the graphical representation of data appears in. After the identification code is scanned by the application, it may be forwarded on to the merchant so that they may track how successful their advertising is.

[0013] The application may be further configured to: receive a transaction feedback indicating if the instructed transaction was successful or unsuccessful. The consumer may therefore be informed as to whether or not the transaction request was successful. A receipt of the transaction may also be kept by the application.

[0014] There is also disclosed an electronic device comprising the application. Where the electronic device is an ATM with an imaging device, a consumer who does not have an electronic device (or is not registered with a suitable payment service, for example) may still purchase a product using the application. For example, a consumer may take to the ATM a utility bill or other invoice on which is printed the graphical representation of data and pay the bill quickly and easily. This reduces manual data entry errors.

[0015] In a second aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a server for use in the payment by a consumer, using a payment application operated on an electronic device, to a merchant for a product, the server being configured to: receive from the application an identification code; obtain using the identification code a transaction amount for the product; and transmit the transaction amount to the application.

[0016] Again, use of the server in conjunction with the application reduces data usage, which in turn reduces the time required to make a purchase and reduces any data usage costs that may be incurred by the consumer, thus improving the consumer's shopping experience. It also reduces security risks associated with the transmission and retention of sensitive information.

[0017] As explained above, the transaction identifier may identify both the merchant and the product. The server may thus identify the merchant from the identification code; transmit a product identifier to a merchant server; and receive the transaction amount from the merchant server so that the transaction amount for the product may be communicated to the consumer via the application.

[0018] The merchant server may also transmit additional information to the server for forwarding to the application, for example a product description and photograph, and a set of product options, for example product size and/or colour, for the consumer to choose from, for example from a drop-down selection presented by the application on the basis of the set of product options. The set of product options may be based upon what the merchant has in stock, such that the app may present to the consumer only the product options that the merchant has in stock, thus enabling the merchant to perform dynamic stock control. The set of product options may also include a request for the consumer to select the quantity of products they would like. The number may be capped based on what the merchant has in stock, or any other considerations, such as how many can be delivered by the merchant to the consumer based on the delivery options available.

[0019] Where the identification code also includes an advertising reference that indicates, for example, the magazine or poster stand that the graphical representation of data appears in, the server may also be configured to receive the advertising reference from the application and forward it to the merchant server. This allows the merchant to track how successful their advertising is.

[0020] In a third aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method of purchasing a product from a merchant using an electronic device, the method comprising the steps of: providing the electronic device with a graphical representation of data that comprises an identification code, wherein the electronic device is configured to extract the identification code; transmitting the identification code from the electronic device to a first server; receiving from the first server a transaction amount for the product; and executing a payment transaction between a bank account of the consumer to the merchant for the transaction amount.

[0021] This method enables a consumer to purchase a product without loading the merchant's website on the electronic device. This reduces data usage, which in turn reduces the time required to make a purchase and reduces any data usage costs that may be incurred by the consumer, thus improving the consumer's shopping experience.

[0022] Furthermore, because the transaction is executed directly by the application, the consumer's payment details need never be transmitted to the merchant. Not only does this mean that the transaction is carried out more quickly and efficiently, it also reduces security risks associated with transmission and retention of sensitive information.

[0023] The identification code may identify the product to be purchased and the merchant of the product. Thus, the graphical representation of data may be linked to a particular merchant so that the advertising efforts of the merchant, such as posters and flyers that include the graphical representation of data may be tied to the merchant. Thus, sales are not taken away from the merchant by other suppliers of the same product (as in the case with barcodes that simply identify a product).

[0024] The method may further comprise a step of transmitting to the electronic device a transaction feedback indicating if the instructed transaction was successful or unsuccessful. The consumer may therefore be informed as to whether or not the transaction request was successful. A receipt of the transaction may also be kept by the application.

[0025] The method may further comprise a step of transmitting to the merchant a purchase notification, which may include information relating to the product purchased and the consumer. The merchant may therefore be informed when a sale has taken place and, if necessary, be able then to deliver the product to the consumer.

[0026] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a system for purchasing a product, the system comprising: an electronic device; and a first server; wherein the electronic device is configured for: receiving a graphical representation of data; extracting from the graphical representation of data an identification code; transmitting to the first server the identification code; receiving from the first server a transaction amount; executing a payment transaction from a bank account of the consumer to a merchant for the transaction amount, and wherein the first server is configured for: receiving the identification code from the electronic device; and transmitting the transaction amount to the electronic device.

[0027] This system enables a consumer to purchase a product without loading the merchant's website on the electronic device. This reduces data usage, which in turn reduces the time required to make a purchase and reduces any data usage costs that may be incurred by the consumer, thus improving the consumer's shopping experience.

[0028] Furthermore, because the transaction is executed directly by the application, the consumer's payment details need never be transmitted to the merchant. Not only does this mean that the transaction is carried out more quickly and efficiently, it also reduces security risks associated with transmission and retention of sensitive information.

[0029] The identification code may identify the product to be purchased and the merchant of the product. Thus, the graphical representation of data may be linked to a particular merchant so that the advertising efforts of the merchant, such as posters and flyers that include the graphical representation of data may be tied to the merchant. Thus, sales are not taken away from the merchant by other suppliers of the same product (as in the case with barcodes that simply identify a product).

[0030] The electronic device may also be configured for receiving a transaction feedback indicating if the instructed transaction was successful or unsuccessful. The consumer may therefore be informed as to whether or not the transaction request was successful. A receipt of the transaction may also be kept by the application.

[0031] The first server may also be configured for transmitting a product purchase notification to a second server, wherein the product purchase notification may include information relating to the product purchased and the consumer. The merchant may therefore be informed when a sale has taken place and, if necessary, be able then to deliver the product to the consumer.

[0032] In a fifth aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a method of generating a graphical representation of data comprising the steps of: [0033] populating the machine-readable representation of data with a bank account identifier. Therefore, it may be more convenient for a user to obtain payee data, especially when using a mobile application. The graphical representation of data may be in the form of a QR code, for example.

[0034] Optionally, the method may further comprise the step of populating the graphical representation of data with any one or more selected from the group consisting of: a telephone number, a mobile telephone number, a product or service description, and a payment amount. Other information or data items may be included. The data items within the graphical representation of data may be formatted or arranged into fields for easier extraction. The format may be standardised and may also be delimited (e.g. by special characters such as "/", "<", or">"). The following illustrates an example data set and schema:

TABLE-US-00001 BARCLAYS://07/PINGITABC123/99.95/+447708XXXXXX/ BARCLAYS://PAYMENT_TYPE/SHORTCODE/AMOUNT/ SMS_NOTIFICATION/

The SHORTCODE identifies the payee and so their bank account may be looked up from a database.

[0035] In a fourth aspect of the present disclosure there is provided a payment method comprising the steps of: [0036] receiving a machine-readable representation of data; [0037] extracting from the graphical representation of data a bank account identifier; and [0038] initiating a payment to the identified bank account.

[0039] Optionally, the payment method may further comprise the steps of: [0040] extracting from the graphical representation of data a telephone number in addition to the bank account identifier; and [0041] sending a message to the telephone number when the payment to the identified bank account is initiated. For example, one party (such as a company) may receive the payment to their bank account and another party (for example, an employee of the company) may receive confirmation of payment on their telephone (e.g. by SMS to their mobile telephone).

[0042] Further example data included in the machine-readable representation of data and their corresponding schemas or formats include:

TABLE-US-00002 BARCLAYS://00/+447708XXXXXX/ BARCLAYS://PAYMENT_TYPE/MOBILE_NUMBER/ BARCLAYS://06/PINGITABC123/99.95/ BARCLAYS://PAYMENT_TYPE/SHORTCODE/AMOUNT/ BARCLAYS://07/PINGITABC123/99.95/+447708XXXXXX/ BARCLAYS://PAYMENT_TYPE/SHORTCODE/AMOUNT/ SMS_NOTIFICATION/ BARCLAYS://08/+447708XXXXXX/99.95/+447708YYYYYY/ BARCLAYS://PAYMENT_TYPE/MOBILE_NUMBER/AMOUNT/ SMS_NOTIFICATION

[0043] In one example implementation, an automobile breakdown service may use the above methods. Should a customer breakdown and require assistance then a breakdown technician may be sent to their assistance. However, the customer may not have an active or valid account with the breakdown service for the type of assistance that is required (they may require towing to a distant location that is outside of their service agreement, they may need to pay for a specific part, or they may not be a customer of the breakdown service and need to join, for example).

[0044] The customer (or new customer) may pay for any additional product using a mobile application that interacts with a mobile payments service. The breakdown technician may provide the customer with a QR code (or this may be printed in or on their vehicle, for example), which contains information identifying the bank account or other payment details of the automobile breakdown service company (e.g. an identifier of the company to pay). The QR code may also contain the mobile telephone number of the individual breakdown technician.

[0045] Therefore, when the customer uses their mobile application to pay the additional charges, then the breakdown technician may be sent a confirmation by SMS or other means from the mobile payments service informing them that the payment has been received by the breakdown service. The breakdown technician is therefore informed that the necessary work has been paid for. Such a system is especially useful where the customer has no other means to pay. A further benefit is that the breakdown technician does not need to deal with cash.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0046] The present disclosure shall now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0047] FIG. 1 shows an embodiment of a system comprising a mobile electronic device, a QR code, a transaction server and a merchant server, the system being suitable for purchasing a product in accordance with the present disclosure;

[0048] FIG. 2 shows a sequence diagram representing the data transfer that may take place within the system of FIG. 1 when a product is being purchased;

[0049] FIG. 3 shows a purchase confirmation screen displayed on the mobile electronic device of FIG. 1;

[0050] FIG. 4 shows a representation of a transaction instruction that may be transmitted from the mobile electronic device to the transaction server of FIG. 1.

[0051] FIG. 5 shows a sequence diagram representing further transfers of data that may take place during the purchase of a product shown in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] The term `product` as used throughout this disclosure encompasses both goods and services (e.g. financial products).

[0053] In a first embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a system and an application, referred to from hereon as an "app", for installation on a mobile electronic device, for the purchase of a product to be delivered to a consumer, for example a book.

[0054] FIG. 1 shows a system 100 comprising a mobile electronic device 110, for example a smart phone or a tablet, a QR code 120, a transaction server 130, with which the mobile electronic device 110 is in communication 140, and a merchant server 160, with which the transaction server 130 is in communication 160. The communication paths 140 and 160 may use any standard communication channel that is well known to the skilled person.

[0055] The mobile electronic device 110 has installed on it a product purchasing or payment transaction app. When the consumer installs the app on their device 110, they are prompted to register their details with the app provider. The registered details will link the app to a source of funds of the consumer's choosing, for example their bank account or credit card, and a delivery address to which the consumer would like purchased products to be delivered. These details are saved on the transaction server 130 and linked to a unique consumer identifier. The transaction server 130 may use the consumer identifier to retrieve the relevant payment and delivery information without the consumer needing to enter any details on the electronic device 110 during the purchase.

[0056] The QR code 120 may be displayed alongside information relating to a product available for purchase, for example on a poster or flyer or in a magazine advertisement. The QR code 120 is related to a particular product and includes an identification code that identifies the product and a particular merchant of the product. The identification code may comprise two parts, one identifying the merchant and the other identifying the product, or it may comprise just one part that is unique to a product from a particular merchant.

[0057] The QR code 120 may also comprise an advertising reference that indicates where the QR code is positioned, i.e. which magazine or poster stand it is positioned on. The advertising reference may form a separate part of the QR code, or again the QR code may comprise just one part that is unique to a product from a particular merchant advertised in a particular position. As explained in more detail below, the advertising reference may be used later by the merchant to provide feedback on which of their adverts is performing most effectively.

[0058] If the consumer decides to purchase the product, they may open and log into the app on the mobile electronic device 110. Logging into the app may be protected by a password, for example a PIN, or equivalent. The QR code 120 may then be scanned using the app, which will utilise an imaging device in the electronic device 110 to image the QR code 120. The app will then extract the identification code from the scanned QR code 120.

[0059] FIG. 2 is a sequence diagram representing the data transfer that takes place between the electronic device 110, the transaction server 130 and the merchant server 150 when a product is being purchased. After the identification code is extracted from the scanned QR code 120 by the app, it is transmitted to the transaction server 130 in a data transmission 220. The transaction server 130 can then identify the merchant of the product from the identification code.

[0060] Having identified the merchant, the transaction server 130 transmits a product identifier to the merchant server 160 in a data transmission 230. If the identification code comprises only a single part (as explained above) the product identifier transmitted to the merchant server 160 will be the identification code. However, if the identification code comprises separate parts, the product identifier will be the part of the identification code that identifies the product. If an advertising reference is included in the QR code 120, this may also be transmitted to the merchant server 160 in data transmission 230 so that the merchant may analyse the effectiveness of their advertising.

[0061] The merchant server 160 can use the product identifier to identify the product and the amount of money for which they are selling the product. The merchant server 160 can then return to the transaction server 130 a transaction amount in data transmission 240. The transaction amount is the amount of money that the consumer will need to pay the merchant in order to purchase the product, and may include not only the product cost but also, for example, delivery costs and taxes. The transaction amount may be a single figure that includes the total amount payable, for example product cost and delivery cost, or it may comprise each separate component of the total amount payable so that after the transaction amount has been transmitted to the electronic device 110 (as explained below), the electronic device 110 may display to the consumer each component separately.

[0062] The merchant server 160 may also return to the transaction server 130 any other information that it has associated with the identification code. For example, it may return an indication of stock levels, for example if the product is in stock, or if the stock level is low, and/or a product description and/or a product photograph and/or a tracking number that may be used by the merchant and consumer to identify the transaction at a later date, such as for delivery tracking. Furthermore, it may also include a request for information from the consumer, such as the quantity of the product(s) that they would like to purchase, a selection of the required type of delivery from a list of different delivery options, and any other product options that there may be for the product that the consumer wishes to purchase, for example colour and/or size of clothing. The product options may be a list of the different product options that the merchant currently has available, for example if they have yellow, red and blue products available they may be included in the options, but if they are currently sold out of green products, green may be omitted from the options. In this way the merchant can utilise dynamic stock control and offer the consumer a choice of only the product that they currently have in stock.

[0063] A request for information from the consumer might also include the merchant's terms and conditions, with a requirement that the consumer indicate acceptance of the terms and conditions before a transaction is allowed to take place.

[0064] The data transmissions 230 and 240 between the transaction server 130 and merchant server 160 may be facilitated by any means well known to the skilled person, for example by using a custom built application programming interface (API).

[0065] A separate communications channel may be opened between the transaction server 130 and the merchant server 160. Therefore, the API calls get a price from the merchant (i.e. this does not need to be separately stored on the transaction server).

[0066] After receiving the transaction amount, the transaction server 130 transmits the transaction amount to the electronic device 110 in data transmission 250. At the same time, any other product information that the transaction server 130 has received from the merchant server 160, for example a product description, product stock levels and requests for information from the consumer, may also be transmitted to the electronic device 110.

[0067] Furthermore, the transaction server 130 may also include in data transmission 250 a request for delivery address and/or email address (the email address being useful for issuance of a transaction confirm and/or receipt, as explained later) from the consumer. The request may be for a confirmation from the consumer that the delivery and/or email address registered by the consumer when installing the app should be used, or if they would like to enter a different delivery and/or email address. The request may include the delivery and/or email address registered by the consumer when installing the app so that they may review what they registered when installing the app before they confirm whether or not to use it. In addition to an option to enter a different delivery and/or email address altogether, the app may also offer the consumer to opportunity to amend the registered delivery and/or email address and decide whether the different delivery and/or email address or amended delivery and/or email address should replace the delivery and/or email address that was registered by the consumer when installing the app, or whether it should be used on this occasion only.

[0068] The request for delivery and/or email address information may be made in response to a request for information from the merchant server 160, or as part of the configuration of the transaction server 130 whereby the data transmission 250 must always include a request for delivery and/or email address information. The transaction server 130 may also include in data transmission 250 information related to the merchant, for example the merchant name.

[0069] Furthermore, the transaction server 130 may also include in data transmission 250 the terms and conditions of the transaction provider with an option for the consumer to indicate that they either accept of decline them. Again, it may be arranged that the consumer can only send the transaction instruction 400 (described below) if they accept the terms and conditions.

[0070] FIG. 3 shows an example purchase confirmation screen that would be displayed to the consumer after the electronic device 110 has received the transaction amount. On the screen there is presented the transaction amount 310, a button 320 for the user to confirm the purchase and a button 330 for the consumer to cancel the purchase. Any other information that the electronic device 110 has received from the transaction server 130, for example a product description, may also be displayed on the purchase confirmation screen. Where a request for information from the consumer was also included in data transmission 250, this may also be displayed to the consumer. If the request for information has options, for example the product colours available, those may be displayed in, for example, a drop down list for the consumer to select from. This enables the merchant to offer only the product options that they currently have in stock and, thus, exercise dynamic stock control.

[0071] If the consumer confirms that they would like to purchase the product, the application prepares a transaction instruction 400 to be transmitted from the electronic device 110 to the transaction server 130, in data transmission 260.

[0072] FIG. 4 shows a representation of the transaction instruction 400. The transaction instruction 260 comprises the identification code 410, the transaction amount 420 and a consumer identifier 430.

[0073] The identification code 410 is included in the transaction instruction 400 because it enables the transaction server 130 to identify the merchant. The payment details, for example the bank account details, of the merchant are retained on the transaction server 130 from when the merchant originally registered with the transactions server so that the transaction server 130 can identify from the identification code 410 where the transferred funds should be sent. Furthermore, the identification code 410 is also used by the transaction server 130 to indicate to the merchant what product has been purchased after the transaction has taken place (this is described in more detail below).

[0074] The transaction amount 420 informs the transaction server 130 how much money should be transferred from the consumer to the merchant to purchase the product and cover any additional costs, such as delivery.

[0075] The consumer identifier 430 enables the transaction server 130 to identify from where the funds for the transaction should be drawn. As explained earlier, when the consumer installs the app and registers their details with the app, the consumer's payment details will be stored on the transaction server 130 and linked to the consumer identifier 430.

[0076] Where information was requested of the consumer in data transmission 250, the requested information input to the app by the consumer may also be included in the transaction instruction 400. If the consumer has indicated that any input data is to replace the data they registered when installing the app, for example a new delivery address and/or email address, this may also be indicated in data transmission 260 so that the transaction server 130 may update the consumer's registered details.

[0077] When the transaction instruction 400 is transmitted from the electronic device 110 to the transaction server 130, the transaction from the consumer to the merchant immediately takes place. This is because the transaction server 130 is itself part of a financial organisation, for example a bank or a credit card company. Thus, the transaction between the consumer and the merchant is executed by the app on the electronic device 110 transmitting the transaction instruction 400 to the transaction server 130.

[0078] This means that the transaction is carried out more quickly and efficiently, since it does not rely upon authorizing the merchant to instruct a payment means, for example a credit card or bank, at some later time to carry out a transaction. Furthermore, it also means that the consumer and merchant payment details are securely kept at a single location--the transaction server 130. This reduces security risks associated with transmitting payment details between servers and devices, and also the security risk of payment details being stored, even if only temporarily, on a merchant server where security provisions may be less rigorous than those of a transaction server.

[0079] After the transaction between the consumer and merchant has been instructed, the transaction server 130 may transmit to the electronic device 110 a transaction feedback in data transmission 270. The transaction feedback indicates whether or not the transaction was performed successfully so that the app may notify the consumer. If the transaction is successful, the data transmission may comprise a transaction identifier, for example the identification code or a tracking number if one has been allocated, so that a receipt of the transaction may be kept by the app on the electronic device 110. Any other relevant transaction information, such as a product description, may also be included in data transmission 270 so as to form a part of the transaction receipt. If the transaction was unsuccessful, the transaction feedback may indicate why it was unsuccessful and the app may offer the consumer an opportunity to rectify the cause of failure and try to execute the transaction again. For example, if the consumer's source of funds was insufficient to pay the required transaction amount, they may be offered the opportunity to increase via the app the amount of money in their source of funds before trying to execute the transaction again.

[0080] Another cause of a failed transaction might be that the transaction server 130 is configured only to execute a transaction if the transaction instruction is received within a set time period, for example 10 minutes, from receipt of the identification code in data transmission 220 (for example because the transaction server 130 will only retain the relevant data for that time period). The transaction server 130 might be configured in such a way to ensure that the transaction is always executed using up-to-date merchant information, for example to protect against using an out-of-date transaction amount if the merchant tends to change the product cost regularly. If such an error occurs, the transaction feedback might indicate a timeout error and an instruction to re-scan the QR code in order to being the process again.

[0081] After a successful transaction between the consumer and merchant has taken place, the transaction server 130 transmits to the merchant server 160 a purchase notification in data transmission 280. The purchase notification comprises the identification code, so that the merchant can identify what product has been purchased, including any product options that consumer has selected, for example colours, size, quantity etc, and the delivery address of the consumer (or other mechanism for identifying the consumer) so that the merchant may dispatch the product to the consumer. It may also comprise the email address of the consumer so that the merchant may email a confirmation of transaction and/or a purchase receipt and product delivery tracking information to the consumer. If the consumer confirmed in data transmission 260 that the delivery and/or email address they would like to use is the address registered when they installed the app, the delivery and/or email address included in the purchase notification will be that stored on the transaction server 130 for that consumer, otherwise it will be the deliver and/or email address submitted by the consumer in data transfer 260.

[0082] Data transmission 280 may be facilitated using the same means as data transmission 230, for example using the application programming interface (API). Data transmission 280 may be sent in real-time after the transaction has taken place, or may be transmitted at a later date, for example as part of a regular statement of transactions or a bank statement.

[0083] For products that do not need to be delivered (e.g. goods within a shop or medical treatment), no delivery address needs to be sent to the merchant. However, an indication of the consumer may still be sent to the merchant so that they are informed that a particular consumer has paid for their product. This may be a code, image, photograph, name or other identifier that can be used by the merchant to identify the consumer. For example, a code may be displayed on the consumer's device and sent to the merchant upon completion of a successful transaction for comparison. Payment confirmation in any embodiment may also be accomplished using a suitable API layer between the merchant and the transaction server.

[0084] The app may keep a record of all data relating to scanned QR codes over a period of time, for example over the last 30 days, so that the consumer may review all of their scans, as well as a record of all successful transactions that have been executed by the app.

[0085] In a second embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a system and an app for installation on a mobile electronic device for the purchase of a product that does not need to be delivered to a consumer, for example the payment of a bill, such a utility bill, or the purchasing of a book in a shop.

[0086] The second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment above. The QR code 120 will again include an identification code. If the QR code 120 is used for paying a bill, the identification code will identify a merchant, for example a utility supplier, and the product, for example a reference number for a bill that is to be paid.

[0087] When the consumer decides to purchase the product, for example paying the bill, they may scan the QR code 120 in the same way as described in the first embodiment and the application will extract the identification code. Just as explained in respect of the first embodiment, the identification code is transmitted to the transaction server 130 in data transfer 220, after which the transaction server 130 retrieves from the merchant server 160 the transaction amount and any other relevant information, for example a product description and/or a request for further information from the consumer, and then transmits to the electronic device 110 the transaction amount in data transmission 250, along with any of relevant information that it has, for example a product description.

[0088] The consumer is then presented with the transaction amount and any other relevant information transmitted to the transaction server 130 from the merchant server 160 and asked to confirm whether or not the transaction should go ahead, as shown in FIG. 3 and explained above.

[0089] When the consumer confirms that they would like to carry out the transaction by selecting the button 320, the electronic device 110 will transmit the transaction instruction 400 to the server 130 in data transfer 260 in order to execute the transaction.

[0090] Because the consumer is not purchasing a product that needs to be delivered by the merchant to the consumer, the merchant does not need to know a delivery address of the consumer. Therefore, after the transaction has taken place, the purchase notification transmitted from the transaction server 130 to the merchant server 160 in data transmission 280 need only comprise the identification code, so that the merchant can identify what product has been purchased, and the transaction amount.

[0091] If the consumer is paying a bill, the merchant does not necessarily need to know who has paid the bill, only that the bill (which is identified by the identification code) has been paid. If the consumer is paying for a product in a shop, the transaction instruction 400 may further comprise an additional identification code, for example a code, an image, a photograph, a name or other identifier that can be used by the merchant to identify the consumer. For example, a code may be displayed on the consumer's device, wherein that code is included in the transaction instruction 400 and the purchase notification that is sent to the merchant server 150 so that the merchant may compare the code that they receive with the code displayed on the consumer's device, in order to verify that the consumer has made the transaction.

[0092] After the transaction has been instructed, the transaction server 130 may also transmit to the electronic device 110 a transaction feedback in data transmission 270, in the same way as explained in respect of the first embodiment.

[0093] Whilst the second embodiment has been described particularly in respect of the payment of a bill, it applies equally to the purchase of any products that do not need to be delivered, for example goods within a shop or medical treatment.

[0094] FIG. 5 shows additional data transmission that may take place between data transmissions 250 and 260. After the app has received all of the information transmitted in data transmission 250, the consumer may be given the option only to confirm reservation of the product, rather than purchase of the product. If the consumer decides to go ahead and reserve the product, data transmission 510 is sent from the app to the transaction server 130. Data transmission 510 may include the identification code, as well as any other information requested by the merchant 160, for example delivery address (if the delivery address registered with the transaction server 130 is not to be used), choice of delivery option, quantity of products that the consumer would like to purchase, any product options selected, such as size and colour, etc.

[0095] The transaction server 130 will then forward this information, along with the delivery address to be used to the merchant 160 in data transmission 520, which will return in data transmission 530 confirmation of whether or not the product(s) that the consumer wishes to reserve are in stock or not. The merchant server 160 may also include in data transmission 530 a delivery cost calculated from the delivery address that the consumer has chosen.

[0096] The transaction server 130 will then forward this information to the app in data transmission 540 so that the consumer may confirm the transaction on the understanding that the product(s) that they wish to purchase are available and reserved for them, and with the knowledge of what all of the delivery costs are if those costs are dependent on the delivery address and any other information submitted by the consumer, such as quantity of the product.

[0097] The skilled person will appreciate that various modifications of the above described embodiments are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0098] For example, rather than using a mobile electronic device, the consumer may instead use a fixed position electronic device, like a computer or an ATM. The fixed position electronic device will have an imagining device suitable for imaging a QR code presented in front of it, such as a webcam on a computer or a downward facing camera on an ATM.

[0099] Where a computer is used, the above described app may be saved on the computer and the purchase of a product using a QR code that is itself mobile, for example one that is printed on a flyer or a paper utility bill or displayed on a mobile electronic display, may be performed in the same way as described in the first and second embodiments above.

[0100] The same is true where an ATM is used, but the consumer identifier 430 used in the transaction instruction 400 may be obtained by the ATM from a bank card inserted into the ATM by the consumer. This enables consumers who are not in personal possession of an electronic device still to utilise the app to purchase products, for example purchasing a book advertised on a flyer, or pay a utility bill, more quickly and easily.

[0101] Furthermore, rather than storing the merchant's payment details on the transaction server 130 and retrieving them using the identification code, the transaction server may instead request the merchant's payment details from the merchant server 150 in order to complete the transaction.

[0102] Furthermore, whilst the above disclosed embodiments all use QR codes 220, any form of optically machine readable codes, for example barcodes or two-dimensional codes, may be used.

[0103] Furthermore, rather than including in the transaction instruction a consumer identifier that is linked to consumer details stored on the transaction server 130, the consumer's details, for example their payment details and personal details such as name and address, may instead be saved on the electronic device 110 itself (or derivable from it) and those details transmitted in the transaction instruction instead of a consumer identifier. In this instance, the consumer may be given an option of having the app populate the required consumer information from data stored on the electronic device 110 or of entering the consumer information themselves.

[0104] Furthermore, whilst in the above embodiments a transaction feedback is sent from the transaction server 130 to the electronic device 110, it may be arranged that transaction feedback is not sent and that the consumer may simply assume that the transaction has taken place. A record of the transaction may be kept on the transaction server 130 so that the consumer may receive a receipt of the transaction as part of a regular statement issued by the transaction server 130 via existing communication channels, for example by post or email.

[0105] Furthermore, where a transaction feedback is sent to the consumer, the transaction feedback may not be sent to the app only in data transfer 270, but may instead, or in addition, be issued to the consumer in a text message, email or telephone call. The consumer may also receive a confirmation of successful transaction from the merchant, for example in an email which may not only confirm that the transaction was successful, but also provide additional information, such as a product description, delivery information and a tracking number, and act as a receipt of purchase.

[0106] Furthermore, it may also be arranged that a purchase notification is not sent to the merchant server 160. Instead, the merchant 410 may find out about a transaction via an existing communication channel, for example a bank account statement issued to the merchant by post or email.

[0107] Furthermore, the identification code may not identify a particular product from a particular merchant, but instead a group of products--a "basket"--from a particular merchant. In this way, the identification code may be transmitted to the merchant server 160, which can identify to which basket the identification code relates, and therefore which products are within the basket, and return a transaction amount and any other relevant information for that particular basket.

[0108] Furthermore, the merchant and consumer information, for example payment information and delivery information, may not be stored on the merchant server 130, but may instead be stored on a database that is located remotely from, but is accessible by, the merchant server 130.

[0109] Furthermore, rather than transmitting the identification code to the merchant server 160 in a data transmission 230, the transaction server 130 may instead retrieve a product code that is associated on the transaction server 130 with the identification code. The merchant server 130 may then use the product code to identify the product and return the transaction amount in data transmission 240.

[0110] Furthermore, where delivery costs are calculated on the basis of the delivery address and transmitted to the app in data transmission 540, rather than the merchant server 160 calculating the delivery costs, the transaction server 130 may calculated the delivery costs on the basis of delivery cost information that the merchant has previous sent to it.

Claims

1. An electronic device suitable for use by a consumer for paying a merchant for a product, the electronic device comprising logic configured to: receive a graphical representation of data that comprises an identification code; extract from the graphical representation of data the identification code; transmit the identification code; receive a transaction amount in response to the transmitted identification code; and execute a payment transaction between a bank account of the consumer to the merchant for the transaction amount.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein the identification code identifies the product and the merchant of the product.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. The electronic device of claim 1, further configured to: receive with the transaction amount a request for a delivery address.

6. The electronic device of claim 5, further configured to: transmit a product reservation request comprising the identification code and the delivery address; and receive a confirmation of product reservation.

7. The electronic device of claim 6, wherein the confirmation of product reservation comprises a delivery cost such that the transaction amount on the application is updated to include the delivery cost.

8. (canceled)

9. A server for use in the payment by a consumer, using a payment application operated on an electronic device, to a merchant for a product, the server being configured to: receive from the application an identification code; obtain using the identification code a transaction amount for the product; and transmit the transaction amount to the application.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the identification code identifies the product and the merchant of the product and the server obtains the transaction amount by being further configured to: identify the merchant from the identification code; transmit a product identifier to a merchant server; and receive the transaction amount from the merchant server.

11. The server of claim 10 being further configured to: receive with the transaction amount a set of product options; transmit to the application the set of product options; and receive from the application the product option selected by the consumer from the set of product options.

12. The server of claim 10, wherein the identification code further comprises an advertising reference, the server being further configured to: transmit the advertising reference to the merchant server.

13. The server of claim 8 being further configured to: transmit a request for a delivery address to the application; and receive the delivery address from the application or receive an indication that a delivery address stored on the server and associated with the consumer is the delivery address for the product.

14. (canceled)

15. The server of claim 13, being further configured to: transmit to the application a delivery cost determined from the delivery address.

16.-29. (canceled)

30. A system for purchasing a product, the system comprising: an electronic device; and a first server; wherein the electronic device is configured for: receiving a graphical representation of data; extracting from the graphical representation of data an identification code; transmitting to the first server the identification code; receiving from the first server a transaction amount; and executing a payment transaction from a bank account of the consumer to a merchant for the transaction amount, and wherein the first server is configured for: receiving the identification code from the electronic device; and transmitting the transaction amount to the electronic device.

31. The system of claim 30, wherein the identification code identifies the product and the merchant of the product.

32. The system of claim 31, further comprising a second server, wherein: the first server is configured for transmitting a product identifier to the second server; and the second server is configured for transmitting to the first server the transaction amount determined from the product identifier.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein: the second server is further configured for transmitting a request for a product quantity selection to the first server; and the first server is further configured to: transmit a set of product options to the electronic device; and receive the product option selected by the consumer from the set of product options from the electronic device;

34. The system of claim 32, wherein the identification code further comprises an advertising reference and the system is further configured to: transmit the advertising reference from the electronic device to a first server; and transmit the advertising reference from the first server to the second server.

35. The system of claim 30, wherein: the first server is further configured to: transmit a request for a delivery address to the electronic device; receive the delivery address from the electronic device; and transmit the delivery address to the second server.

36. The system of claim 30, wherein: the first server is further configured to: transmit a request for a delivery address to the electronic device; receive an indication from the electronic device that a delivery address stored on the first server and associated with the consumer is the delivery address for the product; and transmit the delivery address to the second server.

37. The system of claim 30, wherein the first server is further configured for transmitting a product purchase notification to a second server, wherein the purchase notification comprises a product identifier, a delivery address of the consumer and the transaction amount.

38. (canceled)

39. (canceled)

40. (canceled)

41. The system of claim 30, wherein the electronic device is a mobile unit.

42.-46. (canceled)