Bill Splitting via Segmented Payment Aggregation
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Solution Overview
Problem
In group payments for goods or services, existing methods are cumbersome, especially when multiple individuals split a bill, as they require each person to calculate their share, including subtotals, tax, and gratuity, which can be confusing and inefficient, especially in large groups.
Innovation Solution
A system where multiple customer devices and a merchant device communicate through a network to split a bill electronically, allowing each customer to pay for their portion without needing to calculate their share, using a digital wallet application that scans a transaction identifier and processes payments wirelessly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If each person in the group identifies the items they ordered and calculates their own share including subtotal, tax, and gratuity, then each person pays only for what they ordered, but the process becomes complex and time-consuming especially in large groups
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the bill into individual item-level transactions, allowing each customer to be associated with specific items they ordered. The payment system processes each item separately and aggregates the totals, enabling accurate individual billing without requiring manual calculation of subtotals, tax, and gratuity by each customer.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary payment system (mobile device with payment application) that automatically calculates and processes individual shares. This intermediary handles the complex calculations of subtotals, tax, and gratuity distribution, eliminating the need for customers to perform these calculations manually while ensuring accurate individual billing.
2Ease of operation
If the group divides the bill evenly among each member, then the payment process is simple, but a person may pay too much or too little for what they ordered
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the billing process to offer multiple options: customers can choose to pay evenly (simplifying the process) or pay for specific items (improving accuracy). The payment system handles both modes seamlessly, automatically calculating individual shares when item-specific payment is selected, or dividing evenly when simplicity is preferred.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a dynamic payment system that adapts to customer preferences. The interface allows customers to switch between even-split and item-specific payment modes, and the system dynamically adjusts the calculation method based on the selected option, providing both simplicity and accuracy as needed.
3Adaptability or versatility
If multiple customers use different payment methods or devices, then each customer can pay using their preferred method, but the merchant must process multiple separate transactions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple individual payment transactions into a single consolidated transaction at the merchant's point of sale system. Each customer's payment (whether by credit card, debit card, or other method) is processed separately through their mobile device, but the system aggregates these into one unified bill settlement, simplifying the merchant's processing requirements while maintaining payment method flexibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile payment system acts as an intermediary that coordinates between multiple customers using different payment methods and the merchant's single point of sale system. It manages the aggregation of multiple payments, ensures proper allocation to the correct items or portions of the bill, and provides a unified interface for the merchant to process all transactions simultaneously.
Data Source
AI summary
When a merchant sells goods or services in a sales transaction, a merchant device can generate a bill. The bill includes an itemized list of the goods and services, a price for each item, and an identifier of the sales transaction. A first customer and a second customer split the bill using a first customer device and a second customer device, respectively. The first customer device establishes communication between the first customer device and the merchant device. Using the identifier of the sales transaction, the first customer device pays a portion of the itemized list of the goods and services at the merchant device. The second customer device establishes communication between the second customer device and the merchant device. Using the identifier, the second customer device pays a remaining portion of the itemized list of the goods and services at the merchant device.