Bundled Transaction Splitting via Mobile Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Payment terminals and point-of-sale devices often do not support split transactions, forcing users to pay for group purchases with a single credit or debit card, even when multiple individuals intend to split the cost.
Innovation Solution
A system that allows users to bundle multiple transactions and split the costs among individuals through a client application, reducing network bandwidth and computational resources by processing a single request for multiple transactions efficiently.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If payment terminals and point-of-sale devices do not support split transactions, then device complexity is reduced, but functionality and adaptability deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a mobile computing device as an intermediary between the user and the payment terminal. The mobile device runs a client application that communicates with both the user and the payment terminal, enabling split transaction functionality without requiring the payment terminal itself to be reconfigured. The mobile device bundles multiple transactions into a single request, acting as a mediator that bridges the gap between modern splitting needs and legacy terminal capabilities.
2Measurement precision
If multiple separate transaction requests are sent for split payments, then transaction processing accuracy is improved, but network bandwidth and computational resources are consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate transaction requests into a single bundled request. The client application on the mobile device aggregates multiple transactions that need to be split and sends them as one consolidated request to the server. This reduces the number of network round-trips and computational operations required, thereby conserving network bandwidth and energy while maintaining accurate transaction processing through the bundled structure that preserves individual transaction details.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed are various embodiments for bundling multiple transactions together to split among one or more individuals. A selection of a plurality of transactions presented through a user interface is obtained. Then, a split request is obtained through the user interface, the split request representing a request to split a total cost for the plurality of transactions with one or more individuals. Next, a selection of the one or more individuals is obtained, the selection comprising a respective personal identifier for each of the one or more individuals. Subsequently, a split message is sent to a transaction processing service, the split message comprising a plurality of transaction identifiers representing the plurality of transactions and the respective personal identifier for each of the one or more individuals.