Interactive Payment Elements for Split Itemized Transactions
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional payment systems lack the ability for merchant and customer devices to communicate and exchange data, leading to inefficient and error-prone manual processes for apportioning payments among multiple customers in transactions.
Innovation Solution
A payment service that utilizes interactive elements like QR codes to facilitate automatic and intelligent apportioning of payments among customers, leveraging machine learning to personalize item listings and enable contactless payments through secure wireless communication.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual calculation and mapping of customer contributions to total cost is used, then payment apportioning can be achieved, but the process becomes time-consuming and error-prone
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mechanical calculation processes with automated electronic systems. The point-of-sale system automatically calculates each customer's contribution by tracking items ordered, applying pricing rules, and distributing charges across multiple payment instruments without human intervention, thereby eliminating time loss to manual computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables self-service payment apportioning by automatically tracking which items each customer ordered and automatically calculating their respective charges. The system serves itself by maintaining item-customer associations and performing the apportionment calculation without requiring server or customer manual intervention.
2Reliability
If multiple payment instruments requiring customer signatures are used, then payment security is maintained, but the transaction process becomes complex and slow
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the payment process into distinct electronic steps: item selection, automatic charge calculation, digital authorization, and payment instrument selection. Each step is handled separately by the system, reducing overall complexity while maintaining security through structured progression through defined stages.
Solution Approach 2:
The point-of-sale system acts as an intermediary that manages the complexity of multiple payment instruments. It automatically handles the coordination between customers, payment instruments, and charge allocation, shielding users from the underlying complexity while maintaining secure transaction processing.
3Measurement precision
If manual mapping of items ordered by individual customer to their respective payment instrument is performed, then accurate payment distribution is achieved, but the process requires significant human intervention
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces manual mapping processes with automated electronic tracking. The system automatically associates each ordered item with the correct customer and calculates their charge by querying the item database and applying pricing rules, eliminating the need for human mapping while maintaining precision through systematic data processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback loops to ensure accurate payment allocation. It continuously tracks item orders, verifies customer associations, calculates charges, and allows for customer review and correction before finalizing the apportionment, thereby maintaining high accuracy through iterative verification.
4Loss of information
If customers write down amounts owed on the back of the bill or instruct the server, then payment information is recorded, but data transmission increases and manual processing is required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses digital copies of payment information stored in the system's database rather than physical writing on bills. The point-of-sale system maintains electronic records of item costs, customer associations, and calculated charges, replacing physical documentation with digital data structures that require minimal transmission and no manual copying.
Data Source
AI summary
Technology related to processing multi-customer transactions is disclosed. In an example, an interactive element is generated for a transaction and an indication that a device of a first customer captured the interactive element is received. In response to receiving the indication, at least a portion of a listing of items associated with the transaction are presented via a user interface of the device of the first customer. A request to initiate a payment for one or more first items selected by the first customer from at least the portion of the listing of the items can be received and payment for an amount of the one or more first items using funds associated with an account of the first customer can be initiated, wherein a remaining balance associated with one or more remaining items associated with the transaction is payable by at least a second customer.