Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
WO 2022/119768
PCT/ITS2021/060976
CRYPTOCURRENCY REWARDS FOR A VIRTUAL CASH CARD
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
100011 This application claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent
Application No.
17/138,694, filed December 30, 2020, U.S. Patent Application No. 17/138,512,
filed
December 30, 2020, and U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 63/120,083,
filed December
1, 2020, the entire contents of each of which are incorporated by reference
herein.
BACKGROUND
100021 A financial-service provider may issue payment cards to its users for
making
payments. The payment cards may be associated with reward programs or
promotional offers
provided by the financial-service provider. Traditional reward programs
typically involve one
or more merchants providing reward programs or promotional offers to their
current or
potential customers. Information about the reward programs or promotional
offers may be
communicated to the customers via one or more traditional or online
communication methods
and may be represented by one or more physical or electronic tokens. A reward
or offer may
be redeemed with an affirmative action by a user, such as presenting a paper-
based coupon or
entering a promotional code. Traditional reward programs of this nature have
several
drawbacks.
100031 Traditional reward programs or promotional offers do not provide a
universal
interface to redeem cryptocurrency rewards. In fact, such programs are often
not suitable for
use with cryptocurrency transactions and it is often difficult to integrate
cryptocurrency
rewards for purchases made in fiat currency. As such, a user may often be
forced to use
external services to redeem or otherwise retrieve cryptocurrency rewards.
100041 Furthermore, viewing, accepting, and redeeming cryptocurrency
promotional offers
may often require good memory and affirmative activities by a user and may
often involve a
1
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
delay or third party services. That is, traditional reward programs rely on a
user to collect
information about rewards and to take advantage of such rewards. There is
currently no
system for identifying user-specific rewards and for collecting such
information about a
user's reward in a database, such that these rewards are automatically
available when a user
performs a transaction.
[0005] These factors all limit the usability of rewards in cryptocurrency
transactions.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] The above-recited and other advantages and features of the present
technology will
become apparent by reference to specific implementations illustrated in the
appended
drawings. A person of ordinary skill in the art will understand that these
drawings only show
some examples of the present technology and would not limit the scope of the
present
technology to these examples. Furthermore, the skilled artisan will appreciate
the principles
of the present technology as described and explained with additional
specificity and detail
through the use of the accompanying drawings in which:
[0007] FIG. lA illustrates a payment service network according to one example
as
described herein.
[0008] FIG. 1B illustrates a data store framework of the payment service
according to one
example as described herein.
[0009] FIG. 2 illustrates a cryptocurrency reward process according to one
example as
described herein.
[0010] FIG. 3A illustrates a cryptocurrency reward procedure according to one
example as
described herein
[0011] FIG. 3B illustrates a continuation of the cryptocurrency reward
procedure according
to one example as described herein.
2
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0012] FIG. 4A illustrates graphical user interfaces for activating
cryptocurrency rewards
according to some examples as described herein.
[0013] FIG. 4B illustrates graphical user interfaces for cryptocurrency reward
notifications
according to some examples as described herein.
[0014] FIG. 4C illustrates graphical user interfaces for viewing
cryptocurrency transactions
according to some examples as described herein
[0015] FIG. 4D illustrates graphical user interfaces for viewing user account
activity
according to one example as described herein.
[0016] FIG. 4E illustrates a graphical user interface for accessing a user
wallet address
according to one example as described herein.
[0017] FIG. 4F illustrates a graphical user interface for adjusting
cryptocurrency units to
display according to one example as described herein.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Various examples of the present technology are discussed in detail
below. While
specific implementations are discussed, it should be understood that this is
done for
illustration purposes only. A person skilled in the relevant art will
recognize that other
components and configurations may be used without parting from the spirit and
scope of the
present technology.
[0019] The present technology provides a payment server processing a payment
for a point-
of-sale (POS) transaction using a payment instrument associated with a user
account
maintained in a data store of the payment server. The payment server
determines a reward
configuration stored in the user account. The reward configuration includes
settings to reward
the user account with cryptocurrency assets and is based on historical
transaction activity
3
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
associated with the user account. The payment server calculates an amount of
cryptocurrency
assets according to the reward configuration. The amount of the cryptocurrency
assets may be
based on a value of the cryptocurrency at a time of the transaction. The
payment server
assigns the amount of cryptocurrency assets from a cryptocurrency wallet of
the payment
service to a cryptocurrency wallet of the user.
[0020] In another example, the present technology provides a payment server
that receives
a request to activate cryptocurrency rewards for a user account maintained by
the payment
server. The user account includes fiat currency balance. A data store
maintained by the
payment server, stores the cryptocurrency reward with the user account. The
payment
service detects a transaction involving the customer and a merchant. Upon
detecting the
transaction and based on the request the payment server processes a payment
for a transaction
using a payment instrument associated with the user account. The payment is to
satisfy the
transaction in fiat currency. The payment server generates in a data store, a
cryptocurrency
wallet on behalf of the user. The cryptocurrency wallet includes a
cryptocurrency balance
and is assigned to the user account of the user within the data store. The
payment server
assigns in the data store, a value of a cryptocurrency balance of the payment
service to the
cryptocurrency balance of the user. The value is associated with the
transaction. A
cryptocurrency wallet associated with a user may comprise a user wallet key or
keys and the
associated wallet address.
[0021] As a result, the network security of the payment service is enhanced.
In particular,
the instantaneous generation of a cryptocurrency wallet for a user upon the
initiation of a
transaction means that the number of wallets associated with external
blockchains (e.g.
cryptocurrency networks) is reduced. Accordingly, this provides a limited
number of access
points to a user's cryptocurrency assets that are managed by the payment
service, which, in
turn, limits the exposure of the user's account to external threats. This, of
course, enhances
4
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
the network security of the payment service. In addition, the creation of a
cryptocurrency
wallet at the time of the transaction means that cryptocurrency wallets are
only created when
they are intended for use and are not sitting dormant without being used. This
results in the
conservation of memory storage for the payment server. For example, a
cryptocurrency
wallets is not created when a user requests a particular cryptocurrency
rewards but is only
created when the reward is applicable to a particular transaction.
[0022] The present technology may permit a user to select how they would like
to receive
payment card rewards and in which currency. Currency may include fiat
currency,
cryptocurrency, equity value, or other monetary value that may be represented
by digital asset
ledgers. A user may choose to receive rewards in one or more currencies,
including a
combination of one or more currencies. Examples of fiat currency may include,
but are not
limited to, the US Dollar, European Euro, Chinese Yuan, Japanese Yen, British
Pound, as
well as other government-backed currencies. Examples of cryptocurrency may
include, but
are not limited to, Bitcoin, Ethereum, Litecoin, Ripple, as well as other
cryptography-enabled
digital assets. Examples of equity value may include, but are not limited to,
stockholder
equity, common/preferred stock, as well as other mechanisms of owning non-cash
value.
10023] As described above, embodiments described herein provide a number of
technical
benefits over prior solutions. For example, the examples of the present
invention provide for
instant creation of a cryptocurrency wallet at the time of a transaction that
relate to the
cryptocurrency reward as managed by the payment service. This helps conserve
memory
usage for the payment server since the cryptocurrency wallet is not created at
the time of the
user requesting the crypto reward ¨ where it may sit dormant -- but when the
award is
applicable to a particular transaction. Furthermore, this instant or on-the-
fly wallet and key
generation provides enhanced security features for users, reducing the number
of access
points to a user account's balance and, therefore, limiting exposure to
external threats.
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0024] The following description provides specific details for a thorough
understanding
and an enabling description of these implementations. One skilled in the art
will understand,
however, that the disclosed system and methods may be practiced without many
of these
details. Additionally, some well-known structures or functions may not be
shown or
described in detail, so as to avoid unnecessarily obscuring the relevant
description of the
various implementations. The terminology used in the description presented
below is
intended to be interpreted in its broadest reasonable manner, even though it
is being used in
conjunction with a detailed description of certain specific implementations of
the disclosed
system and methods. Some frequently used terms are now described.
[0025] The phrases "in some examples," "according to various examples," "in
the
examples shown," "in one example," "in other examples," "various examples,"
"some
examples," and the like generally mean the particular feature, structure, or
characteristic
following the phrase is included in at least one example of the present
invention, and may be
included in more than one example of the present invention. In addition, such
phrases do not
necessarily refer to the same examples or to different examples.
[0026] If the specification states a component or feature "may," "can,"
"could,- or "might"
be included or have a characteristic, that particular component or feature is
not required to be
included or have the characteristic.
[0027] The term "module" refers broadly to software stored on non-transitory
storage
medium (e.g., volatile or non-volatile memory for a computing device),
hardware, or
firmware (or any combination thereof) modules. Modules are typically
functional such that
they that may generate useful data or other output using specified input(s). A
module may or
may not be self-contained. An application program (also called an
"application") may
include one or more modules, or a module may include one or more application
programs.
6
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0028] The preceding summary is provided for the purposes of summarizing some
examples to provide a basic understanding of aspects of the subject matter
described herein.
Accordingly, the above-described features are merely examples and should not
be construed
as limiting in any way. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject
matter
described herein will become apparent from the following description of
Figures and Claims.
[0029] FIG. 1A illustrates a payment service network 100 in accordance with
one example
embodiment. According to one example, payment service network 100 includes a
user 102
that provides a payment instrument 103 (e.g., payment card, NFC-enabled
device) to
merchant 106 to initiate a payment at POS device 108 in exchange for items 107
(e.g., goods
or services) offered by the merchant 106. Payment service network 100 also
illustrates a
payment service 110 (also referred to as a payment platform service (PPS)
herein), which
may include a data store 114, analytics module 116, and a payment processing
service 118.
In some examples, data store 114 may store therein asset storage 128, user
accounts 132 and
merchant accounts 134. In some examples, asset storage 128 may include a
cryptocurrency
wallet 130 for use by payment service 110 as a mechanism for maintaining
cryptocurrency
assets and communicating with cryptocurrency network 150 associated thereto.
[0030] Payment service 110 may be communicatively coupled to network(s) 112,
such as
the Internet, for communicating with mobile device 104 of user 102 and a
merchant point of
sale (POS) device 108 of merchant 106. Payment service 110 may communicate
with other
financial entities through network(s) 112, such as merchant network 140,
payment card
network 142, ACH network 144, equities network 146, and other third parties
148. In some
examples, third parties 148 may include 501(c)(3) entities, non-profit
organizations, or
otherwise recipients of donations or in-kind gifts provided by payment service
110 and/or
users or merchants thereof. Payment service 110 may further use network(s) 112
to
communicate with cryptocurrency network 150. In some examples, communication
with
7
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
cryptocurrency network 150 may include payment service 110 directly reading
and writing to
the blockchain of cryptocurrency network 150. In other examples, communication
with
cryptocurrency network 150 may include sending and receiving data to/from one
or more
middle-man entities for communicating with cryptocurrency network 150 on
behalf of
payment service 110. For example, payment service 110 may communicate with a
cryptocurrency exchange, marketplace, or other third-party blockchain service.
[0031] User 102 may engage with merchant 106 to initiate a transaction for
items 107. For
example, user 102 may provide a payment instrument 103 to merchant 106 to
initiate a
payment at POS device 108 in exchange for items 107. Mobile device 104 and POS
device
108 may be any mobile or non-mobile device that include instances of a payment
application
executing thereon. For example, payment application 111 may be stored in data
store 114
and provided by payment service 110 to mobile device 104 over network(s) 112.
Mobile
device 104 may send a download request to payment service 110. In response,
payment
service 110 may provide an instance of payment application 111 back to mobile
device 104
for installation as payment application 105. In doing so, payment service 110
may map an
identification of payment application 105 installed on mobile device 104 to
one or more user
accounts 132 associated with user 102.
[0032] Each instance of payment application 111 may include an indication of
at least one
user account of user accounts 132. For example, payment application 105
executing on
mobile device 104 may include an indication one or more user accounts 132
associated with
user 102. Payment application 105 may enable mobile device 104 to communicate
with
payment service 110 to initiate particular actions by payment service 110. For
example,
payment application 105 may enable user 102 to initiate payments from the
balance stored in
the respective user account of user accounts 132. Payment application 105
executing on first
mobile device 104 may also permit mobile device 104 to adjust account settings
stored in
8
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
user accounts 132, communicate with other instances of payment application 111
installed on
other mobile devices, or transmit data to/from other devices enabled to
communicate
wirelessly (e.g., NFC, Internet, etc.).
[0033] For example, payment application 105 may enable user 102 to select or
otherwise
apply reward configurations to payment instruments associated with the
respective user
account of user accounts 132, such as payment instrument 103. Using payment
application
105, first user 102 may transmit from mobile device 104 to payment service 110
a reward
selection 120. Reward selection 120 may include an indication of payment
instrument 103,
identification data associated with user 102 and/or merchant 106, a reward
unit selected by
the user, a specified reward amount, among other data. Payment service 110 may
receive
reward selection 120 from mobile device 104 and identify the associated user
account of user
102 in user accounts 132. For example, payment application 105 executing on
mobile device
104 may include an indication of the respective user account stored in user
accounts 132.
Upon receiving reward selection 120, payment service 110 may determine a
reward
configuration associated with payment instrument 103. Upon recording the
reward
configuration in user accounts 132, payment service 110 may transmit reward
confirmation
122 to payment application 105. In some embodiments, reward confirmation 122
may
include an indication that the reward configuration has been applied.
[0034] Merchant 106 may utilize POS device 108 for accepting payment from user
102.
POS device 108 may be any mobile or non-mobile device that includes instances
of a POS
application 113 stored in data store 114, wherein the instance is installed
locally on POS
device 108 as POS application 109. POS device 108 may further include a
wireless
communication module with wireless communication capabilities (e.g., NFC,
Bluetooth,
cellular data, etc.), allowing wireless communication between POS device 108
and other
devices with wireless communication capabilities. For example, POS device 108
may have
9
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
an NFC-enabled chip that communicates with other NFC-enabled devices. Once
installed on
POS device 108, POS application 109 may enable POS functionality, such as
merchant 106
(e.g., business owners, business employees, etc.) accepting payments from user
102 (e.g.,
customers).
[0035] In some types of businesses, POS device 108 may correspond to a store,
restaurant,
intemet commerce site, or other place of business or web site of the merchant,
and thus, may
be a fixed location that typically does not change on a day-to-day basis. In
other types of
businesses, however, the location of POS device 108 may change from time to
time, such as
in the case that a merchant operates a food truck, is a street vendor, is a
cab driver, etc., or has
an otherwise mobile business (e.g., in the case of a merchant who sells goods
or services at
buyers' homes, places of business, and so forth).
[0036] As used herein, a merchant may include any business engaged in the
offering of
goods or services for acquisition by customers. Actions attributed to a
merchant may include
actions performed by owners, employees, website servers, or other agents of
the merchant,
and thus no distinction is made herein unless specifically discussed. In
addition, as used
herein, a user 102 may include any entity that acquires goods or services from
a merchant,
such as by purchasing, renting, leasing, borrowing, licensing, or the like.
Hereinafter, goods
and/or services offered by merchants may be referred to as items (e.g., items
107). Thus,
merchant 106 and user 102 may interact with each other to conduct a
transaction in which
user 102 provides payment instrument 103 to initiate a transaction at POS
device 108 and, in
return, acquires items 107 from merchant 106.
[0037] As used herein, a transaction may include a financial payment for the
acquisition of
item(s) that is conducted between user 102 and merchant 106. For example, when
paying for
a transaction, user 102 can provide the amount that is due to the merchant
using payment
instrument 103 (e.g., a debit card, a credit card, a stored-value or gift
card, a check, through
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
an electronic payment application on mobile device 104 carried by user 102, or
the like). The
merchant can interact with POS device 108 to issue a payment using payment
instrument
103, such as by inputting (e.g., manually, via a magnetic card reader, NFC
reader, or an RF1D
reader, etc.) identifiers associated with payment instrument 103. For example,
payment
instrument 103 of user 102 can be a card having one or more magnetic strips
for providing
card and customer information when swiped in a card reader (e.g., POS device
108). In other
examples, other types of payment instruments may be used, such as smart cards
having a
built-in memory chip that is read when inserted into a reader, such as chips
that comply with
the Europay, MasterCard, Visa (EMV) standard (e.g., EMV cards), among others.
In other
examples, other types of payment instruments include cards or computing
devices that
communicate via radiofrequencies such as a radiofrequency identification tags,
and near field
communication devices, among others.
[0038] During the transaction, POS device 108 can determine or otherwise
receive
transaction information describing the transaction, such as an identifier of
the payment
instrument (e.g., payment card number, account credentials, or other payment
device
identifier), an amount of payment received from the customer, the item(s)
acquired by the
customer, a time, location (e.g., street address, GP S coordinates, IP
address, etc.) and date of
the transaction, a payment card network 142 associated with payment instrument
103, an
issuing bank of the payment instrument, a name or user account of the customer
(e.g., user
accounts 132), contact information of the customer, type of currency, IP
address of POS
device 108, IP address of mobile device 104, and so forth. POS device 108 can
send the
transaction information to payment service 110 over network(s) 112, either
substantially
contemporaneously with the conducting of the transaction (in the case of
online transactions)
or later when POS device 108 is in the online mode (in the case offline
transactions).
11
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0039] In an offline transaction, POS device 108 may store information related
to the
transaction, including, but not limited to, a cost of the transaction, a time
of day at which the
transaction occurred, a day of the week at which the transaction occurred, a
location at which
the transaction took place, an item that the customer obtained, an identity
and/or contact
information of the customer, and a payment instrument used in the transaction.
After
conducting an offline transaction with user 102, POS device 108 may provide at
least a subset
of the stored information to payment service 110 over network(s) 112.
Communication via
network(s) 112 may include POS device 108 connecting to any one or more wired
or wireless
networks, such as a Wi-Fi network, a cellular network, or the like. In an
online transaction,
POS device 108 may transmit data to payment service 110 over network 112
substantially
contemporaneously with the transaction with user 102.
[0040] After receiving payment information from payment instrument 103, POS
device 108
may send respective authorization requests 124, along with information related
transaction
information as described above, to payment service 110. As described above,
payment
service 110 may include payment processing service 118 and data store 114 that
stores user
accounts 132 and merchant accounts 134, as well as transaction histories of
users and
merchants.
[0041] Payment processing service 118 may function to receive the information
regarding a
transaction from POS device 108 and attempt to authorize payment instrument
103 used to
conduct the transaction. Payment processing service 118 may then send a
response 126 back
to POS device 108 indicating whether payment instrument 103 has been approved
or
declined.
[0042] Generally, when user 102 and merchant 106 enter into an electronic
payment
transaction, the transaction is processed by electronically transferring funds
from a financial
account associated with user 102 to a financial account associated with
merchant 106. As
12
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
such, payment processing service 118 may communicate with one or more
computing
devices of a payment card network 142 (e.g., MasterCard , VISA ) over
network(s) 110 to
conduct financial transactions electronically. Payment processing service 118
can also
communicate with one or more computing devices of one or more banks,
processing/acquiring services, or the like over the network 112. For example,
payment
processing service 118 may communicate with an acquiring bank, an issuing
bank, and/or a
bank maintaining user accounts for electronic payments. Payment processing
service 118
may also communicate with, or access user and merchant accounts maintained by
payment
service 110.
[0043] An acquiring bank may be a registered member of a card association
(e.g., Visa ,
MasterCard ), and may be part of a payment card network 142. An issuing bank
may issue
credit cards to buyers (e.g., user 102) and may pay acquiring banks for
purchases made by
cardholders (e.g., user 102) to which the issuing bank has issued a payment
card.
Accordingly, in some examples, the computing device(s) of an acquiring bank
may be
included in the payment card network and may communicate with the computing
devices of a
card-issuing bank to obtain payment. Further, in some examples, the user 102
may use a
debit card instead of a credit card, in which case, the bank computing
device(s) of a bank
corresponding to the debit card may receive communications regarding a
transaction in which
the customer is participating. Additionally, there may be computing devices of
other
financial institutions involved in some types of transactions or in
alternative system
architectures, and thus, the foregoing are merely several examples for
discussion purposes.
[0044] While FIG. 1A illustrates merchants 102 sending the transaction data
directly to the
payment service 110 as part of the request to authorize the payment instrument
103, in some
instances other entities (e.g., banks associated with the merchant 106 or with
customer
13
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
payment instruments 112) may provide transaction data, such as part of a
batched, periodic
process.
[0045] Mobile device 104 and POS device 108 may be computing devices with
wireless
communication capabilities (e.g., NFC, Bluetooth, cellular data, etc.),
allowing wireless
communication therebetween. A payment application 105 is a payment application
provided
by the payment service 110 and executes on a user's mobile device 104. POS
device 108 can
include a Point of Sale (POS) application 208 that is associated with one or
more merchant
systems and can be used by the customer to purchase products or services. The
payment
application 105 and POS application 109 can also be a website provided by
payment service
110 (e.g., payment service 110), or any source website or application that
provides a portal to
send and accept payments for transactions using payment service 110.
Applications 105 and
109 may be accessible through a web browser (e.g., Chrome or Safari ) on the
mobile
device 104, according to one example. In another example, applications 105 and
109 can be
software applications downloadable via an application store (e.g., Google Play
Store , Apple
App Store , etc.). Once accessed or registered into the applications 105 and
109, the web
browser or application may remember the credentials (e.g., identification data
205) for
subsequent visits (for example, through web browser authentication, web
cookies, web
history, etc.), allowing access to the applications without logging-in to an
account again. The
description herein is with reference to the payment application 105 and POS
application 109
as installed applications, however, it will be understood that these
applications as
authenticated or unauthenticated applications on a web browser is within the
meaning of the
term.
[0046] Payment application 105 can include an electronic wallet application,
money
transfer application (e.g., application for sending and receiving money via
email or phone), or
any other application having stored therein identification data linked to user
accounts of
14
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
payment service 110 or other data linked to one or more payment cards and/or
bank accounts,
both of which may be used by the owner of the mobile device to initiate
transactions. Such
transactions can include traditional purchase transactions between customers
and merchants
or service providers, person-to-person transactions, and the like.
[0047] Payment application 105 can also be used to manage internal payment
cards (i.e.,
payment cards issued by payment service 110 to users having a user account
132). As such,
options with respect to internal payment cards can be adjusted and managed
using payment
application 105. For example, when a user account of user accounts 132
includes multiple
payment methods (e.g., credit card, bank account, loan account, etc.), payment
application
105 can set one of those payment methods to be the default method for debits
or credits when
using an internal payment card.
[0048] Collectively, all tools for offering payment are herein referred to as
payment
instruments. For example, payment instruments can refer to mobile device 104
running
payment application 105, internal payment cards (e.g., provided by payment
platform 110),
external payment cards (e.g., provided by payment card network 142, ACH
network 144),
NFC-enabled payment cards, virtual payment cards, etc. The use of the term
payment
instrument does not imply a mechanism of use. For example, mobile device 104
may be
utilized via NFC protocols (e.g., NFC Data Exchange Format (NDEF), NFC tags,
etc.), or via
use of software on mobile device 104 to send messages through web forms,
applications,
APIs, or messaging applications. As an additional example, payment cards,
whether internal
or external, can be presented to a merchant to be read, or a card number can
be entered into a
terminal under the control of the merchant or under the control of the
customer. A payment
instrument can include multiple payment instruments, such as when utilizing
mobile device
104 to enter a payment card number. Throughout this description, specific
payment
instruments may be discussed, however, the specific payment instrument should
not be
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
considered limiting, and persons of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate
instances in which
a payment instrument such as a payment card can be substituted for another
payment
instrument such as a mobile device, and vice versa.
[0049] FIG. 1B illustrates a data store framework of the payment service in
accordance
with one example embodiment. According to one example, data store 114 may
store digital
assets in asset storage 128, as well as data stored in user accounts 132 and
merchant accounts
134, among other data. Asset storage 128 may be used to store digital assets
managed by
payment service 110 and record whether the digital assets are registered to
users. For
example, asset storage 128 may contain cryptocurrency wallet 130 for storing
cryptocurrency
and communicating with cryptocurrency network 150. Cryptocurrency wallet 130
can be
associated with many different addresses, and can vary addresses used to
acquire
cryptocurrency so that its holdings are represented under a variety of
addresses on
cryptocurrency network 150. When payment service 110 has its own holdings of
cryptocurrency, user 102 can acquire cryptocurrency directly from payment
service 110. In
some embodiments, payment service 110 can include logic for buying and selling
cryptocurrency in order to maintain a desired level of cryptocurrency. The
desired level can
be based on a volume of transactions over a period, balances of collective
cryptocurrency
ledgers, exchange rates, or trends in changing of exchange rates such that the
cryptocurrency
is trending towards gaining or losing value with respect to the fiat currency.
In all of these
scenarios, the buying and selling of cryptocurrency, and therefore the
associated updating of
the public ledger of cryptocurrency network 150 is separate from any customer-
merchant
transaction, and therefore not necessarily time-sensitive.
[0050] Asset storage 128 may contain ledgers that store record assignments of
digital assets
to users of payment service 110. Specifically, asset storage 128 may include
cryptocurrency
ledger 152, fiat currency ledger 154, equities ledger 156, and other ledgers
158¨each ledger
16
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
can be used to record the transfer of digital assets between users of the
platform (e.g., user
accounts 132, merchant accounts 134) and/or external entities (e.g., 140, 142,
144, 146, 148).
In doing so, asset storage 128 maintains a running balance of digital assets
managed by
payment service 110. The ledgers of asset storage 128 may further indicate
some of the
running balance for each of the digital asset ledgers stored in asset storage
128 may be
assigned or registered to one or more of user accounts 132, such as user
account 160.
[0051] Data store 114 may also manage user accounts 132 and merchant accounts
134.
User accounts 132 may store records of user accounts associated with each user
of payment
service 110. For example, user accounts 132 may include user account 160
associated with
user 102. Other user accounts of user accounts 132 may be similarly structured
to user
account 160, according to some examples. In other examples, other user
accounts may
include more or less accounts than that provided by user account 160. User
account 160
includes user account data 162, such as account activity 164 and user wallet
key(s) 166.
Account activity 164 may include a transaction log for recording transactions
associated with
user account 160. In some examples, user wallet key(s) 166 may include a
public-private
key-pair and a respective address associated with the cryptocurrency network
150. User
wallet key(s) 166 may include one or more key-pairs, each unique to
cryptocurrency network
150 or other cryptocurrency networks.
[0052] For example, if user account 160 receives cryptocurrency (e.g., from
cryptocurrency
network 150), payment service 110 may credit user account 160 cryptocurrency
ledger while
storing the cryptocurrency data in cryptocurrency wallet 130 of payment
service 110.
Additionally, while payment service 110 recognizes that user account 160
retains the value of
the transferred cryptocurrency through crediting cryptocurrency ledger 168,
any person that
inspects cryptocurrency network 150 will see the cryptocurrency as having been
transferred
to payment service 110. In some examples, cryptocurrency wallet 130 of payment
service
17
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
110 can be associated with many different addresses. In such examples, any
person that
inspects blockchain 220 may not easily associate all cryptocurrency stored in
cryptocurrency
wallet 130 as belonging to the same entity. This, in turn, improves the
anonymity of the
transactions.
[0053] The use of a payment service in this manner allows cryptocurrency
transactions to
be carried out in real-time because individual transactions do not need to be
put on a
blockchain for the transaction to be complete. That is, the use of a private
ledger, which is
maintained by the payment service 110,for real-time transactions , combined
with updates to
the public ledger at other times, allows for extremely fast transactions using
cryptocurrency
to be achieved.
[0054] In addition to user account data 162, customer profile 132 may include
a ledger for
any accounts managed by payment service 110. For example, user account 160 may
further
include a cryptocurrency ledger 168, fiat currency ledger 170, and equities
ledger 172, among
others. In some examples, cryptocurrency ledger 168 may store a balance for
each of the one
or more cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, among others) registered to
user account
160. Cryptocurrency ledger 168 may further record transactions of
cryptocurrency assets
associated with user account 160. For example, user account 160 may receive
cryptocurrency from external cryptocurrency network 150 using user wallet
key(s) 166.
Other ledgers may be used to record other assets registered to user account
160. For
example, user account 160 may further include fiat currency ledger 170,
equities ledger 172,
among others.
[0055] In some examples, user wallet key(s) 166 may be generated for the user
upon
request. User wallet key(s) 166 may be requested by the user in order to send,
exchange, or
otherwise control the balance of cryptocurrency held by the platform and
registered to the
user. In some examples, user wallet key(s) 166 may not be generated until a
user account
18
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
requires. This on-the-fly wallet key generation provides enhanced security
features for users,
reducing the number of access points to a user account's balance and,
therefore, limiting
exposure to external threats.
[0056] FIG. 2 illustrates a cryptocurrency reward process in accordance with
one example
embodiment. In some examples, cryptocurrency reward process 200 may begin with
payment service 110 providing for display a virtual payment card on a user
interface of
payment application 105 running on mobile device 104 of user 102. The virtual
payment
card may correspond to a physical payment card issued to the user. The virtual
payment card
and the physical payment card may both be associated with user account 160 of
user 102.
[0057] Cryptocurrency reward method 200 may further include the payment
service system
110 identifying one or more reward offers to be provided to the user. The
reward offers may
be identified using machine-learning models based on information in one or
more data stores
associated with the payment service system 110. The information analyzed by
the machine-
learning model to identify reward offers may include information about one or
more users,
information about one or more user accounts, information about one or more
merchants,
information about one or more existing and available reward offers, other
suitable
information, or any combination thereof. For example, the information used to
identify the
reward offers may include demographic information associated with the user,
information
associated with a current time, information associated with a location of the
user, historical
information associated with use of the payment application 105 by the user,
information
associated with input by the user while using the application, or information
associated with a
membership status of the user. In some examples, the information may further
include an
indication as to whether the user account has any previous cryptocurrency
activity in user
account data 162.
19
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0058] As an example, the payment service 110 may determine that the user has
recently
activated cryptocurrency capabilities provided by payment service 110 and
provide one or
more reward offers for cryptocurrency-related products, such as cash back in
the form of
cryptocurrency. As an example, the payment service 110 may determine that a
user has
expressed interest in cryptocurrency, but has not yet activated cryptocurrency
capabilities
provided by payment service 110 and, therefore, provides an incentive to
convert the user by
offering a larger cryptocurrency-related reward (e.g., cash back, among
others). In addition
to cash back, cryptocurrency-related rewards may include access to advanced
cryptocurrency
features, premium cryptocurrency functions, or access to other cryptocurrency-
related
functions provided by payment service 110. For example, payment service 110
may offer
better interest rates for loan products provided by payment service 110.
Specifically,
payment service 110 may offer user 102 a cryptocurrency-related reward such as
lower
interest rates for borrowing money on loan from payment service 110. As
another example,
payment service 110 may offer user 102 higher interest rates for storing
cryptocurrency with
payment service 110 or, similarly, loaning cryptocurrency to other users of
payment service
110.
[0059] As yet another example, the payment service 110 may offer users fiat-
related
rewards, merchant-specific discounts, equity-related gifts, among other
digital assets. For
example, payment service 110 may identify a plurality of reward offers related
to Christmas
for provision to a plurality of users during a year-end holiday season. As an
example, the
payment service 110 may receive a message from a merchant about a particular
promotional
period and discounts provided by the merchant during the period. Based on the
message, the
payment service 110 may push out reward offers representing the discount to a
plurality of
users during the promotional period.
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0060] As an example, the payment service 110 may determine that a particular
product or
service offered by a particular merchant is trending at a point in time. The
payment service
110 may push out one or more reward offers associated with the product or
service to a
plurality of users. As an example, the payment service 110 may determine from
a purchase
history of a user that the user has repetitively made payments at a particular
category of
merchants, the payment service 110 may provide the user targeted reward offers
for
merchants in this same category. As an example, the payment service 110 may
determine
that a user has not used the payment card for a while. The payment service 110
may provide
the user a reward offer containing a credit that is applicable to any payment
made using the
payment card to motivate the user to use the payment card. For example, the
reward offer
may provide the user a $5 credit that can be redeemed against a payment made
by the user
using the payment card to any merchant, as long as the payment is made within
the next ten
days.
[0061] As another example, the payment service 110 may detect a location of a
user
through the payment application 105 and push to the user one or more reward
offers for
merchants nearby. As yet another example, the payment service 110 may
determine a reward
offer accepted by the user has expired and present a similar reward offer
extending the term
of the previously-accepted reward offer.
[0062] In particular embodiments, one or more reward offers provided to a user
may be
determined based on a membership status of the user. In particular
embodiments, the
payment service 110 may assign a membership status (e.g., Platinum, Gold,
Silver) to a
balance of the user account based on a plurality of factors associated with
the user. The
factors for a user may be, for example, a profile, an age, a location, a
gender, a birth date, an
address, a spending history, cryptocurrency activation status, a merchant
interaction history, a
reward offer usage history, a user-to-user transaction history, results of a
natural-language
21
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
analysis of posts by the user (e.g., text, image, emojis). In particular
embodiments, the
payment service may determine a number of reward offers that a user may link
to her
payment account based on the user's membership status and transaction history
on the
platform (e.g., 10 for Platinum users, 5 for Gold users, and 3 for Silver
users). In particular
embodiments, the payment service may customize a reward offer based on a
user's
membership status (e.g., 20% discount for Platinum users, 15% discount for
Gold users, and
10% discount for Silver users). The payment service 110 may provide for
display one or
more animation effects in one or more user interfaces when a user's membership
status is
upgraded.
[0063] In some examples, cryptocurrency reward method 200 may further include
payment
service 110 sending, to the mobile device 104 associated with user 102,
instructions to
display the identified reward offers together with the virtual payment card in
a user interface
of the payment application 105. Each of the reward offers displayed may
contain information
about the content of the offer, a merchant associated with the offer, an
expiration date of the
offer, other suitable information about the offer, or any combination thereof.
The payment
application 105 may display multiple reward offers on a same screen or may
display the
reward offers one at a time and allow the user to scroll or flip through them.
The user
interface of the payment application 105 that displays the reward offers may
be one or more
interactive elements (e.g., buttons) allowing a user to accept or dismiss a
reward offer. The
user interface may also be configured to accept one or more gestures by the
user to perform
actions on the reward offers.
[0064] Cryptocurrency reward method 200 may further include payment service
110
receiving, from the mobile device 104, a user input indicating an assignment
of at least one of
the identified reward offers to the user account, such as a cryptocurrency-
related reward. In
particular embodiments, the user input may be a touch-screen gesture in a user
interface. The
22
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
touch-screen gesture may interact with the at least one of the reward offers
or the virtual
payment card. As an example, the user may select a reward offer, combining the
reward offer
element of the user interface with the virtual payment card to indicate
assignment of the
reward offer to the user account. This gesture may be detected by the mobile
device 104 and
forwarded to the payment service 110. In particular examples, the payment
service 110 may
require one or more user actions before a reward offer can be accepted. As an
example, a
user may be required to share a reward offer with one or more friends to
enable it. The
payment service 110 may determine that a reward offer is enabled based on one
or more
signals indicating one or more required activities by the user. In another
example, a user may
be required to accept terms related to the reward offer. Specifically, a user
may be required
to accept terms of service or other agreement terms related to cryptocurrency
provided by
payment service 110 in order to enable cryptocurrency-related rewards on the
virtual payment
card.
[0065] Cryptocurrency reward method 200 may further include payment service
110
adding, to one or more of the data stores, information associated with a
connection between
the user account and the at least one of the identified reward offers. The
connection may
authorize redeeming the reward offer upon payment for a subsequent transaction
using the
physical payment card. Alternatively, the reward offer may be redeemed when
the virtual
payment card is directly used for a payment, for example, at a point-of-sale
of a merchant via
an NFC-enabled card reader or similar mechanism.
[0066] In particular embodiments, after establishing and storing information
about a
connection between the user account and a reward offer, the payment service
110 may cause
representation of the connection in a user interface of the payment
application 105. The
payment service 110 may send, to the mobile device 104, instructions to modify
the displayed
virtual payment card to reflect the connection between the user account and
the at least one of
23
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
the identified reward offers. As an example, the payment application 105 may
display an
indication of the particular cryptocurrency associated with the reward offer
on top of the
virtual payment card or change the color of the virtual card so as to indicate
the connection
between the reward offer and the virtual payment card.
[0067] In particular embodiments, a user may dismiss a reward offer after it
has been
linked to a payment card. The user may perform one or more actions in a user
interface
displayed by the payment application 105 to dismiss a reward offer (e.g.,
touching an
displayed next to the reward offer). The payment service 110 may receive a
user input
corresponding to dismissing one of the identified reward offers. The payment
service 110
may then remove the information associated with the connection between the
user account
and the reward offer from the one or more data stores. The payment service 110
may also
send, to the mobile device 104, instructions to remove the one of the
identified reward offers
from the user interface.
[0068] According to some examples, cryptocurrency reward method 200 may
include all or
some of the above, in addition to what is shown in FIG. 2. For example,
payment application
may display information associated with one or more reward offers linked to
the user
account. Each of the reward offers may be redeemable upon satisfaction of one
or more
criteria, according to some examples. In the same user interface, the payment
service 110
may provide for display a virtual payment card corresponding to a physical
payment card
issued to the user and associated with the a particular balance stored in the
respective user
account.
[0069] In some examples, cryptocurrency reward method 200 may include payment
service
110 receiving information about a payment initiated by a point-of-sale (PUS)
device (e.g.,
PUS device 108) of the merchant using a payment instrument (e.g., virtual
payment card,
physical payment card) associated with the user account. The information about
the payment
24
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
may be received from an instance of the payment application 105 installed on a
mobile
device (e.g., mobile device 104) associated with a user (e.g., user 102) or a
POS application
(e.g., POS application 109) installed on a POS device (e.g., POS device 108)
associated with
a merchant (e.g., merchant 106). In particular embodiments, the user may make
the payment
directly using the virtual payment card. The payment may be made by placing
the mobile
device 104 storing information about the virtual payment card in proximity to
an NFC
terminal associated with the merchant. In this case, either the mobile device
104 associated
with the user or a device 105 associated with the merchant may send
information associated
with the payment to the payment service 110. In particular embodiments, the
user may make
the payment using a physical payment card associated with a particular balance
stored in the
respective user account. The payment may be made by placing the physical
payment card in
contact (e.g., swipe, insert) with a POS device 108 associated with the
merchant. In this case,
the POS device 108 may send information associated with the payment to the
payment
service 110 via a network. The information may be forwarded to the mobile
device 104
associated with the user.
[0070] At step 204, the payment service 110 may identify the user account
associated with
the particular payment instrument used in the transaction. Specifically, the
payment service
may identify the ledger and associated data connected to the payment
instruments. At step
206, the payment service 110 may then determine whether a reward configuration
is linked to
the user's account that is applicable to the merchant to whom the payment was
made. In
particular embodiments, the payment service 110 may search through the reward
configuration linked to the user account to identify such a reward offer.
[0071] Payment service 110 may further determine, based on the information
about the
payment and transaction data, and the information stored by the one or more
data stores,
whether each criterion associated with a reward configuration linked to a
particular balance
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
of the respective user account has been satisfied. As an example, the payment
service 110
may first determine that the payment is made to the merchant that is
associated with the
reward offer. As another example, the payment service system may determine
that the
payment was made within a required time period, that a required product was
purchased with
the payment, that the payment exceeded a required minimum value, that the
payment was
made using a desired method, that another suitable criterion has been
satisfied, or any
combination thereof. If the payment service 110 determines that a criterion
associated with a
reward offer is not satisfied, it may proceed to step 208, where it does not
issue a reward for
the transaction.
[0072] In some examples, payment service 110 may proceed to step 210 where it
transmits
a request to the user account to request that the user setup a reward
configuration. In some
examples, the payment service 110 may provide retroactive rewards for
selecting a reward
configuration. In some examples, payment service 110 may not provide rewards
for selecting
a reward configuration after a transaction has been initiated.
[0073] If the payment service 110 determines that the transaction meets the
criterion of a
reward configuration, it may proceed to step 212 to determine whether the
reward
configuration indicates cryptocurrency-related reward. If the reward
configuration does not
related to cryptocurrency, payment service 110 may proceed with initiating the
reward for the
user at step 214. Otherwise, the payment service 110 may proceed to step 216,
where
payment service 110 determines whether the user account has cryptocurrency
capabilities.
For example, payment service 110 may determine whether the associated user
account
contains a cryptocurrency wallet stored therein. If the user account does not
contain a
cryptocurrency wallet, payment service 110 may proceed to step 218 to
instantaneously
generate a user wallet. The user wallet may contain a wallet address and key-
pair (e.g., user
wallet key(s) 166) associated with cryptocurrency network 150. In some
examples, the user
26
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
wallet may contain a wallet address associated with an internal ledger
maintained by payment
service 110. In some examples, the user wallet key-pair and its respective
wallet address may
be instantaneously generated at a later time. For example, payment service 110
may generate
the user wallet when the associated user accesses the user wallet or submits a
request to
access the key-pair and/or address values. As described above, payment service
110 may
request the user to agree to the terms of use or other agreement associated
with
cryptocurrency features provided by the payment service 110.
[0074] At step 220, the payment service 110 may determine an amount of
cryptocurrency
assets according to the reward configuration assigned to the payment
instrument and based on
the transaction and payment information discussed above. In particular
examples, a value
may be determined based on a percentage or amount of money spent in the
transaction. In
other examples, the value may be indirectly determined or otherwise set at a
static value. In
some examples, the value may be determined or otherwise calculated in an
amount of
cryptocurrency assets.
10075] As an example, the payment service 110 may send to a user a reward
offer that
would apply to payments to a particular category of merchants (e.g., coffee
merchants). The
user may have made a qualifying payment to a merchant of the category (e.g., a
local coffee
shop). However, the payment service 110 initially may not recognize the
merchant as
qualifying and may not redeem the reward offer on the qualifying payment. One
or more user
interfaces of the payment application 105 may be one or more interactive
elements allowing
the user to report issues related to redemption of reward offers. The
interactive elements may
be associated with the reward offers or a displayed purchase history of the
user. The payment
service 110 may receive a message or notification from the mobile device 104
of the user
indicating that the reward offer should have but was not applied. The message
or notification
may be triggered by one or more user inputs in the payment application 105. In
response to
27
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
the message or notification, the payment service 110 may retroactively apply a
reward
associated with the reward offer to the payment, which may result in an
increase to the user's
ledger, such as cryptocurrency ledger 168.
[0076] At step 222, the payment service 110 may update the cryptocurrency
ledger 152 of
the payment service 110 to reflect an allocation of the determined amount of
cryptocurrency
assets stored by cryptocurrency wallet 130 of payment service 110 to the
respective user
account.
[0077] In some examples, payment service 110 may transmit to the payment
application
105 installed on mobile device 104 a user interface indicating that the reward
offer has been
redeemed in association with the payment. In particular, payment application
105 may
display one or more animation effects on the user interface in association
with the virtual
payment card to indicate that a reward offer has been redeemed (e.g., virtual
payment card
changes to a color associated with the merchant or reward type). In particular
embodiments,
the user interface may be or display a receipt for the payment. The receipt
has information
associated with the redemption of the reward offer. In particular embodiments,
the payment
service system may add information associated with the redemption of the
reward offer to a
transaction history associated with the user. It may send, to the payment
application 105, a
user interface displaying at least part of the transaction history. In
particular embodiments, a
membership status of the user may be determined based on the user's
transactions history.
For example, the membership status may be adjusted if the total amount of
payments made
by the user exceeds a threshold or if the total number of reward offers
redeemed for the user
exceeds a required number. In some examples, the membership status may be
determined
based on other factors associated with the user account, such as the user
account's activity
associated with particular types of digital assets. For example, a user
account without any
activity associated with cryptocurrency may be assigned a membership status
indicative of
28
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
limited cryptocurrency features, according to some examples. In some examples,
a user
account with a lot of activity associated with equity may be assigned a
membership status
indicative of advanced equity features (e.g., limit orders, option orders,
trailing orders,
advanced market insights, among others).
100781 In particular examples, a reward offer may be associated with
limitations such as a
number-of-uses limit (e.g., five times), a time duration (e.g., one week),
special dates (e.g.
Valentine's Day or Thanksgiving Day), specific day/time combinations (e.g.,
Sunday Brunch
between 10 am-2 pm or Friday Happy Hour between 5 pm-7 pm), and/or a rate
limit (e.g.,
once a day). The reward offer may be deactivated or delinked from a
corresponding balance
of the user account if its limitations are reached. In particular embodiments,
after a reward
offer is redeemed for a number of times that equals a corresponding maximum
value, the
payment service 110 may delink the reward offer from the corresponding balance
of the
respective user account. The payment service 110 may remove information about
the
connection between the reward offer and the user account from one or more of
the data
stores. In particular embodiments, the reward offer may be delinked from the
corresponding
user account as soon as the offer is redeemed on a payment using either the
physical payment
card or the virtual payment card associated with a particular balance of the
respective user
account, such that an attempt to redeem the reward offer for another payment
using an
alternative card associated with the same user account would be denied. In
particular
embodiments, the payment service 110 may automatically deactivate a reward
offer or delink
it from the user account when a time duration associated with the reward offer
has passed,
regardless of whether the reward offer has been redeemed. In particular
embodiments, the
payment service 110 deactivate a reward offer after it has been redeemed for a
certain
number of times in a particular period. For example, a reward offer may be
deactivated after
being used once in a particular day and re-activated the next day for another
redemption.
29
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0079] Although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular steps of
the method of
FIG. 2 as occurring in a particular order, this disclosure contemplates any
suitable steps of the
method of FIG. 2 occurring in any suitable order. Moreover, although this
disclosure
describes and illustrates an example method for redeeming a reward offer in
response to a
payment using the payment card including the particular steps of the method of
FIG. 2, this
disclosure contemplates any suitable method for redeeming a reward offer in
response to a
payment using the payment card including any suitable steps, which may include
all, some,
or none of the steps described but not shown in FIG. 2, where appropriate.
Furthermore,
although this disclosure describes and illustrates particular components,
devices, or systems
carrying out particular steps of the method of FIG. 2, this disclosure
contemplates any
suitable combination of any suitable components, devices, or systems carrying
out any
suitable steps of the method of FIG. 2.
[0080] FIG. 3A illustrates a cryptocurrency reward procedure in accordance
with one
example embodiment. According to some examples, cryptocurrency reward
procedure flow
300 may include numerous devices, including POS device 302, user mobile device
304,
payment service 306, and cryptocurrency network 308. In some examples,
procedure flow
300 may include more or less entities than depicted in procedure flow 300.
Cryptocurrency
reward procedure 300 may include payment service 306 communicating with
cryptocurrency
network 308 (e.g., cryptocurrency network 150) to purchase or otherwise
receive
cryptocurrency at 309. Communicating with cryptocurrency network 308 may
include
reading and writing to a blockchain associated with cryptocurrency managed by
the payment
service 306. Alternatively, communicating with cryptocurrency network 308 may
also
include transmitting data to/from a cryptocurrency exchange, marketplace,
and/or other third-
party blockchain service to perform actions associated with the blockchain of
cryptocurrency
network 308.
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0081] Cryptocurrency reward procedure flow 300 may further include a rewards
configuration procedure 310 between mobile device 304 and payment service 306.
Specifically, rewards configuration procedure 310 may include payment service
306
generating reward offers for the particular user account associated with
mobile device 304 as
described in cryptocurrency reward method 200 above. Payment service 306 may
transmit
the generated reward offers to mobile device 304 for selection by the user. In
some
examples, the user may select one or more rewards offers by way of the user
interface of
mobile device 304. Mobile device 304 may transmit the user's one or more
reward selections
provided to payment service 306. Payment service 306 may store or otherwise
determine
from the user selections a rewards configuration for the respective payment
instrument
associated with the associated user account.
[0082] In some examples, cryptocurrency reward procedure flow 300 may include
mobile
device 304 providing a payment instrument (e.g., NFC data having payment
credentials
associated with a virtual payment card stored on mobile device 304) at 311. In
some
embodiments, payment instrument may also be a physical payment card, or other
mechanism
for transferring payment credentials).
[0083] According to some examples, a transaction may be initiated by a
merchant's (e.g.,
merchant 106) POS device 302 (e.g., POS device 108) when the payment
instrument is
provided to POS device 302 at 311. The first payment instrument may include a
physical
payment card or data transmitted from mobile device 304, both of which are
associated with a
user account (e.g., user account 160). The payment instrument may include a
wireless
communication module (e.g., NFC-enabled chip, NFC tag, Bluetooth transmitter,
or similar
short-range communication module) in order to facilitate wireless
communication. During
the transaction, POS device 302 may generate (312) transaction infoimation 314
based on
payment credentials as provided by the first payment instrument associated
with the user
31
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
account. According to one example, the wireless communication module of the
payment
instrument, including a payment card and/or mobile device 304, may be
programmed to enter
a search mode procedure after payment credentials have been provided.
According to
another example, search mode may be activated by an activation mechanism
incorporated
into other payment instruments. Search mode as provided by the wireless
communication
module of the payment instrument may include actively searching for other
nearby wireless
communication modules to read and store data therefrom.
[0084] POS device 302 transmits transaction information 314 over a network
(e.g., network
112) to payment service 306. Payment service 306 receives transaction
information 314,
processes and authorizes (320) the transaction using transaction information
314 through
payment service 306 (e.g., payment service 110). Payment service 306 further
includes user
accounts (e.g., user accounts 132) associated with users of payment service
306, including a
first user account (e.g., first user account 160) associated with mobile
device 304 and a
second user account (e.g., second user account 136) associated with a second
user 324.
10085] Upon processing and authorizing the transaction, payment service 306
deducts the
total cost of the transaction from the first user account and stores (322)
transaction
information 314 in a transaction activity log (e.g., account activity 164)
stored in the
associated user account of payment service 306 for later reference. Payment
service 306 may
identify the rewards configuration stored in the associated user account to
indicate
cryptocurrency rewards at 324. In some examples, payment service 306 may
determine
whether or not the user account already contains a cryptocurrency wallet for
the user at 326.
If a user account already contains a cryptocurrency wallet, payment service
306 may proceed
to step 336 of cryptocurrency reward procedure 300.
[0086] If the user account does not have a cryptocurrency wallet at 326,
payment service
306 may instantly generate a user wallet (e.g., user wallet key(s) 166 and
associated wallet
32
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
address) associated with cryptocurrency network 308. Specifically, payment
service 306 may
generate a new wallet key-pair and respective wallet address according to
instructions
provided by the blockchain of cryptocurrency network 308. In response,
cryptocurrency
network 308 may push the public key to the blockchain at 330 as a new
cryptocurrency wallet
of its blockchain. In some examples, payment service 306 may instantly
generate a wallet
key-pair and address upon the user account activating the cryptocurrency
features provided
by payment service 306. In some embodiments, the payment service 306 may
generate a user
wallet key-pair and address according to instructions provided by the
blockchain of
cryptocurrency network 308. In some examples, because of the unique
infrastructure of
managing digital assets for individual user accounts, payment service 306 may
wait to
generate key-pairs and wallet addresses associated with cryptocurrency network
308 until the
respective user requests access to user wallet credentials (e.g., public-
private key-pair, wallet
address, among others), such as the request at 346. The instant creation of a
cryptocurrency
wallet at the time of a transaction conserves memory usage for the payment
server since the
cryptocurrency wallet is not created when the user is not using the wallet,
e.g. at the time of
the user requesting the cryptocurrency reward, but when the award is
applicable to a
particular transaction. Furthermore, this instant or on-the-fly wallet and key
generation
provides enhanced security features for users, reducing the number of access
points to a user
account's balance and, therefore, limiting exposure to external threats.
[0087] Once a wallet address is determined, payment service 306 may assign, at
334, the
wallet address to a particular user account, according to some examples. At
338, payment
service 306 may then determine an amount of cryptocurrency based on the reward
configuration stored in the user account. In some examples, payment service
306 may update
the internal ledger (e.g., cryptocurrency ledger 152) associated with tracking
cryptocurrency
assets managed by the platform to assign the determined amount of
cryptocurrency to the
33
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
user account. In some examples, payment service 306 may store the data
associated with the
reward (e.g., cryptocurrency assets) at step 340. For example, payment service
306 may
update the cryptocurrency ledger (e.g., cryptocurrency ledger 168) of the user
account to
reflect a deposit in the amount of cryptocurrency. Payment service 306 may
then transmit a
reward confirmation of the cryptocurrency amount assigned to the user account
at 342,
according to some examples.
[0088] In some examples, cryptocurrency reward procedure 332 may include
mobile device
304 displaying at 344 a reward confirmation for the user. The reward
confirmation may
indicate that cryptocurrency was assigned or otherwise allocated to the user
account. In some
examples, the reward confirmation may or may not include the wallet
credentials as
generated above. According to some examples, a user may request at 346 wallet
credentials
from the payment service 306 to store on their own device. Upon a user's
request, payment
service 306 may transmit at 348 to the user accordingly. In some examples, if
a user account
does not contain wallet credentials, payment service 306 may instantly
generate the wallet
credentials before transmitting to the user accordingly.
[0089] In some examples, assigning the wallet address to the particular user
account, such
as that provided at 334, may further include transmitting a copy of the public
and private keys
(and associated wallet address) to a device controlled by the user in order to
provide users
with the security and assurance provided by non-custodial services. Securely
providing a
user with a non-custodial wallet may include, according to some examples,
encrypting the
public and private keys of the wallet address for transmitting to mobile
device 304. This
feature enables a user to take full control of their digital assets by self-
hosting their own
cryptocurrency wallet and reduces congestion of the payment service. By
waiting to generate
cryptocurrency wallet credentials and implementing the present instantaneous
wallet
generation upon the user's request reduces the number of wallets associated
with external
34
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
blockchains, such as cryptocurrency network 308, providing limited access
points to
cryptocurrency assets managed by the payment service 306. This feature not
only enhances
network security of payment service 306, but reduces the processing power to
implement the
present disclosure.
[0090] FIG. 4A illustrates graphical user interfaces for activating
cryptocurrency rewards in
accordance with one example embodiment. In some examples, the GUI 410 displays
a
virtual payment card 411 and a button 412 to activate the rewards
functionality of the present
disclosure (e.g., "Save with Boost"). In some examples, GUI 415 displays a
virtual payment
card 416 with an empty field 417 representing a rewards configuration attached
thereto.
Virtual payment card 416 may display below a card carousel 417, each element
or card of the
carousel representing one or more reward offers. For example, reward offer
card 418
indicates a cryptocurrency reward. By selecting reward offer card 418, GUI 420
may be
displayed to the user, wherein information 421 associated with the reward
offer card 418 can
be displayed to the user. GUI 420 may include an activate button 422 for the
user to select
the reward offer card 418 as the reward configuration.
[0091] FIG. 4B illustrates graphical user interfaces for cryptocurrency reward
notifications
in accordance with one example embodiment. GUI 425 may display a notification
426 on a
mobile device of a user who has not yet activated cryptocurrency rewards
feature in their
associated account. Interacting with notification 426 may display for the
first user a start
page of the cryptocurrency reward activation (e.g., FIG. 4A). GUI 430 displays
a notification
431 on a mobile device of a user who has just recently received a
cryptocurrency reward
deposited to their account.
[0092] FIG. 4C illustrates graphical user interfaces for viewing
cryptocurrency transactions
in accordance with one example embodiment. In some examples, GUI 435 displays
cryptocurrency transactions assocaited with the user account. Transaction 436
illustrates that
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
cryptocurrency rewards may be listed in GUI 435 for a convenient summary of
cryptocurrency transactions of the user account. GUI 440 displays
cryptocurrency reward
details. In some examples, GUI 440 may be displayed upon a user selecting
transaction 436
of GUI 435. In some examples, GUI 445 may display details associated the
earnings of a
cryptocurrency reward associated with the user account.
[0093] FIG. 4D illustrates graphical user interfaces for viewing user account
activity
according in accordance with one example embodiment. GUI 450 may display
account
activity stored in the data store of the payment service. In some examples,
GUI 450 may
display transactions stored in the user account, including the value
transacted and any
rewards associated thereto. For example, transaction 451 may indicate a
transaction for
purchasing gas, indicating the total value of the purchase and the amount of
cryptocurrency
earned therefrom.
[0094] FIG. 4E illustrates a graphical user interface for accessing a user
wallet address in
accordance with one example embodiment. GUI 455 displays a cryptocurrency
summary
which may provide details associated with the cryptocurrency configurations of
the user
account. For example, GUI 455 displays a total amount 456 of cryptocurrency
assigned to
the user account. GUI 455 may also display cryptocurrency wallet credentials
457 associated
with the user account. Specifically, cryptocurrency wallet credentials 457
provides a wallet
address 458 for the respective blockchain of the associated cryptocurrency
network. Other
details may be provided by GUI 455, such as terms, limits, and/or other rules
associated with
the user account's cryptocurrency features. For example, GUI 455 displays that
the user
account has a particular limit for purchasing cryptocurrency (e.g., "$10,000
per week").
[0095] FIG. 4F illustrates a graphical user interface for adjusting
cryptocurrency units to
display according to one example as described herein. GUI 460 may be
understood as a
continuation of GUI 455 or otherwise a second page for providing more details
associated
36
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
with the cryptocurrency configurations of the user account. For example, GUI
460 may
display other cryptocurrency limitations applied to the user account.
Additionally, GUI 460
may also display a selection menu for adjusting the cryptocurrency units
displayed
throughout the application. For example, GUI 460 provides the user with a
Bitcoin selection
and a Satoshi selection. GUI 460 may provide other details associated the
cryptocurrency
stored in the user account, such as additional historical information
regarding the
cryptocurrency.
[0096] For clarity of explanation, in some instances the present technology
may be
presented as including individual functional blocks that include devices,
device components,
steps or routines in a method embodied in software, or combinations of
hardware and
software.
[0097] Any of the steps, operations, functions, or processes described herein
may be
performed or implemented by a combination of hardware and software services or
services,
alone or in combination with other devices. In some examples, a service can be
software that
resides in memory of a client device and/or one or more servers of a content
management
system and perform one or more functions when a processor executes the
software associated
with the service. In some examples, a service is a program, or a collection of
programs that
carry out a specific function. In some examples, a service can be considered a
server. The
memory can be a non-transitory or transitory computer-readable medium.
[0098] In some examples the computer-readable storage devices, mediums, and
memories
can include a cable or wireless signal containing a bit stream and the like.
However, when
mentioned, transitory computer-readable storage media are media such as
energy, carrier
signals, electromagnetic waves, and signals per se.
37
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
[0099] Methods according to the above-described examples can be implemented
using
computer-executable instructions that are stored or otherwise available from
computer
readable media. Such instructions can be, for example, instructions and data
which cause or
otherwise configure a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or
special
purpose processing device to perform a certain function or group of functions.
Portions of
computer resources used can be accessible over a network. The computer
executable
instructions may be, for example, binaries, intermediate format instructions
such as assembly
language, firmware, or source code. Examples of computer-readable media that
may be used
to store instructions, information used, and/or information created during
methods according
to described examples include magnetic or optical disks, solid state memory
devices, flash
memory, USB devices provided with non-volatile memory, networked storage
devices, and
so on.
[00100] Devices implementing methods according to these disclosures can be
hardware,
firmware and/or software, and can take any of a variety of form factors.
Typical examples of
such form factors include servers, laptops, smart phones, small form factor
personal
computers, personal digital assistants, and so on. Functionality described
herein also can be
embodied in peripherals or add-in cards. Such functionality can also be
implemented on a
circuit board among different chips or different processes executing in a
single device, by
way of further example.
[00101] The instructions, media for conveying such instructions, computing
resources for
executing them, and other structures for supporting such computing resources
are
mechanisms for providing the functions described in these disclosures.
[00102] Although a variety of examples and other information was used to
explain aspects
within the scope of the appended claims, no limitation of the claims should be
implied based
on particular features or arrangements in such examples, as one of ordinary
skill would be
38
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
WO 2022/119768
PCT/US2021/060976
able to use these examples to derive a wide variety of implementations.
Although some
subject matter may have been described in language specific to examples of
structural
features and/or method steps, it is to be understood that the subject matter
defined in the
appended claims is not necessarily limited to these described features or
acts. For example,
such functionality can be distributed differently or performed in components
other than those
identified herein. Rather, the described features and steps are disclosed as
examples of
components of systems and methods within the scope of the appended claims.
[00103] Having now fully set forth examples and certain modifications of the
concept
underlying the present invention, various other examples as well as certain
variations and
modifications of the examples shown and described herein will obviously occur
to those
skilled in the art upon becoming familiar with said underlying concept.
39
CA 03200021 2023- 5- 24
