Transitioning Point-Of-Sale Devices Between Modes

Abstract

Techniques and arrangements for transitioning point-of-sale (POS) devices between online and offline modes. In some instances, the techniques instruct a POS device to transition from an online mode to an offline mode based on a volume of transactions on the POS device within a certain time period, based on an increase in the rate of transactions occurring on the POS device, or based on anticipating a rise in the number of transactions on the POS device for other reasons.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A point-of-sale (POS) device comprising:
 a payment instrument reader;   a network interface;   one or more processors; and   one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
 determine that a latency associated with a request to process a first payment instrument at the POS device violates a latency threshold, wherein processing the first payment instrument includes reading first information from the first payment instrument using the payment instrument reader and further includes transmitting the first information read from the first payment instrument to a payment network using the network interface; and 
 at least partly in response to the determining that the latency violates the latency threshold, instruct the POS device to:
 read second information from a second payment instrument using the payment instrument reader and delay transmitting the second information read from the second payment instrument to the payment network using the network interface. 
 
   
     
     
         3 . A POS device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein reading the second information and delaying transmitting the second information is at least part of an offline mode of operation of the POS device, and wherein conducting a transaction in the offline mode comprises storing, at the POS device, the second information and transmitting, at a later time and to the payment network, the second information. 
     
     
         4 . A POS device as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the instructing comprises instructing the POS device to increase a percentage of subsequent transactions conducted in the offline mode and decrease a percentage of subsequent transactions conducted in an online mode. 
     
     
         5 . A POS device as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the instructing comprises instructing the POS device to: (1) conduct subsequent transactions having costs that are lower than a cost threshold in the offline mode, and (2) conduct subsequent transactions having costs that are higher than the cost threshold in an online mode. 
     
     
         6 . A POS device as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the transmitting occurs after the POS device transitions to an online mode. 
     
     
         7 . A POS device as recited in  claim 3 , wherein the instructions further cause the POS device to:
 determine that one or more second latencies associated with one or more requests are below the latency threshold; and   based at least in part on determining that the one or more second latencies are below the latency threshold, instructing the POS device to:
 read third information from a third payment instrument using the payment instrument reader and transmit, via the network interface, the third information from the payment instrument to the payment network. 
   
     
     
         8 . A POS device as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the reading the third information and transmitting the third information is at least part of an online mode of operation of the POS device. 
     
     
         9 . A POS device as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the instructions further cause the POS device to:
 determine that a rate at which transactions conducted using the POS device has increased over a previous time period; and   determine that an amount of transactions conducted using the POS device is expected to increase based at least in part on determining that the rate has increase over the previous time period.   
     
     
         10 . A POS device as recited in  claim 9 , wherein instructing the POS device to delay transmitting, via the network interface, the second information from the payment instrument to the payment network is further based at least in part on determining that the amount of transactions conducted using the POS device is expected to increase. 
     
     
         11 . A point-of-sale (POS) device comprising:
 a payment instrument reader;   a network interface;   one or more processors; and   one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions that, when executed, cause the one or more processors to:
 determine that an amount of transactions to be conducted using the POS device is expected to increase, based at least in part on one or more requests to process one or more payment instruments at the POS device, wherein processing a first payment instrument of the one or more payment instruments includes reading first information from the first payment instrument using the payment instrument reader and further includes transmitting the first information read from the first payment reader to a payment network using the network interface; 
 at least partly in response to the determining that the amount of transactions is expected to increase, instruct the POS device to:
 read second information from a second payment instrument using the payment instrument reader and delay transmitting the second information from the second payment instrument to the payment network using the network interface. 
 
   
     
     
         12 . A POS device as  claim 11  recites, wherein determining that the amount of transactions to be conducted using the POS device is expected to increase is based at least in part on:
 generating the one or more requests during the first time period; and 
 determining that a rate at which transactions conducted using the POS device has increased over the first time period. 
 
     
     
         13 . A POS device as  claim 11  recites, wherein determining that the amount of transactions to be conducted using the POS device is expected to increase is based at least in part on determining that a time between transactions made on the POS device has decreased. 
     
     
         14 . A POS device as  claim 11  recites, wherein the instructions further cause the POS device to:
 determine a time of day; and 
 determine that transactions conducted using the POS device have historically increased after the time of day; and 
 wherein the determining that the amount of transactions conducted using the POS device is expected to increase based least in part on determining that the transactions conducted using the POS device have historically increased after the time of day. 
 
     
     
         15 . A POS device as recited in  claim 11 , wherein reading the second information and delaying transmitting the second information is at least part of an offline mode of operation of the POS device, and wherein conducting a transaction in the offline mode comprises storing, at the POS device, the second information and transmitting, at a later time and to the payment network, the second information. 
     
     
         16 . A POS device as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the transmitting occurs after the POS device transitions to an online mode. 
     
     
         17 . A POS device as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the instructions further cause the POS device to:
 determine that a second amount of transactions to be conducted using the POS device is expected to decrease; and   based at least in part on determining that a second amount of transactions to be conducted using the POS device is expected to decrease, instructing the POS device to:
 read third information from a third payment instrument using the payment instrument reader and transmit, via the network interface, the third information from the payment instrument to the payment network. 
   
     
     
         17 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing processor-executable instructions that, when executed, cause one or more processors to:
 at least one of:
 determine that a latency associated with a request to process a first payment instrument at a POS device violates a latency threshold, wherein processing the first payment instrument includes reading first information from the first payment instrument using the payment instrument reader and further includes transmitting the first information read from the first payment instrument to a payment network using a network interface, or 
 determine that an amount of transactions conducted at the POS device is expected to increase based at least in part on a plurality of transactions conducted within a first time period; 
   at least partly in response to at least one of: (1) the determining that the latency violates the latency threshold, or (ii) the determining that the amount of transactions is expected to increase, instruct the POS device to transition from an online mode to an offline mode by:
 reading second information from a second payment instrument using a payment instrument reader, and delaying transmitting the second information from the second payment instrument to a payment network using the network interface. 
   
     
     
         18 . A POS device as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to transmit, via the network interface, the information from the second payment instrument to the remote service after the POS device transitions back to the online mode. 
     
     
         19 . A POS device as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 receive, after the transitioning, a request to process a third transaction using a payment instrument to satisfy a cost of the third transaction; and at least one of:
 at least partly in response to determining that the cost of the third transaction is less than a cost threshold, process the third transaction in the offline mode by storing, on the POS device, information regarding the payment instrument used to satisfy the cost of the third transaction; and 
 at least partly in response to determining that the cost of the third transaction is meets or exceeds the cost threshold, process the third transaction in the online mode by sending, to the remote service, the information regarding the payment instrument used to satisfy the cost of the third transaction. 
   
     
     
         20 . A POS device as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the instructions further cause the one or more processors to:
 receive, after the transitioning, a request to process a third transaction using a payment instrument to satisfy a cost of the third transaction;   identify a class of the payment instrument used to satisfy the cost of the third transaction;   determine whether the class of the payment instrument has been designated to be processed in the online mode; and   at least partly in response to determining that the class of the payment instrument has been designated to be processed in the online mode, processing the third transaction in the online mode by sending, to the remote service, the information regarding the payment instrument used to satisfy the cost of the third transaction.   
     
     
         21 . A POS device as recited in  claim 20 , wherein the class of the payment instrument used to satisfy the cost of the third transaction comprises a stored-value card.