Rewards-Based Payments

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes receiving, at a server computing device and from a payment application of a client computing device, a notification identifying a transaction and one or more rewards-based payment requests for the transaction. The method includes sending a notification to a rewards provider corresponding to the one or more rewards-based payment requests. That notification identifies at least the transaction, the client computing device or a user of the client computing device, and the one or more rewards-based payment requests. The method includes receiving, at the server computing device and from the rewards provider, a notification authorizing the one or more rewards-based payment requests. Finally, the method includes sending, by the server computing device, a notification to the client computing device updating the payment application with the one or more rewards-based payment requests having been applied to the transaction.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving, at a server computing device and from a payment application of a client computing device, a notification identifying:
 a transaction; and 
 one or more rewards-based payment requests for the transaction; 
   sending, by the server computing device, a notification to a rewards provider corresponding to the one or more rewards-based payment requests, wherein the notification sent to the rewards provider identifies at least:
 the transaction; 
 the client computing device or a user of the client computing device; and 
 the one or more rewards-based payment requests; 
   receiving, at the server computing device and from the rewards provider, a notification authorizing the one or more rewards-based payment requests; and   sending, by the server computing device, a notification to the client computing device updating the payment application with the one or more rewards-based payment requests having been applied to the transaction.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the payment application is a mobile wallet. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the rewards provider is an issuer of a credit or debit account provisioned on the payment application; and   the transaction is paid for by the credit or debit account.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the notification sent by the server computing device to the rewards provider further identifies the credit or debit account provisioned on the payment application. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the notification received at the server computing device from the rewards provider is sent in response to a determination that information in a notification from a credit or debit payment network regarding the transaction corresponds to information in the notification sent from the server computing device to the rewards provider. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , where in the information in the notification from the credit or debit payment network identifies at least the transaction and the credit or debit account information. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of the one or more rewards-based payment requests is configured by a user of the payment application. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one rewards-based payment request specifies an amount of rewards to use for the transaction. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one rewards-based payment request applies only to the transaction. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the at least one rewards-based payment request applies to the transaction and to one or more future transactions. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one rewards-based payment request specifies a percentage of a purchase price of the transaction. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one rewards-based payment request specifies a maximum amount of rewards to use. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the at least one rewards-based payment request specifics the merchant associated with the transaction. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein at least one rewards-based payment request corresponds to a rule established by the user of the payment application in advance of the transaction. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
 after receiving the notification at the server computing device from the payment application of the client computing device and before sending from the server computing device, the notification to the rewards provider, sending, from the server computing device to the client device, a notification to the user of the client computing device identifying the rewards provider and the transaction, wherein the notification includes an interactive element that, when activated, approves the notification sent by the server computing device to the rewards provider.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the server computing device, a contextual notification from the client computing device; and   sending, by the server computing device to the rewards provider, a contextual notification identifying:
 a context of the user; and 
 the user or the client computing device. 
   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the context of the user comprises a location of the user. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the rewards provider and at the server computing device, a rewards incentive based on the context of the user; and   sending, by the server computing device to the client computing device, a notification of the context-based rewards incentive.   
     
     
         19 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
 receive, at a server computing device and from a payment application of a client computing device, a notification identifying:
 a transaction; and 
 one or more rewards-based payment requests for the transaction; 
   send, by the server computing device, a notification to a rewards provider corresponding to the one or more rewards-based payment requests, wherein the notification sent to the rewards provider identifies at least:
 the transaction; 
 the client computing device or a user of the client computing device; and 
 the one or more rewards-based payment requests; 
   receive, at the server computing device and from the rewards provider, a notification authorizing the one or more rewards-based payment requests; and   send, by the server computing device, a notification to the client computing device updating the payment application with the one or more rewards-based payment requests having been applied to the transaction.   
     
     
         20 . A server computing device comprising:
 one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media embodying instructions; and one or more processors coupled to the media and configured to execute the instructions to:
 receive, at the server computing device and from a payment application of a client computing device, a notification identifying:
 a transaction; and 
 one or more rewards-based payment requests for the transaction; 
 
 send, by the server computing device, a notification to a rewards provider corresponding to the one or more rewards-based payment requests, wherein the notification sent to the rewards provider identifies at least:
 the transaction; 
 the client computing device or a user of the client computing device; and 
 the one or more rewards-based payment requests; 
 
 receive, at the server computing device and from the rewards provider, a notification authorizing the one or more rewards-based payment requests; and 
 send, by the server computing device, a notification to the client computing device updating the payment application with the one or more rewards-based payment requests having been applied to the transaction.