Accessing accounts at payment system via photos

Abstract

A method of using a device to access multiple payment accounts at a payment system via photos is disclosed. The method includes accessing a photo generated by a first device. The method includes determining first and second images of a first and second person in the photo, respectively. The method includes determining that the first image is associated with a first payment account at the payment system. The method includes, responsive to determining that the first image is associated with the first payment account, determining whether the second image is associated with a second payment account. The method includes, responsive to determining that the second image is associated with the second payment account, authorizing a payment application at the device to split a payment to a third payment account between the first and second payment accounts, or to initiate sending of the payment to the second payment account.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of using a device to initiate fund transfers at a payment system via photos, the method comprising:
 accessing, by the payment system, an image that was generated via a first device of a first user, the first user authorized to access a first account at the payment system via the first device prior to said accessing;   determining that the image comprises a first sub-image and a second sub-image, wherein the first sub-image is associated with the first user;   determining, based on matching by the payment system of the second sub-image in the image with one of stored images of a plurality of images, that the second sub-image corresponds to a second account, at the payment system, associated with a second user;   verifying, by the payment system, that the first device is within a predetermined distance from a generation location where the image was generated by the first device; and   responsive to verifying that the first device is within the predetermined distance, authorizing, by the payment system, an initiation of a transaction at the payment system for a transfer of funds from a first account to the second account.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 prior to the accessing the image, authenticating the user at the first device for initiating transactions using the first account.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said verifying comprises:
 accessing, by the payment system, metadata from the image, wherein the metadata indicates an image location where the image was generated by the first device; and   determining, by the payment system, a device location of the first device, wherein the verifying is based on comparing the image location with the device location.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the metadata includes an image generation time when the image was generated by the first device and wherein the verifying further comprises calculating, based on the image generation time and an image access time corresponding to accessing of the image by the first device, the predetermined distance as a maximum distance that the first device can be separated from the location where the image was generated by the first device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining to further verify the that the first device is within a predetermined distance by transmitting first communication to the first device and second communication to a second device of the second user, the first and second communication for performing respective first and second verification actions; and   communicating with the first and second devices to capture images for verifying the first and second user performing the respective first and second verification actions.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the first and second verification actions are determined based on a type of the transaction. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 determining, by the payment system, one or more payment characteristics of the payment; and   determining, by the payment system, the first verification action and the second verification action based on the generation location for the image and the one or more payment characteristics.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising:
 accessing, by the payment system, an image indicating an action of the first user;   accessing, by the payment system, an image indicating an action of the second user; and   determining, by the payment system, an action match score that indicates whether characteristics of the action of the first user and characteristics of the action of the second user match expected characteristics for the verification action of the first user and expected characteristics for the verification action of the second user, respectively,   wherein said authorizing the initiation of the transaction is determined, at least in part, based on the action match score.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 transmitting, by the payment system, a communication to the first device causing a user interface on the first device to display a request for a selection a third sub-image of the image as being associated with a merchant; and   receiving, by the payment system, a response from the first device selecting the third sub-image being associated with the merchant, wherein said authorizing the initiation of the transaction is based on determining that the third sub-image is associated with the merchant related to the transaction.   
     
     
         10 . A payment system, comprising:
 a non-transitory memory storing instructions; and   a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the payment system to:
 determine, based on accessing an image generated via a first device of a first user, that a first user intends to conduct a transaction with a second user; 
 determine that the user is authenticated for initiating transactions at the first device using a first account at the payment system; 
 responsive to determining that the first user is authenticated, analyze the image to determine that the image comprises a sub-image that is associated with another user different from the first user; 
 determine, based on matching by the payment system of the sub-image in the image with one of stored images of a plurality of images, that the another user corresponds to a second user that is associated with a second account at the payment system; and 
 determine, based at least on a verification of an image generation location with a device location, whether to perform additional verification prior to authorizing the transaction for a transfer of funds from the first account to the second account. 
   
     
     
         11 . The payment system of  claim 10 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the payment system to:
 responsive to determining not to perform additional verification, authorize an initiation of the transaction at the payment system for the transfer of funds from a first account to the second account.   
     
     
         12 . The payment system of  claim 10 , wherein the verification of the image generation location with the device location comprises verifying, by the payment system, that the first device is within a certain distance from a generation location where the image was generated by the first device. 
     
     
         13 . The payment system of  claim 12 , wherein said verifying comprises:
 accessing, by the payment system, metadata from the image, wherein the metadata indicates an image location where the image was generated by the first device; and   determining, by the payment system, a device location of the first device, wherein the verification is based on comparing the image location with the device location.   
     
     
         14 . The payment system of  claim 13 , wherein the metadata includes an image generation time when the image was generated by the first device and wherein the verifying further comprises calculating, based on the image generation time and an image access time corresponding to accessing of the image by the first device, the certain distance as a maximum distance that the first device can be separated from the location where the image was generated by the first device. 
     
     
         15 . The payment system of  claim 10 , wherein executing the instructions further causes the payment system to, responsive to determining to perform additional verification,
 determine to further verify the that the first device is within a certain distance by transmitting first communication to the first device and second communication to a second device of the second user, the first and second communication for performing respective first and second verification actions; and   communicating with the first and second devices to capture images for verifying the first and second user performing the respective first and second verification actions.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory machine-readable medium having instructions stored thereon, the instructions executable to cause a payment system to perform operations comprising:
 authenticating a first user for initiating transactions at a first device using a first account at a payment system;   accessing an image, generated via the first device of the first user, to determine that the first user intends to conduct a transaction with a second user;   determining that the image comprises a sub-image that is associated with another user different from the first user;   determining, based on matching by the payment system of the sub-image in the image with one of stored images of a plurality of images, that the another user corresponds to a second user that is associated with a second account at the payment system; and   determining, based at least on a verification of an image generation location with a device location, whether to perform additional verification prior to authorizing the transaction for a transfer of funds from the first account to the second account.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein the operations further comprise:
 responsive to determining not to perform additional verification, authorizing an initiation of the transaction at the payment system for the transfer of funds from a first account to the second account.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 16 , wherein said verifying comprises:
 accessing, by the payment system, metadata from the image, wherein the metadata indicates an image location where the image was generated by the first device; and   determining, by the payment system, a device location of the first device, wherein the verification is based on comparing the image location with the device location.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 18 , wherein the metadata includes an image generation time when the image was generated by the first device and wherein the verifying further comprises calculating, based on the image generation time and an image access time corresponding to accessing of the image by the first device, the certain distance as a maximum distance that the first device can be separated from the location where the image was generated by the first device. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory machine-readable medium of  claim 19 , wherein the operations further comprise, responsive to determining to perform additional verification,
 determine to further verify the that the first device is within a certain distance by transmitting first communication to the first device and second communication to a second device of the second user, the first and second communication for performing respective first and second verification actions; and   communicating with the first and second devices to capture images for verifying the first and second user performing the respective first and second verification actions.