Mobile payment systems and methods

摘要

A method includes providing a first payment account that is issued by a first financial institution and enables an accountholder thereof to make payments at merchants via a closed-loop payments network corresponding to the first financial institution and mobile person-to-person payments using the payment account. The method includes enabling a second payment account that is issued by a second financial institution to be electronically linked to the first payment account and used as a source of funds. The method includes providing a mobile operating system and enabling a plurality of merchant-specific payment accounts to be associated with a mobile communications device having the operating system. The method includes determining whether a merchant-specific payment account that is accepted only by a particular merchant is available to the accountholder via the mobile communications device and receiving a fee when the first payment account is used for a purchase.

主权项

1. A system comprising:
a mobile communications device, wherein said mobile communications device is operated by a user of the mobile communications device; a source of a service, wherein said service is accessible to the user by said mobile communications device; an electronic facility, comprising at least one electronic processor, that facilitates enrollment in a first account that is issued by an issuer in an electronic payment system, wherein the electronic payment system enables the user to make payments at physical retail stores of a plurality of merchants, wherein said electronic payment system comprises a pre-existing payment system, and wherein said first account comprises a prepaid payment account that is issued by said issuer in said pre-existing payment system and is enabled for mobile person-to-person payments and mobile bill payment; a database memory, wherein said database memory stores information indicative of a second account of the user that is used by the user for making a payment to a provider of said service for a purchase by the user from the provider; a user-account, wherein said user-account is provided to the user by the provider and is pre-existing when the user enrolls into said first account, wherein said user-account enables electronic access to said service that is accessible via the mobile communications device, and wherein said information indicative of said second account stored in said database memory is stored in association with said user-account; wherein, to enable, during an enrollment by the user in said first account, the user to use the mobile communications device to select to electronically link said second account to said first account so that said second account comprises a source of funds for said first account, at least a portion of said information indicative of said second account that is stored in said database memory is retrieved and transmitted to said mobile communications device for display on the mobile communications device; a third account, wherein said third account is linked to said first account, wherein said third account comprises a deposit account, wherein the system enables the user to use the mobile communications device to initiate a transfer of money from the third account to the first account; a mobile application installed on the mobile communications device, wherein said system enables using said mobile communications device to electronically purchase a merchant-specific monetary amount, that is acceptable only at a retailer associated with said merchant-specific monetary amount, using money deposited in said deposit account, and wherein a merchant-specific monetary amount purchased using money deposited in said deposit account is available to be spent at a retail store of said retailer using said mobile communications device.