Design framework and apparatus for paying gratitudes

摘要

A computer-implemented method that requires an inventive special-purpose software apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises software subsystems that facilitate Patrons using a Mobile Application, to easily find and then submit gratuity payments to Service Providers.

主权项

1. A networked and distributed environment with a mobile phone application and gratuity server which together execute a computer implemented method across these distributed subsystems, the computer-implemented method comprising:
a mobile phone application providing the means to search for service providers; a service provider manager on the gratuity server for receiving the search details and returning results of the search back to the mobile phone application; a mobile phone application providing displaying all of the search results obtained in a list of the service providers including their globally unique IDs; a mobile phone application providing selection of one of the service providers; a mobile phone application providing the ability to enter a monetary amount to pay the selected service provider; a payment manager on the gratuity server for receiving a globally unique patron ID, globally unique service provider ID, and gratuity amount in order to transfer funds from the patron ID to the service provider ID. a gratuity database that stores service provider account information including financial information to collect funds, patron account information including financial information to make payments, as well as payment history.