	US 12,217,237 B2
	Systems and methods for providing gratuities to merchants
Shahrouz Tavakoli, San Jose, CA (US); Nathan Spindel, San Francisco, CA (US); William Henderson, San Francisco, CA (US); Alan Fineberg, San Francisco, CA (US); Nefaur Khandker, San Francisco, CA (US); and Christopher Clark, San Francisco, CA (US)
Assigned to Block, Inc., Oakland, CA (US)
Filed by Block, Inc., Oakland, CA (US)
Filed on Jan. 13, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/096,896.
Application 18/096,896 is a continuation of application No. 16/193,227, filed on Nov. 16, 2018, granted, now 11,574,296.
Application 16/193,227 is a continuation of application No. 13/612,731, filed on Sep. 12, 2012, abandoned.
Claims priority of provisional application 61/684,624, filed on Aug. 17, 2012.
Prior Publication US 2023/0169487 A1, Jun. 1, 2023
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G06Q 20/00 (2012.01); G06Q 20/32 (2012.01)

CPC G06Q 20/3224 (2013.01)

17 Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a server of an online payment platform and from a first software application associated with the online payment platform and executing on a first mobile device of a customer, a first request to enter into a transaction with a service provider, the transaction having a corresponding transaction amount, each of the customer and the service provider having an account including corresponding identifying information stored in a database associated with the online payment platform, the online payment platform enabling customers and merchants to engage in transactions without an exchange of financial information between the customers and the merchants;

receiving, at the server and from a second software application associated with the online payment platform and executing on a second mobile device of the service provider, a second request to process a cardless payment for the transaction using payment information of the customer, wherein the second request serves as an indication that the transaction between the service provider and the customer is complete, wherein each of the first mobile device and the second mobile device send a respective request to the server to download and install a corresponding one of the first software application and the second software application, and wherein the first mobile device and the second mobile device are in geographical proximity of each other at a time of receiving the first request;

determining, at the server and for the transaction, a tipping process, the tipping process being one of an automatic tipping process for the transaction whereby a first tip amount is automatically determined by the server to be added to the transaction amount, or a manual tipping process whereby a second tip amount to be added to the transaction amount is provided via the first software application;

after receiving the second request to process the cardless payment, applying one of the first tip amount or the second tip amount to the transaction amount based on the determined;

delaying, by the server and after the transaction between the service provider and the customer is completed, processing of the cardless payment for the transaction until the first tip amount is applied based on the automatic tipping process, or until one of an expiration of a threshold timing or the second tip amount is received via the first software application based on the manual tipping process;

processing, by the server, the cardless payment for the transaction based at least on the transaction amount and one of the first tip amount or the second tip amount using the payment information of the customer; and

communicating, by the server and to each of the first software application and the second software application, an electronic message confirming the transaction.