Apple Inc.
PROCESSING PAYMENTS FOR AN ONLINE MARKETPLACE

Abstract:

Disclosed herein are systems, methods, and computer-readable storage devices for enabling users of mobile devices to load funds onto an account with an online marketplace. Instead of linking a payment card with the account, or requiring users to purchase a plastic card from a retailer, a user enrolls his account with the online marketplace to generate a barcode that can be rendered on the mobile device. The user presents the barcode to a merchant for scanning. The merchant scans the barcode to retrieve a serial number, which is submitted to the online marketplace to uniquely identify the user's account. Then the user can provide funds to the merchant for loading onto the account, and the merchant can use existing payment infrastructure for processing traditional physical plastic cards for loading funds. This approach avoids costs associated with distributing, manufacturing, and stocking plastic cards, and also saves shelf space at retail locations.