IP Library Granted Patent US 12705669
Granted Patent B2
US 12705669 · App. 18/433,715 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Merchant menus accessible to customer devices via merchant-managed identifiers

Inventors: Katherine Swett (Mount Pleasant, SC); Drew Richards (Brooklyn, NY); Xuanhua Ren (San Francisco, CA); Vitaly Odemchuk (Brookhaven, GA); Katherine Ahn (New York, NY); David Pearson (San Francisco, CA); Lisa Fong (Hayward, CA); Neil Straghalis (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: Block, Inc.
G06Q30/0643G06F16/954G06Q20/102G06Q30/0641
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12705669
App. No.
18/433,715
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A first identifier associated with a brick-and-mortar store of a merchant and a second identifier associated with a designated physical area within the brick-and-mortar store can be accessed to generate a third identifier that is an identification code scannable by a computing device of a customer. The identification code can be received from the computing device of the customer and a menu of items associated with the merchant can be caused to be presented via the computing device of the customer. An indication of an order for an item of the menu of items associated with the third identifier is received from the computing device of the customer. Payment data associated with a payment instrument of the customer is received from the computing device of the customer, and payment for the order of the item is processed based at least in part on the payment data.

Claims (55)

1 . A method, implemented by at least one server computing device of a service provider, the method comprising:

Accessing (i) a first identifier associated with a brick-and-mortar store of a merchant associated with the service provider and (ii) a second identifier associated with a designated physical area within the brick-and-mortar store;

causing presentation, on a computing device associated with the brick-and-mortar store, of a user interface that includes an actuation mechanism configured to, when actuated, facilitate generation of a third identifier based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier,

receiving an indication of actuation of the actuation mechanism;

generating the third identifier, wherein the third identifier is a physical item to be positioned proximate to the designated physical area and includes an identification code scannable by a computing device of a customer;

receiving an indication of the third identifier from the computing device of the customer in the designated physical area at the brick-and-mortar store;

causing a menu of items offered for sale by the merchant to be presented via the computing device of the customer;

receiving, from the computing device of the customer an indication of an order for an item of the menu of items, wherein the order is associated with the third identifier;

receiving payment data associated with a payment instrument of the customer; and

processing payment for at least the order based at least in part on the payment data.

2 . The method as claim 1 recites, further comprising causing a progressive web application to be download onto the computing device of the customer via a web browser of the computing device of the customer and wherein the progressive web application causes the menu of items offered for sale by the merchant to be presented via the web browser.

3 . The method as claim 2 recites, wherein the order is associated with a first time, the method further comprising receiving, from the computing device of the customer at a second time after the first time, an indication of at least one of gratuity or feedback associated with at least the order, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

4 . The method as claim 2 recites, wherein the order is a first order, the item is a first item, and the first order is associated with a first time, the method further comprising receiving, from the computing device of the customer at a second time after the first time, a second order for a second item of the menu of items, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

5 . The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the indication of the third identifier is associated with a customer profile, the method further comprising:

accessing customer data associated with the customer profile; and

based at least in part on the customer profile, generating a customer specific menu of items for presentation via the computing device of the customer.

6 . The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the payment data is received while the customer is at the brick-and-mortar store or after the customer has left the brick-and-mortar store.

7 . The method as claim 1 recites, further comprising receiving, from a computing device of the merchant and prior to generating the identification code, an indication that the designated physical area is a seating area that has been added to the brick-and-mortar store, wherein generating the third identifier is further based at least in part on receiving the indication that the seating area has been added.

8 . The method as claim 1 recites, wherein the third identifier comprises at least one of a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, or a unique identifier of a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) device.

9 . A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

one or more computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

accessing (i) a first identifier associated with a brick-and-mortar store of a merchant associated with a service provider and (ii) a second identifier associated with a designated physical area within the brick-and-mortar store;

causing presentation, on a computing device associated with the brick-and-mortar store, of a user interface that includes an actuation mechanism configured to, when actuated, facilitate generation of a third identifier based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier;

receiving an indication of actuation of the actuation mechanism;

generating the third identifier, wherein the third identifier is a physical item to be positioned proximate to the designated physical area and includes an identification code scannable by a computing device of a customer;

receiving an indication of the third identifier from the computing device of the customer in the designated physical area at the brick-and-mortar store;

causing a menu of items offered for sale by the merchant to be presented via the computing device of the customer;

receiving, from the computing device of the customer an indication of an order for an item of the menu of items, wherein the order is associated with the third identifier;

receiving payment data associated with a payment instrument of the customer; and

processing payment for at least the order based at least in part on the payment data.

10 . The system as claim 9 recites, the operations further comprising causing a progressive web application to be download onto the computing device of the customer via a web browser of the computing device of the customer and wherein the progressive web application causes the menu of items offered for sale by the merchant to be presented via the web browser.

11 . The system as claim 10 recites, wherein the order is associated with a first time, the operations further comprising receiving, from the computing device of the customer at a second time after the first time, an indication of at least one of gratuity or feedback associated with at least the order, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

12 . The system as claim 10 recites, wherein the order is a first order, the item is a first item, and the first order is associated with a first time, the operations further comprising receiving, from the computing device of the customer at a second time after the first time, a second order for a second item of the menu of items, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

13 . The system as claim 10 recites, wherein the indication of the third identifier is associated with a customer profile, the operations further comprising:

accessing customer data associated with the customer profile; and

based at least in part on the customer profile, generating a customer specific menu of items for presentation via the computing device of the customer.

14 . The system as claim 9 recites, wherein the payment data is received while the customer is at the brick-and-mortar store or after the customer has left the brick-and-mortar store.

15 . The system as claim 9 recites, the operations further comprising receiving, from a computing device of the merchant and prior to generating the identification code, an indication that the designated physical area is a seating area that has been added to the brick-and-mortar store, wherein generating the third identifier is further based at least in part on receiving the indication that the seating area has been added.

16 . The system as claim 9 recites, wherein the third identifier comprises at least one of a barcode, a Quick Response (QR) code, or a unique identifier of a Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) device.

17 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable media storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

Accessing (i) a first identifier associated with a brick-and-mortar store of a merchant associated with a service provider and (ii) a second identifier associated with a designated physical area within the brick-and-mortar store;

causing presentation, on a computing device associated with the brick-and-mortar store, of a user interface that includes an actuation mechanism configured to, when actuated, facilitate generation of a third identifier based at least in part on the first identifier and the second identifier;

receiving an indication of actuation of the actuation mechanism;

generating the third identifier, wherein the third identifier is a physical item to be positioned proximate to the designated physical area and includes an identification code scannable by a computing device of a customer;

receiving an indication of the third identifier from the computing device of the customer in the designated physical area at the brick-and-mortar store;

causing a menu of items offered for sale by the merchant to be presented via the computing device of the customer;

receiving from the computing device of the customer an indication of an order for an item of the menu of items, wherein the order is associated with the third identifier;

receiving payment data associated with a payment instrument of the customer; and

processing payment for at least the order based at least in part on the payment data.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 17 recites, the operations further comprising causing a progressive web application to be download onto the computing device of the customer via a web browser of the computing device of the customer and wherein the progressive web application causes the menu of items offered for sale by the merchant to be presented via the web browser.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 18 recites, wherein the order is associated with a first time, the operations further comprising receiving, from the computing device of the customer at a second time after the first time, an indication of at least one of gratuity or feedback associated with at least the order, wherein the web browser remains open between the first time and the second time.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable media as claim 18 recites, wherein the indication of the third identifier is associated with a customer profile, the operations further comprising:

accessing customer data associated with the customer profile; and

based at least in part on the customer profile, generating a customer specific menu of items for presentation via the computing device of the customer.