System and method to process transactions at retail fueling stations using a mobile device
A method of processing a transaction includes receiving a site location code. Site configuration information corresponding to the received site location code is received from a database. That information includes more product record(s), each corresponding to a reservable product or a non-reservable product. A selection of one or more of the product records in the retrieved information is received. If any selected product record corresponds to a reservable product, a reservation command is produced. That command requests reservation of selected reservable product(s). A method of selecting a product includes receiving a location input and determining a site location code with it. The site location code is transmitted and one or more product records are received. Representations of one or more of the received product records are presented and a selection of products is received. An indication of the selection is transmitted.
1. A method of processing a transaction at a fueling station, said method comprising:
at a transaction gateway component comprising a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium:
receiving, from a mobile terminal, a site location code that corresponds to a retail fueling station that includes a plurality of fuel dispensers each configured to dispense fuel;
accessing a database in response to the site location code;
receiving site configuration information found in the database, the site configuration information corresponding to the received site location code, wherein the site configuration information comprises a plurality of product records that each relate to a different type of product available for sale at the fueling station, and wherein each of the product records comprise data that assigns the product in the product record either a reservable product identifier or a non-reservable product identifier;
receiving, from the mobile terminal, a product selection that identifies one or more of the product records in the retrieved site configuration information so as to select for purchase one or more of the different types of products available for sale at the retail fueling station;
determining which of the products in the identified one or more product records are assigned with the reservable product identifier;
generating an output comprising a reservation command with data to reserve the one or more selected products determined to be assigned with the reservable product identifier, the one or more selected products assigned with the non-reservable product identifier not being reserved; and
transmitting the reservation command to a forecourt controller component at the retail fueling station;
wherein the reserved one or more selected products include a service of providing fuel from a one of the fuel dispensers; and
wherein the method further comprises:
the forecourt controller component, in response to receipt of the reservation command, sending a message to the one of the plurality of fuel dispensers;
the one of the fuel dispensers, in response to receipt of the message, causing a display thereof to show information indicating that the one of the fuel dispensers has been reserved;
after the causing of the display to show the information, the transaction gateway component receiving, from a payment processing component in communication with and remotely located from the mobile terminal, a payment-authorization notification corresponding to payment having been authorized by the payment processing component for the selected product record(s);
the transaction gateway component generating a payment authorization corresponding to the received payment-authorization notification;
the transaction gateway component transmitting the payment authorization to the forecourt controller component; and
the forecourt controller component, in response to receipt of the payment authorization, transmitting data to the one of the fuel dispensers that activates the one of the fuel dispensers and thereby allows dispensing of the fuel from the one of the fuel dispensers.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting the retrieved site configuration information to the terminal.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the one of the fuel dispensers dispensing the fuel;
the transaction gateway component transmitting to a payment processing component, which is in communication with and remotely located from the mobile terminal, at least one of (1) an amount of the fuel dispensed and (2) a total cost of the one or more of the different types of products selected for purchase;
after the transmission to the payment processing component, the transaction gateway component receiving from the payment processing component a transaction-complete notification;
the transaction gateway component generating a transaction completion message in response to the transaction-complete notification.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
receiving a reference site location code and reference site configuration information corresponding to the location identified by the reference site location code; and
storing the received reference site location code and reference site configuration information in the database.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reserved one or more selected products also include a car wash; and
the method further comprises the one of the fuel dispensers, in response to receipt of the message, causing at least one of (1) the one of the fuel dispensers to print a ticket indicating that the car wash has been reserved and (2) the one of the fuel dispensers to transmit an electronic message to the mobile terminal indicating that the car wash has been reserved.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the site location code indicates at least one of a geographic location of the fueling station and a unique identifier that uniquely identifies the retail fueling station.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the transaction gateway component is remotely located from the retail fueling station, and the site location code corresponds to the retail fueling station, the product is available at the retail fueling station.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the information shown on the display indicates to a user of the mobile terminal for the user to use the mobile terminal to continue with purchase of the product selected.
9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
after the transmission of the data to the one of the fuel dispensers that activates the one of the fuel dispensers, the transaction gateway component transmitting information to the mobile terminal indicating that the one of the fuel dispensers has been activated;
the one of the fuel dispensers dispensing the fuel; and
the one of the fuel dispensers transmitting data to the forecourt controller component indicating when the dispensing of the fuel has ended.
10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
the one of the fuel dispensers, in response to the receipt of the data form the transaction gateway component, causing the display to show information indicating that the one of the fuel dispensers is ready to dispense fuel;
the one of the fuel dispensers dispensing the fuel; and
the one of the fuel dispensers transmitting data to the forecourt controller component indicating when the dispensing of the fuel has ended.
11. The method of claim 5 , wherein the one of the fuel dispensers, in response to receipt of the message, causes at least the one of the fuel dispensers to print the ticket, and the ticket has thereon a reservation code that, when manually entered by a user into a car wash point-of-sale system, activates the car wash.
12. The method of claim 5 , further comprising the one of the fuel dispensers, in response to receipt of the message, causing at least the one of the fuel dispensers to transmit the electronic message, and the electronic message includes a reservation code that, when transmitted from the mobile terminal to a car wash point-of-sale system, activates the car wash.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the forecourt controller component comprises a processor and a non-transitory computer readable medium.
14. A transaction gateway component, comprising:
a processor;
a non-transitory computer-readable medium coupled with the processor; and
one or more executable instructions stored in the computer-readable medium and configured to be executed by the processor, the executable instruction comprising instructions for:
receiving, from a mobile terminal, a site location code that corresponds to a retail fueling station that includes a plurality of fuel dispensers each configured to dispense fuel;
accessing a database in response to the site location code;
receiving site configuration information found in the database, the site configuration information corresponding to the received site location code, wherein the site configuration information comprises a plurality of product records that each relate to a different type of product available for sale at the fueling station, and wherein each of the product records comprise data that assigns the product in the product record either a reservable product identifier or a non-reservable product identifier;
receiving, from the mobile terminal, a product selection that identifies one or more of the product records in the retrieved site configuration information so as to select for purchase one or more of the different types of products available for sale at the retail fueling station;
determining which of the products in the identified one or more product records are assigned with the reservable product identifier;
generating an output comprising a reservation command with data to reserve the one or more selected products assigned with the reservable product identifier, the one or more selected products assigned with the non-reservable product identifier not being reserved, the reserved one or more selected products including a service of providing fuel from a one of the fuel dispensers;
after generating the output, transmitting to a payment processing component, which is in communication with and remotely located from the mobile terminal, at least one of (1) an amount of fuel dispensed from the one of the fuel dispensers and (2) a total cost of the one or more of the different types of products selected for purchase;
receiving, from the payment processing component, a payment-authorization notification corresponding to payment having been authorized by the payment processing component for the selected product(s);
generating a payment authorization corresponding to the received payment-authorization notification; and
transmitting the payment authorization to a forecourt controller component; and
in response to receipt of the payment authorization, transmitting data from the forecourt controller component to the one of the fuel dispensers that activates the one of the fuel dispensers and thereby allows dispensing of the fuel from the one of the fuel dispensers;
receiving from the payment processing component a transaction-complete notification;
generating a transaction completion message in response to the transaction-complete notification; and
transmitting the transaction complete message to the mobile terminal.
15. The transaction gateway component of claim 14 , wherein the executable instruction include instruction for:
transmitting the retrieved site configuration information to the terminal.
16. The transaction gateway component of claim 14 , wherein the executable instruction include instruction for:
receiving a reference site location code and reference site configuration information corresponding to the location identified by the reference site location code; and
storing the received reference site location code and reference site configuration information in the database.
17. A system, comprising:
a forecourt controller component; and
a transaction gateway component coupled with and remote from the forecourt controller, the transaction gateway component comprising executable instructions for:
receiving, from a mobile terminal, a site location code that corresponds to a retail fueling station that includes a fuel dispenser configured to dispense fuel;
accessing a database in response to the site location code;
receiving site configuration information found in the database, the site configuration information corresponding to the received site location code, wherein the site configuration information comprises a plurality of product records that each relate to a different type of product available for sale at the fueling station, and wherein each of the product records comprise data that assigns the product in the product record either a reservable product identifier or a non-reservable product identifier;
receiving, from the mobile terminal, a product selection that identifies one or more of the product records in the retrieved site configuration information so as to select for purchase one or more of the different types of products available for sale at the retail fueling station;
determining which of the products in the identified one or more product records are assigned with the reservable product identifier;
generating an output comprising a reservation command with data to reserve the one or more selected products assigned with the reservable product identifier, the one or more selected products assigned with the non-reservable product identifier not being reserved; and
transmitting the reservation command to the forecourt controller component;
wherein the reserved one or more selected products include a service of providing fuel from the fuel dispenser; and
wherein the forecourt controller component comprises executable instructions for, in response to receipt of the reservation command, sending a message to the fuel dispenser instructing the fuel dispenser to cause a display thereof to show information indicating that the fuel dispenser has been reserved; and
wherein the transaction gateway component further comprises executable instructions for:
after the causing of the display to show the information, receiving, from a payment processing component in communication with and remotely located from the mobile terminal, a payment-authorization notification corresponding to payment having been authorized by the payment processing component for the selected product record(s);
generating a payment authorization corresponding to the received payment-authorization notification; and
transmitting the payment authorization to the forecourt controller component; and
the forecourt controller component further comprises executable instructions for:
in response to receipt of the payment authorization, transmitting data to the one of the fuel dispensers that activates the fuel dispenser and thereby allows dispensing of the fuel from the fuel dispenser.
18. The system of claim 17 , further comprising the fuel dispenser;
wherein the transaction gateway component further comprises executable instructions for transmitting the retrieved site configuration information to the terminal; and
wherein the fuel dispenser comprises executable instructions for, in response to receipt of the message, causing the display thereof to show the information indicating that fuel dispenser has been reserved.
19. The system of claim 18 , wherein the reserved one or more selected products also include a car wash; and
the fuel dispenser further comprises executable instructions for:
in response to receipt of the message, causing at least one of (1) the fuel dispenser to print a ticket indicating that the car wash has been reserved and (2) the fuel dispenser to transmit an electronic message to the mobile terminal indicating that the car wash has been reserved.