IP Library Granted Patent US 12,488,322
Granted Patent B1
US 12,488,322 · App. 18/415,508 · Granted Dec 2, 2025

Interactive gratuity platform

Inventor: Adam Abrons (Alameda, CA)
Assignee: Block, Inc.
G06Q20/102
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,488,322
App. No.
18/415,508
Granted
Dec 2, 2025
Kind
B1
Abstract

In some examples, methods and systems generate interactive receipts with the option of a dynamic tip amount. The method includes determining at least one tip determinant based at least in part on the payment transaction, wherein the tip determinant is selected from a group of: the merchant; the customer; a payment object presented by the customer towards the payment transaction; a geographical location of a mobile device associated with one of the merchant and the customer; and a category of a merchant's item corresponding to the payment transaction. The method includes obtaining, by a dynamic tip generator, a tipping profile based on a history of tipping behavior associated with the tip determinant and generating, by the dynamic tip generator, at least one dynamic tip amount based at least on the tipping profile, which is presented to the customer.

Claims (56)

1 . A method comprising:

receiving, by one or more servers of a payment processing service and from a Point of Sale (POS) application associated with a payment service and executing on a merchant device of a merchant, a request to create an open ticket associated with a transaction between the merchant and a user;

storing, in a data store, a data record associated with the transaction, the data record indicating the transaction is associated with the open ticket;

sending, by the one or more servers and based at least in part on accessing a state of the open ticket from the data store and to the POS application, first instructions to generate a first user interface associated with the transaction, the first user interface requesting first input;

receiving, by the one or more servers and from the POS application and via the first user interface, the first input associated with the transaction at a first time, the first input comprising first information associated with one or more first items;

receiving, by the one or more servers and from the POS application, second input associated with the transaction at a second time, the second input comprising second information associated with one or more second items;

generating, by the one or more servers and based at least in part on the second input and a tipping profile associated with the user, one or more tip amounts for the transaction;

sending, by the one or more servers and to the POS application, second instructions to generate a second user interface associated with the transaction, wherein the second user interface includes a plurality of interactive elements, wherein an individual interactive element of the plurality of interactive elements includes text indicating a respective tip amount of the one or more tip amounts; and

receiving, by the one or more servers and from the POS application, an indication of a third input to the second user interface at a third time, the third input comprising selection of a particular interactive element corresponding to a particular tip amount of the one or more tip amounts.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein prior to receiving the second input, the method further comprising:

generating, by the one or more servers and based at least in part on the first input and a first tipping profile associated with the user, one or more initial tip amounts for the transaction; and

sending, by the one or more servers and to the POS application, third instructions to generate a third user interface to include the one or more initial tip amounts associated with the transaction, wherein the third user interface is interactable to enable the user to select from the one or more initial tip amounts,

wherein the one or more tip amounts correspond to one or more updated tip amounts.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the one or more tip amounts are further determined based at least in part on one or more tip determinants.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the second user interface includes a digital receipt.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of interactive elements comprises a plurality of first interactive elements, and wherein the second user interface further comprises one or more second interactive elements.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more tip amounts are displayed for a predefined time period.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first information further includes first data associated with a payment object, and wherein the second input further includes second data associated with a second payment object.

8 . A system, comprising:

one or more processors; and

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

receiving, from a Point of Sale (POS) application associated with a payment service and executing on a merchant device of a merchant, a request to create an open ticket associated with a transaction between the merchant and a user;

sending, to the POS application, first instructions to generate a first user interface associated with the transaction, the first user interface requesting first input;

receiving, from the POS application and via the first user interface, the first input associated with the transaction at a first time, the first input comprising first information associated with one or more first items;

receiving, from the POS application, second input associated with the transaction at a second time, the second input comprising second information associated with one or more second items;

generating, based at least in part on the second input and a tipping profile associated with the user, one or more tip amounts for the transaction;

sending, to the POS application, second instructions to generate a second user interface associated with the transaction, wherein the second user interface includes a plurality of interactive elements, wherein an individual interactive element of the plurality of interactive elements includes text indicating a respective tip amount of the one or more tip amounts; and

receiving, from the POS application, an indication of a third input to the second user interface at a third time, the third input comprising selection of a particular interactive element corresponding to a particular tip amount of the one or more tip amounts.

9 . The system of claim 8 , wherein prior to receiving the second input, the acts further comprise:

generating, based at least in part on the first input and a first tipping profile associated with the user, one or more initial tip amounts for the transaction; and

sending, to the POS application, third instructions to generate a third user interface to include the one or more initial tip amounts associated with the transaction, wherein the third user interface is interactable to enable the user to select from the one or more initial tip amounts,

wherein the one or more tip amounts correspond to one or more updated tip amounts.

10 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the plurality of interactive elements comprises a plurality of first interactive elements, and wherein the second user interface further comprises:

a digital receipt; and

one or more second interactive elements that are displayed for a predefined time period.

11 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the first information further includes first data associated with a payment object.

12 . The system of claim 8 , wherein the second information further includes second data associated with a second payment object.

13 . One or more non-transitory computer readable media maintaining instructions stored in a memory that, when executed by one or more processors, program the one or more processors to perform acts comprising:

receiving, from a Point of Sale (POS) application associated with a payment service and executing on a merchant device of a merchant, a request to create an open ticket associated with a transaction between the merchant and a user;

sending, to the POS application, first instructions to generate a first user interface associated with the transaction, the first user interface requesting first input;

receiving, from the POS application and via the first user interface, the first input associated with the transaction at a first time, the first input comprising first information associated with one or more first items;

receiving, from the POS application, second input associated with the transaction at a second time, the second input comprising second information associated with one or more second items;

generating, based at least in part on the second input and a tipping profile associated with the user, one or more tip amounts for the transaction;

sending, to the POS application, second instructions to generate a second user interface associated with the transaction, wherein the second user interface includes a plurality of interactive elements, wherein an individual interactive element of the plurality of interactive elements includes text indicating a respective tip amount of the one or more tip amounts; and

receiving, from the POS application, an indication of a third input to the second user interface at a third time, the third input comprising selection of a particular interactive element corresponding to a particular tip amount of the one or more tip amounts.

14 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein prior to receiving the second input, the acts further comprise:

generating, based at least in part on the first input and a first tipping profile associated with the user, one or more initial tip amounts for the transaction; and

sending, to the POS application, third instructions to generate a third user interface to include the one or more initial tip amounts associated with the transaction, wherein the third user interface is interactable to enable the user to select from the one or more initial tip amounts,

wherein the one or more tip amounts correspond to one or more updated tip amounts.

15 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 14 , wherein the one or more initial tip amounts are determined based at least in part on one or more first tip determinants, and wherein the one or more updated tip amounts are determined based at least in part on one or more second tip determinants.

16 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein the one or more tip amounts are displayed for a predefined time period.

17 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13 , the acts further comprising:

based at least in part on receiving the third input, processing a payment for the transaction, wherein the payment includes the particular tip amount.

18 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 13 , wherein the second user interface is maintained and updatable on the merchant device while the merchant device is in an offline mode.

19 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18 , wherein the third input is received when the merchant device returns to an online mode from the offline mode.

20 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable media of claim 18 , wherein the one or more tip amounts are based on the tipping profile and one or more second items added to the transaction while the merchant device is in the offline mode.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 18, 2024
From: ABRONS, ADAM
To: SQUARE, INC.
Reel/Frame 066161/0306 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jan 18, 2024
From: SQUARE, INC.
To: BLOCK, INC.
Reel/Frame 066349/0992 →
Continuity (3)
Continuation 17886303 · Aug 11, 2022
Continuation 16859639 · Apr 27, 2020
Continuation 15087960 · Mar 31, 2016
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