Patent ID: 8720771

Claim:
A computer-implemented method for processing and verifying a consumer's in-store self-purchase of goods and services from a retailer, said consumer having a mobile device capable of communicating with a server, and said retailer having an electronic device capable of communicating with the server and with the mobile device, the method comprising the following steps: receiving a first set of data from the first mobile device, said first set of data comprising a query for product or service information corresponding to a product identifier, said product identifier obtained by the mobile device optically scanning a representation of the product identifier; transmitting to the mobile device said product information in response to said query; receiving a second set of data from the mobile device, said second set of data comprising identifying information for one or more goods or services to be purchased; receiving a third set of data from the mobile device corresponding to a consumer's request to self-purchase the one or more goods or services identified in the second set of data, said third set of data identifying payment means for the purchase of said one or more goods or services; transmitting a request for payment authorization to a payment processing system, said request for payment identifying said payment means; receiving from the payment processing system a response to the request for payment authorization indicating whether or not the request for payment authorization was approved; creating in response to an approved request for payment authorization a data record in a database representing the consumer's self-purchase of said one or more goods or services; generating in response to the consumer's self-purchase of said one or more goods or services via the identified payment means a unique token, said unique token associated with said data record such that said unique token contains a link to said data record; transmitting said unique token to the mobile device for display thereon by the consumer in the form of a unique QR code to verify to the retailer the consumer's self-purchase of said one or more goods or services; receiving from the retailer electronic device a request to validate the QR code optically captured from the screen of the mobile device in order to confirm the consumer's in-store self-purchase of said goods or services; determining whether the QR code optically captured from the screen of the mobile device is valid in response to the request to validate the QR code; transmitting to the retailer electronic device information indicating whether the QR code is valid; and wherein the steps of receiving the first set of data, transmitting said product information, receiving the second set of data, receiving the third set of data, creating the data record, generating said unique token, transmitting said unique token, receiving a request to validate the QR code, determining whether the QR code is valid, and transmitting information indicating whether the QR code is valid are performed by the server.