A system and method for generating a notification of a price change for a transaction and facilitating an associated price adjustment based on electronic image capture of a paper receipt. An image capture system captures an electronic image of a paper transaction receipt, which is transmitted to a data extraction processor that extracts transaction receipt data from the captured electronic image. A unique key is generated that is matched to a transaction record to generate a reliability score for the OCRed image and to authorize price matching. If the price monitoring server identifies that the price of a purchased transaction item has changed, the price monitoring server automatically generates a notification to the user indicating the price change and an email to the customer service department of the merchant from which the transaction item was purchased, requesting a price adjustment that is credited back to the payment instrument.

A computer-implemented method for facilitating a merchant transaction comprises providing a list of one or more merchants that are in geographic proximity to a geolocation of a payer, and receiving a request from the payer to conduct a transaction with a merchant among the one or more merchants. The request can be received by a computer system programmed to facilitate the transaction. The transaction can then be processed with the aid of the computer system. A tip selection, which can include a tip amount, can be applied to the transaction. In some cases the tip selection is received from the payer as a selectable option. In other cases, the tip selection is automatically applied to the transaction without involvement from the payer during or upon the termination of the transaction.

Conducting hands-free transactions comprises a server at a payment processing system, a user computing device, and a merchant computing device. The payment processing system receives a communication from a hands-free payment application on a user device, the communication comprising a first transaction token, an identification of a user account, and a beacon identifier. The merchant may provide a challenge to the user and use the response to identify the token and account of the user. The merchant computing device can use voice patterns of the user to assist in identifying the token and account of the user. The system receives from the merchant computing device a transaction request, the transaction request comprising the first transaction token and transaction data associated with the transaction request. The system determines that the transaction is for an amount less than a configured transaction limit and communicates a request for an authorization of the transaction.

Conducting hands-free transactions comprises a server at a payment processing system, a user computing device, and a merchant computing device. The payment processing system receives a communication from a hands-free payment application on a user device, the communication comprising a first transaction token, an identification of a user account, and a beacon identifier. The merchant may provide a challenge to the user and use the response to identify the token and account of the user. The merchant computing device can use voice patterns of the user to assist in identifying the token and account of the user. The system receives from the merchant computing device a transaction request, the transaction request comprising the first transaction token and transaction data associated with the transaction request. The system determines that the transaction is for an amount less than a configured transaction limit and communicates a request for an authorization of the transaction.

Methods and devices for propagating transactions in a network of nodes, each node having one or more connections to other nodes. The method includes receiving a plurality of incoming transactions over a time period; combining the plurality of incoming transactions using network coding to generate a composite message; sending the composite message to one or more nodes in the network; and determining an adjusted time period based on an equilibrium constant parameter and a count of transactions in the plurality of incoming transactions received over the time periodk.

An autonomous robotic vehicle includes a conveyance system, a securable compartment configured to autonomously lock and unlock, a customer identification reader, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the autonomous robotic vehicle to, autonomously: travel to a destination location of a customer; capture, by the customer identification reader at the destination location, a customer identification object; determine that the captured customer identification object matches an identity of the customer; unlock the securable compartment based on the determination; capture, by the product identification reader, a product identifier; and accept a product to be returned by locking the securable compartment. The securable compartment contains a product identification reader.

An autonomous robotic vehicle includes a conveyance system, a securable compartment configured to autonomously lock and unlock, a customer identification reader, at least one processor, and a memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one processor, causes the autonomous robotic vehicle to, autonomously: travel to a destination location of a customer; capture, by the customer identification reader at the destination location, a customer identification object; determine that the captured customer identification object matches an identity of the customer; unlock the securable compartment based on the determination; capture, by the product identification reader, a product identifier; and accept a product to be returned by locking the securable compartment. The securable compartment contains a product identification reader.

A self-checkout system can include a plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments moveably coupled together in an order according to respective diameters of the plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments. A scanning system can be configured to provide a characteristic of an item purchased by a user of the self-checkout system and a processor circuit can be operatively coupled to the plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments and to the scanning system, where the processor circuit can be configured to move the plurality of telescoped bagging arm segments relative to one another based on the characteristic of the item to be placed in a bag in use with the self-checkout system.

Aspects described herein include a computer-implemented method (and related system and computer program product) comprising receiving, from a bonding service, an authorization request for a predefined authorized use of a good or service by a user. The authorization request indicates that the user meets one or more predefined criteria for the predefined authorized use. The method further comprises determining one or more penalty conditions of a bonding agreement for the predefined authorized use by the user, and receiving, from the bonding service, a confirmation that the user agrees to meet the one or more penalty conditions of the bonding agreement. The method further comprises receiving, from an owner of the good or service, an authorization of the authorization request, and transmitting, responsive to authorization of the authorization request, a token to the bonding service that enables the user to access the predefined authorized use of the good or service.

A method for aggregated storage of observational data on a blockchain includes: receiving, by a receiver of a processing server, a plurality of data entries, wherein the plurality of data entries includes (i) one or more data entries received from each of a plurality of different external devices, or (ii) multiple data entries received from one external device; canonicalize, by a processor of the processing server, the received plurality of data entries into a single data value; hashing, by the processor of the processing server, the single data value to generate a hashed data value; transmitting, by a transmitter of the processing server, the hashed data value to a blockchain node in a blockchain network; receiving, by the receiver of the processing server, a reference value from the blockchain node; and storing, in a memory of the processing server, the received reference value with the plurality of data entries.