WO2025034235A1

WO2025034235A1 - Methods and systems for hybrid transactions

Info

Publication number: WO2025034235A1
Application number: PCT/US2023/071851
Authority: WO
Inventors: Lucas DE BARROS RODRIGUES
Original assignee: Visa International Service Association
Priority date: 2023-08-08
Filing date: 2023-08-08
Publication date: 2025-02-13

Abstract

Method, for facilitating an offline transaction during an offline period, includes receiving loading information associated with a payment device prior to the offline period, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device, retrieving payment device information from the payment device during a payment transaction by the payment device in the offline period, wherein the payment device information comprises an account balance, and based on the load information and the payment device information, determining that the payment device is to receive a pending load. The method may further include one more of: updating the account balance of the payment device based on the pending load, approving the payment transaction during the offline period, wherein the payment transaction comprises a transaction amount less than, or equal to, the account balance, and updating the account balance on the payment device after reducing the account balance by the transaction amount.

Description

TITLE

METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR HYBRID TRANSACTIONS

FIELD

[0001] At least some aspects of the present disclosure relate to methods, devices, and systems for facilitating hybrid transactions, and specifically facilitating offline transactions during offline periods.

SUMMARY

[0002] The following summary is provided to facilitate an understanding of some of the innovative features unique to the aspects disclosed herein, and is not intended to be a full description. A full appreciation of the various aspects can be gained by taking the entire specification, claims, and abstract as a whole.

[0003] A computer-implemented method, for facilitating an offline transaction during an offline period, includes receiving, by a point of sale (POS) terminal, loading information associated with a payment device prior to the offline period, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device, retrieving, by the POS terminal, payment device information from the payment device during a payment transaction by the payment device in the offline period, wherein the payment device information comprises an account balance, and based on the load information and the payment device information, determining, by the POS terminal, that the payment device is to receive a pending load. The method may further include one more of: updating, by the POS terminal, the account balance of the payment device based on the pending load, approving, by the POS terminal, the payment transaction during the offline period, wherein the payment transaction comprises a transaction amount less than, or equal to, the account balance, and updating, by the POS terminal, the account balance on the payment device after reducing the account balance by the transaction amount.

[0004] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, the loading information comprises a loading time, the payment device information comprises a last loading time, and determining, by the POS terminal, that the payment device is to receive the pending load is based on the loading time being more recent than the last loading time.

[0005] Further to the above, in some aspects, of the method, the payment device information comprises client exclusive data (CED), wherein retrieving the payment device information comprises decrypting the CED.

[0006] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, the CED comprises the account balance, a loading time, and an encrypted personal identification number (PIN). [0007] Further to the above, in some aspects, the method further includes prompting, by the POS terminal, for entry of a value of the PIN to process the payment transaction during the offline period. The method may further includes decrypting, by the POS terminal, the encrypted PIN of the CED. The method may further includes verifying, by the POS terminal, the value of the PIN.

[0008] Further to the above, in some aspects, the method further includes performing, by the POS terminal, an offline data authentication (ODA) on the payment device during the offline period.

[0009] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, receiving, by the POS terminal, the loading information comprises receiving an update list, wherein the method further comprises determining whether a payment account corresponding to the payment device is on the update list.

[0010] Further to the above, in some aspects, the method further includes deferring, by the POS terminal, online authorization of the payment transaction until after the offline period.

[0011] A computer-implemented method, for hybrid payment-transaction processing by an acceptance device, includes receiving, by the acceptance device, in an online mode, loading information associated with a payment device, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device, interfacing, by the acceptance device, with the payment device to process a payment transaction, and determining, by the acceptance device, that a network connection is unavailable for an online processing of the payment transaction. In some aspects, the method further includes transitioning, by the acceptance device, to an offline mode, based on determining that the network connection is unavailable. The method may further include approving, by the acceptance device, the payment transaction in the offline mode based on the loading information.

[0012] Further to the above, in some aspects, the method further includes deferring, by the acceptance device, obtaining a transaction authorization request for the payment transaction until the network connection is reestablished.

[0013] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, the loading information comprises a load balance corresponding to a payment account associated with the payment device.

[0014] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, interfacing with the payment device to process the payment transaction includes receiving, by the acceptance device, CED stored by the payment device. Interfacing with the payment device to process the payment transaction may further include decrypting, by the acceptance device, the CED to retrieve an account balance corresponding to a payment account associated with the acceptance device. Interfacing with the payment device to process the payment transaction may further include updating, by the acceptance device, the account balance based on a transaction amount of the payment transaction. Interfacing with the payment device to process the payment transaction may further include encrypting, by the acceptance device, a new CED comprising the updated account balance. Interfacing with the payment device to process the payment transaction may further include transmitting, by the acceptance device the new CED to the payment device.

[0015] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, the loading information indicates a pending load associated with payment account. Moreover, updating the account balance can be further based on the pending load. Furthermore, CED may include a last update time corresponding to the account balance. In addition, updating the account balance can be further based on the last update time.

[0016] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, CED includes an account balance log representing changes to the account balance.

[0017] A computer-implemented method, for offline payment transactions by a payment device, includes storing, by the payment device, CED comprising an account balance representing preloaded funds, and interfacing, by the payment device, with an acceptance device in an offline mode to effect a payment transaction. In some aspects, the method may further include transmitting, by the payment device, the CED to the acceptance device. In some aspects, the method may further include receiving, by the payment device, a new CED comprising a new account balance based on a transaction amount associated with the payment transaction. In some aspects, the method may further include storing, by the payment device, the new CED.

[0018] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, CED includes a last update time corresponding to the account balance.

[0019] Further to the above, in some aspects of the method, CED includes an account balance log representing changes to the account balance.

[0020] These, and other objects, features, and characteristics of the present disclosure, as well as the methods of operation, and functions of the related elements of structure, and the combination of parts, and economies of manufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of the following description, and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings, all of which form a part of this specification, wherein like reference numerals designate corresponding parts in the various figures. It is to be expressly understood, however, that the drawings are for the purpose of illustration, and description only, and are not intended as a definition of the limits of the disclosure.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Various features of the aspects described herein are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The various aspects, however, both as to organization, and methods of operation, together with advantages thereof, may be understood in accordance with the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings as follows:

[0022] The apparatuses and methods disclosed herein have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the various aspects of the present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a flow diagram illustrating a computer-implemented method, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates aspects of a payment network environment, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0025] FIG. 2A illustrates a Customer Exclusive Data (CED), in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0026] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram illustrating a computer implemented method, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0027] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram illustrating a computer implemented method, in accordance with at least one aspect of the present disclosure.

[0028] FIG. 5 presents a block diagram of a computer apparatus, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure.

[0029] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of an example system that includes a host machine within which a set of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed, according to at least aspect of the present disclosure.

[0030] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding items throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate various aspects of the present disclosure, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the present disclosure in any manner. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Before explaining various forms of the payment card, it should be noted that the illustrative forms disclosed herein are not limited in application or use to the details of construction and arrangement of components illustrated in the accompanying drawings and description. The illustrative forms may be implemented or incorporated in other forms, variations and modifications, and may be practiced or carried out in various ways. Further, unless otherwise indicated, the terms and expressions utilized herein have been chosen for the purpose of describing the illustrative forms for the convenience of the reader and are not for the purpose of limitation thereof. Also in the following description, it is to be understood that terms such as “forward,” “rearward,” “left,” “right,” “above,” “below,” “upwardly,” “downwardly,” and the like are words of convenience and are not to be construed as limiting terms.

[0032] As used herein, a “portable electronic device” may refer to any electronic device that is portable and operated by user. Examples of portable electronic devices include smartphones and other mobile phones (e.g., cellular phones), tablet computers, laptop computers, netbooks, personal music players, e-readers, hand-held specialized readers, mobile Wi-Fi devices, handheld gaming systems, navigation systems, storage devices, portable media players, wearable devices (e.g., fitness bands, smart watches, headphones, earbuds), various electronic devices included in automobiles, and any other electronic device that a user may transport, carry, and/or wear. Other portable electronic devices can include robotic devices, remote-controlled devices, personal-care appliances, and so on. In some embodiments, a portable electronic device constitutes a payment device (e.g., a portable device can store and be able to transmit payment credentials for a transaction).

[0033] A “server computer” may include a powerful computer or cluster of computers. For example, the server computer can be a large mainframe, a minicomputer cluster, or a group of servers functioning as a unit. In one example, the server computer may be a database server coupled to a Web server. The server computer may comprise one or more computational apparatuses and may use any of a variety of computing structures, arrangements, and compilations for servicing the requests from one or more client computers.

[0034] Modern consumers are accustomed to cashless payment transactions, and benefit from a variety of payment devices to pay for goods and/or services without having to carry legal tender. In fact, the number of cards, accounts and apps available for consumer use in various scenarios is only growing. Cashless payment transactions via payment devices generally require an online connection that may not be available in offline periods, such as, for example, in large events or on mass transit, for example, where a large number of individuals are leveraging the same network resources. During large events, the high number of individuals with mobile phones in a small area may negatively impact the telecommunication signal in a manner that interferes with POS terminal connections and, thus, may yield offline periods. In consequence, online transactions become difficult to perform.

[0035] One solution for connectivity issues involves offering offline closed-loop transactions for consumption during events, for example. This and other available solutions, however, present multiple challenges and security risks such as the inability to verify a load balance during the offline period. A POS terminal cannot independently verify an accuracy of a load balance during the offline period. Moreover, if a payment device is utilized in multiple transactions during an offline period, an initial balance on the payment card will change with each transaction and, without an online connection, a POS terminal will be unable to verify remaining funds of the initial balance. Furthermore, if for any reason, a payment device failed to receive a balance update, for example one that reflects newly added funds, prior to the offline period, the user of the payment device cannot rely on the added funds for transactions during the offline period, as the POS terminals will not be able to verify the balance update.

[0036] In some aspects, the present disclosure provides a hybrid solution that facilitates secure and seamless payment transactions in instances where POS terminal connections are temporarily impacted. As described in greater detail below, the hybrid solution includes an online component and an offline component, which cooperatively enable an online balance to be locally stored and updated.

[0037] FIG. 1 illustrates a computer-implemented method 10, in accordance with some aspects of the present disclosure. The method 10 facilitates an offline transaction during an offline period. In various aspects, the method 10 is executed, or at least partially executed, by an acceptance device 102 (FIG. 2). An “acceptance device” may refer to a device that receives information from a payment card to initiate a transaction. For example, an acceptance device may be a point of sale (POS) device configured to read account data encoded in a magnetic stripe or chip of a payment card. Other examples of acceptance devices include cellular phones, personal computers, tablets, handheld specialized readers, set-top boxes, electronic cash registers, automated teller machines (ATMs), virtual cash registers, kiosks, security systems, access systems, and the like. Acceptance devices may use means to interact with a payment card, such as NFC, Bluetooth® low-energy (“BLE”), radio frequency (RF), optical readers, and/or magnetic stripe readers. In various instances, the acceptance device is a certified acceptance device. [0038] The method 10 includes receiving 12, by the acceptance device 102, loading information associated with a payment device 104 (FIG. 2) prior to the offline period. FIG. 2 illustrates a payment processing network 100 including multiple acceptance devices 102 configured to process transactions initiated by payment devices 104. The payment processing network 100 includes an issuer server 106 that maintains payment accounts associated with the payment devices 104, and processes loading requests associated with the payment accounts. The issuer server 106 is to transmit loading information associated with the payment accounts to the acceptance devices 102 via the communication network 108 during online periods. In at least one embodiment, the loading information is transmitted from the issuer server 106 to an acquirer server 109 that then routes the loading information to the acceptance devices 102. In another embodiment, the issuer server 106 transmits the loading information to a payment network server 110 that routes the loading information either directly to the acceptance devices or, alternatively, to the acquirer server 109 that then routes it to the acceptance devices 102.

[0039] In some instances, the loading information can be selectively routed to acceptance devices 102 expected to experience an offline period. In such instances, the method 10 may include predicting, by the issuer server, the payment network server, and/or the acquirer server, acceptance devices 102 to suffer from an offline period, and selectively routing the loading information to such acceptance devices 102. In at least one example, the prediction is based on a geographic location of the acceptance devices 102 being near an upcoming event. In another example, the prediction is based on previously-processed transactions by payment devices 104.

[0040] The acceptance devices 102 are configured to receive 12 the loading information independently of the payment devices 104, or prior to processing payment transactions with the payment devices 104. Said another way, the loading information is directly transmitted from the issuer server 106 to the acceptance devices 102 through the communication network 108. Once received, the loading information is stored locally by each acceptance devices 102, and is utilized in authenticating transactions by the payment devices 104, and/or updating loading information stored by the payment devices 104, as described below in greater detail.

[0041] In various aspects, the loading information includes account balance and/or account balance updates, and payment account identification information. In some aspects, the loading information further includes account authentication data. In some aspects, the loading information is transmitted to the acceptance devices 102 prior to a large event, in the form of a load update list that is stored locally on storage mediums {e.g., memory unit) of the acceptance device 102. The load update list is then utilized by the acceptance devices 102, during an offline period, to verify load balances and/or update load balances on the payment devices 104. In various aspects, the load information can be transmitted, and stored, on an access device that permits access to the large event. The access device may include a reader that communicates, in some instances wirelessly such as by tapping, with a payment device at an access point of the large event. The access device may communicate previously received load information to the payment device at the access point. The load information can then be stored, or updated, on the payment device.

[0042] A “payment device” may include any suitable device that may be used to conduct a financial transaction, such as to provide payment credentials to a merchant. The payment device may be a software object, a hardware object, or a physical object. As examples of physical objects, the payment device may comprise a substrate such as a paper or plastic card, and information that is printed, embossed, encoded, or otherwise included at or near a surface of an object. A hardware object can relate to circuitry {e.g., permanent voltage values), and a software object can relate to non-permanent data stored on a device. A payment device may be associated with a value such as a monetary value, a discount, or store credit, and a payment device may be associated with an entity such as a bank, a merchant, a payment processing network, or a person. Suitable payment devices can be hand-held and compact so that they can fit into a user's wallet and/or pocket {e.g., pocket- sized). For example, a payment card may be a payment device, such as a smart card, a chip card, an integrated circuit card, and/or a near field communications (NFC) card, among others. A payment device may include an embedded integrated circuit and the embedded integrated circuit may include a data storage medium {e.g., volatile and/or non-volatile memory) to store information associated with the electronic payment device, such as an account identifier and/or a name of an account holder. A payment card may interface with an acceptance device such as a point of sale device to initiate the transaction. In various aspects, the payment device can be certified by EMVCo for use with a payment network.

[0043] Further to the above, the method 10 further includes receiving 14, by the acceptance device 102, payment device information from the payment device 104 during a payment transaction by the payment device 104. In some aspects, the payment device 104 is a smart card or a portable electronic device, and the acceptance device 102 is a POS terminal. In some aspects, the smart card or portable electronic device forms a contactless interface with the acceptance device 102. In other aspects, the smart card or portable electronic device forms a contact interface with the acceptance device 102. The smart card and/or portable electronic device can be configured to wirelessly communicate the payment device information with via NFC, for example.

[0044] In various aspects, the payment device information, received 14 by the acceptance device 102, includes an account balance stored locally on the payment device 104. In one example, the payment device 104 is a smart card that includes a storage medium such as, for example, a memory unit that stores the payment device information. In some aspects, the memory unit is in a chip within the payment device 104, and stores customer exclusive data (CED) 120 that includes the account balance. In various aspects, CED 120 is configured to allow transport and storage of a number of different issuer and cardholder specific information. In some aspects, as illustrated in FIG. 2A, the CED 120 further includes rewards/loyalty data, an event key, last loading time, a load log, a last balance update time, a balance update log, contact information, and/or encrypted personal identification number (PIN).

[0045] In some aspects, the issuer server 106 updates CED during an online transaction before the offline period to update the account balance on the payment device 104. In other instances, the acceptance device 102 updates the account balance on the payment device 104 during the offline period based on load information previously received, for example in a balance update list, by the acceptance device 102 from the issuer server 106 prior to the offline period. In some aspects, the transaction amount can later be sent online to the issuer server 106 to synchronize the online balance.

[0046] The acceptance device 102 determines, based on the load information and the payment device information, whether the payment device 104 is to receive a pending load during a transaction conducted in the offline period. In some aspects, as illustrated in FIG. 1, the acceptance device 102, upon receiving the payment device information, determines 15 whether CED is available. If so, the acceptance device 102 performs an offline data authentication (ODA).

[0047] ODA is a cryptographic check that allows a payment terminal to perform offline authentication with a contactless payment card or mobile device. ODA provides a high level of trust that the payment device presented is genuine, allows the acceptance device to proceed with payment without a need for the user to wait for the network to process the payment. ODA is also used when acceptance devices are intermittently offline. When the transit terminal is back online, the payment is processed.

[0048] In some aspects, as illustrated in FIG. 1 , if the ODA is successful, the acceptance device 102 determines 17 whether the payment account associated with the payment device 103 is expired. If the payment account is active, not expired, the acceptance device 102 then decrypts 18 the CED received from the payment device 104 to retrieve the account balance stored on the payment device 104. If, however, the CED is not available, the ODS is unsuccessful, or the payment account is expired, the acceptance device 102 may decline 23 the transaction with the payment device 104.

[0049] The acceptance device 102, utilizes the locally stored load update list to determine 19 whether the account balance on the payment device 104 needs to be updated to reflect recently added funds, for example. As illustrated in FIG. 1 , in some aspects, the method 10 further includes retrieving, by the acceptance device 102, from the load update list, a load time corresponding to the payment account associated with the payment device 104, and comparing 20, by the acceptance device 102, the load time to the time stored on the payment device 104. If the load time from the load update list is greater than the load time stored on the payment device 104, the acceptance device 102 updates 21 the account balance stored on the payment device 104 per the balance load from the load update list, and determines 22 a new CED value to be stored by the payment device 104.

[0050] Further to the above, in some aspects, if the acceptance device 102 determines that no update is available to the account balance of the payment device 104, if the load time on the load update list matches the load time stored on the payment device 104, or after the account balance on the payment device 104 is updated, as previously discussed, the acceptance device 102 may further request 24 a PIN for authentication purposes. If PIN verification 29 is successful, the acceptance device 102, may then determine 25 whether the account balance is sufficient to satisfy the transaction amount. If so, the acceptance device 102 may then approve 26 the transaction offline, and defer 27 online authorization until the network communication is reestablished. If, however, the acceptance device 102 determines 25 that the account balance is less than the transaction amount, the acceptance device 102 may decline 23 the transaction.

[0051] In some aspects, if the transaction is approved, the acceptance device 102 may calculate 30 a new account balance based on the existing account balance and the transaction amount. Moreover, a new CED value is then determined 31 based on the new account balance, and is then stored on the payment device 104.

[0052] The method 10 further includes transmitting, by the acceptance device 102, the deferred authorization once the acceptance device reestablishes its connection with the communications network 108. In various aspects, the acceptance device 102 comprises an online mode and an offline mode. In the online mode, the acceptance device 102 processes a payment transaction with a payment device 104 by transmitting a transaction authorization request during the payment transaction. In contrast, in the offline mode, the acceptance device 102 approves the payment transaction without obtaining the transaction authorization request during the payment transaction. Instead, the acceptance device 102 locally approves the payment transaction based on previously received loading information, as described above in greater detail, and defers the transaction authorization request until a connection with the communication network 108 is reestablished.

[0053] FIG. 3 illustrates a computer-implemented method 150 for hybrid paymenttransaction processing by the acceptance device 102. In some aspects, the method 150 includes receiving 151 , by the acceptance device 102, in an online mode, loading information associated with the payment device 104, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device 104. The method 150 further includes interfacing 152, by the acceptance device 102, with the payment device 104 to process a payment transaction. In some aspects, the payment device 104 can form a contact or contactless interface with the acceptance device 102. As described above in greater detail, the payment device 104 can be a smart card or a mobile device that wirelessly interfaces with the acceptance device 102, for example via NFC, to initiate a payment transaction.

[0054] The method 150 further includes determining 154, by the acceptance device 102, that a network connection is unavailable for an online processing of the payment transaction. Based on determining that the network connection is unavailable, the acceptance device 102 may switch or transition 156 to an offline mode, wherein an offline approval of the payment transaction can be executed, by the acceptance device 102, as described above. In the online mode, the authorization request is transmitted in real time, while in the offline, the authorization request is deferred. For example, the method 150 may further include approving 158 the payment transaction in the offline mode based on the loading information, and deferring obtaining the transaction authorization request until the network connection is reestablished.

[0055] In some aspects, interfacing 152, by the acceptance device 102, with the payment device 104 to process the payment transaction includes receiving, by the acceptance device 102, CED 120 stored by the payment device 104. As describe above, the CED 120 may include an account balance corresponding to a payment account associated with the payment device 104.

[0056] FIG. 4 illustrates a computer-implemented method 200 for secure offline payment transactions. The method 200 includes storing 202, by the payment device 104, CED 120 including an account balance representing preloaded funds. The method 200 further includes interfacing 204, by the payment device 104, with the acceptance device 102 in the offline mode, to effect a payment transaction. In some aspects, the payment device 104 forms a contactless interface with the acceptance device 102. In other aspects, the payment device 104 forms a contact interface with the acceptance device 102.

[0057] The method 200 further includes transmitting 206, by the payment device 104, CED 120 to the acceptance device 102. As discussed previously, the acceptance device 102 decrypts the CED 120 to retrieve the account balance, and checks the load update list to determine if the payment device 104 is associated with a pending load. If a pending load is available, the acceptance device 102 updates the account balance to reflect the pending load, and transmits, to the payment device 104, a new CED 120 reflecting the updated account balance The method 200 further includes storing 208, by the payment device 104, the new CED 120.

[0058] FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a computer apparatus 3000 with data processing subsystems or components, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. The subsystems shown in FIG. A are interconnected via a system bus 3010. Additional subsystems such as a printer 3018, keyboard 3026, fixed disk 3028 (or other memory comprising computer readable media), monitor 3022, which is coupled to a display adapter 3020, and others are shown. Peripherals and input/output (I/O) devices, which couple to an I/O controller 3012 (which can be a processor or other suitable controller), can be connected to the computer system by any number of means known in the art, such as a serial port 3024. For example, the serial port 3024 or external interface 3030 can be used to connect the computer apparatus to a wide area network such as the Internet, a mouse input device, or a scanner. The interconnection via system bus allows the central processor 3016 to communicate with each subsystem and to control the execution of instructions from system memory 3014 or the fixed disk 3028, as well as the exchange of information between subsystems. The system memory 3014 and/or the fixed disk 3028 may embody a computer readable medium.

[0059] FIG. 6 is a diagrammatic representation of an example system 4000 that includes a host machine 4002 within which a set of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein may be executed, according to at least one aspect of the present disclosure. In various aspects, the host machine 4002 operates as a standalone device or may be connected (e.g., networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, the host machine 4002 may operate in the capacity of a server or a client machine in a server-client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The host machine 4002 may be a computer or computing device, a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set-top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular telephone, a portable music player (e.g., a portable hard drive audio device such as an Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3 (MP3) player), a web appliance, a network router, switch or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be taken by that machine. Further, while only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” shall also be taken to include any collection of machines that individually or jointly execute a set (or multiple sets) of instructions to perform any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein.

[0060] The example system 4000 includes the host machine 4002, running a host operating system (OS) 4004 on a processor or multiple processor(s)/processor core(s) 4006 (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both), and various memory nodes 4008. The host OS 4004 may include a hypervisor 4010 which is able to control the functions and/or communicate with a virtual machine (“VM”) 4012 running on machine readable media. The VM 4012 also may include a virtual CPU or vCPU 4014. The memory nodes 4008 may be linked or pinned to virtual memory nodes or vNodes 4016. When the memory node 4008 is linked or pinned to a corresponding vNode 4016, then data may be mapped directly from the memory nodes 4008 to the corresponding vNode 4016.

[0061] All the various components shown in host machine 4002 may be connected with and to each other, or communicate to each other via a bus (not shown) or via other coupling or communication channels or mechanisms. The host machine 4002 may further include a video display, audio device or other peripherals 4018 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD), alpha-numeric input device(s) including, e.g., a keyboard, a cursor control device, e.g., a mouse, a voice recognition or biometric verification unit, an external drive, a signal generation device, e.g., a speaker,) a persistent storage device 4020 (also referred to as disk drive unit), and a network interface device 4022. The host machine 4002 may further include a data encryption module (not shown) to encrypt data. The components provided in the host machine 4002 are those typically found in computer systems that may be suitable for use with aspects of the present disclosure and are intended to represent a broad category of such computer components that are known in the art. Thus, the system 4000 can be a server, minicomputer, mainframe computer, or any other computer system. The computer may also include different bus configurations, networked platforms, multiprocessor platforms, and the like. Various operating systems may be used including UNIX, LINUX, WINDOWS, QNX ANDROID, IOS, CHROME, TIZEN, and other suitable operating systems.

[0062] The disk drive unit 4024 also may be a Solid-state Drive (SSD), a hard disk drive (HDD) or other includes a computer or machine-readable medium on which is stored one or more sets of instructions and data structures (e.g., data/instructions 4026) embodying or utilizing any one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. The data/instructions 4026 also may reside, completely or at least partially, within the main memory node 4008 and/or within the processor(s) 4006 during execution thereof by the host machine 4002. The data/instructions 4026 may further be transmitted or received over a network 4028 via the network interface device 4022 utilizing any one of several well-known transfer protocols (e.g., Hyper Text Transfer Protocol (HTTP)).

[0063] The processor(s) 4006 and memory nodes 4008 also may comprise machine- readable media. The term "computer-readable medium" or “machine-readable medium” should be taken to include a single medium or multiple medium (e.g., a centralized or distributed database and/or associated caches and servers) that store the one or more sets of instructions. The term "computer-readable medium" shall also be taken to include any medium that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying a set of instructions for execution by the host machine 4002 and that causes the host machine 4002 to perform any one or more of the methodologies of the present application, or that is capable of storing, encoding, or carrying data structures utilized by or associated with such a set of instructions. The term ’’computer-readable medium” shall accordingly be taken to include, but not be limited to, solid-state memories, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals. Such media may also include, without limitation, hard disks, floppy disks, flash memory cards, digital video disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and the like. The example aspects described herein may be implemented in an operating environment comprising software installed on a computer, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware.

[0064] One skilled in the art will recognize that Internet service may be configured to provide Internet access to one or more computing devices that are coupled to the Internet service, and that the computing devices may include one or more processors, buses, memory devices, display devices, input/output devices, and the like. Furthermore, those skilled in the art may appreciate that the Internet service may be coupled to one or more databases, repositories, servers, and the like, which may be utilized to implement any of the various aspects of the disclosure as described herein.

[0065] The computer program instructions also may be loaded onto a computer, a server, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable apparatus or other devices to produce a computer implemented process such that the instructions which execute on the computer or other programmable apparatus provide processes for implementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

[0066] Suitable networks may include or interface with any one or more of, for instance, a local intranet, a PAN (Personal Area Network), a LAN (Local Area Network), a WAN (Wide Area Network), a MAN (Metropolitan Area Network), a virtual private network (VPN), a storage area network (SAN), a frame relay connection, an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) connection, a synchronous optical network (SONET) connection, a digital T1, T3, E1 or E3 line, Digital Data Service (DDS) connection, DSL (Digital Subscriber Line) connection, an Ethernet connection, an ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line, a dial-up port such as a V.90, V.34 or V.34bis analog modem connection, a cable modem, an ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) connection, or an FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) or CDDI (Copper Distributed Data Interface) connection. Furthermore, communications may also include links to any of a variety of wireless networks, including WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), cellular phone networks, GPS (Global Positioning System), CDPD (cellular digital packet data), RIM (Research in Motion, Limited) duplex paging network, Bluetooth radio, or an IEEE 802.11-based radio frequency network. The network 4028 can further include or interface with any one or more of an RS-232 serial connection, an I EEE- 1394 (Firewire) connection, a Fiber Channel connection, an IrDA (infrared) port, a SCSI (Small Computer Systems Interface) connection, a USB (Universal Serial Bus) connection or other wired or wireless, digital or analog interface or connection, mesh or Digi® networking.

[0067] In general, a cloud-based computing environment is a resource that typically combines the computational power of a large grouping of processors (such as within web servers) and/or that combines the storage capacity of a large grouping of computer memories or storage devices. Systems that provide cloud-based resources may be utilized exclusively by their owners or such systems may be accessible to outside users who deploy applications within the computing infrastructure to obtain the benefit of large computational or storage resources.

[0068] The cloud is formed, for example, by a network of web servers that comprise a plurality of computing devices, such as the host machine 4002, with each server 4030 (or at least a plurality thereof) providing processor and/or storage resources. These servers manage workloads provided by multiple users (e.g., cloud resource customers or other users). Typically, each user places workload demands upon the cloud that vary in real-time, sometimes dramatically. The nature and extent of these variations typically depends on the type of business associated with the user.

[0069] It is noteworthy that any hardware platform suitable for performing the processing described herein is suitable for use with the technology. The terms “computer-readable storage medium” and “computer-readable storage media” as used herein refer to any medium or media that participate in providing instructions to a CPU for execution. Such media can take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Non-volatile media include, for example, optical or magnetic disks, such as a fixed disk. Volatile media include dynamic memory, such as system RAM. Transmission media include coaxial cables, copper wire and fiber optics, among others, including the wires that comprise one aspect of a bus. Transmission media can also take the form of acoustic or light waves, such as those generated during radio frequency (RF) and infrared (IR) data communications. Common forms of computer-readable media include, for example, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM disk, digital video disk (DVD), any other optical medium, any other physical medium with patterns of marks or holes, a RAM, a PROM, an EPROM, an EEPROM, a FLASH EPROM, any other memory chip or data exchange adapter, a carrier wave, or any other medium from which a computer can read.

[0070] Various forms of computer-readable media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a CPU for execution. A bus carries the data to system RAM, from which a CPU retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by system RAM can optionally be stored on a fixed disk either before or after execution by a CPU.

[0071] Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of the present technology may be written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including an object-oriented programming language such as Java, Smalltalk, C++, or the like and conventional procedural programming languages, such as the "C" programming language, Go, Python, or other programming languages, including assembly languages. The program code may execute entirely on the user's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alone software package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remote computer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latter scenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computer through any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or a wide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an external computer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet Service Provider).

[0072] Examples of the method according to various aspects of the present disclosure are provided below in the following numbered clauses. An aspect of the method may include any one or more than one, and any combination of, the numbered clauses described below.

[0073] Clause 1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating an offline transaction during an offline period, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a point of sale (POS) terminal, loading information associated with a payment device prior to the offline period, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device; retrieving, by the POS terminal, payment device information from the payment device during a payment transaction by the payment device in the offline period, wherein the payment device information comprises an account balance; based on the load information and the payment device information, determining, by the POS terminal, that the payment device is to receive a pending load; updating, by the POS terminal, the account balance of the payment device based on the pending load; approving, by the POS terminal, the payment transaction during the offline period, wherein the payment transaction comprises a transaction amount less than, or equal to, the account balance; and updating, by the POS terminal, the account balance on the payment device after reducing the account balance by the transaction amount.

[0074] Clause 2. The computer-implemented method of Clause 1, wherein the loading information comprises a loading time, wherein the payment device information comprises a last loading time, and wherein determining, by the POS terminal, that the payment device is to receive the pending load is based on the loading time being more recent than the last loading time.

[0075] Clause 3. The computer-implemented method of Clause 1 or 2, wherein the payment device information comprises client exclusive data (CED), and wherein retrieving the payment device information comprises decrypting the CED.

[0076] Clause 4. The computer-implemented method of Clause 1 , 2, or 3, wherein the CED comprises the account balance, a loading time, and an encrypted personal identification number (PIN).

[0077] Clause 5. The computer-implemented method of Clause 1 , 2, 3, 4, further comprising: prompting, by the POS terminal, for entry of a value of the PIN to process the payment transaction during the offline period; decrypting, by the POS terminal, the encrypted PIN of the CED; and verifying, by the POS terminal, the value of the PIN.

[0078] Clause 6. The computer-implemented method of Clause 1 , 2, 3, 4, or 5, further comprising performing, by the POS terminal, an offline data authentication (ODA) on the payment device during the offline period.

[0079] Clause 7. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein receiving, by the POS terminal, the loading information comprises receiving an update list, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises determining whether a payment account corresponding to the payment device is on the update list.

[0080] Clause 8. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7, further comprising deferring, by the POS terminal, online authorization of the payment transaction until after the offline period.

[0081] Clause 9. A computer-implemented method for hybrid payment-transaction processing by an acceptance device, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by the acceptance device, in an online mode, loading information associated with a payment device, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device; interfacing, by the acceptance device, with the payment device to process a payment transaction; determining, by the acceptance device, that a network connection is unavailable for an online processing of the payment transaction; based on determining that the network connection is unavailable, transitioning, by the acceptance device, to an offline mode; and approving, by the acceptance device, the payment transaction in the offline mode based on the loading information.

[0082] Clause 10. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9, further comprising deferring, by the acceptance device, obtaining a transaction authorization request for the payment transaction until the network connection is reestablished.

[0083] Clause 11. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9 or 10, wherein the loading information comprises a load balance corresponding to a payment account associated with the payment device.

[0084] Clause 12. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9, 10, or 11, wherein interfacing with the payment device to process the payment transaction comprises: receiving, by the acceptance device, CED stored by the payment device; decrypting, by the acceptance device, the CED to retrieve an account balance corresponding to a payment account associated with the acceptance device; updating, by the acceptance device, the account balance based on a transaction amount of the payment transaction; encrypting, by the acceptance device, a new CED comprising the updated account balance; and transmitting, by the acceptance device the new CED to the payment device.

[0085] Clause 13. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9, 10, 11, or 12, wherein the loading information indicates a pending load associated with payment account.

[0086] Clause 14. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9, 10, 11, 12, or 13, wherein updating the account balance is further based on the pending load.

[0087] Clause 15. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, or 14, wherein CED comprises a last update time corresponding to the account balance.

[0088] Clause 16. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, or 15, wherein updating the account balance is further based on the last update time.

[0089] Clause 17. The computer-implemented method of Clause 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, or 17, wherein CED comprises an account balance log representing changes to the account balance. [0090] 18. A computer-implemented method for offline payment transactions by a payment device, the computer-implemented method comprising: storing, by the payment device, CED comprising an account balance representing preloaded funds; interfacing, by the payment device, with an acceptance device in an offline mode to effect a payment transaction; transmitting, by the payment device, the CED to the acceptance device; receiving, by the payment device, a new CED comprising a new account balance based on a transaction amount associated with the payment transaction; and storing, by the payment device, the new CED.

[0091] Clause 19. The computer-implemented method of Clause 18, wherein CED comprises a last update time corresponding to the account balance.

[0092] Clause 20. The computer-implemented method of Clause 18 or 19, wherein CED comprises an account balance log representing changes to the account balance.

[0093] The foregoing detailed description has set forth various forms of the systems and/or processes via the use of block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples. Insofar as such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples contain one or more functions and/or operations, it will be understood by those within the art that each function and/or operation within such block diagrams, flowcharts, and/or examples can be implemented, individually and/or collectively, by a wide range of hardware, software, firmware, or virtually any combination thereof. Those skilled in the art will recognize that some aspects of the forms disclosed herein, in whole or in part, can be equivalently implemented in integrated circuits, as one or more computer programs running on one or more computers (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more computer systems), as one or more programs running on one or more processors (e.g., as one or more programs running on one or more microprocessors), as firmware, or as virtually any combination thereof, and that designing the circuitry and/or writing the code for the software and or firmware would be well within the skill of one of skill in the art in light of this disclosure. In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the mechanisms of the subject matter described herein are capable of being distributed as one or more program products in a variety of forms, and that an illustrative form of the subject matter described herein applies regardless of the particular type of signal bearing medium used to actually carry out the distribution.

[0094] Instructions used to program logic to perform various disclosed aspects can be stored within a memory in the system, such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM), cache, flash memory, or other storage. Furthermore, the instructions can be distributed via a network or by way of other computer readable media. Thus a machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer), but is not limited to, floppy diskettes, optical disks, compact disc, read-only memory (CD-ROMs), and magneto-optical disks, read-only memory (ROMs), random access memory (RAM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), magnetic or optical cards, flash memory, or a tangible, machine-readable storage used in the transmission of information over the Internet via electrical, optical, acoustical or other forms of propagated signals (e.g., carrier waves, infrared signals, digital signals, etc.). Accordingly, the non- transitory computer-readable medium includes any type of tangible machine-readable medium suitable for storing or transmitting electronic instructions or information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer).

[0095] Any of the software components or functions described in this application, may be implemented as software code to be executed by a processor using any suitable computer language such as, for example, Python, Java, C++ or Perl using, for example, conventional or object-oriented techniques. The software code may be stored as a series of instructions, or commands on a computer readable medium, such as RAM, ROM, a magnetic medium such as a hard-drive or a floppy disk, or an optical medium such as a CD- ROM. Any such computer readable medium may reside on or within a single computational apparatus, and may be present on or within different computational apparatuses within a system or network.

[0096] As used in any aspect herein, the term “logic” may refer to an app, software, firmware and/or circuitry configured to perform any of the aforementioned operations. Software may be embodied as a software package, code, instructions, instruction sets and/or data recorded on non-transitory computer readable storage medium. Firmware may be embodied as code, instructions or instruction sets and/or data that are hard-coded (e.g., nonvolatile) in memory devices.

[0097] As used in any aspect herein, the terms “component,” “system,” “module” and the like can refer to a computer-related entity, either hardware, a combination of hardware and software, software, or software in execution.

[0098] As used in any aspect herein, an “algorithm” refers to a self-consistent sequence of steps leading to a desired result, where a “step” refers to a manipulation of physical quantities and/or logic states which may, though need not necessarily, take the form of electrical or magnetic signals capable of being stored, transferred, combined, compared, and otherwise manipulated. It is common usage to refer to these signals as bits, values, elements, symbols, characters, terms, numbers, or the like. These and similar terms may be associated with the appropriate physical quantities and are merely convenient labels applied to these quantities and/or states.

[0099] A network may include a packet switched network. The communication devices may be capable of communicating with each other using a selected packet switched network communications protocol. One example communications protocol may include an Ethernet communications protocol which may be capable of permitting communication using a Transmission Control Protocol/lnternet Protocol (TCP/IP). The Ethernet protocol may comply or be compatible with the Ethernet standard published by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) titled “IEEE 802.3 Standard”, published in December, 2008 and/or later versions of this standard. Alternatively or additionally, the communication devices may be capable of communicating with each other using an X.25 communications protocol. The X.25 communications protocol may comply or be compatible with a standard promulgated by the International Telecommunication Union-Telecommunication Standardization Sector (ITU-T). Alternatively or additionally, the communication devices may be capable of communicating with each other using a frame relay communications protocol. The frame relay communications protocol may comply or be compatible with a standard promulgated by Consultative Committee for International Telegraph and Telephone (CCITT) and/or the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Alternatively or additionally, the transceivers may be capable of communicating with each other using an Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) communications protocol. The ATM communications protocol may comply or be compatible with an ATM standard published by the ATM Forum titled “ATM- MPLS Network Interworking 2.0” published August 2001, and/or later versions of this standard. Of course, different and/or after-developed connection-oriented network communication protocols are equally contemplated herein.

[0100] Unless specifically stated otherwise as apparent from the foregoing disclosure, it is appreciated that, throughout the present disclosure, discussions using terms such as “processing,” “computing,” “calculating,” “determining,” “displaying,” or the like, refer to the action and processes of a computer system, or similar electronic computing device, that manipulates and transforms data represented as physical (electronic) quantities within the computer system's registers and memories into other data similarly represented as physical quantities within the computer system memories or registers or other such information storage, transmission or display devices.

[0101] One or more components may be referred to herein as “configured to,” “configurable to,” “operable/operative to,” “adapted/adaptable,” “able to,” “conformable/conformed to,” etc. Those skilled in the art will recognize that “configured to” can generally encompass active-state components and/or inactive-state components and/or standby-state components, unless context requires otherwise.

[0102] As used herein, the term “comprising” is not intended to be limiting, but may be a transitional term synonymous with “including,” “containing,” or “characterized by.” The term “comprising” may thereby be inclusive or open-ended and does not exclude additional, unrecited elements or method steps when used in a claim. For instance, in describing a method, “comprising” indicates that the claim is open-ended and allows for additional steps. In describing a device, “comprising” may mean that a named element(s) may be essential for an embodiment or aspect, but other elements may be added and still form a construct within the scope of a claim. In contrast, the transitional phrase “consisting of” excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in a claim. This is consistent with the use of the term throughout the specification.

[0103] Those skilled in the art will recognize that, in general, terms used herein, and especially in the appended claims (e.g., bodies of the appended claims) are generally intended as “open” terms (e.g., the term “including” should be interpreted as “including but not limited to,” the term “having” should be interpreted as “having at least,” the term “includes” should be interpreted as “includes but is not limited to,” etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is intended, such an intent will be explicitly recited in the claim, and in the absence of such recitation no such intent is present. For example, as an aid to understanding, the following appended claims may contain usage of the introductory phrases “at least one” and “one or more” to introduce claim recitations. However, the use of such phrases should not be construed to imply that the introduction of a claim recitation by the indefinite articles “a” or “an” limits any particular claim containing such introduced claim recitation to claims containing only one such recitation, even when the same claim includes the introductory phrases “one or more” or “at least one” and indefinite articles such as “a” or “an” (e.g., “a” and/or “an” should typically be interpreted to mean “at least one” or “one or more”); the same holds true for the use of definite articles used to introduce claim recitations.

[0104] In addition, even if a specific number of an introduced claim recitation is explicitly recited, those skilled in the art will recognize that such recitation should typically be interpreted to mean at least the recited number (e.g., the bare recitation of “two recitations,” without other modifiers, typically means at least two recitations, or two or more recitations). Furthermore, in those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, and C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, and C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). In those instances where a convention analogous to “at least one of A, B, or C, etc.” is used, in general such a construction is intended in the sense one having skill in the art would understand the convention (e.g., “a system having at least one of A, B, or C” would include but not be limited to systems that have A alone, B alone, C alone, A and B together, A and C together, B and C together, and/or A, B, and C together, etc.). It will be further understood by those within the art that typically a disjunctive word and/or phrase presenting two or more alternative terms, whether in the description, claims, or drawings, should be understood to contemplate the possibilities of including one of the terms, either of the terms, or both terms unless context dictates otherwise. For example, the phrase “A or B” will be typically understood to include the possibilities of “A” or “B” or “A and B.”

[0105] Reference to “a device,” “a server,” “a processor,” and/or the like, as used herein, may refer to a previously-recited device, server, or processor that is recited as performing a previous step or function, a different server or processor, and/or a combination of servers and/or processors. For example, as used in the specification and the claims, a first server or a first processor that is recited as performing a first step or a first function may refer to the same or different server or the same or different processor recited as performing a second step or a second function.

[0106] With respect to the appended claims, those skilled in the art will appreciate that recited operations therein may generally be performed in any order. Also, although various operational flow diagrams are presented in a sequence(s), it should be understood that the various operations may be performed in other orders than those which are illustrated, or may be performed concurrently. Examples of such alternate orderings may include overlapping, interleaved, interrupted, reordered, incremental, preparatory, supplemental, simultaneous, reverse, or other variant orderings, unless context dictates otherwise. Furthermore, terms like “responsive to,” “related to,” or other past-tense adjectives are generally not intended to exclude such variants, unless context dictates otherwise.

[0107] It is worthy to note that any reference to “one aspect,” “an aspect,” “an exemplification,” “one exemplification,” and the like means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the aspect is included in at least one aspect. Thus, appearances of the phrases “in one aspect,” “in an aspect,” “in an exemplification,” and “in one exemplification” in various places throughout the specification are not necessarily all referring to the same aspect. Furthermore, the particular features, structures or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more aspects. [0108] As used herein, the singular form of “a”, “an”, and “the” include the plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0109] Any patent application, patent, non-patent publication, or other disclosure material referred to in this specification and/or listed in any Application Data Sheet is incorporated by reference herein, to the extent that the incorporated materials is not inconsistent herewith. As such, and to the extent necessary, the disclosure as explicitly set forth herein supersedes any conflicting material incorporated herein by reference. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference herein, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein will only be incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material. None is admitted to be prior art.

[0110] In summary, numerous benefits have been described which result from employing the concepts described herein. The foregoing description of the one or more forms has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or limiting to the precise form disclosed. Modifications or variations are possible in light of the above teachings. The one or more forms were chosen and described in order to illustrate principles and practical application to thereby enable one of ordinary skill in the art to utilize the various forms and with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the claims submitted herewith define the overall scope.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method for facilitating an offline transaction during an offline period, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by a point of sale (POS) terminal, loading information associated with a payment device prior to the offline period, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device; retrieving, by the POS terminal, payment device information from the payment device during a payment transaction by the payment device in the offline period, wherein the payment device information comprises an account balance; based on the load information and the payment device information, determining, by the POS terminal, that the payment device is to receive a pending load; updating, by the POS terminal, the account balance of the payment device based on the pending load; approving, by the POS terminal, the payment transaction during the offline period, wherein the payment transaction comprises a transaction amount less than, or equal to, the account balance; and updating, by the POS terminal, the account balance on the payment device after reducing the account balance by the transaction amount.

2. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1, wherein the loading information comprises a loading time, wherein the payment device information comprises a last loading time, and wherein determining, by the POS terminal, that the payment device is to receive the pending load is based on the loading time being more recent than the last loading time.

3. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1, wherein the payment device information comprises client exclusive data (CED), and wherein retrieving the payment device information comprises decrypting the CED.

4. The computer-implemented method of Claim 3, wherein the CED comprises the account balance, a loading time, and an encrypted personal identification number (PIN).

5. The computer-implemented method of Claim 4, further comprising: prompting, by the POS terminal, for entry of a value of the PIN to process the payment transaction during the offline period; decrypting, by the POS terminal, the encrypted PIN of the CED; and verifying, by the POS terminal, the value of the PIN.

6. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1 , further comprising performing, by the POS terminal, an offline data authentication (ODA) on the payment device during the offline period.

7. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1 , wherein receiving, by the POS terminal, the loading information comprises receiving an update list, and wherein the computer-implemented method further comprises determining whether a payment account corresponding to the payment device is on the update list.

8. The computer-implemented method of Claim 1 , further comprising deferring, by the POS terminal, online authorization of the payment transaction until after the offline period.

9. A computer-implemented method for hybrid payment-transaction processing by an acceptance device, the computer-implemented method comprising: receiving, by the acceptance device, in an online mode, loading information associated with a payment device, wherein the loading information is received independently of the payment device; interfacing, by the acceptance device, with the payment device to process a payment transaction; determining, by the acceptance device, that a network connection is unavailable for an online processing of the payment transaction; based on determining that the network connection is unavailable, transitioning, by the acceptance device, to an offline mode; and approving, by the acceptance device, the payment transaction in the offline mode based on the loading information.

10. The computer-implemented method of Claim 9, further comprising deferring, by the acceptance device, obtaining a transaction authorization request for the payment transaction until the network connection is reestablished.

11. The computer-implemented method of Claim 9, wherein the loading information comprises a load balance corresponding to a payment account associated with the payment device.

12. The computer-implemented method of Claim 9, wherein interfacing with the payment device to process the payment transaction comprises: receiving, by the acceptance device, CED stored by the payment device; decrypting, by the acceptance device, the CED to retrieve an account balance corresponding to a payment account associated with the acceptance device; updating, by the acceptance device, the account balance based on a transaction amount of the payment transaction; encrypting, by the acceptance device, a new CED comprising the updated account balance; and transmitting, by the acceptance device the new CED to the payment device.

13. The computer-implemented method of Claim 12, wherein the loading information indicates a pending load associated with payment account.

14. The computer-implemented method of Claim 13, wherein updating the account balance is further based on the pending load.

15. The computer-implemented method of Claim 14, wherein CED comprises a last update time corresponding to the account balance.

16. The computer-implemented method of Claim 15, wherein updating the account balance is further based on the last update time.

17. The computer-implemented method of Claim 14, wherein CED comprises an account balance log representing changes to the account balance.

18. A computer-implemented method for offline payment transactions by a payment device, the computer-implemented method comprising: storing, by the payment device, CED comprising an account balance representing preloaded funds; interfacing, by the payment device, with an acceptance device in an offline mode to effect a payment transaction; transmitting, by the payment device, the CED to the acceptance device; receiving, by the payment device, a new CED comprising a new account balance based on a transaction amount associated with the payment transaction; and storing, by the payment device, the new CED.

19. The computer-implemented method of Claim 18, wherein CED comprises a last update time corresponding to the account balance.

20. The computer-implemented method of Claim 18, wherein CED comprises an account balance log representing changes to the account balance.