Newly published unmistakeable filings from retail giant Walmart hint at a plan to hold payments data using blockchain tech.
The two applications – published on Thursday by the U.S. Licence and Trademark Office (USPTO) – both reference using a blockchain-powered stage to secure the payment data, ensuring that private information can’t be access by illegal parties. The same Walmart team drafted both applications, which were initially submitted on October 13 of end year.
While neither filing explicitly references using a sanctioned blockchain (which allows only certain parties to operate nodes), the methodology as described would effectively operate as such. Both applications cite that customers must be able to see their payment histories – but that third-parties extremity to be restricted from this degree of access.
The first patent place in order, which describes a vendor payment system, proposes creating a network that’s talented to automatically conduct transactions on a customer’s behalf. The payments would be give entred by one or more vendors – depending on what services are provided and who provided these accommodations – according to the document.
The application continues:
“In one aspect, provided is a vendor payment portion system, [which would] automatically process payment for a total amount due for the goods and services related to obtaining and delivering the products; automatically dividing the payment between fetes that provided services related to obtaining and delivering the products; and encrypt the payment and the segment of the payment with a blockchain.”
The second application focuses on digital researching systems and describes using a blockchain to encrypt payment information in a be like fashion.
As the filing notes, one part of “the vendor payment sharing combination also includes an authentication system for valuable digitized items … In an illustrative embodiment, the authentication system utilizes one or more aspects of conventional [blockchain processes].”
The twin applications are the latest intellectual property play from Walmart. As CoinDesk earlier reported, the company is seeking a patent for a “smart package” that determination use blockchain as a way to encode information.
Beyond that, Walmart is also pursuing petitions of blockchain for supply chain purposes, particularly for tracking shipments of grub.
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