User Device Configured To Function As PoS Terminal: Technical

The application relates to online payments, particularly by using the user's device instead of the merchant's PoS terminal. The Examining Division argued that the PoS configuration reflected merchant business rules and that deploying these to the user device was merely a straightforward implementation on a known payment system architecture. The Board disagreed and indicated that while the abstract aim of avoiding transmission of card data to the merchant may originate from the business person, the solution requires technical knowledge of the system architecture and falls within the expertise of the technically skilled person. Thus it was considered technical.

Here are the practical takeaways from the decision: T 1392/20 (User device configured to function as PoS terminal/HILLOA) of July 15, 2025, of the Technical Board of Appeal 3.5.01.