Proximity payment is a way to pay based on physical nearness. A provider broadcasts a short range signal, the payer's phone identifies the nearest recipient, and a central server routes the payment so the two devices never connect directly.
The longer version
Proximity payment removes the manual steps at the point of sale. Instead of tapping a card or entering a PIN, the payer's device recognizes which provider is closest and prepares to pay that recipient. The presence signal can travel over Bluetooth, NFC, ultra wideband, or WiFi Direct.
The distinguishing detail is where the money moves. The two devices establish who is near whom, but the transaction travels through a central server that already holds both accounts. The payer's phone and the provider's terminal never open a direct link, so payment credentials are never exchanged over the air between them.
The method is patented. Parousya Technologies holds parent patent US10657515B2, priority date 26 June 2014, covering proximity identification paired with server routed payment. Nothing is sent until the payer chooses to act, which keeps the person in control of every transaction.
The Parousya method
Proximity payment is the category Parousya defined and patented. The Parousya method supplies the mechanism underneath it: presence identifies the parties and a central server routes the payment, so no direct device connection is ever required.