Systems and methods for brokered authentication express seller links

• US 10,068,220 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2010
• Issued: 09/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/11/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Perlman, Jeffrey William
• Primary Examiner(s): Boveja, Namrata
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dega, Murali K
• Application Number:
  US12/778,468
• Publication Number:
  US 20100257102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,037 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/123 Shopping for digital content
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/29 characterised by micropayments
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/401 Transaction verification
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/403 Solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4037 Remote solvency checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 7/08 by coded identity card or credit card or other personal identification means without personal verification means G07F7/02

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing a transaction authorization from a funds facilitation system for a transaction requested by a user to a merchant system such that the user is not required to input any user authentication information in excess of authentication information required by the merchant system are provided. A system and method can include receiving a transaction request from the merchant system containing a merchant ID, a merchant user ID, and a transaction amount. The system identifies a funds facilitation system user ID based on the merchant ID and the merchant user ID and determines satisfaction of a funds facilitation system user authentication requirement based on the merchant system having a trusted status with the funds facilitation system. A transaction authorization message or transaction denial message is provided to the merchant system based on account information associated with the user and the transaction amount.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

storing, by a computer-implemented funds facilitation system, a trust level for a merchant system associated with a merchant, wherein the trust level is one of at least a first trust level or a second trust level;

receiving, by the funds facilitation system, user authentication information from a user system of a user of the funds facilitation system, the user authentication information being configured to authorize transactions by the funds facilitation system;

upon receiving the user authentication information, automatically generating, by the funds facilitation system, an express link cookie including the user authentication information indicating authorization of transactions between the funds facilitation system and merchant systems having the second trust level;

transmitting the express link cookie to the user system of the user, wherein the express link cookie is configured to be subsequently detectable on the user system by the funds facilitation system;

receiving, by the funds facilitation system, a transaction authorization request from the merchant system, the transaction authorization request including a request to charge a transaction amount of a transaction to an account of the user, wherein the transaction authorization request includes a merchant identifier identifying the merchant system and a user identifier identifying the user;

based on the merchant identifier, determining, by the funds facilitation system, that the stored trust level for the merchant system is the second trust level;

determining, by the funds facilitation system, the presence of the express link cookie on the user system;

based on the determination that the stored trust level of the merchant system is the second trust level and the determination that the express link cookie is present on the user system, determining, by the funds facilitation system, that further authentication information is not required from the user; and

based on the determination that further authentication information is not required from the user, transmitting, by the funds facilitation system to the merchant system, approval of the transaction authorization request to the merchant system without receiving additional authentication information from the user.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user authentication information includes a user password that the user has with the funds facilitation system.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the merchant system'"'"'s trust level specifies that the funds facilitation system requires the authentication information for an initial transaction authorization request initiated by the user from the merchant system, and does not require the authentication information for subsequent transaction authorization requests initiated by the user from the merchant system.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a user selection of the trust level for the merchant system.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein

the user identifier is a merchant user identification that identifies the user to the merchant system, and

a funds facilitation system user account number is assigned to the user account to be charged the transaction amount, and

the method further comprising:

maintaining, by the funds facilitation system, prior to the receiving of the transaction authorization request, an accounts database that associates the merchant user identification with the funds facilitation system user account number; and

comparing, by the funds facilitation system after receiving the authorization request, the merchant user identification with the accounts database to identify the funds facilitation system user account number to which the transaction amount is to be charged, without receiving the funds facilitation system user account number from the merchant system or the user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the association of the merchant user identification with the funds facilitation system user account number is obtained by the funds facilitation system receiving, before the receiving of the transaction authorization request, an input by the a user to link the merchant user identification with the funds facilitation system user account number.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein transaction authorization request includes a digital signature associated with the merchant system, the method further comprising:

verifying authenticity of the digital signature;

wherein the transmitting of the approval of the transaction authorization request by the funds facilitation system without the authentication information from the user is contingent upon successfully verifying the authenticity of the digital signature.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the link cookie includes information to confirm the user'"'"'s authorization to categorize the merchant system as having a trust level that corresponds to not requiring receipt of the user authentication by the funds facilitation system.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

verifying that the link cookie stored on the remote user system is valid, and wherein the determining of not requiring the authentication information is based on the validity of the link cookie.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the link cookie remains valid for the duration of a web session between the remote user system and the merchant system.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the link cookie remains valid for a plurality of web sessions between the remote user system and the merchant system.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein

the user identifier is a merchant user identification that identifies the user to the merchant system,

a funds facilitation system user account number is assigned, before the receiving of the transaction authorization request, to the user'"'"'s account,

the transaction authorization request approval is transmitted by the funds facilitation system without the funds facilitation system receiving, from either the user or the merchant system, the funds facilitation system user account number, and

the method further comprising:

maintaining, by the funds facilitation system, an accounts database that associates the merchant user identification with the funds facilitation system user account number;

identifying, by the funds facilitation system, using the accounts database, the funds facilitation system user account number based on the merchant user identification received from the merchant system; and

charging, by the funds facilitation system, the transaction amount to the funds facilitation system user account number.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the merchant system, before sending the transaction authorization request to the funds facilitation system, receives, from the user, the merchant user identification and a password that the user has with the merchant system.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the merchant system authenticates the user based on the merchant user identification and the password that the user has with the merchant system.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the transaction authorization request approval is transmitted by the funds facilitation system without the user providing any authentication information upon initiating the transaction authorization request, to authenticate the user, other than the merchant user identification and the password that the user has with the merchant system.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the user, prior to the receiving of the transaction authorization request, provides information to the funds facility system that links the merchant user identification with the funds facilitation system user account number, for the funds facilitation system to store in the accounts database.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

that an account, that the user has with the funds facilitation system has insufficient funds for the transaction, the funds facilitation system instructing the merchant system to display a user interface with which the account holder can transfer funds from a funding source to the user account with the funds facilitation system.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the stored trust level for the merchant system is, before the receiving of the transaction authorization request, provided by a request from the user.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the request from the user is by the user entering, on a user interface of a website of the merchant system, a selection to assign the trust level to the merchant system.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the trust level corresponds to the funds facilitation system not requiring authentication information from the user for future transactions specifically within a current session.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein the trust level corresponds to the funds facilitation system not requiring security information from the user for future transactions even in future sessions.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the user interface, on which the user selects to assign the trust level to the merchant system for future transactions, is used by the user to implement a current transaction.

18. A computer-implemented funds facilitation system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable non-transitory storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to;

store a trust level for a merchant system associated with a merchant, wherein the trust level is one of at least a first trust level or a second trust level;

receive user authentication information from a user system of a user of the funds facilitation system, the user authentication information being configured to authorize transactions by the funds facilitation system;

upon receiving the user authentication information, automatically generate an express link cookie including the user authentication information indicating authorization of transactions between the funds facilitation system and merchant systems having the second trust level;

transmit the express link cookie to the user system of the user, wherein the express link cookie is configured to be subsequently detectable on the user system by the funds facilitation system;

receive a transaction authorization request from the merchant system, the transaction authorization request including a request to charge a transaction amount of a transaction to an account of the user, wherein the transaction authorization request includes a merchant identifier identifying the merchant system and a user identifier identifying the user;

based on the merchant identifier, determine that the stored trust level for the merchant system is the second trust level;

determine the presence of the express link cookie on the user system;

based on the determination that the stored trust level of the merchant system is the second trust level and the determination that the express link cookie is present on the user system, determine that further authentication information is not required from the user; and

based on the determination that further authentication information is not required from the user, transmit, to the merchant system, approval of the transaction authorization request without receiving additional authentication information from the user.

19. The funds facilitation system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

require, based on the trust level of the merchant system, the authentication information from the user for only an initial transaction authorization request initiated by the user from the merchant system, and not for subsequent transaction authorization requests initiated by the user from the merchant system.

20. The funds facilitation system of claim 18, wherein the instructions further cause the processor to:

prior to transmitting the electronic communication to approve the transaction authorization request, determine if the account holder has access to sufficient funds from the funds facilitation system to cover the transaction amount.

21. The funds facilitation system of claim 18, wherein the link cookie confirms the user'"'"'s authorization of the trusted status of the merchant system, and wherein the transmitting of the approval is further based on a successful verification of the link cookie.

27. A computer-implemented funds facilitation system comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable non-transitory storage medium containing instructions which, when executed on the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a trust level selection for a merchant system from a user of the funds facilitation system, wherein the selected trust level is one of at least a first trust level or a second trust level;

store the trust level for the merchant system, the trust level being associated with a user identifier identifying the user;

receive user authentication information from a user system of the user, the user authentication information being configured to authorize transactions by the funds facilitation system;

upon receiving the user authentication information, automatically generate a link cookie including the user authentication information indicating authorization of transactions between the funds facilitation system and merchant systems having the second trust level;

transmit the link cookie to the user system of the user, wherein the link cookie is configured to be subsequently detectable on the user system by the funds facilitation system;

receive a transaction authorization request from the merchant system, the transaction authorization request including a request to charge a transaction amount of a transaction to an account of the user, wherein the transaction authorization request includes a merchant identifier identifying the merchant system and the user identifier identifying the user;

based on the merchant identifier, determine that the stored trust level for the merchant system is the first trust level;

based on the determination that the stored trust level of the merchant system is the first trust level, determine that further authentication information is required from the user to approve the transaction authorization request;

transmit a request to the user system for the further authorization information;

receive the further authorization information from the user system;

determine that the further authorization information from the user is valid; and

based on the determination that the authorization information from the user is valid, transmit, to the merchant system, approval of the transaction authorization request.