Communication device including multi-part alias identifier

• US 10,304,127 B2
• Filed: 06/19/2017
• Issued: 05/28/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Visa International Service Association (Visa, Inc.)
• Inventors: Carlson, Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Fleischer, Mark A
• Application Number:
  US15/627,019
• Publication Number:
  US 20170286926A1
• Time in Patent Office: 708 Days
• Field of Search: 705 44, 705 39, 705 42, 705 1466, 705 76, 705 1426
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/10 specially adapted for electronic funds transfer [EFT] systems; specially adapted for home banking systems
• 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 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/083 using passwords cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication using a predetermined code H04L9/3226

Abstract

Methods and systems are disclosed for allowing financial transactions to be conducted using consumer devices. In some embodiments, the consumer device is a mobile communication device, such as a mobile phone. A payer initiates a transaction by sending a payment request message from a mobile phone which specifies the payee and amount to be paid. Payees are identified by unique aliases, which are maintained in a database. The aliases, in turn, are comprised of multiple parts. Each part of the alias may identify a relevant aspect of the transaction. For example, one part of the alias may identify the payee and another part of the alias may identify the financial institution of the account of the payee. Methods for assembling the enrollment and alias database are included.

Claims

1. A server device, comprising:

a processor device; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed with the processor device, cause the server device to, at least;

receive, over a network interface via a wireless communication, a payment request from a payer consumer device, wherein the payment request includes an indication of a predetermined amount of money and a multi-part alias identifier comprising a first part alias identifier and a second part alias identifier;

identifying, based on the first part alias identifier, a payee to which the payment request is directed, the payee identified based on a mapping between the first part alias identifier and a payee account number stored in the memory of the server device;

identifying, based on the second part alias identifier, a financial institution to which the payment request is directed, the financial institution identified based on a mapping between the second part alias identifier and a financial institution identifier stored in the memory of the server device;

identifying a payer account associated with the payer consumer device;

providing, to the payer, a computer generated communication to confirm the payment request for the predetermined amount of money to the identified payee;

upon confirming the request to pay the payee the predetermined amount of money, generating a payment request message that includes at least the payer account number and the predetermined amount of money;

sending the generated payment request message to a payer institution for approval;

receiving approval for the payment request message from the payer financial institution, and

facilitating payment of the predetermined amount of money from the payer financial institution to the payee financial institution using the payee account number, the payer, account number, and the predetermined amount.

2. The server device of claim 1, wherein the payment request message received over the network interface is an SMS message.

3. The server device of claim 1, wherein the payment request message comprises at least a payee account number and a payee financial institution.

4. The server device of claim 1, wherein the computer generated communication is an IVR callback.

5. The server device of claim 4, wherein the instructions further cause the server device to:

receive a PIN in response to the IVR callback; and

verify the PIN before generating the authorization request.

6. The server device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the server device to send a confirmation message to at least one of the payer or the payee after sending the generated authorization request to the payer institution.

7. The server device of claim 1, wherein the instructions further cause the server device to facilitate a transfer of the predetermined amount of money.

8. The server device of claim 1, wherein the facilitating the transfer of the predetermined amount of money comprises:

requesting the predetermined amount of money from the payer account; and

sending the predetermined amount of money to a payee account associated with the payee account number.

9. The server device of claim 1, wherein the payer account number is a credit card account number.

10. The server device of claim 1, wherein the payer account number is a bank account number.

11. A consumer device, comprising:

a processor; and

a memory including instructions that, when executed with the processor, cause the consumer device to, at least;

receive, a request to complete a payment from a payer, the request comprising at least a multi-part alias and an amount of currency, the multi-part alias comprising a first part alias identifier and a second part alias identifier;

identify an account associated with the payer;

transmit the received request and an indication of the identified account to a server device, such that the server device is caused to;

identify, based on the second part alias identifier, a financial institution to which the request is directed, the financial institution identified based on a mapping between the second part alias identifier and a financial institution identifier stored in the memory of the server device;

identify a payee account number maintained by the identified financial institution based on a mapping between the first part alias identifier and the payee account number stored in the memory of the server device; and

initiate a payment in the amount of currency from the account associated with the payer to a payee account associated with the payee account number maintained by the identified financial institution; and

receive, from the server device, a confirmation that the request has been completed.

12. The consumer device of claim 11, wherein the request comprises only the multi-part alias and the amount of currency.

13. The consumer device of claim 11, wherein the request is routed to the identified financial institution via a payment processing network.

14. The consumer device of claim 11, wherein the account associated with the payer is identified based on a payment account stored in memory of the consumer device.

15. The consumer device of claim 11, wherein the instructions further cause the consumer device to prompt a user of the consumer device for a PIN prior to transmitting the received request and the indication of the identified account to the server device.

16. The consumer device of claim 11, wherein the server device is operated on behalf of a payment processing network.

17. The consumer device of claim 11, wherein initiating the payment comprises generating a transaction request message that includes the amount of currency and an indication of the account associated with the payer.

18. The consumer device of claim 17, wherein the instructions further cause the consumer device to submit the generated transaction request message to a payment processing network to be routed to a second financial institution associated with the account associated with the payer.

19. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, at a consumer device, a request to complete a payment from a payer, the request comprising at least a multi-part alias and an amount of currency, the multi-part alias comprising at least a first part alias identifier and a second part alias identifier;

identifying an account associated with the payer;

transmitting, from the consumer device to a server device, the received request and an indication of the identified account, wherein the server device is configured to (i) identify, based on the second part alias identifier, a financial institution to which the request is directed, the financial institution identified based on a mapping between the second part alias identifier and a financial institution identifier stored in the memory of the server device,

identify a payee account number associated with the identified financial institution based on a mapping between the first part alias identifier and the payee account number stored in the memory of the server device, and

initiate a payment in the amount of currency from the account associated with the payer to a payee account associated with the payee account number; and

receiving, at the consumer device from the server device, a confirmation that the request has been completed.

20. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, wherein the server device is further configured to:

subsequent to identifying the payee account number, send a confirmation message to the consumer device; and

receive from the consumer device, a response to the confirmation message, wherein the payment is initiated based upon the received response.